What is everyone's favourite song from the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and why? | Page 2 | Fab forum

Honestly, as much as I've always wanted to claim that Sgt. Pepper is the great masterpiece that so many others claim it is, I just can't.  For me, the most impeccable production values in the world can't cover up the core fact that this isn't the best batch of songs the guys ever came up with.  Paul wrote (or, at least, was the primary writer of) 8 of the album's 13 tracks (along with contributing the middle section to John's "A Day in the Life")… but, despite this, I feel it's the only Beatles album (Yellow Submarine notwithstanding) to which he did not contribute at least one bona fide home run of a song that also ranks among his all-time greatest compositions.

Please Please Me had "I Saw Her Standing There"

With The Beatles had "All My Loving"

A Hard Day's Night had "Can't Buy Me Love," "And I Love Her" and "Things We Said Today"

Beatles for Sale had "I'll Follow the Sun"

Help! had "The Night Before," "I've Just Seen a Face" and (even though it's kind of become overrated) "Yesterday"

Rubber Soul had "Drive My Car," "You Won't See Me," "Michelle" and "I'm Looking Through You"

Revolver had "Eleanor Rigby;" "Here, There and Everywhere;" "Good Day Sunshine;" "For No One" and "Got to Get You Into My Life"

Magical Mystery Tour had "The Fool on the Hill" (and, if you count the entire compilation album, "Penny Lane")

The White Album had "Back in the U.S.S.R.," "Martha My Dear," "Blackbird," "I Will," "Birthday," "Mother Nature's Son," "Helter Skelter" and "Honey Pie"

Abbey Road had "Oh! Darling" and all but 3 songs in the Medley

Let It Be had "Two of Us," "Let It Be," "I've Got a Feeling" and "Get Back"

On Sgt. Pepper, the title track and its reprise (and maybe "When I'm Sixty-Four") were his best contributions, being doubles at the most.  The rest are merely singles, IMO.  The group really shot themselves in the foot by leaving off both "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" -- arguably the 2 best songs written for these sessions.  I've constructed my own personal cut of the album with this alternate track listing:

SIDE ONE:
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band;" "With a Little Help from My Friends;" "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds;" "Fixing a Hole"; "Only a Northern Song;" "Penny Lane;" "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!"

SIDE TWO:
"Within You, Without You;" "Strawberry Fields Forever;" "When I'm Sixty-Four;" "Good Morning, Good Morning;" "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise);" "A Day in the Life"

This listing still doesn't quite stand up to Revolver, but at least now it's more on par with Rubber Soul, The White Album, and Abbey Road.

As it is, I'd rank the tracks as follows:

 1. "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"

 2. "Good Morning, Good Morning"

 3. "Within You, Without You"

 4. "A Day in the Life"

 5. "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!"

 6. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)"

 7. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"

 8. "When I'm Sixty-Four"

 9. "Getting Better"

10. "With a Little Help from My Friends"

11. "Fixing a Hole"

12. "She's Leaving Home"

13. "Lovely Rita"