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1.56am
10 August 2011
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Everyone here is a Beatle aficionado, but there seem to be strong Forum disagreements on the merits of this or that song.
Remarkable how the same songs appear on the ‘Unbelievably Underrated’ and ‘Worst Beatle’ song threads.
Are there any songs that we could all agree represent the Beatles at their best? Or at least be fine examples of their work.
How would we go about determining that?
Could a list of all Beatle songs be posted somewhere, and somehow we could give each song a score?
Could we give a thumbs up, a thumbs down, or no thumb at all?
Could a thread be set up here that everyone could edit a la Wikipedia? We could then simply add our names next to the songs we like.
All suggestions welcome.
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Little Piggy Dragonguy, Oudis"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)
2.00am
Reviewers
1 November 2013
Offline Well, there needs to be more of range for scoring than 1-3. A nice 1-10 is what you need. Sounds cool if we could get it started
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Little Piggy Dragonguy(This signature brought to you by Net Boy and Net Girl. Putting messages in modems since 1996.)
2.16am
10 November 2009
Offline 
Into the Sky with Diamonds said
Everyone here is a Beatle aficionado, but there seem to be strong Forum disagreements on the merits of this or that song.
Remarkable how the same songs appear on the ‘Unbelievably Underrated’ and ‘Worst Beatle’ song threads.
Are there any songs that we could all agree represent the Beatles at their best? Or at least be fine examples of their work.
How would we go about determining that?
Could a list of all Beatle songs be posted somewhere, and somehow we could give each song a score?
Could we give a thumbs up, a thumbs down, or no thumb at all?
Could a thread be set up here that everyone could edit a la Wikipedia? We could then simply add our names next to the songs we like.
All suggestions welcome.
The truth is, any song would be the favorite/least favorite/overrated/underrated for someone.
Let me take you down 'cause I'm going to...Strawberry Fields.
3.45am
8 November 2012
Offline Into the Sky with Diamonds said
Could a list of all Beatle songs be posted somewhere, and somehow we could give each song a score?
Wasn’t that Beatles in the Blood’s project? I hope he’s doing okay.
parlance
4.26am
18 January 2014
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I’m sure there would be no surprises with the top songs, but I’m interested to see what this forum would come up with. As to how it could be done, there are plenty of options. The thumbs up/down idea is good. We could have people make a top ten (or five, or twenty, etc) favorite songs list, then tally the number of votes for each song. We could have people rank the songs on each album from best to worst (or least-best for some of us), and figure out a scoring system in a similar fashion. All sorts of possibilities.
4.58am
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline This was, or something similar, as parlance says, attempted by Beatles in the Blood (hope you’re okay out there if you’re looking in!), which I offered to help with.
Unfortunately too many people threw their arms up in horror at the idea of coming up with a Top 10, or a Top 20, ranked in order. They got very much into the mindset of — it would be like choosing my favourite child!
I could see a way this idea could be explored if people wanted to however. And if people want to then I am happy to do it.
Looking for an idea of what is generally thought to be the best and worst? Mmmm? PM me a list of (in no particular order) your 20 favourite and your 20 least favourite. I would give each a single point, and post a copy of the current result every ten PMs — or monthly if there was change, depending on which came sooner. Only core collection songs – and only by title not version, so no Get Back single or album, ‘twould just be Get Back (expect in case of Revolution & Revolution 1 as they are so drastically different approaches to the same song) would count (the 12 UK albums, Capitol’s Magical Mystery Tour , and Past Masters ). If a song that appeared in the favourite list got a vote in the least favourite least, or vice versa, then I would +/- a point respectively.
I’m sure this idea will go down like the lead balloon previous suggestions like this have done, but I’m happy to do it should anyone want to.
I’m sure, if people did want to explore this idea (which I doubt), then I can come up with a proper set of rules.
Over to you all!
"I only said we were bigger than Rod... and now there's all this!" Ron Nasty
To @ Ron Nasty it's @ mja6758
The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
6.45am
11 November 2010
Offline Isn’t that kind of why we have the Hurt/Heal threads?
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6.57am
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline This would be more expansive, as there would be no list – other than their career releases. The heal/hurt lists are where someone specify between ten and twenty items based on a theme, they all start with a score of ten, and are whittled down to a single item by items being knocked off the list. In this instance, everything would start with a score of 0, and nothing would ever be disqualified from being voted for, it just might disappear/reappear depending on people’s votes. The idea here is not to come to a definitive top and bottom one, but to have a rolling view of what forumites consider their favourite and least favourite works released by them during their life as a group.
"I only said we were bigger than Rod... and now there's all this!" Ron Nasty
To @ Ron Nasty it's @ mja6758
The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
8.49am
3 May 2012
Offline It’s a good idea, but I have to say I was one of the ones who felt a bit exasperated the first time around, and that hasn’t changed. It would be so hard for me to do ( it would be like choosing my favourite child! – quite), and is it worth it? Like someone said upthread, people are always going to have taste differences, that’s what makes us human.
Moving along in our God given ways, safety is sat by the fire/Sanctuary from these feverish smiles, left with a mark on the door.
(Passover - I. Curtis)
11.25am
19 April 2010
Offline It’s been 40 years since the Beatles broke up and the debates over best/worst songs has not ebbed on bit. It cannot be done except to the satisfaction of the one person who makes the first list. If there could be an agreeable list of the Beatles best/worst it would have been done already. Key word is agreeable.
If you notice in this thread, we can’t agree on whether such a list can even be compiled.
"She looks more like him than I do."
12.59pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline When/where do you put the limit in on how many songs you can put in in your list? 10? No chance (i did post my favourite 10 but if i went back to that it would chance). 20? I’d be struggling. Their catalogue is so damn vast and strong that to pick 20 songs and say these are their very best is too damn hard. And by best is it what each individual thinks is best (ie their favourites) or what is actually their best? It could lead to endless arguments over why the hell Hey Jude is excluded yet Wild Honey Pie (to think of the most daftest example) is on the list.
As for different versions of songs i’d argue that with Across The Universe the mixes on Past Masters and Let It Be are so different they should be treated as two different, distinct tracks despite them coming from the same basic recording.
So basically i’d say we all can’t agree due to strength of feeling towards the catalogue.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
2.56pm
Reviewers
1 November 2013
Offline I’m willing to try any of these suggestions, but I do agree there’s no conclusive top 10 Beatles songs. Could be fun though
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3.35pm
10 August 2011
Offline For any of us to pick a Top 10 or Top 20 is torture.
However, if everyone on the Forum voted on each song, a Top 10, 20 or 30 could emerge.
Spignesi and Lewis in their “Here, There,and Everywhere” book simply picked the Top 100. We could come up with our own list and provide our own commentary.
We could give a song a Thumbs Up if we thought it belonged in the Top 100, and for each song we could tally the number of ‘Thumbs ups’
It’s time consuming though to write down all their songs – even without getting into the variations of Across The Universe .
So someone would have to type it out somewhere and we’d have to be able to access that list. That’s where one of us here would have to have the know-how.
"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)
4.10pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline This is everything from Please Please Me to Past Masters , including the different mixes and George Martins orchestral work on Yellow Submarine . Take it FAAB and RL are not part of it (i’ll argue that they shouldn’t be) as well as all the bbc, anthology, Let It Be Naked , love etc tracks. If you want the album each track is on next to or in alphabetical order or whatever let me know, it will take about 20 seconds to do it.
Anna (Go To Him)
Love Me Do (Andy White on drums)
P.S. I Love You
Money (That’s What I Want)
I’m Happy Just To Dance With You
Mr. Moonlight
Medley: Kansas City /Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party
Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby
Help !
You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
You’re Going To Lose That Girl
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
Girl
Sgt. Pepper ‘s Lonely Hearts Club Band
With A Little Help From My Friends
Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
Within You, Without You
Good Morning, Good Morning
Sgt. Pepper ‘s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
Baby, You’re A Rich Man
Back In The U.S.S.R.
The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?
Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
Can You Take Me Back (Hidden Untitled Track)
Pepperland Laid Waste
Yellow Submarine In Pepperland
I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
Mean Mr. Mustard
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Across The Universe (Let It Be ‘Spector’ Mix)
Let It Be (Let It Be ‘Spector’ Mix)
Get Back (Let It Be ‘Spector’ Mix)
Movie Medley
Love Me Do (Single Version – Ringo on drums)
Get Back (Single Mix)
Across The Universe (Past Masters ‘Wildlife’ Mix)
Let It Be (Single Mix)
You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
4.55pm
Reviewers
1 November 2013
Offline I think Free As A Bird and Real Love should count. They feature all four Beatles, (even if one was from the grave) and they were released under the official Beatles name. I’d put the 12 UK albums, the US Magical Mystery Tour LP, Past Masters , and FAAB/RL as what counts as canon Beatles.
And I think alphabetical order is the way to go for a list, to have people measuring each song against every other Beatles song, not just with the rest of their album. It’s a weird psychological thing. But the separation causes them to counted against the entire canon, not just what they were making around then
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5.21pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline IveJustSeenAFaceo said
I think Free As A Bird and Real Love should count. They feature all four Beatles, (even if one was from the grave) and they were released under the official Beatles name. I’d put the 12 UK albums, the US Magical Mystery Tour LP, Past Masters , and FAAB/RL as what counts as canon Beatles.And I think alphabetical order is the way to go for a list, to have people measuring each song against every other Beatles song, not just with the rest of their album. It’s a weird psychological thing. But the separation causes them to counted against the entire canon, not just what they were making around then
So was all the BBC material.
John Lennon had absolutely no say in Free As A Bird or Real Love so in my opinion they go under the Anthology banner.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
5.22pm
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline There is no way Free As A Bird or Real Love can be considered a part of the canon. Every other Beatles recording released, including the BBC stuff, the Star Club recordings, the Tony Sheridan recordings, the Decca audition, and the archive Anthology material would come above those.
There is one simple reason, whatever anybody’s personal feelings about them may be – negative or positive, they do not feature, and could not feature, the active participation of John. If this is to be done, it should be solely restricted to the core canon as settled in 1987 with the initial CD releases.
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To @ Ron Nasty it's @ mja6758
The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
5.27pm
Reviewers
1 November 2013
Offline mja6758 said
There is no way Free As A Bird or Real Love can be considered a part of the canon. Every other Beatles recording released, including the BBC stuff, the Star Club recordings, the Tony Sheridan recordings, the Decca audition, and the archive Anthology material would come above those.There is one simple reason, whatever anybody’s personal feelings about them may be – negative or positive, they do not feature, and could not feature, the active participation of John. If this is to be done, it should be solely restricted to the core canon as settled in 1987 with the initial CD releases.
Above? I’d put them at least equal with them.
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5.34pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline IveJustSeenAFaceo said
mja6758 said
There is no way Free As A Bird or Real Love can be considered a part of the canon. Every other Beatles recording released, including the BBC stuff, the Star Club recordings, the Tony Sheridan recordings, the Decca audition, and the archive Anthology material would come above those.There is one simple reason, whatever anybody’s personal feelings about them may be – negative or positive, they do not feature, and could not feature, the active participation of John. If this is to be done, it should be solely restricted to the core canon as settled in 1987 with the initial CD releases.
Above? I’d put them at least equal with them.
Above, below, 3 doors down from.
All that matters within this thread is whether or not they are part of the core. They are not so lets move on with the other parts and not be dragged down a side alley (we might meet Uncle John and Long Tall Sally ).
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
5.41pm
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline IveJustSeenAFaceo said
mja6758 said
There is no way Free As A Bird or Real Love can be considered a part of the canon. Every other Beatles recording released, including the BBC stuff, the Star Club recordings, the Tony Sheridan recordings, the Decca audition, and the archive Anthology material would come above those.There is one simple reason, whatever anybody’s personal feelings about them may be – negative or positive, they do not feature, and could not feature, the active participation of John. If this is to be done, it should be solely restricted to the core canon as settled in 1987 with the initial CD releases.
Above? I’d put them at least equal with them.
Above. John was not present, had no input, and no say on Free as a Bird or Real Love . I’m the Greatest or All Those Years Ago have more claim to being considered part of the canon. I’m sorry, the canon is what the group released while they were an ACTIVE band. Paul, George and Ringo overdubbing John demos was not The Beatles, whatever name you put it out under.
The following people thank Ron Nasty for this post:
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To @ Ron Nasty it's @ mja6758
The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
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