See, the point of this is to STOP AT TWO. This means you, duco01 and tiggerlion. No “honorable mentions” running into the hundreds. Just TWO. Two songs by the Beatles. Not cover versions. Performed and recorded by the Beatles. Not MORE nor indeed FEWER. Two. 2. Deux. Dos.
Let’s do this, people! To get the show on the road, I’ll list my Top Two Beatles Songs in the comments!
What? Already? Can I have some more time? Two, you say? Er …
It’s obviously so long since you actually listened to The Beatles, you’ve forgotten the song titles. Do you mean Wait and Eleanor Rigby? Or Something and Two Of Us?
See? See what happens here? I set out guidelines that even the meanest intelligence can work within, and you, tigger – whom I specifically warned – list FOUR songs. Four – last time I looked – is more than two.
Rules are important, people. Oh, you may think you’re being “clever” or “individual” for wilfully ignoring them, but you’re striking at the very foundations of civilised society.
Doesn’t ‘Two. 2. Deux. Dos.’ mean two thousand two hundred and twenty-two? Could be morse code or, even, a bizarre form of binary language.
Please ENUnciATE.
SECURITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just jumping in here to confirm that four is, according to reliable in-field sources, more than two. More on this story as it unfolds
Thanks to chiz there, standing outside the Houses of Parliament in less than ideal conditions.
Twerp in foam top hat: “STOOOOOP BEATLES!”
Really? Have you ever heard of quantum physics?
Sorry, love – we’re off air – can you come back tomorrow?
You are the new Laura Kunsberg!
Are you the Giant Owl I’ve been expecting?
1. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
2. A Day In The Life
Fantastic answer! If you can’t think of your own Top Two, you could do a lot worse than to copy-paste Mr. f’s cogent response.
1. I Am The Walrus
2. Happiness Is A Warm Gun
Strawberry Fields Forever
Happiness is a Warm Gun
Wait, what? Do you mean all time favourite or favourite right now? This is important. Over 50 years of listening to The Beats favourites have come and gone, and sometimes familiarity means you really don’t ever want to hear a song again, but aggregated over a lifetime, it would be up there among the favourites. You can’t just dive in with these non-specific demands you know.
All-time favorites cherry-picked from their eternally glowing harvest.
uh hu ok. And how many was it again?
Just the two, chiz. Or, if you’re up to it – a couple!
Rain
If I Fell
And Your Bird Can Sing
You can’t do that
Oh dear! And we were doing so well!
Shall we have another crack at it, chiz? I feel we should. You’ve made such really tremendous progress, and we must have the confidence to build on both our successes AND our (finger-waggle) *failures*!
I KNOW! I like literally did three and then I said you can’t do that
Don’t forget Jigsaw Club is in the conservatory this morning, weather permitting!
A Day In The Life and Long Long Ĺong.
Yebbut do we list them in ranking order? And if so, what’s the scoring method you’re applying? Does Duckworth Lewis apply if the poll ends before we’ve all voted? Come on , HP, these rules need thinking through if you’re going to do this properly.
You are collating the results, Mr. Boy, according to your own arcane methodology. Thank you for your service.
Excellent. I declare the winners to be Twist and Shout and I’m Looking Through You. Now, about that Greatest Ever Billy Fury songs poll….
This would seem to be the end of the thread.
Wondrous Place.
And Halfway to Paradise. He had a shedload of hits.
I know. But Wondrous Place.
Paperback Writer, Cheese And Onion
ISWYDT
(or some such dahn wiv ver kids abbreviation)
Cheese and Onions was actually on a Bootleg as a kosher track)
Why two? Why not one?
You’re a rebel, you are. Forever questioning society.
Things We Said Today
Penny Lane
If I Fell
In My Life
Two songs – six words.
Just jumping in here to confirm that – yes, we’re hearing it is indeed six words
Thank you and does Mr Sunak have any comment upon the matter? Will there be a word tax and will I be penalised?
I do not know but I think we must be told.
I see ten! And a hyphen!!!
One full stop.
Am I allowed “Carnival of Light” as one of my two choices?
No you are not, dickferbrains. Wupes – did I type that out loud?
Hmmm … well I wouldn’t say that being called “dickferbrains” is exactly the high-point of my many years on the Afterword, but still … here are my two choices:
Rain
Strawberry Fields Forever
My two choices exactly.
And again, we have a choice that is heartbreakingly close to being the correct answer.
Only if you send us all a copy.
Please don’t.
Penny Lane
Here Comes The Sun
This is so very nearly the right answer.
I would have said that @tony-japanese does have the right answer or, at least, it is the answer I would have given.
My alternative answer (still only two … and, of course, Tony’s answer is not my answer) is:
Penny Lane and For No One.
Hey Bulldog & All Together Now.
Bubbling under: The rest of them.
Yellow Submarine
Just one, yes. But I don’t actually like it so it’s not in my top two.
Beezer!
Took your time!
And Your Bird Can Sing
Don’t Let Me Down
Blimey RD, I didn’t read the other nominations before making mine to avoid being influenced and came up with the same two.
Great minds etc
‘You can’t do that’, ‘Paperback writer’
Penny Lane
Paperback Writer
TNK, obv.
plus Paperback Writer.
It’s all there, right there.
TNK? Sorry, not obvious to everyone.
I reckon Tomorrow Never Knows
Relax. Turn off your mind, and float downstream.
Rain
Paperback Writer
ps I last listened to either of those tracks when my hair was long, my knees were strong and I was never Wrong.
Calling Occupants From Interplanetary Craft
The Mole From The Ministry
Sounds of Science
Fresh Wound
Shes A Woman
A Day in the Life
The first one and the last one.
Tomorrow Never Knows
It’s All Too Much
Paperback Writer
I Feel Fine
Yellow Submarine
Maxwell’s Silver Hammer
“Yellow Submarine” and “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” were also Angela Merkel’s answer when she was asked about her favorite Beatle tracks by a newspaper.
Oh dear.
Wait, you’re not saying Mike is really the Chancellor of Germany….?
Sssh! Seid leise!
IFF is a great choice.
Paperback writer
A day in the life
Tomorrow Never Knows
She Loves You
And Your Bird Can Sing
Don’t Let Me Down
Here, There & Everywhere
I Feel Fine
I Am …sorry, nearly added a third
I’d have trouble picking two from each year, or each album….blimey, here goes…
I Want To Hold Your Hand….my first ever single.
Strawberry Fields Forever…..possibly their most revolutionary track.
I never tire of these two.
So difficult
In my life
For no one
Never mind the Philip Larkin impression, give us your favourite BEATLES songs…
See? Moose is so very much more than just a pretty face, a floppy fringe and a pink tank-top.
Ticket To Ride
I Feel Fine
Downhill all the way after ’65 if you ask me 🙂
(Ducks and runs very quickly for cover)
See also “Rolling Stones.”
Not an opinion I’m entirely at odds with (even given my own selection on this post), my go-to Fabs’ LPs being the first four, Past Masters Volume 1 and the two BBC releases.
If I listen to an album, it’ll be one of those I’ll listen to, never Pepper, Abbey Road, White Album etc.
Beatlemania has never remotely been rivalled, chin-stroking concept albums c. 1973 (not entirely the fault of The Beatles, obviously) are two-a-penny.
When I’ve had a few I always put on the stereo PPM and the mono AHDN.
At the same time?
Third ear, dude…
Two of us (yes really two)
Norwegian Wood.
If I cant have two of us because of its contentious nature then I saw her standing there.
A day in the life
Penny Lane
To-Day In The Life
Tomorrow Never Knows
🤔
It Won’t Be Long
Penny Lane
Eleanor Rigby
Here Comes The Sun
Rain
Dont Let Me Down
There ya go there’s Two Of Us
I am the Walrus
Penny Lane
At this present moment in time (now), I am convinced the correct answer is :
‘She Said, She Said’ … and…
‘She’s Leaving Home’
A Day In The Life.
Paperback Writer.
Penny Lane
Lady Madonna (mainly because it is the only Beatles song I have heard by a covers band who absolutely ripped it up. A covers band fronted by a very young, very talented and very beautiful Kate Robbins).
Cousin of Macca…inside job. 😉
My parents sat with Kate at a wedding reception about 20 years ago. She was apparently very nice and funny. My personal observation is that she has nice legs, but I expect they weren’t visible on that occasion.
I very often repeat her Cilla catchphrase: “Ohhh, ah luv yer ‘urrrr!”
Funny to think that the Hey Jude Hitmaker is related to Den Perry – and indeed the singer of Creme Brulee.
Ticket to ride.
Fool on the hill.
Me and Mrs B had one each.
Look Suckers, H hasn’t actually committed to doing anything with your choice of 2. Don’t go expecting a database or analysis or anything.
Oh alright then.
She’s Leaving Home
Strawberry Fields Forever
Happiness is a Warm Gun
Across the Universe
Ticket to Ride
Day in the Life
You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away
Here Comes the Sun
Put some sunblock on your “love” and stop being such a wuss.
The answer is always:
Any Time At All
Long, Long, Long
“And now the results from our German jury, come in Hamburg”
Komm, gib mir deine Hand
Sie liebt dich
Strawberry Fields Forever
I Am The Walrus
Thinks:
They were quite good in 1967.
All downhill for Lennon after that.
I just remembered:
Strawberry Fields Forever
Penny Lane
“Not putting those songs on the album was the biggest mistake of my life.” – G. Martin
Really? Worse than that bloody Hollywood Bowl album?
I don’t see how Penny Lane or Strawberry Fields could have been included in that album.
You no believe in magic?
1 – Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
2 – Come Together
I’ve never narrowed it down to two before. Naming one is easy. It’s the best Beatles song to play really loud. Naming five is easy. Naming two is hard, cos it made me choose one of the other four. And I’m now doubting my choice even before I press Post Comm…
I just pressed it before I changed my mind!
Tomorrow Never Knows
I am the Walrus
After much mature consideration (I do mature pretty well):
1. Love Me Do
2. Her Majesty
Then I can imagine everything in between.
Please Please Me
Come Together
(chosen in recognition of Welcome Back Moose Week)
Shoot me!
I Wanna be Your Man
A World Without Love
I Should Have Known Better
She’s Leaving Home
I’m sorry to hear about your relationship troubles.
Arf
1)- A day in the life
2)- Strawberry fields forever
That concludes the voting from Birkenhead.
Two songs, one 45, no, not that one …
1. Lady Madonna
2. The Inner Light
1966.
No, really, 1966.
A 3 minute master class in treading new ground.
Burt’s Transparent Hamperbait (TMFTL) comes good.
Enjoy the artisan chutney.
I’ve run out of CORSAIR TINNED CHICKEN, innit.
Oy vey. Remind me not to stand downwind.
Without wishing to add to HP’s Transparent Hamperbait but my singular word in song post is just 9 NINE comments from mythical hamper status. So near but not near enough. You wouldn’t want me to have to make my own elderberry chutney again.
Oh is there a vegetarian option for the Corsair Tinned Chicken?
That image I’d dredged up from a Kays catalogue of yore appears to date from a time when there were no vegetables, only Plum Rose ham.
There are tiined peaches, ‘Mixed Fruit’ (which sounds well dodgy – probably heavy on the Bartlett Pears), knock-off Dairylea.
Oh, and ‘Chinese Figs’.
Hubes – link to your thread, please! Happy to help out a fellow hamperbater!
Many thanks o saucy one.
Here is the link for my hamper bait.
I shall wait with bated breath.
TNK? Sorry, not obvious to everyone @Vulpes Vulpes , what a silly bunt.
OK, got it. Why (not) bother?
You Never Give Me Your Money
Eleanor Rigby
This thread has been such a surprise success – who knew The Afterword is “Beatlesville”?! – I am inspired to pen a follow-up – Your Top THREE Beatles Songs!
Anyway, only I got the right answer, but thanks for all your wrong ones.
MODS – Please label my hamper NO FOOD INSIDE so it’s not looted by the customs officers.
It Won’t Be Long – Mother bought home With the Beatles ,first time I heard them
Rain – Always the right answer with each of them contributing brilliant.
It Won’t Be Long – Mother bought home With the Beatles ,first time I heard them
Rain – Always the right answer with each of them contributing brilliantly
It Won’t Be Long – Mother bought home With the Beatles ,first time I heard them
Rain – Always the right answer with each of them contributing brilliantinely
Rain!
You Never Give Me Your Money!
Today:
In My Life
Rain
Tomorrow:
Never Knows
Strawberry Fields Forever
What about Yesterday?
Yesterday it was The Night Before, which was A Hard Day’s Night.
It was a Good Day Sunshine here earlier. Not so much as a speck of Rain.
Things we said today
The long and winding road
(That was not easy)
Don’t know whether you all realise it and I’m a bit surprised myself, but if you tot up the votes so far I think Lennon is trouncing McCartney.
She Said, She Said
Rain
I’m more surprised by the first than the second, but the one which surprises me is Macca’s Penny Lane. A terrific pop ditty of course, but surely there are far richer pickings to be had from Paul’s input.
It’s Peak Macca. Tuneful, affectionate, sentimental, but – crucially – stopping short of the camp whimsy that infects so much of his songbook. He actually tried with the lyrics, for a change, and it paid off. Coupled with the Peak Lennon of Strawberry Fields, that great shimmering, buzzing moment in pop, you have a Top Two without equal.
They’re also – thanks to the fun-factor of mp3 – blended into my Compleat Pepper, along with Northern Song.
At the crossroads of Trumpton and Motown.
This is brilliant, Moose.
Hey Bulldog
I Will
I’m Down
You Can’t Do That
If someone with more patience (and better eyesight) wants to analyse and collate these results, I’d be interested to see if Lennon trounces McCartney (as he should).
I’ve just run the votes through the computer (the one in my head which is always Right) and,yes, Lennon wins by miles and miles and miles.
Why should he? Please let’s not have a Lennon v McCartney ‘debate’, which is both redundant and ridiculous.
Redundant AND Ridiculous? That’s me that is..
You’re right Mr. Type. A Lennon v. McCartney “debate” would be both redundant and ridiculous, as Lennon is clearly the greater artist.
Bollocks.
THE DEBATE HAS STARTED!
Let’s ask some girls … (leaves room) … (long pause) … (longer pause) … (stops off at pub) …
OK, I’m back, I’ve asked some girls … it’s Paul.
Going somewhat against the grain here…
1) Golden Slumbers (or the whole medley if that counts as one track)
2) The Long & Winding Road
No Jock, no. You were supposed to vote for two best not two worst . Mind you, you got the two worst bang on.
I’d rather choose two from All Things Must Pass, but here you go…
Here Comes the Sun
While my Guitar Gently Weeps
Yes, I’m a George girl.
Swingin’ down the street so fancy free
…..I’ll get me old brown shoes
‘Something’ told me that would come up 🙂
Using the phrase ‘come up’ in reply to Moose is just asking for trouble, I’d have thought….
I would have thought the preposition is somewhat redundant.
@Sarah. There you go. The breadth of this group is so astounding. Why, as long as humanity continues, so will The Beatles.
You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away.
In My Life
Top 10:
1. A Day In The Life / Penny Lane / Rain
4. Paperback Writer / Strawberry Fields Forever
6. Tomorrow Never Knows
7. Here Comes The Sun / I Am The Walrus / In My Life
10. Don’t Let Me Down / Happiness is a Warm Gun / I Feel Fine / Ticket To Ride / She’s Leaving Home
As sung:
Harrison: 4 (8 votes)
Lennon: 22 (61 votes)
Lennon & McCartney: 6 (15 votes)
McCartney: 23 (48 votes)
Starr: 2 (3 votes)
Great work, sal.
Nothing like some cold hard facts for providing clarity to an emotional situation!
Statistical analysis should be used more.
I say yes to this type of thing, whatever the situation.
I do love a stat
Strawberry Fields Forever
I Am the Walrus
Hey Jude’s resonance seems to have lessened (not in my house) over the years.
In 1983 the Beatles Monthly did a poll, probably the last of its kind that would only take in the original, pre-BBC and Anthology, back catalogue (about 215 songs), and Hey Jude effortlessly finished first.
Before the poll it didn’t occur to me, or I suspect anyone who read the magazine, that it would be any other way.
But, here’s the thing … at 7 minutes long, how often has Hey Jude actually been played on the radio in the CD/streaming age?
In 2020, very rarely.
The DJ (do they still exist?) is always going to play a Paperback Writer/Penny Lane/Help! every time, in favour of it.
1.Here Comes The Sun
2.Let It Be
3.Come Together
4.Yesterday
5.Hey Jude
Most popular according to Spotify number of plays, though civilians, as we call them, would struggle to name more than a couple of tunes. Here Comes The Sun is way out in the lead Spotify-wise.
18 … 5 … 69 … 6 … 1 respectively in the 1983 poll.
Does rather beg the question, “what do people in the 21st Century see in Come Together?” In 1983 it finished five votes below Eight Days A Week and four votes above … have a guess … you’ll never get it in a million years … Don’t Bother Me.
I think that list has an Oasis (oh, great … truly cosmic … a sure sign of quality) bias.
David Hepworth mentioned some dodger in his office saying that he’d never heard a Beatles album and, when confronted with the options, immediately went for the cover that looked like him, i.e. depressing, i.e. Let It Be.
Makes me want to spin the early b-sides, the BBC sessions, and the Long Tally Sally E.P. more than ever.
“I’ll Get You” is better than any of ^ those five songs.
Clearly reflects modern tastes for the big, wet ballad, which Hey Jude kind of invented, albeit done better. Coldplay, Oasis and REM even. We are such snobs. Come Together is a sort of soft rock precursor, which is always popular. Great playing of course but quite easy listening despite the weird lyrics.
Here Cones the Sun is prominent in the Bee Movie. When such a great song appears by surprise in a kids film, it’s a real joy.
Never liked Come Together.
Now if you’d said you never liked Revolution No.9 I could understand, but Come Together? I am baffle.
Come Together is a nice groove, great rhythm section playing, good guitar break, but it’s not much of a song, is it? And it comes from that relatively long period when they thought they could rely on their genius for words without having to work at a lyric. Lyrically, melodically, it’s nothing special.
And it got John Lennon into a spot of bother being that it’s basically of remould of Chuck Berry’s You Can’t Catch Me.
He recorded 3 cover versions on his Rock n Roll album as part of the settlement. The royalties were funnelled to Maurice Levy and, apparently, Allan Klein who’d bought a share in the publishing from Levy.
Can’t be comfortable situation being sued by your own manager
Don’t care and don’t care.
You should have that painted in white on the back of your parka.
Very good.
*works up contorted I, Vanker joke but then realises he’s got the wrong Trump*
Lyrically nothing special?
One of John’s best as a Beatle in my opinion.
There you go.
I find the song slow and annoying. Like having to slow down to 5mph for really annoying speed bumps (that go “sshhkaa!”) when there’s literally no need. Sometimes a slow song builds up tension and in the end we all have a lovely time, but Come Together makes me look at my watch.
As does most of that side of the album. “Something” aside, it’s a wash-out. But Beetles-lovers, like proud new parents, love everything their darlings produce, even the dung.
BC and HPS, Axis of Wrong. Who’d have thought?
Fun when everybody else is in bed, isn’t it?
Shush! You might wake them. 🤪
Mike, I’d like to see you make a convincing critical argument for the qualities of the “song” side of Abbey Road other than “It’s the Beatles!” or “I like The Beatles, me!” or “Abbey Road is fab!”
Go on. What makes, say, Maxwell’s Silver Hammer a good idea in any universe? Why do we need another Ringo-sung sub-aquatic “children’s song” after Yellow Submarine? Why would anyone in their right mind want to listen to the never-ending hail of white noise at the end of I Want You? Etcetera.
Love is blind, and every Beatles fan has a mental white stick.
No. I may have other things to do. (*little winky thing*).
Anyway, we were talking about Come Together, so away with your Maxwell’s Silver Hammer and your Octopus’s Garden.
Jeez man. Don’t go all Dr. Volume on our asses.
When I say other, I mean better of course.
I should hope so.
To me it’s rhythmic vocal nonsense that I’ve always found fun to sing along to – here it is in a more lively setting =>
Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me
Here come old flat top
He come groovin’ up slowly
He got ju-ju eyeball
He one holy roller
He got hair down to his knee
Got to be a joker
He just do what he please
Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me
He wear no shoeshine
He got toe jam football
He got monkey finger
He shoot Coca-Cola
He say I know you, you know me
One thing I can tell you is
You got to be free
Come together, right now
Over me
Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me
He bag production
He got walrus gumboot
He got Ono sideboard
He one spinal cracker
He got feet down below his knee
Hold you in his armchair
You can feel his disease
Come together, right now
Over me
Shoot me
Right
Come, come, come, come, come
He roller coaster
He got early warning
He got muddy water
He one mojo filter
He say one and one and one is three
Got to be good looking
‘Cause he’s so hard to see
Come together right now
Over me
Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me
Uh
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Uh
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Move over Paul Simon and tell Leonard Cohen the news.
Not sure you’re helping, Mr B.
Really. Who puts together a line like “He rollercoaster”? Sing it. Now is that not lyrical genius?
It’s not even lyrical.
It is absolutely lyrical. Rollercoaster just rolls off the tongue.
Is it really “shoot me?”. I always heard “shh-ka!”.
The debate rages.
Course it’s not “shoot me” – that’s probably a “Paul is dead” fantasy. It’s just “Shoo”, with an almost silent p from the closing of the lips. Try it, you’ll sound just like a Beatle.
It’s definitely shoot me. Unfortunately the Trump supporter took it literally. But let’s not go there just now.
Listen to the outtakes that came out last year. They’re rather good, and the “shoot me” is clearer. Clever of George M to choose the more ambiguous take for the record.
Unfortunately, not quite ambiguous enough.
….Americans are so literal,. aren’t they?
Talking of Americans, Moose – have you seen that video of Trump where he’s “firing” an Obam-alike in his office after giving him a thorough dressing-down?
What’s that you say? Passed the Double Hamper mark already? As you were, then.
I can’t weave those baskets fast enough!
Pssst. Got any sharp objects?
Not in here, mate. I’m writing this with a crayon.
No wonder Moosey was missing for so long.
Desperately searching for wicker supplies. And tinned goods. Then weaving, weaving, weaving.
Hampermania!
My hands are so sore.
😂😂😂😂
Has anyone got a tin opener?
Dude, that stuff is fifty years old. Get a blowtorch.
Dynamite. Just a single stick should do it.
Who are these Beatles you speak of? Are they any good?
They’re a great pop group who peaked early, ran out of ideas, and blamed their girlfriends for splitting them up.