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Vulture writer ranks all 213 Beatles songs

emag

Member
http://www.vulture.com/2017/06/all-213-beatles-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html

Presumably inspired by last week's 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper.

It's only one writer's opinion, but I found most of the rationale at least reasonable, though I suppose it helped that so many Revolver and Rubber Soul songs were highly ranked. However, inoffensive, whimsical songs like Yellow Submarine, Octopus's Garden, and Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da get hit hard.

Spoilers (why?) for the top 3:
3. Penny Lane
2. Strawberry Fields
1. A Day in the Life

Myself, I've come to value some of Harrison's work more than when I was younger. Here Comes the Sun, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, and Something are actually pretty high on the author's list, but would be even higher on mine, and the early stuff (Please Please Me) would be a bit lower. I'd also move up Rain and move down all of the top three, especially
Penny Lane
.
 
A real tough list to make so I give the author credit for attempting.

That being said, Lovely Rita and Penny Lane are ranked way too high. Penny Lane being third over something like Hey Jude or Let It Be is insanity.
 

BumRush

Member
Never going to agree with another person's list of Beatles songs, but it's still fun to read the reasonings.

I think Blackbird is the best song ever written, While My Guitar at #2 and A Day in the Life at #3
 

emag

Member
Taxman not being the lowest is absurd.

Taxman's overall message is a bit problematic (as Harrison himself later realized), but it's nowhere near as bad as Run For Your Life (which the writer rates higher?). Taxman also sounds great and has some solid lyrics ("Now my advice for those who die/Declare those pennies on your eyes").
 

inky

Member
While my guitar gently weeps
A day in the life
In my life
Because
I've just seen a face
Golden slumbers+Carry that weight+End
 
Obviously whenever these lists come out, we can find all manner of ways to nitpick the choices. But someone who thinks "She's Leaving Home" is a "bathetic lugubrious mess" while praising the nonsensical bullshit of "I Am the Walrus" is a fucking hypocritical moron of the highest order. I still like "I Am the Walrus," mind you, but this guy is knocking Paul for his trite lyrics on "Ob-La-Di" and then praises the most nonsensical song ever written as genius? Get the fuck outta here.

My top 5 (no order):
A Day in the Life
Norwegian Wood
Across the Universe (naked version)
Eleanor Rigby
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
 

SMG

Member
Taxman's overall message is a bit problematic (as Harrison himself later realized), but it's nowhere near as bad as Run For Your Life (which the writer rates higher?). Taxman also sounds great and has some solid lyrics ("Now my advice for those who die/Declare those pennies on your eyes").

It sounds good, but coming from a band that talks about free love and were all crazy rich before the age of 30 it always seems bitter and petty.
Gonna listen to Run For Your Life. Still a lot of Beatles songs I've missed.
 

Galang

Banned
I mean. If anyone is going to rank 200 songs by an artist nobody is going to agree with the list. No need to nitpick very much in this case
 

Omadahl

Banned
Penny Lane is trash. Eleanor Rigby is a top 3 for certain. A Day in the Life deserves a top spot for it's transition alone.
 

Zach

Member
Top 11

A Day in the Life
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
We Can Work It Out
In My Life
Here Comes the Sun
I'm Only Sleeping
Help!
Hey Jude
Something
I Want You (She's So Heavy)
Octopus's Garden
 

Hindl

Member
Fuck this, Dig a Pony is nowhere near the 5th worst Beatles song

And Maxwell at 182?! This person sucks

And yes, they did get #1 right
 
Good Day Sunshine is the worst? Seriously? You're going to sit here and tell me Wild Honey Pie is a better song than Good Day Sunshine?
Every moment of Revolver is perfection. Come on Bill Wyman.
 

Zach

Member
Ah, what do you know, TheCowboyPoet? You put "Tomorrow Never Knows" at #1 like a gah dang crazy person.

: )
 

Stumpokapow

listen to the mad man
1-2 for me would probably be Tomorrow Never Knows and A Day in the Life, and most of my favourites made the top 30 or so, so I would say this is a pretty decent list.
 
Happiness is a Warm Gun not even in the top 100? It's top 10. Also Penny Lane sucks. But nobody could make a list like this without a ton of complaints.
 

Timeaisis

Member
Wow, Good Day Sunshine in last place. What kind of list is this.

Edit: Since we are all top-fiving, anyway.

1. She's So Heavy
2. Get Back
3. Hey Jude
4. Here Comes the Sun
5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Also, Penny Lane is a good song.
 

compo

Banned
I'm actually not really fond of A Day in the Life. It's a pretty good song until those weird sound effect parts.

I would have a hard time ranking my favorite songs, though. The only thing I can definitely say is that Piggies would probably be in last place. And it beat out way too many other songs in this guy's list.
 
Obviously whenever these lists come out, we can find all manner of ways to nitpick the choices. But someone who thinks "She's Leaving Home" is a "bathetic lugubrious mess" while praising the nonsensical bullshit of "I Am the Walrus" is a fucking hypocritical moron of the highest order. I still like "I Am the Walrus," mind you, but this guy is knocking Paul for his trite lyrics on "Ob-La-Di" and then praises the most nonsensical song ever written as genius? Get the fuck outta here

Yeah, on ranking lists people focus too much on the order/placement, and not enough on the "justifications"/"reasonings."
Poor list.
 
Please Please Me better than Tomorrow Never Knows?
Lovely Rita better than While My Guitar Gently Weeps?
Penny Lane better than I'm Only Sleeping?

this list sucks
 
This would be an incredibly hard task and probably disagree with most of the list, but I do agree with #1. A day in the life is a phenomenal song.
 
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