“A Day In The Life” was a no-brainer, but if that song hadn’t been on this album the decision would have taken much longer. I love most of these songs, but “Lovely Rita” might have been my second choice. Just 'cause.
I <3 The Beatles. 
With A Little Help From My Friends is just so much cheerier. A Day In The Life is revolutionary and thus more important, but not exactly something that makes me smile every time I hear a few bars.
It’s a nailbiter. “All My Loving” got 54.41% of the vote, less than 4 percentage points from where “Day” is now.
Well, it’s almost pointless to vote considering it’s obviously gonna be a slam dunk for A Day in the Life, but I’m gonna anyway.
ADITL is a genius song, but it’s not my favorite. I’ve been voting for “favorite” rather than “best” in these polls, so that’s where I’ll go this time. Which puts me firmly in the camp of She’s Leaving Home.
SLH continues Paul’s strange affinity for characters whom most ridiculously wealthy, popular young male rock/pop stars wouldn’t spare two seconds on. – here, he cares not just for the runaway young girl (the character most songwriters in his generation would side with wholeheartedly), but also her middle class parents, who are depicted as somewhat blinkered but loving and heartbroken. The lyrics are sympathetic and observational, and the music… and breathtakingly beautiful orchestration … kick me in the teeth every time.
ADITL gets my second place vote, with Within You, Without You as the dark horse third place winner. But wait, there’s also Lucy and Lovely Rita and Getting Better…
Really, the only songs I’m not a huuuuge fan of are Good Morning, Good Morning (but I do love the crazy time signatures) and For the Benefit of Mr. Kite. I wouldn’t say I dislike 'em, they’re just not songs I can’t wait to hear.
Seconded.
Looks like ADITL just overtook it.
I’ll put another one in that column. No question. A Day in the Life.
I always think it’s illuminating to look at the tracks that don’t get many votes. The Beatles did actually record some quite mediocre songs. I mean, “Good Morning, Good Morning”? It’s rubbish, isn’t it? If it had been a filler track on a Small Faces album or something, it would be totally forgotten, and rightly so.
You could have a multiple choice poll, which would still rank all the songs without making it hard to choose.
Not even close.
Between A Hard Days Night and the White Album, they never produced any rubbish (Tell Me Why and Revolution 9, FTR)…some songs are better than others, but being surrounded by better songs doesn’t make the lesser ones rubbish.
My vote went to Within You Without You, FTR.
Which is my favorite Beatles song. 
If not for that song, this would have been an nearly impossible poll.
This is harder for me than Revolver. There are three songs on it I love so much I had a hard time choosing between them. A Day in the Life is amazing. I agree with everyone on that. But the other songs I always gravitate to are Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite and Good Morning, Good Morning. I love them all equally. But I voted for Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite. the lyrics are inspired and as an eight year old the calliope scared the crap out of me. Of course looking at the poll now, I wish I’d voted for Good Morning, Good Morning. I love the arrangement of that song.
Having said all that, let’s talk about the tracks on the upcoming Magical Mystery Tour! Shall we?
Ironically, that has the best average song quality for me of any Beatles album and will be the hardest for me to vote on. That said, it does have a couple of my least favorite non-early duds on it as well.
Would someone please provide some specific reasons for choosing “A Day in the Life”?
I get that the crescendo was a tour de force, and I can appreciate the innovation and creativity. I even get that the banal lyrics and John’s singing express a deliberate absurdity, but how does absurdity lead to greatness?
What makes ADITL a no-brainer best track? Is it that the other tracks are just weaker?
To me, it is either boring (eg. the opening lyrics) or gimmicky (eg. the final chord), and I don’t enjoy listening to it. I am, though, genuinely interested in being educated about what makes the song great.
Thanks.
She’s leaving home is my favourite Beatles song altogether.
Lots of great stuff but I find whenever I listen to it I start off by playing She’s Leaving Home. So that is my vote, even though I am surprised by it.
I voted ADITL like everyone else, but I almost said “She’s Leaving Home” because of a family tale.
My dad came home from college, Christmas 1967, and found to his astonishment that his father, my grandfather, had gone out and purchased Sgt. Pepper in an attempt to understand his son’s generation. With a certain degree of apprehension, my dad asked him what his favorite song was.
“She’s Leaving Home”, my grandfather said immediately. “You know why? Because it’s about family! Here, look at the lyrics - She’s leaving home after living alone for so many years. After living alone! You hear that, Jonathan? Always pay attention to your kids!”
I’ve always loved that story. My grandfather died a few months after I was born, so I only know him through anecdotes like these.
Some is context, some is the work itself. From a context standpoint, the Beatles were the biggest band in the world and, with SP, were making their big attempt to leap back out in front of the cutting-edge sound of the day, psychedlic rock. At the time, Sgt. Peppers was seen as a huge triumph, elevating rock music, and the album format in particular, to a credible art form in the cross-over public’s eyes. The fact that it was only a unified “concept album” largely in name doesn’t detract from its impact. And, within the context of this utterly-new concept album, A Day in the Life was the “big artistic statement” - it has a complex structure, heavy lyrics (you can decide if they are valid or pretentious) and comes at the end of the album - everything points to it being the Big Statement, so it stands out.
As for the work itself - I happen to love it. I love the moment I feel Lennon captures of everyday existential reality washing over him as he moves through his own existence. It is a good-sounding recording, Lennons’ voice is wonderful detached and dreamy and the use of things like the crescendo add to the overall flow - they don’t feel gimmicky to me…YMMV
I came into this poll fully expecting to be the only vote that wasn’t for “Day in the Life.” Not that I don’t like that song, of course - it’s a masterpiece. But my favorite is “Getting Better,” because it’s shorter and more fun.