POLL: The greatest Beatles song ever is...
And Your Bird Can Sing
You've already named the best Beatles album of all time and now, following Ask MusicRadar's quest to find the best song, here is your shortlist of 10 Fab anthems. Scroll through to find out which one has been crowned the greatest Beatles song of all time...
A surprise inclusion perhaps, but listen to And Your Bird Can Sing today and it's as fresh as a daisy. Brilliant harmony guitars and a wonderful vocal. Perfectly-constructed sixties guitar pop and a well-deserved tenth place.
Why you love it:
"And Your Bird Can Sing" I'm probably the only person here that will chose this one.” (Thanks, russkrauch)
“Hey russkrauch, no you're not, 'And Your Bird Can Sing' gets my vote too, although Dr. Robert came close.” (Thanks, PostToastee)
"And Your Bird Can Sing' is the perfect pop song, the best Beatles song in my opinion.” (Thanks, deanpastich)
"And Your Bird Can Sing." (Thanks, Jrexthedecks)
Next...
I Saw Her Standing There
What a way to kick off your debut LP. McCartney admits to stealing the bassline directly from Chuck Berry’s Talkin’ About You, but even today it's a sure-fire dancefloor filler. Is there are more recogniseable "one... two... three... four!" count-in in pop history?
Why you love it:
“The Best Beatles Song: "I Saw Her Standing There"... this was the first track on the first album that started the Beatles phenomenon. Paul counted 123fa and the whole world went crazy. Even I as a kid growing up in Karachi, Pakistan got caught up in the magic that was The Beatles. You could just feel the excitement in I Saw Her Standing There, the vocals, the guitars, the bass and the drums that carried it all through till The End...” (From Tariq via Facebook, thanks)
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Revolution
Revolution first appeared as Hey Jude’s B-side in August 1968, and then again as a slowed down version called Revolution 1 on The Beatles (White Album) a few months later.
The single version is one of The Beatles’ most overtly distorted recordings, with Lennon's unmistakable guitar intro overloading the desk into full-on fuzz. Not to be mistaken for Revolution 9 which, Yoko One (above) is slightly responsible for.
Why you love it:
“'Revolution'. Although I do enjoy 'I'm looking Through You', 'Got To Get You Into My Life', and Oh Darling!' A lot. (Thanks, MrGawain)
“Revolution.” (Thanks, Racerdeth)
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Tomorrow Never Knows
The closing track of your favourite Beatles album, Revolver, is your sixth favourite song, Tomorrow Never knows. The track includes a Lennon vocal recorded using a revolving Leslie speaker and multiple tape loops, kicking down the doors for the experimentation that would follow on Sgt Pepper.
Why you love it:
"Tomorrow Never Knows from Revolver.” (Thanks, urbanpagan)
“Tomorrow Never Knows.” (From @enomor via Twitter, thanks)
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Something
Smack bang in the middle of your top 10 is George Harrison’s sole, but beautiful entry, Something. Believed to have been written about George's then-wife Patti Boyd, it was also the only Harrison-penned track to garner an A-side single release, backed by Come Together, after its inclusion on Abbey Road.
Why you love it:
“Something, written by George is a very special song, highlighted recently by an article in The Times where the author stated that George was the greatest guitarist of all time!! The article pointed out that his selection of notes in a solo was perfect and it is interesting that as far as I know, no one has improved on the original version. For No One also stands out for me, great melody and poignant lyrics. They were the best that ever was, the best that is, and the best that ever will be.” (Thanks, TIGGRRR)
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In My Life
Lennon’s original version of In My Life was based around a Liverpool bus route, which he later referred to as: “the most boring sort of 'What I Did On My Holidays Bus Trip' song.” McCartney helped rework it to what would later become your fifth favourite Beatles song. The pair argued over who wrote the melody, but its undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in The Beatles' catalogue.
Mojo magazine went as far as to name it the best song of all time in 2000.
Why you love it:
"In My Life off of Rubber Soul, written and sung by John Lennon. A true, sometimes over-looked, gem.” (Thanks, Ksf442)
“A nearly impossible question... In My Life. Or Strawberry Fields Forever. Or Tomorrow Never Knows. Or...” (From @chrisvinnicombe via Twitter, thanks)
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Eleanor Rigby
Featured on Revolver, Yellow Submarine and as the b-side to the Yellow Submarine single, Eleanor Rigby features a lush double string quartet arrangement (by George Martin) and encapsulates McCartney’s songwriting at its melancholic best.
The roots of the song’s title character remain shrouded in mystery, but while McCartney has always maintained that she is “totally fictitious”, it didn’t stop Liverpool Council erecting the above statue in her honour.
Why you love it:
“Don't even know if it's spelled this way, but I vote ELENORE RIGBY, best Beatles song ever. Ah, look at all the lonely people!” (From Hautje via email. It’s not, but a big thanks anyway!)
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Strawberry Fields Forever
Originally recorded for Sgt Pepper’s but instead released as a double A-side with Penny Lane a few months earlier, Strawberry Fields Forever is, in John Lennon’s own words “psycho-analysis set to music.” It was also included on the Magical Mystery Tour soundtrack.
You can watch the equally-psychedelic accompanying promotional film here.
Why you love it:
“The Best Beatles Song : "Strawberry Fields Forever". Love all the psychedelia and it remains catchy nonetheless.” (From Mathieu via Facebook, thanks)
“Strawberry Fields.” (Thanks, aqf157)
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Hey Jude
Just pipping Strawberry fields to second place with 16% of the public vote is Paul McCartney’s comfort ballad to John Lennon’s son Julian, written during Lennon’s divorce to first wife Cynthia and originally titled Hey Jules.
The song was released as a single (backed by eighth-place Revolution) in 1968 and, at 7:11 in length, it held the record for longest single to ever top the British charts. Also, is there a better drunken singalong than that outro?
Why you love it:
“My personal Fav. is Hey Jude, I've No Idea if that’s the Best Beatles Track or not however, it's just mine. As for the albums I love the raw young hungry intensity of the first album 'Please Please Me' Four talented lads giving it everything they've got, and then some, to impress and hit the Big time! Wonderful atmospheric stuff!” (Thanks, Midnightminstrel)
“I would say Hey Jude is a classic and the crescendo (if I can call it that) is beautiful... in second place I would say Yesterday of course... next I’m not sure... maybe Blackbird... they are all classics... to tell which Beatles song is the best is like saying "which piece of gold shines the most" in a gold mine.” (Thanks, pleskoch)
“Going to go for 'Hey Jude'. Not the most ground-breaking thing technically but a great song with an inspiring lyric. How could the man who wrote this come up with 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer'!?” (Thanks, AJM)
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A Day In The Life
Your winner with an over-riding 26% of the vote is Sgt. Pepper’s closing masterpiece, A Day In The Life. The combination of Lennon’s haunting verses, McCartney’s escapist bridge and the psychedelic crescendo illustrates perfectly what The Fab Four were capable of in terms of songwriting partnerships and LSD-fuelled studio experimentation.
A Day In The Life is, quite simply, perfect.
Why you love it:
“Day in the Life! Lyrically, compositionally, has no peer in rock. Stands up to interpretation (check out Jeff Beck’s version), and reflects universal experiences and diverse influences (straight rock, pop, arcane orchestral chords). Give it up to this one.” (From Dave and Rose via email, thanks)
“A Day In The Life wins it for me, but there are so many gems to choose from - help! (did ya see what I did there?) ;-).” (Thanks, Guitarbug)
“Best how? Best chord sequence? Best production? Best use of technology? Best solo? There are just too many contenders! That said, can I vote for "A Day In The Life" but played by Jeff Beck, please? If not, "Something" is one my all-time favourites. Or "Revolution"... Or "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"... Or "Taxman"... Or "Paperback Writer"... Or... (Thanks, ross4973, but you can’t have the Jeff Beck version!)