Videos by American Songwriter
In their upcoming special issue, Rolling Stone magazine has painstakingly singled-out the top 100 Beatles songs. They’ve posted their ultimate top 10 list online, as a teaser.
Interestingly enough, American Songwriter ran it’s own list of the best Beatles songs not too long ago. It’s nice to know we both agree on the number one pick. After that, though, it’s argument time.
For the record, here’s Rolling Stone’s top 10:
#1: “A Day in the Life”
#2: “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
#3: “Strawberry Fields Forever”
#4: “Yesterday”
#5: “In My Life”
#6: “Something”
#7: “Hey Jude”
#8: “Let It Be”
#9: “Come Together”
#10: “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
Here’s our top 10:
#1: “A Day in the Life”
#2: “Something”
#3 “Strawberry Fields Forever”
#4 “Hey Jude”
#5 “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
#6 “I Am The Walrus”
#7 “Here Comes The Sun”
#8 “Across The Universe”
#9 “Help!”
#10 “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”
So who’s right? Who’s on to “something,” and who should just “let it be?” Let us know! And read the rest of our own, painstakingly-assembled list here.
Your Top 10 is the better of the two. Still, I’ve somehow never “gotten” While My Guitar Gently Weeps. That dirgey melody just doesn’t do it for me.
I have to go with Rolling Stone, where’s the McCartney songs on your list?
No Michelle? Not in either list? I’m actually pretty surprised. It’s not so much that I think it should or shouldn’t be, but I’d have thought everyone/anyone in the universe (or at least those who’s opinions were considered for these lists) would have thought it should be. I can see these lists for “best Beatles recordings” (0r records), but to see a list of “best Beatles songs” that doesn’t include Michelle in the top 10 was very surprising to me. Just me?
I was hoping for Paul Wall’s “I’m a Playa. 😉
Hide Your Love Away was the best Beatles song by far.
Tough task! Personally, I’ve always thought that “Across The Universe” & “I Am The Walrus” we’re among their worst songs. Didn’t work for me. In contrast, I’ve always loved, “Nowhere Man”, “You’re Gonna Lose That Girl”, “I’m Only Sleeping”, “No Reply” and other less aired stuff that were driven by their MONSTER harmony skills. In fact, experiencing “You’re Gonna Lose That Girl” in the movie “Help”, caused me to become a musician.
COME ON PEOPLE….YOU CAN’T DO 10 TOP BEATLES SONGS!!!!….PLEASE!!!!!!!!!……20 MAYBE!!!!!!!!!!
how can we name “10 best” out of their huge/ magnificent songbook? their tunes from 1964 to 1970 include 330 titles, at least 300 of them are unforgettable. if one asks what are the 250 greatest beatle songs, that is a more realistic question. also, happy birthday John, wherever you are? we can only IMAGINE–
At polar extremes, “You Can’t Do That” and “Here, There and Everywhere” stand in front of a few of the songs on either list.
Eleanor Rigby doesn’t represent the Beatles as band, but it’s among their finest and most earnest recordings.
Don’t forget the absolute jewel of their rock set: “And Your Bird Can Sing.” And the drive of “Day Tripper” is rivaled only by “Drive My Car.” I’d put all three of these in the top 10 along with Eleanor Rigby, Here There and Everywhere and You Can’t Do That. Strawberry Fields and I Am the Walrus have to be there just for their gargantuan mind-bending impact. Thus, A Day In the Life –the smartest of the great experiments. The #1o song on my list is a competition among about 100 other Beatles songs. Since “I Want to Hold Your Hand” made the Rolling Stone list, I’ll peel that one off and maintain that the preceding “She Loves You” was the more vital tribal dance that pushed the Beatles into the musical forefront.
So that’s my 10, but I don’t rank them. In order of release upon the world, they are:
She Loves You
You Can’t Do That
Drive My Car
And Your Bird Can Sing
Day Tripper
Eleanor Rigby
Here, There and Everywhere
Strawberry Fields Forever
A Day in the Life
I Am the Walrus
(so many great songs excluded)
What? No TAXMAN? That song changed lives!