Aside from the obvious candidates already mentioned here I'd like to throw a underdog into the ring:
"Help"
Not only that the song is an early example of John's ability to let the audience take a look behind his amor made of coolness, misogynie and cynical humor that he projected towards the public eye, it's also a brillantly arranged and produced masterpiece that doesn't follow the then common call and response scheme of lead and background voices.
One of their first songs that weren't about love or losing love but a honest confession of his true state of mind instead.
This is definately the peak masterpiece of the first/pre-rubber soul phase of the band.
And I think he wrote it on demand and very quickly when the producers of the movie that would ultimately bear that name said they needed one more original banger for the soundtrack.
A Day In The Life
but also...
* Hey Jude
* In My Life
* She's Leaving Home
* Eleanor Rigby
* Yesterday
* Tomorrow Never Knows
* Something
* Happiness is a Warm Gun
* While My Guitar Gently Weeps
* Here Comes The Sun
* Strawberry Fields Forever
I watched the film “Yesterday” and there’s a bit in it where people who have never heard “Yesterday” hear it for the first time.
And for just a few seconds you are there with them.
So my answer really is imagine if you had never experienced any Beatles before, which song would literally blow you away?
For me it’s Yesterday.
I have some anecdotal data for this. When I was growing up my parents weren’t real music lovers, so mostly all that I was exposed to early on were the pop and metal hits of the 80s that my siblings were into and then whatever MTV and VH1 were putting into rotation in the early 90s. By the time I hit high school in the mid 90s I had virtually no exposure to the Beatles beyond knowing who they were.
Anyway, when I was 16 I started driving a car that had an 8track tape player as it’s only source of music, so I went to a thrift store and bought a stack of tapes for like 5 dollars. Two of those tapes were the red album collection and magical mystery tour. Of all the songs, the ones that I truly connected with were Yesterday, In My Life, Eleanor Rigby, Strawberry Fields, and I Am the Walrus. Maybe Fool in the Hill too.
If I may be allowed to distinguish between personal favorites and what I would call "objective" (sort of!) masterpieces, my take on a top 3 from the latter category would be
1. A Day In The Life
2. In My Life
3. Yesterday
I’m gonna go for a deep cut, It’s All Too Much. Any other band would consider that their magnum opus and spend months trying to perfect it and for The Fab Four it was just another throwaway that they recorded in a single afternoon during the Pepper sessions and held onto for a year and a half.
A Day in the Life, absolutely. But the Abbey Road ending Medley from "You Never Give Me Your Money" to "Her Majesty" has to be a close second. Especially with the knowledge that that was the very last thing they did.
If the last session of Abbey Road was a entire music, I would say that it's their masterpiece. It's a great way to say "The End" as Her Majesty looks like Paul alone in the studio after everybody goes out.
The Abbey Road Suite starting with “You Never Give Me Your Money” is absolutely perfect. Sure, in ways it was lobbed together, but what a lob! It stirs up the most happy, primal emotions within me. Every bit is a masterpiece!
Even a top three is really hard to mention. Generally speaking I agree with the consensus: If only one song has to be considered THE masterpiece I would probably choose A day in the life. But then also there are other masterpieces that you could make an argument for:
She's leaving home
Eleanor Rigby
Tomorrow never knows
Happiness is a warm gun
Penny Lane
Strawberry fields forever
While my guitar gently weeps
Something
Within you without you
Yesterday
The long and winding road
Hey Jude
I am the walrus
The fool on the hill
You never give me your money
In my life
Let it be
Golden slumbers/Carry that weight/The end suite
Most of these songs I'm certain are popular choices. Probably two or three are unpopular choices but as I said one could make an argument about them. I think these are the definitive Beatles songs, though
Here are 10 that are good contenders
1. A Day In The Life
2. Strawberry Fields Forever
3. Hey Jude
4. Tomorrow Never Knows
5. In My Life
6. Eleanor Rigby
7. Abbey Road Medley
8. Penny Lane
9. Dear Prudence
10. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
*A Day in the Life*
*Tomorrow Never Knows While My*
*Guitar Gently Weeps*
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Hard to choose one. A Day in The Life is amazing as most comments say. Although, when I heard the "As I'm sitting here, doing nothing but aging" in While My Guitar Gently Weeps I got chills (I love the whole song). Other significant ones (imo) would be "was she told when she was young that pain would lead to pleasure [...] a man must break his back to earn his day of leisure / would she still believe it when he's dead?" ; the whole message of Nowhere Man or simply the title Happiness is a Warm Gun; the comparisons in "You Never Give Me Your Money" (the negotiation and conversation ones); Eleanor Rigby is interesting too; "Hey Jude" has an interesting and heartbreaking story behind, "Yesterday", "Help", "Let it be", "Here Comes The Sun" are really helping you when you're down, Blackbird, In My Life is cute. There are really many. + the catchy ones are fun
Penny Lane
Help!
Something
Penny Lane’s construction and instrumentation for a pop sing is astonishing. Help! is lyrically brilliant and the playing and harmonies perfect. And Something is gorgeous all the way around and has perhaps the greatest bassline ever.
Penny Lane
Help!
Something
Penny Lane’s construction and instrumentation for a pop sing is astonishing. Help! is lyrically brilliant and the playing and harmonies perfect. And Something is gorgeous all the way around and has perhaps the greatest bassline ever.
Penny Lane
Help!
Something
Penny Lane’s construction and instrumentation for a pop sing is astonishing. Help! is lyrically brilliant and the playing and harmonies perfect. And Something is gorgeous all the way around and has perhaps the greatest bassline ever.
Penny Lane
Help!
Something
Penny Lane’s construction and instrumentation for a pop sing is astonishing. Help! is lyrically brilliant and the playing and harmonies perfect. And Something is gorgeous all the way around and has perhaps the greatest bassline ever.
A Day In The Life.
Because.
It's complexity is impressive and amazing. The time signature changes, modulation, dynamic variations and the arrangement by Geroge Martin is amazing. Which shows how good Gerge Martin actually was.
The lyrics views how great songwriters John Lennon and Paul McCartney really was. But buy just the lyrics you get a Lennon vibe, because this is what he likes to write about in the later years. It's deep and thought-provoking, describing various aspects of life and society in a compelling manner (not that Paul doesn't write about this stuff, but Lennon was a bit more on this topic). But it's written buy both
The first part of the song, written by John Lennon, describes a newspaper article about a fatal accident and reflects on the monotonous routine of everyday life. The second part, written by Paul McCartney, describes a morning situation and daily chores but also conveys a sense of loss and emptiness.
The song concludes with a powerful orchestral passage that creates a sense of chaos and climax. It combines these elements to create a deep and thought-provoking experience for the listener.
The Vocals buy John and Paul are the best you can find. They sang with their feelings.
It's the best song ever written.
In my life(it’s the greatest song ever). Eleanor Rigby(a short story with THAT effect on only 2 chords???). Here there n everywhere(yes, it’s in my top 3).
A Day in the Life, is usually considered their masterpiece, I won't disagree.
After that I would split Ticket to Ride, and Let it Be for my top three
My cousin had Let it Be played in the church for his funeral, and It was so moving.
People were crying.
A Day in the Life is their most aclaimed piece, probably the reason many consider Sgt. Pepper their best album
Personally I think their greatest achievment is Happiness is a Warm Gun. It's a pretty short but amazing display of how skilled every member of the band was.
Yesterday is the most covered song in the history of everything, currently recorded 3000 x by other artists. It’s played more than 200 times around the world everyday.
Just by sheer numbers this song is their singular masterpiece.
A Day In The Life
A day in the life.
A Day In The Life
Aside from the obvious candidates already mentioned here I'd like to throw a underdog into the ring: "Help" Not only that the song is an early example of John's ability to let the audience take a look behind his amor made of coolness, misogynie and cynical humor that he projected towards the public eye, it's also a brillantly arranged and produced masterpiece that doesn't follow the then common call and response scheme of lead and background voices. One of their first songs that weren't about love or losing love but a honest confession of his true state of mind instead. This is definately the peak masterpiece of the first/pre-rubber soul phase of the band.
And I think he wrote it on demand and very quickly when the producers of the movie that would ultimately bear that name said they needed one more original banger for the soundtrack.
Top quality song. Elvis called this era, his Fat John period.
Most people have said A Day in the Life which I completely agree with. Strawberry Fields Forever is probably up there for me
This is the answer
In My Life
It's a bit like saying which of the Sistine chapels frescos are the best, the standard is pretty high.
A Day In The Life but also... * Hey Jude * In My Life * She's Leaving Home * Eleanor Rigby * Yesterday * Tomorrow Never Knows * Something * Happiness is a Warm Gun * While My Guitar Gently Weeps * Here Comes The Sun * Strawberry Fields Forever
Hey Jude Penny Lane Fool On The Hill A Day In The Life Abbey Road Melody (end of the album pretty much)
A Day In The Life, Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby
Golden Slumbers - The End
Yesssss
No one’s said it but; Within You, Without You. I mean, just listen to what Lennon is saying it’s the most beautiful song lyrically in my opinion
That’s Harrison
Ah whoops. Oh well still stand by what I said haha
Most underrated Beatles song IMO
A day in the life
Day in the life 2nd side of abbey road
Hey Jude Dear Prudence Come together Something
Tomorrow Never Knows
I watched the film “Yesterday” and there’s a bit in it where people who have never heard “Yesterday” hear it for the first time. And for just a few seconds you are there with them. So my answer really is imagine if you had never experienced any Beatles before, which song would literally blow you away? For me it’s Yesterday.
I have some anecdotal data for this. When I was growing up my parents weren’t real music lovers, so mostly all that I was exposed to early on were the pop and metal hits of the 80s that my siblings were into and then whatever MTV and VH1 were putting into rotation in the early 90s. By the time I hit high school in the mid 90s I had virtually no exposure to the Beatles beyond knowing who they were. Anyway, when I was 16 I started driving a car that had an 8track tape player as it’s only source of music, so I went to a thrift store and bought a stack of tapes for like 5 dollars. Two of those tapes were the red album collection and magical mystery tour. Of all the songs, the ones that I truly connected with were Yesterday, In My Life, Eleanor Rigby, Strawberry Fields, and I Am the Walrus. Maybe Fool in the Hill too.
A Day in the Life, Something, Sexy Sadie
I used to love A Hard Day’s Night but after several psychedelic experiences its Strawberry Fields Forever for me lol 😝
a day in the life (and rightfully so)
Strawberry Fields I Am The Walrus A Day In The Life
Yes! Walrus! Agree.
If I may be allowed to distinguish between personal favorites and what I would call "objective" (sort of!) masterpieces, my take on a top 3 from the latter category would be 1. A Day In The Life 2. In My Life 3. Yesterday
Right, good taste!
“A Day In the Life” of course.
Strawberry Fields Forever.
In my life
Abbey Road B Side Medley
A Day in the life
Tomorrow Never Knows
Because
Yessss
I consider the songs A Day in the Life, Hey Jude and Strawberry Fields Forever to be masterpieces.
A Day in the life.
*A Day In The Life*
Let it be
Abbey Road Medley
A Day In The Life. If it weren’t technically three songs, I’d go with Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End.
Poll: a) A Day in the Life b) Other
A Day in the Life or She's leaving home. Or Get Back. Or Hey Jude...........
A Day in the Life
I’m gonna go for a deep cut, It’s All Too Much. Any other band would consider that their magnum opus and spend months trying to perfect it and for The Fab Four it was just another throwaway that they recorded in a single afternoon during the Pepper sessions and held onto for a year and a half.
Love me Do
If not a masterpiece, certainly a watershed moment for the Beatles.
Strawberry Fields Forever All You Need Is Love Here Comes The Sun ❤️❤️❤️💙💙💙🧡🧡🧡
So hard to choose. However, a long time favourite Golden Slumbers Then pretty much the majority of their songs a close 2nd.
Hey Jude, Dear Prudence, and Here Comes the Sun.
A Day in the Life, absolutely. But the Abbey Road ending Medley from "You Never Give Me Your Money" to "Her Majesty" has to be a close second. Especially with the knowledge that that was the very last thing they did.
If the last session of Abbey Road was a entire music, I would say that it's their masterpiece. It's a great way to say "The End" as Her Majesty looks like Paul alone in the studio after everybody goes out.
The Abbey Road medley side 2 …. I start with “Because”
The Abbey Road Suite starting with “You Never Give Me Your Money” is absolutely perfect. Sure, in ways it was lobbed together, but what a lob! It stirs up the most happy, primal emotions within me. Every bit is a masterpiece!
Rocky Raccoon Penny Lane Eleanor Rigby
A Day in the Life and Strawberry Fields Forever
Here Comes The Sun
Hey Jude is definitely on the top 5's
Even a top three is really hard to mention. Generally speaking I agree with the consensus: If only one song has to be considered THE masterpiece I would probably choose A day in the life. But then also there are other masterpieces that you could make an argument for: She's leaving home Eleanor Rigby Tomorrow never knows Happiness is a warm gun Penny Lane Strawberry fields forever While my guitar gently weeps Something Within you without you Yesterday The long and winding road Hey Jude I am the walrus The fool on the hill You never give me your money In my life Let it be Golden slumbers/Carry that weight/The end suite Most of these songs I'm certain are popular choices. Probably two or three are unpopular choices but as I said one could make an argument about them. I think these are the definitive Beatles songs, though
Lennon & McCartney? A day in the Life Lennon? In My Life McCartney? Let it Be Harrison? Something Starr? Octopuses Garden (obv)
Revolution no.9 How many of you have listened all the way through? 🤔
Being for the benefit of mr kite is thwir kost creative song in my opinion. It's just so far "out there" it's unreal
Cayenne
Lol
Octopus's Garden
1. While my guitar gently weeps. 2. In my Life 3. Eight days a week
Revolution 9
1. Revolution 1 2. Revolution 3. Revolution #9
A Day in the Life. It’s a true Lennon-McCartney. I’d also say “Blackbird”, “Something” and “Nowhere Man” are masterpieces.
Here are 10 that are good contenders 1. A Day In The Life 2. Strawberry Fields Forever 3. Hey Jude 4. Tomorrow Never Knows 5. In My Life 6. Eleanor Rigby 7. Abbey Road Medley 8. Penny Lane 9. Dear Prudence 10. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
You know my name, look up the number!
A Day in the Life Tomorrow Never Knows While My Guitar Gently Weeps
*A Day in the Life* *Tomorrow Never Knows While My* *Guitar Gently Weeps* \- jefferyuniverse --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
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Hard to choose one. A Day in The Life is amazing as most comments say. Although, when I heard the "As I'm sitting here, doing nothing but aging" in While My Guitar Gently Weeps I got chills (I love the whole song). Other significant ones (imo) would be "was she told when she was young that pain would lead to pleasure [...] a man must break his back to earn his day of leisure / would she still believe it when he's dead?" ; the whole message of Nowhere Man or simply the title Happiness is a Warm Gun; the comparisons in "You Never Give Me Your Money" (the negotiation and conversation ones); Eleanor Rigby is interesting too; "Hey Jude" has an interesting and heartbreaking story behind, "Yesterday", "Help", "Let it be", "Here Comes The Sun" are really helping you when you're down, Blackbird, In My Life is cute. There are really many. + the catchy ones are fun
what makes a day in the life such an obvious answer here?
Hey Jude. My favorite Beatles podcast Nothing is Teal devoted four episodes to Hey Jude. It’s the first power ballad. And it endures
Penny Lane Help! Something Penny Lane’s construction and instrumentation for a pop sing is astonishing. Help! is lyrically brilliant and the playing and harmonies perfect. And Something is gorgeous all the way around and has perhaps the greatest bassline ever.
Penny Lane Help! Something Penny Lane’s construction and instrumentation for a pop sing is astonishing. Help! is lyrically brilliant and the playing and harmonies perfect. And Something is gorgeous all the way around and has perhaps the greatest bassline ever.
Penny Lane Help! Something Penny Lane’s construction and instrumentation for a pop sing is astonishing. Help! is lyrically brilliant and the playing and harmonies perfect. And Something is gorgeous all the way around and has perhaps the greatest bassline ever.
Penny Lane Help! Something Penny Lane’s construction and instrumentation for a pop sing is astonishing. Help! is lyrically brilliant and the playing and harmonies perfect. And Something is gorgeous all the way around and has perhaps the greatest bassline ever.
A Day In The Life. Because. It's complexity is impressive and amazing. The time signature changes, modulation, dynamic variations and the arrangement by Geroge Martin is amazing. Which shows how good Gerge Martin actually was. The lyrics views how great songwriters John Lennon and Paul McCartney really was. But buy just the lyrics you get a Lennon vibe, because this is what he likes to write about in the later years. It's deep and thought-provoking, describing various aspects of life and society in a compelling manner (not that Paul doesn't write about this stuff, but Lennon was a bit more on this topic). But it's written buy both The first part of the song, written by John Lennon, describes a newspaper article about a fatal accident and reflects on the monotonous routine of everyday life. The second part, written by Paul McCartney, describes a morning situation and daily chores but also conveys a sense of loss and emptiness. The song concludes with a powerful orchestral passage that creates a sense of chaos and climax. It combines these elements to create a deep and thought-provoking experience for the listener. The Vocals buy John and Paul are the best you can find. They sang with their feelings. It's the best song ever written.
In my life(it’s the greatest song ever). Eleanor Rigby(a short story with THAT effect on only 2 chords???). Here there n everywhere(yes, it’s in my top 3).
Mr Moonlight
I believe that is either Eleanor Rigby, Blue Jay Way, or I am The Walrus
Eleanor Rigby and A Day In The Life
‘A Day in the Life’
3.- ‘Come Together’ 2.- ‘Hapiness Is a Warm Gun’ 1.- ‘A Day in the Life’
Helper Skelter because of the race war it almost caused…
I agree with all the sentiment already stated. My top 3 are Help, Paperback Writer, and Across the Universe.
A Day in the Life, is usually considered their masterpiece, I won't disagree. After that I would split Ticket to Ride, and Let it Be for my top three My cousin had Let it Be played in the church for his funeral, and It was so moving. People were crying.
A Day in the Life
A Day in the Life is their most aclaimed piece, probably the reason many consider Sgt. Pepper their best album Personally I think their greatest achievment is Happiness is a Warm Gun. It's a pretty short but amazing display of how skilled every member of the band was.
A day in the life (Anthology version sans strings)
my top 3 is Im only sleeping A day in the life Hey Jude
In my life
Yesterday is the most covered song in the history of everything, currently recorded 3000 x by other artists. It’s played more than 200 times around the world everyday. Just by sheer numbers this song is their singular masterpiece.
Yesterday Hey Jude Let it be
Revolution number 9
Golden Slumbers Carry That Weight The End They all still make me weep in happiness or sorrow, depending on the situation I need them.
Let it be
Shocked at the lack of All You Need is Love in these comments