# What is the definitive Beatles song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 23, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817 "2003-11-23T06:29:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/21 "2003-11-24T00:10:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > **the switch from true stereo to fake stereo at the midpoint** What do you mean by this? I think I hear what you’re talking about (from the “sitting in an English garden” point onward), but what is it technically? Is it that technique where certain frequency ranges from a mono mix are assigned to the right channel and others to the left? ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/22 "2003-11-24T00:16:06Z")
I always thought “We Can Work It Out” was the ultimate John and Paul (or should that be John vs. Paul?) song. ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/23 "2003-11-24T01:39:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bob Cos \* > \*\*But how is that reflective of their earliest stuff, which is some of their greatest? “I Saw Her Standing There,” “She Loves You,” “I Feel Fine,” are all terrific, and they invoke images of a certain phase of the Beatles that “AYNIL” does not. \*\* Hate to be a pain in the butt, but as “All You Need is Love” ends they do sing “She Loves You, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah”… I vote for there being no one song that represents the entire music library of Beatles songs, since they went many different phases during that time, but if you want one song that just immediately brings the Beatles to mind (say on a TV show or something), “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” is probably as good a bet as any (at least for those over 30 - I wonder how many teenagers today know who the Beatles were?) ---
**Author:** ![captainQwark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@captainQwark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/captainQwark)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/24 "2003-11-24T02:02:19Z")
SirRay- a lot of teenagers are familiar with the beatles. I was, and my younger brother and his friend are 15 and they are aware of the beatles. ---
**Author:** ![Husker\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Husker\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Husker_Dude)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/25 "2003-11-24T02:11:47Z")
Strawberry Fields Forever. ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/26 "2003-11-24T02:26:43Z")
Walloon-as you know the film Magical Mystery Tour was a flop when it came out- but Lennon correctly proudly pointed out that it has the only video of I Am the Walrus. Reportedly it was John’s favorite at one time. Fake stereo was usually treble on one side & bass on the other. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/27 "2003-11-24T02:43:36Z")
I’ve always felt that **Nowhere Man** defined the Beatles and an era. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/28 "2003-11-24T03:01:41Z")
I’ll never dance with another … woooo … since I saw her standing there … ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/29 "2003-11-24T03:08:26Z")
“Tomorrow Never Knows”. The lyrics, the experimentation, the innovation, the musicianship, the philosophy, is all there. Not even the most avant-garde musicians were as far out and as far ahead as this piece was. ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/30 "2003-11-24T03:19:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by captainQwark \* > \*\*SirRay- a lot of teenagers are familiar with the beatles. I was, and my younger brother and his friend are 15 and they are aware of the beatles. \*\* Interesting - I remember as early as the early 90s articles indicating many of the younger teens (tweens?) not knowing of the Beatles (hence, the “Kids not knowing Paul McCarthy was in a band before Wings” joke of the time). Wonder if the Anthology (and the two new fake Beatle Songs - woot!) helped change that? ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/31 "2003-11-24T03:57:36Z")
The “Paul McCartney in a band before Wings” joke was going around in the early 80’s at least; I remember having a cartoon book as a kid around 1982 or so with that joke in it. And I’d say “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” is definitely not the right answer; when I was a teenager and first getting into the group, the only song I knew by them was that one and a couple of their other early ones. I thought they were just some lame pop band from the 60’s; I equated them with The Beach Boys. It wasn’t until I heard the White Album that I recognized their range. “The End” from Abbey Road is a good choice. ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/32 "2003-11-24T04:09:45Z")
There is no one song that defines the Beatles. Isn’t that pretty much the reason they’re so damn special? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/33 "2003-11-24T04:44:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by doctordoowop \* > **Walloon-as you know the film Magical Mystery Tour was a flop when it came out** I’m not sure what you mean by a flop, as it was a television release, not theatrical (I’m guessing you’re paraphrasing [this site](http://www.movie-vault.com/archive/cgi-bin/list.pl?action=moviereview&movieid=CcLvVTIdWmTrikTr)). It was shown on BBC prime time in 1967 and 1968, and in the U.S. on ABC in 1968, with good ratings on both sides of the Atlantic. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/34 "2003-11-24T04:51:39Z")
It’s either “Day Tripper” or “I Feel Fine.” ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/35 "2003-11-24T05:07:44Z")
Walloon-maybe initially good ratings- but pretty bad reviews & I hardly recall it being shown on TV since, compared to Hard Day’s Night or Help. The Beatles spoiled everyone : all expected greatness all the time-this fell short. I never saw your site-will read it now. It certainly fell short in terms of what we now would call “buzz.” I was around in 1967- all I recall was negative.(I now have the DVD & like it) ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/36 "2003-11-24T05:18:10Z")
For me, it’s “Yesterday.” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/37 "2003-11-24T06:36:22Z")
> [@](#): > > at least for those over 30 - I wonder how many teenagers today know who the Beatles were? Teenagers, generally speaking, have parents. I’d say just about every parent of a modern-day teenager knows who the Beatles were, thus most teenagers know who they are as well. ---
**Author:** ![Grousser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Grousser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grousser)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/38 "2003-11-24T10:21:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > \*\*Teenagers, generally speaking, have parents. I’d say just about every parent of a modern-day teenager knows who the Beatles were, thus most teenagers know who they are as well. \*\* A little off-topic, but I was in the Paul McCartney concert in his 1993 tour in Mexico, D.F., and I could swear that a big amount of the audience were teenagers. Possibly between 15 and 20. And most amazing, when Paul sang Beatles songs, the teenagers sang along with him, applauded and climbed on the chairs… I was 29 then and I’ve been a Beatles fan since I was 11. That is, since 1975. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/39 "2003-11-24T11:16:52Z")
That wouldn’t surprise me at all, **Grousser**. I think that’s probably true at the concerts of many major rock musicians from that era. I go to lots of Allman Brothers concerts and there are PLENTY of people who were definitely too young to see them in 1969 or 1975. I’m only 21 myself, and I’m starting to find that plenty of other attendees are younger than _me_. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gmork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f19dbf/32.png) [@Gmork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gmork)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817/40 "2003-11-24T14:06:01Z")
on the teenagers hijack - I’m 19 and I’ve adored the Beatles’ music since I was 13/14. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-definitive-beatles-song/214817.md?page=3)