As an EW blog says,
Is there even such a thing as the best Beatles song of all time? ...Whichever song you personally think is the Beatles’ best, chances are you’re right.
That said, their list is actually pretty good, as those lists go. They hit most of my high points:
"A Day in the Life" (No.2), "Strawberry Fields" (No. 4), (No. 30) "Help!" (No.13), "She Loves You" (No. 6), "All You Need Is Love" (No. 50).I guess the "song" category leaves out "Twist & Shout" because none of the Beatles actually wrote it, but if you want to talk about a record, or a vocal...
Conversely, while I might buy that "Helter Skelter" (No.47) or "Let It Be" (No.7) belong on such a list as songs, I think the recordings The Beatles actually made of them are a bit of a bust.
One of the only ones on their list I would've left out, if this were just my list, is "I Saw Her Standing There." But I realize that's a personal thing--it just hasn't been a part of my life the way it has for others (and other songs have for me).
And for our "What? No..." category, there's "Here, There and Everywhere," which is found nowhere on EW's list, even tho it's one of McCartney's most graceful.
As an aside--a pet theory of mine is that if you really want to know the best McCartney songs and the best Lennon songs, read what they've said about each other's work.
Competitors as well as collaborators, they were also each other's best critics. My point being, Lennon always said "Here..." was one of his favorite songs of the Beatles, which means it was good.
Also among the missing: I'm not sure, but it seems like "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" should be on here somewhere. And neither version of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is on? (Personally I like the reprise--their best "rock" recording IMO).
Just to get cute EW decided to add choices for the five "worst" Beatle songs, too ("All You Need Is Love" makes both lists). I find it hard to imagine anyone getting too worked up about defending "Dig It," "Don't Pass Me By," or "Wild Honey Pie."
But I do feel a twinge of guiltorsomethinglikeit that leads me to want to stick up for "Flying." See, I could've done a post about the top five most-underrated Beatles songs, only it would've read a lot like the track listing to Magical Mystery Tour.
Plus "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite"--altho, even tho that's a brilliant production, as a song perhaps it can left off on the grounds that Lennon took virtually the whole lyric from an antique poster. And maybe "Think For Yourself."
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