Now, before I begin, this list was incredibly difficult to make, probably my hardest. I'm still not sure I got it quite right, and there are a lot of damn good songs I'm leaving off the list, so bear with me. If there's a song I left off, comment and say so! I welcome other people's opinions as much as my own. Unless you're wrong. Don't be wrong. Anyway, without further ado, let's get down to it!
10. "Don't Let Me Down"
Simply the amount of soul put into this song edged it into the Top 10. This is a love song written by John Lennon to Yoko Ono, and while it's not quite the best Beatles love song ever recorded (more on that later), it is still a tear-jerker. you can really feel the emotion in every crash of the drums and every wailing note John belts out on the chorus. It's a very melancholy song, but The Beatles make it work all the way through. So I didn't let them down, and put this song at #10.
9. "Twist and Shout"
In 1963, The Beatles released their debut album, Please Please Me. On that album was a song called "Twist and Shout", a cover song. Incidentally, it's my favourite song off of that album. The Isley Brother's version that came before this is pretty good, but John just ramps up the energy to a whole new level by pushing his voice to the absolute limit. Seriously. The reason it's the last song on the album is because John Lennon physically could not do it twice, and it had to be recorded last. So appreciate "Twist and Shout" not only for an awesome cover, but for a cover that went that extra mile to sounding good.
8. "Blackbird"
Sometimes I wish The Beatles had stripped it down a little more often and just had one singer with a guitar. Because when they do, it's magic, such as with "Blackbird". This song is just flawlessly composed from start to finish, right down to the bird sounds at the end. It was a song McCartney wrote in response to the Civil Rights Movement of the late 60's. with "blackbird" meaning a black girl, and... wow. Just one look at the lyrics, and you can feel the soul oozing out of this one. Beautiful song. Beautiful.
7. "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"
I just think if you're going to write a song about an affair you've been having, all you need to do is add a sitar in there and you're good to go. The song was written by John Lennon, but the sitar was actually George Harrison's idea. Good on him, because it really helps to accentuate the song. It makes it sound starkly different in comparison to their other songs, or anything else played during that time. Isn't it good, Norwegian wood? Yes, yes it is.
6. "A Hard Day's Night"
What can I say? Once that guitar strums, the song has me hooked. It is the textbook definition of a perfect pop song. Anyone looking to write catchy tunes that will skyrocket to the top of the charts should study this song, because it is just AM Gold. It's so much fun and so easy to sing along to, and it never loses its energy. It keeps you hooked for a good reason; it's a damn good song throughout. After a hard day, just listen to this and let loose.
5. "Help!"
Wow, I really have a thing for the title tracks, don't I? Well, it makes sense why they decided to name their albums after these fantastic songs. This song's desperation just shines through, right to the title. It's literally calling out for help. Which is what Lennon was subconsciously doing about his Beatles career, which was no doubt a great thing for him, but also overwhelming. It was one of Lennon's favourite songs, describing it as one of his "most honest, genuine Beatles songs". Given the sheer desperation shown in the music and the lyric, I can't blame him for a statement like that.
4. "Let It Be"
So... yeah, again with the title tracks. Well, this one comes off of The Beatles' last album and is arguably one of their most famous songs. And so this is one of my more obvious choices, but seriously guys. Listen to this song. It's a masterpiece. Right from the beginning to the end. There's a reason this song became so famous: it's a perfect title track for The Beatles' final album, summing up their overall message in three simple words. It rocks.
3. "A Day in the Life"
Sgt. Pepper is overall my favourite Beatles album. and there were a lot of songs on that album that unfortunately got cut from this list as I went through each album, song by song. But this one remains as one of my favourites, being forever the magnum opus of the delightfully kooky album, with Lennon bringing the album back down to Earth, and then HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT WHAT IS HAPPENING oh hi there Paul McCartney. It's a perfect end to the album in every sort of way, stunning in its composure. I feel almost unworthy for talking about it, so you can only imagine how I feel about the remaining two songs to come. Oh boy, indeed.
2. "Come Together"
I think that this is the first Beatles song where I felt like I had to memorize the lyrics, so I could sing along with this song flawlessly. Why? Because god damn it, this song is so freakin' cool. Cool, calm and collected. It doesn't stray from its simple melody that much, but it doesn't need to, because that is a kickass melody. And I haven't brought him up yet, but good God, I have to give some credit to Ringo Starr here for an awesome drum performance. Collected when it needs to be, then when the instrumental part kicks in, boom. All over the place. Just goes to prove that all four Beatles are talented. But this next song highlights my favourite Beatle, as you'll soon find out...
1. "Something"
George Harrison is my favourite Beatle. Lennon, McCartney, and yes, even Ringo are all stellar, but Harrison always seemed to have a better head on his shoulders than the three of them. And when he got to write his own songs, they had that aura of maturity and togetherness to them. While for the most part I've preferred Lennon and McCartney songs for the purpose of this list, it had to be a Harrison song that would eventually shine through. And this is his best, and this is The Beatles' best. It's such a beautiful song in its lyrics and melody. Definitely one of the best love songs of all time. There you have it: my favourite Beatles song. Agree? Disagree? Comment below!
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