njtt:
Sheesh, this could almost a be a list of The Beatles’ Weakest Hits (although, since it is them, there is still some great stuff there). I voted for “Don’t Let Me Down,” but more because I think it is under-appreciated than because it is clearly the best. It does see to me to one of John’s most emotional performances, and is amazing in how it manges to pack such a lot of feeling into such a minimalist lyric. It foreshadows the best aspects of John’s solo work.
“We Can Work It Out,” “Paperback Writer,” “Lady Madonna,” and “The Ballad of John and Yoko” were my other real contenders, although I do also have a soft spot for “Old Brown Shoe” (slight, but fun). “Revolution” is a decent but overrated song, not nearly as profound as some people seem to think, and anyway, I prefer the album version (“Revolution #1 ”).
I must admit though that I have never really understood the popularity of the trite and mawkish “Hey Jude,” which I find faintly cringeworthy (the only bit I really like is Paul scatting during the fade), and I am surprised that the dull drone of “Rain” is getting so many votes.
The trite and mawkish “Hey Jude” is going to be the song that is remembered in the next century, despite that certain pin-heads of this era thought that “The Ballad of John and Yoko” was clearly more deserving of appreciation. Such a pity.