# Best Beatles Song?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 23, 2009, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601 "2009-01-23T06:42:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/41 "2009-01-23T17:14:07Z")

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Thanks for the move - I wasn’t sure where this should go…

Anyway, I’m compiling a list, and unsurprisingly, there are 26 songs on it so far. Of these, only 6 have more than one vote.

I think this certainly confirms my initial thought that there is no answer to this question. I’m impressed (but not surprised given this group) to see some less “popular” songs on this list.

Thanks to you all!

Thanks for the links **Happy Lendervedder**

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**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/42 "2009-01-23T17:15:20Z")

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Over [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=501230), a guy called \*\*Stauderhorse \*\*is listening to all the Beatles albums, in order.

It would be interesting to get his vote. So - calling \*\*Stauderhorse \*\*.

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**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/43 "2009-01-23T17:30:20Z")

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Euphonious, you might also consider making a simple histogram graph which classes the songs by, say, year. It looks like 1966 and 1968 are favorites among these Dopers.

If you do this, don’t forget that _Let It Be_ was recorded before _Abbey Road_!

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**Author:** ![cgg419](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cgg419/32/2847_2.png) [@cgg419](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cgg419)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/44 "2009-01-23T17:34:52Z")

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In My Life, or the solo version of Yesterday from Anthology 2

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**Author:** ![The\_Shroud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@The\_Shroud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Shroud)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/45 "2009-01-23T17:39:48Z")

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“You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away.”

I’ll probably want to change my mind in a second, but that was my current impulse.

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**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/46 "2009-01-23T17:48:08Z")

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If the Abbey Road medley doesn’t count, I’ll go with Here Comes The Sun.

No, wait, Something.

No, wait, the slow version of Revolution.

No, wait, Ticket To Ride.

Okay, I’ll go with Here Comes The Sun.

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**Author:** ![Alan\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Alan\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Bird)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/47 "2009-01-23T17:48:54Z")

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Another that’ll probably get just this one vote: “Hey Bulldog”

Kick-ass piano riff to open. John/Paul harmonies. Classic George solo. Ringo perfect as always.

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**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/48 "2009-01-23T17:50:51Z")

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No, wait, While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Good to see George Harrison getting some love here!

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**Author:** ![tripletaker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@tripletaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tripletaker)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/49 "2009-01-23T17:59:45Z")

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I also like “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

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**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/50 "2009-01-23T18:00:37Z")

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> [@NineToTheSky](#):
>
> Over [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=501230), a guy called \*\*Stauderhorse \*\*is listening to all the Beatles albums, in order.
> 
> It would be interesting to get his vote. So - calling \*\*Stauderhorse \*\*.

Nitpick (probably not to **Stauderhorse** , though)- I believe **Stauderhorse** is a female.

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**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/51 "2009-01-23T18:03:26Z")

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Don’t really know the Beatles’ catalog well at all, but I’ve always liked _Rocky Raccoon_. Actually, if anyone could point me towards any of their other songs that are similar to RR, it would be appreciated.

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/52 "2009-01-23T18:04:12Z")

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“I Am the Walrus” is trippy in an active way, without being soporific. With vivid lyric imagery and striking arrangement (string quartet, vocal glissandos, memorable bridges), it goes places where no “pop” song had ever gone before. John Cage in 2/4 time.

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**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/53 "2009-01-23T18:06:00Z")

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> [@Bumbershoot](#):
>
> Nitpick (probably not to **Stauderhorse** , though)- I believe **Stauderhorse** is a female.

Oops: bad guess. :o

(Bad excuse: isn’t guy generic in the USA?)

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**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/54 "2009-01-23T18:11:32Z")

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> [@NineToTheSky](#):
>
> Over [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=501230), a guy called \*\*Stauderhorse \*\*is listening to all the Beatles albums, in order.
> 
> It would be interesting to get his vote. So - calling \*\*Stauderhorse \*\*.

“Guy” may be generic, but “his” isn’t!

Gotcha there, didn’t I?😃

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**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/55 "2009-01-23T18:30:18Z")

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My vote goes to “Hey Jude”.

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**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/56 "2009-01-23T18:31:06Z")

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> [@Bumbershoot](#):
>
> “Guy” may be generic, but “his” isn’t!
> 
> Gotcha there, didn’t I?😃

Actually, no. I was referring to [Wilhelm His, Snr](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_His,_Sr.). At that point, I’d lost interest in Stauderhorse, and I’d moved on to old Wilhelm. The fact that he is dead, and my sudden collapse of grammar has got nothing to do with anything.

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**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/57 "2009-01-23T18:45:35Z")

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I would probably have been another vote for “Tomorrow Never Knows” (or “Strawberry Fields Forever” or “For No One” or “I Am The Walrus”), but just because it hasn’t been mentioned yet, I’m going to go with “Got To Get You Into My Life”. For some reason, it never occurred to me the song was an ode to marijuana until I read it in one of the billions of Beatles books I own.

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**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/58 "2009-01-23T19:02:30Z")

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> [@NineToTheSky](#):
>
> Actually, no. I was referring to [Wilhelm His, Snr](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_His,_Sr.). At that point, I’d lost interest in Stauderhorse, and I’d moved on to old Wilhelm. The fact that he is dead, and my sudden collapse of grammar has got nothing to do with anything.

Ah, now I understand. I feel so foolish!

And I always wondered who invented the microtome. Turns out it was His invention!

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**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/59 "2009-01-23T19:06:20Z")

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> [@tds1273](#):
>
> Don’t really know the Beatles’ catalog well at all, but I’ve always liked _Rocky Raccoon_. Actually, if anyone could point me towards any of their other songs that are similar to RR, it would be appreciated.

There are lots of songs that are similar, but for different reasons.

For period-sounding songs: Honey Pie, Piggies, When I’m 64, Your Mother Should Know, Martha My Dear, Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite.

For a more country-music feel: What Goes On, Don’t Pass Me By

Songs that tell a story: Eleanor Rigby, Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill, Mean Mr Mustard/Polythene Pam.

Upbeat songs that don’t fit traditional “rock” molds: Octopus’s Garden, Yellow Submarine, Hey Bulldog, All Together Now.

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**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-beatles-song/482601/60 "2009-01-23T19:07:57Z")

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Not really a big Beatles fan, but I’d have to pick _Nowhere Man_, although _Tomorrow Never Knows_ would be up there…

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