9.01pm
8 August 2019
7.00pm
14 June 2016
Jules said
And Dear Prudence is, indeed, beautiful.
I Will is perhaps my favourite Paul song, and is also beautiful.
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Jules1.The Beatles 2.Sgt. Pepper 3.Abbey Road 4.Magical Mystery Tour 5.Rubber Soul 6.Revolver 7.Help! 8.Let It Be
9.A Hard Day’s Night 10.Please Please Me 11.Beatles For Sale 12.With The Beatles 13.Yellow Submarine
Most Avid John Fan 2020 and 2021:
1.37am
27 April 2021
30. Revolution 9
29. Piggies
28. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
27. Helter Skelter
26. Don’t Pass Me By
25. Wild Honey Pie
24. Revolution 1
23. Honey Pie
22. Birthday
21. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
20. Back to the USSR
19. Why don’t we do it in the road
18. Martha My Dear
17. Julia
16. Dear Prudence
15. Mother Nature’s Son
14. Sexy Sadie
13. Good Night
12. Yer Blues
11. I Will
10. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
9. Savoy Truffle
8. Everybody’s got something to hide except for me and my monkey
7. Rocky Raccoon
6. Glass Onion
5. Happiness Is A Warm Gun
4. I’m so tired
3. Blackbird
2. Long Long Long
1. Cry Baby Cry
5.36am
25 February 2020
Revolution 9 last, I get (I disagree, but I get it)
Helter Skelter and Dear Prudence that low though?
I like seeing Long Long Long as high as it is though
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The Hole Got Fixed12.46pm
30 May 2018
yaireismailov said
30. Revolution 929. Piggies
28. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
27. Helter Skelter
26. Don’t Pass Me By
25. Wild Honey Pie
24. Revolution 1
23. Honey Pie
22. Birthday
20. Back to the USSR
19. Why don’t we do it in the road
18. Martha My Dear
17. Julia
16. Dear Prudence
15. Mother Nature’s Son
14. Sexy Sadie
13. Good Night
12. Yer Blues
11. I Will
10. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
8. Everybody’s got something to hide except for me and my monkey
6. Glass Onion
4. I’m so tired
3. Blackbird
2. Long Long Long
1. Cry Baby Cry
like to see long ,long long so high
11.13pm
5 November 2011
- Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da – so fun so happy
- Happiness Is A Warm Gun – this song reminds me of my childhood
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps – this is a jam
- I’m So Tired – I feel this song on a spiritual level
- Back In The USSR – love Paul’s voice in this
- Martha My Dear – Such a presh song. I used to sing it to my dog.
- Blackbird – this is a classic
- I Will – I wish he didn’t do the bass with his mouth. I think it would be better without that.
- Honey Pie – cute, happy, fun
- Rocky Raccoon – fun
- Dear Prudence
- Glass Onion
- Mother Nature’s Son – I always forget this song exists, but it good
- Sexy Sadie –
- Don’t Pass Me By – I like the mono version better
- Helter Skelter
- Revolution 1 – This is what should have been the single
- The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill – fun, hype
- Goodnight – I used to hate this song, but it has grown on me recently
- Piggies – I like this because Pigs
- Savoy Truffle
- Yer Blues – this is a mood
- Cry Baby Cry
- Why Don’t We Do It In The Road? – this a jam
- Long, Long, Long – kind of draggy
- Birthday – it’s aight
- Julia – also kind of draggy
- Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey – I don’t like him repeating the same things over and over. It irritates me.
- Wild Honey Pie
- Revolution 9 – this song scares me
All living things must abide by the laws of the shape they inhabit
8.53pm
25 February 2020
seeing as this thread’s getting bumped and my ranking from last year looks kinda wrong to me now, I’ll give this another go!
from best to worst:
- Dear Prudence
- Helter Skelter
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps
- I’m So Tired
- Happiness Is A Warm Gun
- Long, Long, Long (I love the kind of haunted sound this one has, I just wish it had an extra verse or chorus or something ’cause I think it’s a bit too short)
- Martha My Dear
- Revolution 9 (I felt bad last time about not having this in my Top 10, fixed that this time around! it’s always been one of my favourite parts of the album, and I consider it one of the most important as well)
- Yer Blues
- Back In The U.S.S.R.
- Sexy Sadie (I think this is the song that’s jumped up the most compared to my last ranking, idk why I slept on it before)
- I Will
- Cry Baby Cry
- Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (I’ve kind of flipped flopped between liking this song and hating it; it wouldn’t be The White Album without it, in any case)
- Julia (I feel bad ranking this one near the middle; gorgeous song, there just happens to be others I like more)
- Glass Onion
- Don’t Pass Me By
- Rocky Raccoon (another grower!)
- Birthday (I like this one musically, all the different sections and that, but it’s not exactly a substantial song)
- The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
- Mother Nature’s Son
- Blackbird (another one I do really love and feel bad ranking low, just happens to be other stuff I like a bit more)
- Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey
- Savoy Truffle
- Piggies
- Good Night (I used to really dislike how saccharine this was, but the sessions from the 2018 box made me appreciate this one more)
- Revolution 1 (it’s not bad or anything, I’ve always just found it kinda boring and much prefer the single version)
- Wild Honey Pie (idk what I was smoking having this so high before, hahahaha; I like it, but it’s pretty inconsequential filler, really)
- Honey Pie (I guess this one’s grown on me in that it’s my second least favourite now, as opposed to my least favourite)
- Why Don’t We Do It In The Road? (joke song that isn’t even that interesting musically; at least it’s short!)
2.55pm
2 July 2020
I saw my old ranking, and needed to update it. God , I’m disappointed in my old self
30. Honey Pie – Easily one of Paul’s worst songs. Every little aspect of this song is as corny as it can possibly get.
29. Good night – It’s like Honey Pie , but Ringo’s vocals don’t sound cheesy. Still not one I enjoy, though.
28. Wild Honey Pie – I used to despise this song, though over the years, it’s turned into more of a “so bad it’s good” type of song, if I can even call it one.
27. Don’t Pass Me By – It’s Ringo’s first song, so I really can’t hate it. But I don’t call myself a fan, and it feels like it goes on forever.
26. Revolution 9 – I find it quite overhated, as the sound effects are pretty interesting. But it’s way too long.
25. Birthday – The instrumentation is nice, but the lyrics are painfully simple.
24. Revolution 1 – Not bad, but definitely not as good as the single version.
23. Savoy Truffle – A good song with good guitar lines. That’s just about it.
22. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da – Plenty love it, plenty hate it. I think it’s a good track, personally. Definitely better than Honey Pie .
21. Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey – Musically, it’s fabulous. Lyrically, it’s nothing special. But it’s still great!
20. Yer Blues – I like it much more now than I did back then.
19. Why don’t we do it in the road – I can’t believe people hate this song. I love it.
18. Glass Onion – With age comes a new appreciation for underrated songs like this one.
17. I’m So Tired – John’s vocals are simple amazing.
16. Back In The USSR – I’ve heard it a lot, but it doesn’t stop me from loving it!
15. Rocky Raccoon – I always forget how much of a bop this song really is.
14. Julia – I absolutely adore the acoustic guitar on this track. And the lyrics are very heartfelt, too.
13. Piggies – George was a great songwriter when he went against the government. Also has a catchy harpsichord.
12. Helter Skelter – You can’t go wrong with this track. Simply incredible.
11. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill – I can never get tired of this song for some reason.
10. Sexy Sadie – The fade out on this track is truly one of the best in history.
9. While My Guitar Gently Weeps – Maybe I’ve just heard it a little too much times, but it’s undoubtably a masterpiece.
8. Mother Nature’s Son – Everything works here: The guitars, the horns, the vocals, everything!
7. Blackbird – It may be overplayed, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s a perfect song!
6. Happiness Is A Warm Gun – Is anyone gonna talk about that killer guitar solo!?
5. Long, Long, Long – One of the most beautiful songs the band ever made. George proves here that he is a songwriting extraordinaire.
4. Martha My Dear – Easily Paul’s best “granny” song. By far!
3. Cry Baby Cry – There’s something haunting about this song that just never gets old.
2. I Will – My vote for Macca’s most beautiful song. Yes, even more beautiful than Yesterday .
1. Dear Prudence – My favorite Beatles song of all time! Nothing can top it! NOTHING!
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Von BonteeLocal George fanatic
2021:
10.32am
26 January 2017
Listening through the album right now, so going to attempt this (without looking at my previous responses first!). Bear in mind, this is probably my favourite Beatles album, and I don’t think there’s a bad song on here, even if some are more ‘throwaway’ than others. It’s all part of the experience.
30. Revolution 1 – This is by no means a bad song, I do quite enjoy the more relaxed take on the song with some fun brass arrangements. However, given that it had already come out in an arguably superior form as a single, to me it’s probably the least *essential* track on the album, and for that reason it’s at the bottom.
29. Wild Honey Pie – Obviously just a bit of fluff, but I do actually enjoy it as a interlude. You can remove it from the track list over my dead body.
28. Don’t Pass Me By – A pretty dull song with a sightly grating Ringo vocal, saved by some really unusual lyrics (“You were in a car crash, and you lost your hair”) and a really nice fiddle part. Looking it up now I’m astonished to see Ringo wrote this all the way back in ’62! Nevertheless, it’s the weaker of the two country songs on the album.
27. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill – For me, this song is similar to Baby, You’re A Rich Man in that the verses are absolutely fabulous, but are let down by a rather unimaginative chorus (the chorus on this one is much inferior to BYARM, mind). Still, there’s lots to love here, especially Yoko’s little vocal cameo.
26. Why Don’t We Do It In The Road? – Another fairly inconsequential track, but I like the energy of the whole thing. The crazed vocals are a lot of fun, too.
25. Piggies – Some interesting lyrics and arrangements here, but I can’t say I ever listen to it out of the context of the album, which gives it its low placement.
24. Revolution 9 – Like many other fans, I almost never listen to this all the way through, it’s that unpleasant. But it’s absolutely essential to the character of the album. Just like the atonal sections on A Day In The Life , this track feels like a dark commentary by The Beatles on their own self-image.
23. Birthday – Some really nice guitar playing, a great romp. I particularly like the guitars in that breakdown section halfway through. The lyrics are a bit inconsequential, though, they could’ve come up with something better.
22. Good Night – This is where it starts to get really tricky. This one doesn’t get talked about too much, but it’s a lovely send-off with beautiful string arrangements and one of Ringo’s best vocals. He was born to sing this stuff. If I ever have kids, I’d love to sing this to them as a lullaby.
21. Rocky Racoon – A great country pastiche. I’ve always loved narrative songs, so that box is ticked here, but the arrangement with guitar, harmonica and honky-tonk piano is perfection.
20. Glass Onion – After the gorgeous ending of Dear Prudence , this one can feel like a bit of a jarring snap back to reality. Maybe older Forum members will remember that I quite disliked this track in my early days here. Nowadays, I do appreciate it for how wacky it is, and all the little lyrical and musical details, like the references to previous Beatles songs. It’s all very meta.
19. Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey – A great rocker with some awesome guitar playing.
18. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da – So much fun! A great ska-style arrangement, with great lyrics and lots of fun details. Worth all the frustration it gave the other members while recording.
17. Yer Blues – A scorching, bluesy rocker. Lots of ignorants dismiss The Beatles as not really being a rock band, but in mind John could do the blues as authentically as any British singer could. The Dirty Mac version is great as well.
16. Cry Baby Cry – Ahead of its time, somehow. I could imagine a contemporary indie group writing a song a bit like this.
15. Honey Pie – I’m surprised at myself how high this one made it. I guess I just really love the jazzy style and the complete commitment to the bit, with the crackly old-record style vocal bit in the intro, and the wonderfully understated guitar solo. Paul was just so good at writing in this style people often assume they were covering old Tin Pan Alley songs.
14. Savoy Truffle – Fiery horn arrangement, and the shrill guitar (perhaps intended to sound like a dentist’s razor) is a great touch.
13. I Will – Less than two minutes long, but one of the most simple and perfect love songs ever written. Paul could come up with this stuff so effortlessly.
12. Back in the U.S.S.R. – A riot of a song, doesn’t let up for its whole runtime. I like the Beach Boys style sections the best.
11. Long, Long, Long – Lush & meditative perfection. It’s so restrained right until its last moments.
10. Martha My Dear – A lovely, heartwarming McCartney romp with a great arrangement.
9. Mother Nature’s Son – Gorgeous, pastoral folk. The guitar fingerpicking is very clever, and the horn arrangement makes it really soar.
8. I’m So Tired – A less blissful but nonetheless worthy successor to I’m Only Sleeping . Great lyrics.
7. Helter Skelter – Given its reputation you’d be forgiven for assuming this song would be something of a gimmick, like a ‘let’s see how loudly we can play’ song without much more thought given to it. You’d be wrong, though, as it’s actually an incredibly compelling rocker that truly soars. Back in school I actually used this song to convince a hardcore Beatles sceptic that they were worth his time.
6. Blackbird – There’s not really much I can say about this one that hasn’t already been said a thousand times.
5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps – Pretty much the same goes for Blackbird . I don’t actually listen to this one a whole lot, but it’s such a great composition it would be an injustice to rate it lower.
4. Sexy Sadie – When I first got into The Beatles, I didn’t pay this one much attention. But somehow it’s only risen higher and higher in my esteem.
3. Happiness Is A Warm Gun – A dark masterpiece on every level. From the absolutely brilliant lyrics in the first verse (“the man in the crowd will the multicoloured mirrors on his hobnail boots” is a wonderful turn of phrase, even if its meaning is somewhat unsavoury”) to the properly rock n roll final section, it’s a joy to listen to.
2. Julia – This is one of those songs you save to only listen to a couple times a year ago because you don’t want it to lose its charm. Still hasn’t, though. I like how droning the main melody (“So I sing a song of love”) is, right until the last verse, when John achieves an amazing impact just by raising the melody a couple of notes up.
1. Dear Prudence – A strong contender for my favourite Beatles song ever, just absolute perfection. It works so wonderfully with Back In The USSR as an opener – you get Paul introducing you to the album with a bang, but then when the plane noise fades and that droning guitar pattern comes in, it feels like coming home.
Huh, I guess I do really love my John songs
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Sea Belt, sigh butterfly, JulesI've been up on the mountain, and I've seen his wondrous grace,
I've sat there on the barstool and I've looked him in the face.
He seemed a little haggard, but it did not slow him down,
he was humming to the neon of the universal sound.
5.37pm
7 November 2022
I think I must be the only Beatles fan in the Universe who likes the slow version of Revolution better than the fast — not just a little better, but EXTREMELY better.
Now today I find, you have changed your mind
6.41pm
7 November 2022
My Top 10 from White Album (again, I would bet NOBODY on this site or among Beatles fans in the world agrees with me):
First listing them alphabetically, then by preference (#1 = best):
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sigh butterfly, QuarryManNow today I find, you have changed your mind
6.52pm
11 June 2015
7.33pm
7 November 2022
Woops, I made a serious error — Julia is not at all one I would “meh”. It belongs in the ones I was torn about including in top 10. Will edit accordingly…
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sigh butterflyNow today I find, you have changed your mind
3.49am
7 November 2022
P.S.: On my “meh” list I included Revolution 9 — I appreciate the avant-garde aspect of it, but as a song for enjoyment I can’t rank it higher.
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QuarryManNow today I find, you have changed your mind
2.41pm
26 January 2017
‘Meh’ to Long, Long, Long makes me sad Glad to see Martha My Dear getting some love, though!
The following people thank QuarryMan for this post:
Sea BeltI've been up on the mountain, and I've seen his wondrous grace,
I've sat there on the barstool and I've looked him in the face.
He seemed a little haggard, but it did not slow him down,
he was humming to the neon of the universal sound.
1.19pm
14 June 2016
Sea Belt said
My Top 10 from White Album (again, I would bet NOBODY on this site or among Beatles fans in the world agrees with me):
I can agree about that.
1.The Beatles 2.Sgt. Pepper 3.Abbey Road 4.Magical Mystery Tour 5.Rubber Soul 6.Revolver 7.Help! 8.Let It Be
9.A Hard Day’s Night 10.Please Please Me 11.Beatles For Sale 12.With The Beatles 13.Yellow Submarine
Most Avid John Fan 2020 and 2021:
6.27pm
20 March 2018
Mostly a (well informed and entertained) lurker, but thought I would have a crack at this. Very hard indeed! My ranking is all about what I like to listen to – not based on technical achievement, cultural impact, etc.
Full Disclosure: The White Album is not one of my favorites. I appreciate its vast variety in styles, but I prefer other Beatles albums as a start-to-finish listen.
- Blackbird
- Glass Onion
- Martha My Dear
- Dear Prudence
- Back in the U.S.S.R.
- Birthday
- Happiness Is A Warm Gun
- Helter Skelter
- I Will
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps
- Mother Nature’s Son
- Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
- Revolution 1
- I’m So Tired
- Savoy Truffle
- Sexy Sadie
- Good Night
- Rocky Raccoon
- Julia
- Honey Pie
- Yer Blues
- Piggies
- Long, Long, Long
- Don’t Pass Me By
- Wild Honey Pie
- Revolution 9
- Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me And My Monkey
- Why Don’t We Do It in The Road?
- The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
- Cry Baby Cry
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Sea Belt, QuarryMan"Parading the streets! Trailing your coat! Bowling along! LIVING!"
7.15pm
1 December 2009
I’ve avoided ranking my white lp favourites till now, ’cause it’s hard enough doing 14-song albums let alone 30 (plus many of my choices are often moving up or down periodically, a problem with all album-rankings); so I’ll make it easier on myself by subdividing the tracks into four groupings by lead vocalist. (Also making it easier still by shortening certain song titles!)
Favourite to least:
JOHN
2. Glass Onion
3. Warm Gun
4. Me & My Monkey
5. Julia
6. Bungalow Bill
7. Yer Blues
8. I’m So Tired
9. Rev 9
10. Rev 1
11. Cry Baby Cry
12. Sexy Sadie
PAUL
3. Ob-La-Di
4. Blackbird
5. Birthday
6. Honey Pie
7. Martha
8. I Will
10. Mother Nature’s Son
11. Wild Honey Pie
12. Why Don’t We?
GEORGE
1. Piggies
3. My Guitar
4. Long x3
RINGO
2. Good Night
The following people thank vonbontee for this post:
Sea Belt, QuarryManGEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
11.29pm
7 November 2022
Timothy said
Sea Belt said
My Top 10 from White Album (again, I would bet NOBODY on this site or among Beatles fans in the world agrees with me):
I can agree about that.
Applementum ad Populum
Now today I find, you have changed your mind
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