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1.53pm
14 November 2017
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I love Long Long Long. Very underated.
There was a programme on in the UK a few years back called ‘The Nation’s Favourite Beatles song’. Most of the songs voted for were the early stuff like Please Please Me ,Love Me Do ,I Want To Hold Your Hand etc.
Hey Jude was voted number 1 greatest Beatles song,yet A Day In The Life never made the cut,along with a few others, and I was like ‘how could you not vote for ADITL’? I’m not talking number 1,but it never made the list AT ALL! I think the number of songs voted for were around 30 or so if I remember correctly, so ADITL’s absence was just ridiculous to me. Other songs that WEREN’T voted for included
Strawberry Fields 
Basically, I watched it round at mum’s, and I said to her “these people clearly don’t know what they’re talking about” 
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9.17am
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline @Father McKenzie I’m kinda with you on this one. I could understand if all of the songs you mentioned were omitted from a top 10 list – none of them are in mine either. But for songs like ADITL, ‘I Am The Walrus ‘, etc… to not be in the top 30? Ah well – different strokes…
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10.04am
14 November 2017
Offline @Zig: yeah,I found it very strange. I mean,each to their own and all that,but some of the songs omitted are widely recognised as some of their best work (Strawberry Fields Forever for one). I just remember watching the programme and thinking “there’s only a certain number of songs left, how are they going to fit them all in”? It was a massive let down to be honest
Still writing the words to the sermon that no one will hear......
10.11am
Reviewers
17 December 2012
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You’re slightly misremembering the programme if it’s the one I’m thinking of, @Father McKenzie.
It was a two-hour special shown on ITV in November 2015 to coincide with the re-release of the 1 compilation, and was titled The Nation’s Favourite Beatles Number One, and the only songs that were voted on were their 17 UK #1s. That’s why the songs you mentioned were absent, because none of them were UK #1s.
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The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
10.14am
14 November 2017
Offline Ah! Thanks @Ron Nasty. That explains it hahaha
Still writing the words to the sermon that no one will hear......
10.43am
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline Slight correction, @Father McKenzie, having just dug out the thread for it, it was all 27 songs on the 1 compilation. So, Something was in there, though you don’t remember it.
I’ve tracked down the full list (strangely, no-one thought to post it at the time!):
27 The Ballad of John & Yoko
26 Day Tripper
25 I Feel Fine
24 From Me To You
23 Paperback Writer
22 Get Back
21 Lady Madonna
20 Hello, Goodbye
19 Yellow Submarine
18 Eight Days A Week
17 We Can Work It Out
16 Ticket To Ride
15 Help !
14 Love Me Do
13 Can’t Buy Me Love
12 Something
11 Come Together
10 She Loves You
9 A Hard Day’s Night
8 The Long And Winding Road
7 I Want To Hold Your Hand
6 Penny Lane
5 All You Need Is Love
4 Eleanor Rigby
3 Let It Be
2 Yesterday
1 Hey Jude
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The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
10.52am
14 November 2017
Offline @Ron Nasty: thanks again 
. Yeah, that explains why ADITL and Strawberry Fields Forever was missing. I should have known you’d have the answer 
Still writing the words to the sermon that no one will hear......
12.36pm
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline Thanks for the clarity, RN. 
It’s hard to believe ADITL was not a number 1 in the UK until you remember the fact that the BBC originally banned it from the airwaves. If they weren’t going to play it from the album, it made no sense to release it as a single.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
2.29pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Zig said
Thanks for the clarity, RN.It’s hard to believe ADITL was not a number 1 in the UK until you remember the fact that the BBC originally banned it from the airwaves. If they weren’t going to play it from the album, it made no sense to release it as a single.
The Beatles saw ‘Pepper’ as a complete entity to be played as a whole, regardless of the BBC’s stance I doubt ‘ADITL’ or any other song would have been released as a single.
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11.17am
30 April 2019
Offline Ah so this thread does exist!
My favorite song by the Beatles is I Feel Fine . It’s just really great, and I love it. I have memory of sitting on my couch upsidedown while listening to this awhile back, and it was a lot of fun (sorry if that doesn’t make sense i don’t know how else to explain it). That riff gets me good, and i love the underlying melancholy of the whole song.
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15 November 2018
Offline I am trying that at first opportunity.
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- - -
(I'm Fiddy, not Walrian)
- - -
2018:
2019: 
2020:
5.36pm
5 November 2019
Offline I would have to name a few
There is so many to choose from it was hard just to pick those
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QuarryMan2.52pm
15 November 2018
Offline Lovely choices
Love one another.
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(I'm Fiddy, not Walrian)
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2018: 2019: 2020:
8.36am
1 July 2020
Offline We have 5 songs here today! Which is better, in your opinion?
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2021: 
9.41am
22 July 2019
Offline My personal ranking:
5) Helter Skelter : A bit of an unpopular opinion. While I do respect it’s everlasting legacy on the direction and image of hard rock, it’s a bit too raw for my taste. This may come as a bit condenscending, but I think this song’s more style than substance, overall. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy it, but not as much as the other tracks.
4) Rocky Raccoon : I like this song a lot, and I consider it one of the highlights on the White Album . Really great and kooky songwriting, and accompanied by the instrumentation and tone, it’s a particularly distinct track in the Beatle’s iconography (though you can make the case for almost all songs, independently). However, I think the song suffers a little bit from the subpar production, though the recent remakes and remasters have alleviated the song’s quality to a much higher degree. Still though, production’s a small sacrifice for the overall track.
3) Blue Jay Way : Very weird, in a fantastically good way. George showcases his skill on the Hammond organ, accompanied by Paul’s superb bass playing, Ringo’s steady and cool drumming, and some dynamic vocals from both lead and backup vocals. Overall, very consistent, and it’s weirdness really made it into a bit of a cult classic status among fans. It’s not hard to see why.
2) Lovely Rita – I have a bit of a soft spot for this song. Lyrics are very carefree and innocent, and makes me want to cheer Paul on for his nonexistent relationship with Rita. Guitar work, drumming and vocals are incredibly good on this track. Production also deserves a shoutout, giving the track an incredibly atmospheric mood, and really alleviates the whole experience. Incredible song, on an incredible album.
1) Not A Second Time – This may come as a bit of a surprise, but this is one of my favorite early Beatles songs. It has grown on me immensely for a long time now, and I have since respected it as an early Beatles masterpiece. Both John’s vocals and Martin’s piano work provide for one of the most intersting harmonic sequences I have ever heard in a pop song, while Paul’s bass and Ringo’s drums provide a solid backbeat and rhythm that holds the song together. A truly spectacular, yet underappreciated song.
Side note: Yes, it is not a typo. I am indeed calling “Not A Second Time ” a masterpiece, sue me.
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9.58am
7 May 2017
Offline Helter Skelter , it’s one of my absolute favourites. CakeMaestor says it would be an unpopular opinion to have it last of those five, but I think on the other end of the spectrum, my opinion of it being one of the best Beatles songs ever may even be more unpopular. I love it. So wild and heavy, but always keeping the structure, yet always on the edge of losing itself in the chaos…
Blue Jay Way would be number two. I’m ever again astonished how it isn’t ranked higher, I think just like Only A Northern Song it’s among the very best of 1967 style full-out psychedelia, close to masterpieces like Strawberry Fields Forever . But then again, Harrison is underrated.
Lovely Rita and Rocky Raccoon are very good, I like them both. Rita a bit more I think. Rocky goes on a bit too long and to be honest, I never fully got the story, but it has a cool vibe when it goes into that Dadadada…
Not A Second Time , well yeah I’m not the biggest fan of early Beatles stuff. I can’t believe myself how highly I regard All My Loving , and there are some other things that are either catchy, rocking cool or otherwise more interesting, and the Beatles progressed from album to album anyway, then had a leap in late 64/early 65 and an even bigger one in late 65/66. But for the most part, their earlier stuff is very simple pop love songs for me, ranging from enjoyable to forgettable (but the latter often still in an enjoyable way). Listening to Not A Second Time right now, I see (hear) barely anything in the melody, genre, instrumentation, vocals and definitely not in the lyrics that distinguishes the song from two to three dozen or so other early Beatles love songs.
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10.00am
8 August 2019
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Well, just ’cause I got time to spare.
5) Not A Second Time – Pretty boring.
CakeMaestor said
Side note: Yes, it is not a typo. I am indeed calling “Not A Second Time ” a masterpiece, sue me.
Consider thyself sued.
4) Helter Skelter – Excellent…ly written but the execution is a bit dragging for me.
3) Rocky Raccoon – Funny and cute and stuff.
2) Blue Jay Way – A psychedelic pseudo-masterpiece.
1) Lovely Rita – Short and sweet with attention to detail and enchanting melodies.
But why these five tho?
the watusi
the twist
10.14am
28 April 2020
Offline This is a diverse set of middle and lower tier Beatles songs, in my opinion.
5. Rocky Raccoon … probably my least favourite song on the White Album
4. Blue Jay Way … decent song, atmospheric, but too many repeats of ‘please don’t be long’
3. Not A Second Time … I always liked this one, catchy!
2. Lovely Rita … good song, great singing … love the ‘Ah! AH!’ at the end!
1. Helter Skelter … great noisy rocking song and a highlight from the White Album !
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kelicopter4.28pm
19 October 2016
Offline I feel like you’re asking me if I prefer apples, oranges, bananas, pineapples, grapes or mangoes.
Or maybe apples, hamburgers, dandelions, turtles or neckties.
That said, of these I actually think:
5. Lovely Rita – I like the piano but I think it’s one of the weaker tunes on Pepper.
4. Hmmm.
I quit, I can’t rank them. Rocky Raccoon may be corny but it’s catchy and somehow still grabs me. Helter Skelter is just towering, super ballsy rock. Not A Second Time is not as simple as it seems – this is the song that contained the “Aeolian cadence” of highbrow-reviewer fame. Blue Jay Way spirals into something almost trance-like – love the cellos, the backward vocals and the phasing.
Turtles. I like turtles the best.
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kelicopter4.54pm
7 November 2010
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Pablo Ramon said
Or maybe apples, hamburgers, dandelions, turtles or neckties.
….
Turtles. I like turtles the best.
We need 2 to 5 ranked, stat.
Here’s my list:
5. Rocky Raccoon – Eh.
4. Not A Second Time – It’s a shame that this is 4th because I do love it. This is a solid pop song and John’s vocals are great.
3. Helter Skelter – I mean, that guitar, those screamy vocals, the fact that John was even envious of it… It’s all good stuff.
2. Blue Jay Way – I struggled to separate 2 and 3 but am gonna give it to experimental George. I love how atmospheric this track is, you can almost hear the fog upon LA.
1. Lovely Rita – Sgt Peppers is my most nostalgic album (dare I say favourite?) and I challenge anyone to try and sing “filling in a ticket in her little white boook” and not smile.
(Edit: I kind of like the idea of a thread like this going forward? Someone picks 5 seemingly random songs from early to late and we rank?)
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2020
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