Right, I mean they can accommodate their German fans, but not Paul's dad? Maybe they should have done it in the same song. The Germans might prefer the more formal version.
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2022 FBG, 172 to 1 Beatles Countdown 1-25 lists... And 173 to 1 Countdown from 1-64 lists! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Zegras11
- Start date
Right, I mean they can accommodate their German fans, but not Paul's dad? Maybe they should have done it in the same song. The Germans might prefer the more formal version.
krista4
Footballguy
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
Zegras11
Footballguy
Revolution
2022 Ranking: 36
2022 Lists: 16
2022 Points: 211
Ranked Highest by: @jamny (1) Doug (3) Son2 (3) @lardonastick (8) @Dwayne Hoover (8) @ConstruxBoy (8) @DaVinci (10) @rockaction (10) @prosopis (13)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 39/11/100
Getz: Strong showing for this rocker. Lot of bottom chalkers on this one.
Krista4
My 2019 ranking: 34
2019 write-up:
Revolution (single, 1968)
At this point I could randomly choose anything from 13-34 and be happy with it making my top 25, so please consider all of the songs I list from 1-34 as being in my top 25, just as I consider all of my 1-12 to be in my top 10. Getzlaf will be by to explain the math there.
As discussed above, this was the b-side to "Hey Jude," much to John's dismay. He lobbied hard first for Revolution 1 to be the next single, but was vetoed by Paul and George Martin, who told him it was too slow. Convinced that this could be a single, he reworked the song into this faster, more biting version, but unfortunately for him, before they were done Paul brought in "Hey Jude," which everyone agreed would be more commercially appealing. It appears, since this is at #34 and "Hey Jude" hasn't yet been ranked, that I consider this the greatest single of all time, surpassing Strawberry Fields/Penny Lame and We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper. Hmph.
As touched on above, John wanted to try a song that commented upon the Vietnam War and other concepts of revolution. He'd been restrained by Brian Epstein from doing so, but after Epstein's death he felt free to share more of his political thoughts with the world. As mentioned above, while on "Revolution 1" John expressed ambivalence with "Count me out...in," by the time of the single version he clearly indicated in the lyrics that he should be counted out: "Count me out if it's for violence. Don't expect me on the barricades unless it's with flowers. ... I want to see the plan. Waving Chairman Mao badges or being a Marxist or a thisist or a thatist is going to get you shot, locked up. If that's what you want, you subconsciously want to be a martyr. As for as overthrowing something in the name of Marxism or Christianity, I want to know what you're going to do after you've knocked it all down. If you want to change the system, change the system. It's no good shooting people." So while the song is entitled "Revolution," it's actually an anti-revolution song - or at least a critique of the actions of revolution thought perhaps not the ideas - and it was met with scorn and severe attacks from some on the Left.*
I don't really have to say what I love about this song, right? It's obvious to everyone? Fuzzy guitars!!! Filthy, filthy, filthy. But so unheard of at the time that many record buyers tried to exchange their singles because they thought the "Revolution" side was damaged. John hammered Geoff Emerick on this notion of wanting the guitar to be biting and dirty. During the sessions for the White Album, John wanted everything to be louder and louder, winding his guitar amp to its loudest position and becoming angry when anyone told him that at some point the volume caused the sound to become a mess. In response to John's demand to make his guitar dirtier on this song, Emerick overloaded two preamps for the two guitars and patched them together into each other, then moved the knobs ever-so-gently as they played to try to find the maximum overload the sound board could take without bursting into flames. The entire song has that feel, of being on the precipice of burning up, from John's shriek at the beginning continuing through to the crescendo of "All right"s at the end and finally Ringo's amped-up snare fill over the searing guitars fading in and out...a listener must have found himself exhausted upon first hearing this song. It was the heaviest song the Beatles had recorded to this point, perhaps only to be outdone by "Helter Skelter" a few months later.
Mr. krista: "I love that absolutely filthy guitar sound. All the instruments are completely distorted, just totally blowed. His voice is that muffled, singing through a megaphone type thing. Another ironic song called Revolution but the lyrics are endorsing the status quo. I think charitably you could say he’s advocating more nuanced thinking. But you don’t have to go revolution, do you? I think he took some #### from the left for that."
Suggested cover: See above.
*Some more Lennon quotes I found interesting regarding the meaning of this song, left here just so as not to muck up the whole write-up above with quotes. Keep in mind, though, that all of these quotes are well after the recording, and Paul has indicated that he thinks John ascribed more meaning to the lyrics later than he actually had at the time:
"What I said in 'Revolution' is 'change your head.' These people that are trying to change the world can't even get it all together. They're attacking and biting each others' faces, and all the time they're all pushing the same way. And if they keep going on like that it's going to kill it before it's even moved. It's silly to ##### about each other and be trivial. They've got to think in terms of at least the world or the universe, and stop thinking in terms of factories and one country. ... If they'd just realize the Establishment can't last forever. The only reason it has lasted forever is that the only way people have ever tried to change it is by revolution. And the idea is just to move in on the scene, so they can take over the universities, do all the things that are practically feasible at the time. But not try and take over the state, or smash the state, or slow down the works. All they've got to do is get through and change it, because they will be it."
"These left-wing people talk about giving the power to the people. That's nonsense – the people have the power. All we're trying to do is make people aware that they have the power themselves, and the violent way of revolution doesn't justify the ends."
"If you want peace, you won't get it with violence. Please tell me one militant revolution that worked. Sure, a few of them took over, but what happened? Status quo. And if they smash it down, who do they think is going to build it up again? And then when they've built it up again, who do they think is going to run it? And how are they going to run it? They don't look further than their noses."
2022 Supplement: “Revolution” was the first song the band worked on for the White Album, and as discussed above, John wanted a shower version for the single release but was overruled. As a result, the song ended up in three versions, with the notorious “Revolution 9” arising out of ideas from the six minutes of the original “Revolution” recording that were spliced off the end. Despite John’s slower pace in “Revolution 1,” his original Esher demo was at a tempo much closer to that of the eventual single version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKh6XiFF1J8 Unlike the final single version, in the absence of the huge fuzzy guitar sound this sounds like an upbeat hippie singalong. To me it’s one of the most pleasing and fully formed demos in the Esher series.
Guido Merkins
John had a song called Revolution for the White Album and he wanted to release it as a statement on how the Beatles felt about revolution. The other Beatles liked the song, but they thought that if they sped it up, it would be single material. John didn’t like that, but he complied and so the version on the White Album became Revolution 1 and the single version became Revolution.
There are several differences. First, the single version was sped up. Second, the single version had an absolute wall of really distorted guitars. Third, on Revolution John was definitely out on destruction, whereas on Revolution 1, he couldn’t make up his mind whether he was out or in.
Revolution is musically an extremely heavy record and Lennon snarls the lyrics which gives it a bite that the slower version doesn’t have. So, I disagree with John’s opinion as the sound of the record gives his opinion more forcefully. The dirty guitar sound was achieved by direct injection of the guitars directly into the recording console. EMI management would not have been happy if they had known the abuse Geoff Emerick was inflicting on the equipment, but that sound makes it totally worth it.
The message of Revolution was not well accepted by the counterculture at the time who most definitely wanted violent revolution to achieve their goals. Lennon’s pacifist message was out of step with the times, for sure.
If you go to youtube and watch the promotional video for Revolution, my favorite part is right at the beginning when John starts to sing. George looks right at Paul and says “John’s mic is ####!!!” I laugh every time I see it!!!!!!
2022 Ranking: 36
2022 Lists: 16
2022 Points: 211
Ranked Highest by: @jamny (1) Doug (3) Son2 (3) @lardonastick (8) @Dwayne Hoover (8) @ConstruxBoy (8) @DaVinci (10) @rockaction (10) @prosopis (13)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 39/11/100
Getz: Strong showing for this rocker. Lot of bottom chalkers on this one.
Krista4
My 2019 ranking: 34
2019 write-up:
Revolution (single, 1968)
At this point I could randomly choose anything from 13-34 and be happy with it making my top 25, so please consider all of the songs I list from 1-34 as being in my top 25, just as I consider all of my 1-12 to be in my top 10. Getzlaf will be by to explain the math there.
As discussed above, this was the b-side to "Hey Jude," much to John's dismay. He lobbied hard first for Revolution 1 to be the next single, but was vetoed by Paul and George Martin, who told him it was too slow. Convinced that this could be a single, he reworked the song into this faster, more biting version, but unfortunately for him, before they were done Paul brought in "Hey Jude," which everyone agreed would be more commercially appealing. It appears, since this is at #34 and "Hey Jude" hasn't yet been ranked, that I consider this the greatest single of all time, surpassing Strawberry Fields/Penny Lame and We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper. Hmph.
As touched on above, John wanted to try a song that commented upon the Vietnam War and other concepts of revolution. He'd been restrained by Brian Epstein from doing so, but after Epstein's death he felt free to share more of his political thoughts with the world. As mentioned above, while on "Revolution 1" John expressed ambivalence with "Count me out...in," by the time of the single version he clearly indicated in the lyrics that he should be counted out: "Count me out if it's for violence. Don't expect me on the barricades unless it's with flowers. ... I want to see the plan. Waving Chairman Mao badges or being a Marxist or a thisist or a thatist is going to get you shot, locked up. If that's what you want, you subconsciously want to be a martyr. As for as overthrowing something in the name of Marxism or Christianity, I want to know what you're going to do after you've knocked it all down. If you want to change the system, change the system. It's no good shooting people." So while the song is entitled "Revolution," it's actually an anti-revolution song - or at least a critique of the actions of revolution thought perhaps not the ideas - and it was met with scorn and severe attacks from some on the Left.*
I don't really have to say what I love about this song, right? It's obvious to everyone? Fuzzy guitars!!! Filthy, filthy, filthy. But so unheard of at the time that many record buyers tried to exchange their singles because they thought the "Revolution" side was damaged. John hammered Geoff Emerick on this notion of wanting the guitar to be biting and dirty. During the sessions for the White Album, John wanted everything to be louder and louder, winding his guitar amp to its loudest position and becoming angry when anyone told him that at some point the volume caused the sound to become a mess. In response to John's demand to make his guitar dirtier on this song, Emerick overloaded two preamps for the two guitars and patched them together into each other, then moved the knobs ever-so-gently as they played to try to find the maximum overload the sound board could take without bursting into flames. The entire song has that feel, of being on the precipice of burning up, from John's shriek at the beginning continuing through to the crescendo of "All right"s at the end and finally Ringo's amped-up snare fill over the searing guitars fading in and out...a listener must have found himself exhausted upon first hearing this song. It was the heaviest song the Beatles had recorded to this point, perhaps only to be outdone by "Helter Skelter" a few months later.
Mr. krista: "I love that absolutely filthy guitar sound. All the instruments are completely distorted, just totally blowed. His voice is that muffled, singing through a megaphone type thing. Another ironic song called Revolution but the lyrics are endorsing the status quo. I think charitably you could say he’s advocating more nuanced thinking. But you don’t have to go revolution, do you? I think he took some #### from the left for that."
Suggested cover: See above.
*Some more Lennon quotes I found interesting regarding the meaning of this song, left here just so as not to muck up the whole write-up above with quotes. Keep in mind, though, that all of these quotes are well after the recording, and Paul has indicated that he thinks John ascribed more meaning to the lyrics later than he actually had at the time:
"What I said in 'Revolution' is 'change your head.' These people that are trying to change the world can't even get it all together. They're attacking and biting each others' faces, and all the time they're all pushing the same way. And if they keep going on like that it's going to kill it before it's even moved. It's silly to ##### about each other and be trivial. They've got to think in terms of at least the world or the universe, and stop thinking in terms of factories and one country. ... If they'd just realize the Establishment can't last forever. The only reason it has lasted forever is that the only way people have ever tried to change it is by revolution. And the idea is just to move in on the scene, so they can take over the universities, do all the things that are practically feasible at the time. But not try and take over the state, or smash the state, or slow down the works. All they've got to do is get through and change it, because they will be it."
"These left-wing people talk about giving the power to the people. That's nonsense – the people have the power. All we're trying to do is make people aware that they have the power themselves, and the violent way of revolution doesn't justify the ends."
"If you want peace, you won't get it with violence. Please tell me one militant revolution that worked. Sure, a few of them took over, but what happened? Status quo. And if they smash it down, who do they think is going to build it up again? And then when they've built it up again, who do they think is going to run it? And how are they going to run it? They don't look further than their noses."
2022 Supplement: “Revolution” was the first song the band worked on for the White Album, and as discussed above, John wanted a shower version for the single release but was overruled. As a result, the song ended up in three versions, with the notorious “Revolution 9” arising out of ideas from the six minutes of the original “Revolution” recording that were spliced off the end. Despite John’s slower pace in “Revolution 1,” his original Esher demo was at a tempo much closer to that of the eventual single version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKh6XiFF1J8 Unlike the final single version, in the absence of the huge fuzzy guitar sound this sounds like an upbeat hippie singalong. To me it’s one of the most pleasing and fully formed demos in the Esher series.
Guido Merkins
John had a song called Revolution for the White Album and he wanted to release it as a statement on how the Beatles felt about revolution. The other Beatles liked the song, but they thought that if they sped it up, it would be single material. John didn’t like that, but he complied and so the version on the White Album became Revolution 1 and the single version became Revolution.
There are several differences. First, the single version was sped up. Second, the single version had an absolute wall of really distorted guitars. Third, on Revolution John was definitely out on destruction, whereas on Revolution 1, he couldn’t make up his mind whether he was out or in.
Revolution is musically an extremely heavy record and Lennon snarls the lyrics which gives it a bite that the slower version doesn’t have. So, I disagree with John’s opinion as the sound of the record gives his opinion more forcefully. The dirty guitar sound was achieved by direct injection of the guitars directly into the recording console. EMI management would not have been happy if they had known the abuse Geoff Emerick was inflicting on the equipment, but that sound makes it totally worth it.
The message of Revolution was not well accepted by the counterculture at the time who most definitely wanted violent revolution to achieve their goals. Lennon’s pacifist message was out of step with the times, for sure.
If you go to youtube and watch the promotional video for Revolution, my favorite part is right at the beginning when John starts to sing. George looks right at Paul and says “John’s mic is ####!!!” I laugh every time I see it!!!!!!
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
@Getzlaf15
Just to clarify, this is the single Revolution.
The slowed down album version, Revolution 1, received zero votes in 2022 (and only 1 in 2019.) That makes 5 songs from three years ago which received no votes.
All correct, right?
Just to clarify, this is the single Revolution.
The slowed down album version, Revolution 1, received zero votes in 2022 (and only 1 in 2019.) That makes 5 songs from three years ago which received no votes.
All correct, right?
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
Zegras11
Footballguy
yep...
2 votes for 9.
15 votes for Revolution
1 vote for Revolution8. (but is was his 8th choice. LOL)
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Back in the USSR -- The lyrics are fun and the music kicks ###. Great album opener and a good way to signal that this record was going to have a LOT more "edge" than Pepper. I also love the segue into Dear Prudence.
Happiness Is a Warm Gun -- I may go back-and-forth on how I feel about this more than any other Beatles song. Some days I think it's brilliant, other days it's too much. The guitar on the "I need a fix" passage connotes nausea to me -- which is probably exactly what was intended, but it's not always easy for me to listen to.
If there weren't the universal joint Lennon-McCartney writing credits, John could have had it credited this way to get a bigger share of the songwriting royalties:
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
A. Dirty Old Man
B. The Junkie
C. The Gunman
She Loves You -- So much energy and excitement. Totally understandable that this whipped people into a frenzy. I had this in my first draft of top 15 guesses, good thing I swapped it out.
Things We Said Today -- Another Paul song where it sounds like it just comes so easily to him. Great melody.
Happiness Is a Warm Gun -- I may go back-and-forth on how I feel about this more than any other Beatles song. Some days I think it's brilliant, other days it's too much. The guitar on the "I need a fix" passage connotes nausea to me -- which is probably exactly what was intended, but it's not always easy for me to listen to.
If there weren't the universal joint Lennon-McCartney writing credits, John could have had it credited this way to get a bigger share of the songwriting royalties:
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
A. Dirty Old Man
B. The Junkie
C. The Gunman
She Loves You -- So much energy and excitement. Totally understandable that this whipped people into a frenzy. I had this in my first draft of top 15 guesses, good thing I swapped it out.
Things We Said Today -- Another Paul song where it sounds like it just comes so easily to him. Great melody.
Zegras11
Footballguy
don't feel bad. Four others had Revolution also. We wound up with 13 entries.My prognosticator skills have let me down. Already lost 2 of my top 15 poll.
Binky The Doormat
Footballguy
Then they got better
just saw this ...
it's possible to like Motown AND prog.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
My rank: 36
The musical version of a growl -- especially interesting because the lyrics are against violence. The distortion and the screaming are pushed to a level pretty much unheard of for a major-label release in 1968; John would channel these impulses from the political to the personal 2 years later. I still fist-pump to this today, though I do go through periods of being tired of it because it's so ubiquitous.
Confession: I don't hate the performance of this at Live Aid by The Thompson Twins.
krista4
Footballguy
Not an exciting day in Beatles history, so I'll do a little trivia...
On today's date in 1964, the band simultaneously held the top three slots on the Billboard Hot 100 with "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," and "Please Please Me." They would later end up with the top five at the same time, adding "Can't Buy Me Love" and "Twist and Shout" to those three.
Without looking it up (we all have the internet, guys), can you name the next artist to hold the top three on the Billboard charts at the same time? Bonus points for the year and the songs.
(I would not have gotten this, by the way.)
On today's date in 1964, the band simultaneously held the top three slots on the Billboard Hot 100 with "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," and "Please Please Me." They would later end up with the top five at the same time, adding "Can't Buy Me Love" and "Twist and Shout" to those three.
Without looking it up (we all have the internet, guys), can you name the next artist to hold the top three on the Billboard charts at the same time? Bonus points for the year and the songs.
(I would not have gotten this, by the way.)
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Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Zegras11
Footballguy
Zegras11
Footballguy
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Then I learned the Hollies attempted disco in 1977 (Nash was long gone): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Vknd6OSVU
fatguyinalittlecoat
Footballguy
For some reason I think the answer to the trivia question is Drake from a few years ago. I know he matched some Beatles record not sure if this is the one.
fatguyinalittlecoat
Footballguy
Just looked it up, this was wrong. I think I was thinking of one of these records:
Most Top 10 songs in a year
Most top 10 singles to chart in the U.S.
Don’t think I could have gotten the right answer.
heckmanm
Footballguy
Same - although neither in my own top 25. I just thought others liked them more than I do.My prognosticator skills have let me down. Already lost 2 of my top 15 poll.
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Without looking it up, my guess is Michael Jackson during the Thriller era. I'll take a stab that the three songs were Beat It, Thriller and, Billie Jean. Now I will look it up.
Edit to add: Yuck.
Last edited by a moderator:
Neal Cassady
Footballguy
Bee Gees? Probably not right, as you say “I would not have gotten this”. I seem to remember you LOVE The Bee Gees (guilty pleasure), so it’s likely someone obscure.
Guido Merkins
Footballguy
fatguyinalittlecoat
Footballguy
So far nobody has the answer right. I’ll leave it up to krista if she wants to provide clues.
Zegras11
Footballguy
Helter Skelter
2022 Ranking: 35
2022 Lists: 20
2022 Points: 211
Ranked Highest by: @otb_lifer (3) @wikkidpissah (3) @jamny (5) @ConstruxBoy (10) @Oliver Humanzee (12) @Pip's Invitation (12) @Alex P Keaton (14)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 47/11/80
Getz: First song to get 20 votes.Top song in this tier that never cracked the Top 25 while counting the votes. Meaning the final 34 all appeared in the Top 25 while processing the votes. Just like all of us had to deal with. LOL. Nice bump up from 2019, 12 slots higher with nine more votes and 131 more points. I had this at #21, after not ranking it in 2019. Fab 3 all had this one. Everyone has had five songs listed now. Also the last song to not get five Top 10 votes.
Krista4
My 2019 ranking: 25
2019 write-up:
Helter Skelter (White Album, 1968)
@wikkidpissah, do you want to comment on this one, since (1) it's in your top three, and (2) you're a better writer than the rest of us combined? If not (and probably also if so), I'll come back in and do a write-up later.
Mr. krista: "Everything about it is great. Everybody calls it proto-heavy-hetal, but there were heavy bands already playing (Blue Cheer, etc.), but there are whole bands that wouldn’t exist without that. Hüsker Dü owes a huge debt to how terrifyingly noisy that was. There are thousands of noisy, heavy bands that can just point their origin story to that song. I think Paul McCartney tried to out-Who the Who, and it turns out they were better than that. And they were ####ed up as a band, so it’s a chaotic recording. It’s just a ####### mint jam from a mint band."
Suggested cover: This seems like a bad idea.
Wikkid’s 2019 post: To be honest, this is my favorite Beatle song. For all you headbangers who know how glorious it is when music hits that spot where rage turns into triumph, imagine the first time that spot was ever hit by music and you have Helter Skelter. The fact that every scintilla of noise in this thing is as musical and and tactile and sensible to me as Chopin makes it indeed a triumph. I also actually knew the Helter Skelter "ride" in Blackpool from my Irish summers and the first stanza...
When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide
Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again
....of the song actually meant something to me, because i know the buzz of cheap joy, as well as the smells of rancid chip grease and holiday coach buttsweat, that came with a hazy, July day on a Lancashire boardwalk. nufced.
2022 Supplement: I hesitate to go after wikkid. It’s like I’m 1963 Helen Shapiro with the Beatles as my opener. This song continues to be in my top 25, even moving up several notches this year to #20. Something I learned from doing my solo Beatles thread was to appreciate Paul as one of the greatest rock-and-roll voices in history. Not “Yesterday” or “Blackbird” Paul with the pure voice and ridiculous range, but shout-y, scream-y, but-still-staying-melodic Paul. I hope wikkid can come in and give some more thoughts on this aspect of the song. I’ll hold off on further thoughts on this song until he’s had his chance.
Guido Merkins
In an interview, Pete Townsend talked about making “the loudest, dirtiest rock and roll record ever” (I Can See for Miles.) Paul heard that and wanted to make one of those, so what he came up with was Helter Skelter on the White Album.
Helter Skelter’s lyrics use the image of a “helter skelter” which is a fairground slide winding around a tower. Helter skelter can also refer to chaos.
The main attraction in Helter Skelter is the volume and loudness of the guitars, bass, drums and vocal. Paul’s vocal is from some other planet. Take Little Richard and turn it up to 100, and you get Paul screaming his head off from the bowels of hell. The guitars are fuzzed and overloaded and totally distorted. Ringo is absolutely destroying his drum kit. The thing sounds like it’s gonna fall apart at any minute. Some people have called this proto metal, but it sounds more to me like proto grunge or thrash. Whatever you call it, the track is just stunning and shocking in it’s intensity. On the stereo version, it fades out, then fades back in with Ringo exclaiming “I got blisters on my fingers.”
One of the holy grail moments in the Beatles career is a 27 minute version of Helter Skelter that was totally out of control and chaotic. George running around the room with a lit ashtray over his head. George Martin apparently wasn’t in the studio that night so the inmates were running the asylum.
Unfortunately, some people took the chaos a little too seriously as Charles Manson and his followers believed the Beatles were telling us about a race war that was coming, sending them coded messages and justifying all the horrendous things they did. A truly innovative and and memorable track got saddled with that tragedy and that is sad.
2022 Ranking: 35
2022 Lists: 20
2022 Points: 211
Ranked Highest by: @otb_lifer (3) @wikkidpissah (3) @jamny (5) @ConstruxBoy (10) @Oliver Humanzee (12) @Pip's Invitation (12) @Alex P Keaton (14)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 47/11/80
Getz: First song to get 20 votes.Top song in this tier that never cracked the Top 25 while counting the votes. Meaning the final 34 all appeared in the Top 25 while processing the votes. Just like all of us had to deal with. LOL. Nice bump up from 2019, 12 slots higher with nine more votes and 131 more points. I had this at #21, after not ranking it in 2019. Fab 3 all had this one. Everyone has had five songs listed now. Also the last song to not get five Top 10 votes.
Krista4
My 2019 ranking: 25
2019 write-up:
Helter Skelter (White Album, 1968)
@wikkidpissah, do you want to comment on this one, since (1) it's in your top three, and (2) you're a better writer than the rest of us combined? If not (and probably also if so), I'll come back in and do a write-up later.
Mr. krista: "Everything about it is great. Everybody calls it proto-heavy-hetal, but there were heavy bands already playing (Blue Cheer, etc.), but there are whole bands that wouldn’t exist without that. Hüsker Dü owes a huge debt to how terrifyingly noisy that was. There are thousands of noisy, heavy bands that can just point their origin story to that song. I think Paul McCartney tried to out-Who the Who, and it turns out they were better than that. And they were ####ed up as a band, so it’s a chaotic recording. It’s just a ####### mint jam from a mint band."
Suggested cover: This seems like a bad idea.
Wikkid’s 2019 post: To be honest, this is my favorite Beatle song. For all you headbangers who know how glorious it is when music hits that spot where rage turns into triumph, imagine the first time that spot was ever hit by music and you have Helter Skelter. The fact that every scintilla of noise in this thing is as musical and and tactile and sensible to me as Chopin makes it indeed a triumph. I also actually knew the Helter Skelter "ride" in Blackpool from my Irish summers and the first stanza...
When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide
Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again
....of the song actually meant something to me, because i know the buzz of cheap joy, as well as the smells of rancid chip grease and holiday coach buttsweat, that came with a hazy, July day on a Lancashire boardwalk. nufced.
2022 Supplement: I hesitate to go after wikkid. It’s like I’m 1963 Helen Shapiro with the Beatles as my opener. This song continues to be in my top 25, even moving up several notches this year to #20. Something I learned from doing my solo Beatles thread was to appreciate Paul as one of the greatest rock-and-roll voices in history. Not “Yesterday” or “Blackbird” Paul with the pure voice and ridiculous range, but shout-y, scream-y, but-still-staying-melodic Paul. I hope wikkid can come in and give some more thoughts on this aspect of the song. I’ll hold off on further thoughts on this song until he’s had his chance.
Guido Merkins
In an interview, Pete Townsend talked about making “the loudest, dirtiest rock and roll record ever” (I Can See for Miles.) Paul heard that and wanted to make one of those, so what he came up with was Helter Skelter on the White Album.
Helter Skelter’s lyrics use the image of a “helter skelter” which is a fairground slide winding around a tower. Helter skelter can also refer to chaos.
The main attraction in Helter Skelter is the volume and loudness of the guitars, bass, drums and vocal. Paul’s vocal is from some other planet. Take Little Richard and turn it up to 100, and you get Paul screaming his head off from the bowels of hell. The guitars are fuzzed and overloaded and totally distorted. Ringo is absolutely destroying his drum kit. The thing sounds like it’s gonna fall apart at any minute. Some people have called this proto metal, but it sounds more to me like proto grunge or thrash. Whatever you call it, the track is just stunning and shocking in it’s intensity. On the stereo version, it fades out, then fades back in with Ringo exclaiming “I got blisters on my fingers.”
One of the holy grail moments in the Beatles career is a 27 minute version of Helter Skelter that was totally out of control and chaotic. George running around the room with a lit ashtray over his head. George Martin apparently wasn’t in the studio that night so the inmates were running the asylum.
Unfortunately, some people took the chaos a little too seriously as Charles Manson and his followers believed the Beatles were telling us about a race war that was coming, sending them coded messages and justifying all the horrendous things they did. A truly innovative and and memorable track got saddled with that tragedy and that is sad.
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krista4
Footballguy
Zegras11
Footballguy
krista4
Footballguy
Here's the current overall song breakdown as of right now.
22/30 White Album
20/29 Singles
12/13 Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
11/13 A Hard Day's Night
11/14 Beatles for Sale
11/14 Rubber Soul
9/14 With The Beatles
8/14 Please Please Me
8/14 Revolver
7/14 Help!
7/11 Magical Mystery Tour
5/10 Abbey Road
5/12 Let It Be
2/4 Yellow Submarine
version 2.0 now includes total songs on each "album"
22/30 White Album
20/29 Singles
12/13 Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
11/13 A Hard Day's Night
11/14 Beatles for Sale
11/14 Rubber Soul
9/14 With The Beatles
8/14 Please Please Me
8/14 Revolver
7/14 Help!
7/11 Magical Mystery Tour
5/10 Abbey Road
5/12 Let It Be
2/4 Yellow Submarine
version 2.0 now includes total songs on each "album"
krista4
Footballguy
krista4
Footballguy
I remember him getting the tattoo of himself waving at them while crossing Abbey Road.
I was going to say Madonna but can't recall 3 songs off of True Blue /Like a Virgin and don't want to cheat to look them up .
krista4
Footballguy
Good guess as well, but no.
New hint: after the Beatles accomplished this, no one else did until 2019.
zamboni
Footballguy
Pink?Good guess as well, but no.
New hint: after the Beatles accomplished this, no one else did until 2019.
otb_lifer
Footballguy
legit BEHEMOTH, and prolly my most listened to song ever - only 2 tunes worthy of placement above this, but i can be convinced it's a 3 way tie, because it really/kindasorta is.
I LOVE BUTCH MACCA! LOVE.
what else can be said, it's a legendary piece of work from the most legendary band - can't add much more than that, it speaks for itself.
as far as covers ... Siouxsie did a few Beatles covers, with this one being on the Banshees debut album, "The Scream" - (post punk masterpiece, that).
they were not bothered to do a note by note rehash, opting instead for deconstructing it, and i really dig how they did:
STUDIO
LIVE
krista4
Footballguy
Also an excellent stab at it, but incorrect.
I’ll put everyone, particularly me, out of their misery and stop mucking up the thread: Ariana Grande.
krista4
Footballguy
I couldn’t name one, and I just read the titles yesterday!I couldn't name 3 of her songs.#getoffmylawn
krista4
Footballguy
Song total for the top 100 by album as of this moment
10 White Album
9 Singles
8 A Hard Day's Night
6 Rubber Soul
6 Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
5 Revolver
4 Beatles for Sale
4 Let It Be
4 Please Please Me
3 Abbey Road
3 Magical Mystery Tour
2 Help!
2 With The Beatles
10 White Album
9 Singles
8 A Hard Day's Night
6 Rubber Soul
6 Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
5 Revolver
4 Beatles for Sale
4 Let It Be
4 Please Please Me
3 Abbey Road
3 Magical Mystery Tour
2 Help!
2 With The Beatles
heckmanm
Footballguy
I had it #28, but honestly should probably have had it higher. I think I was feeling a little more "psychedelic" when I was doing the final rankings, but on a day when I'm in more of a "rocker" mood, this would be easily in the top 25.
In terms of songs where I'll crank the volume, and play air guitar like an idiot, it's likely top 5.
simey
Footballguy
I didn't rank this song in my top 25, but I do love it, and it would be in my next set had I ranked more than 25 favorites. The song is in my U2 rankings. I love their cover of the song.
fatguyinalittlecoat
Footballguy
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
i'm a melody guy. somewhere in my files is a long, psychological profile of the melodic brain v. the rhythmic brain and, surprisesurprise, the former comes out a lot better. but it was all in service of making a point, knowing the integrated brain is the faraway winner. and no musical brain of which i'm aware is better integrated than Sir Paul's. it seeks to grind & growl when it's wooing & cooing and vice versa. and it's just one of the reasons why i've come away from Get Back and this list redux with the genuine feeling that my favorite Beatles song is always gonna be whatever one is playing. they are all bright, singy, real with so many elements to each that they ring in all kinds of heads. remarkable.
and another point in support and appreciation of our compilers here. much has been made by all of them - and by what we've seen now of the Fab Four's process - about how accidental the lyrics often are. this is as it should be - i can sing along with almost any song i've ever heard and get most of it right, but i could barely recite a stanza of lyric. i know it's a function of song but, except in recitatives of musicals, it's not the function of song. the function of song is capturing moments of celebration, even of the lowest emotions. a lyric can break my heart but what makes my heart is when the melody, rhythm & sentiment calls me to shout along, a word here, a hook there.
and the syncopations of all of it are what these guys do like no other. whether it's John's bitter nonsense, George's wandering wonderings or Paul's episodes & entendres (or Ringo's showcases, yeah?), it's immediacy on parade and it calls me out every time.
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krista4
Footballguy
Aha! There's one.
For anyone really curious, I looked it up again, and the other two were "7 Rings" (at #1) and "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" (#2). I like that latter title.
fatguyinalittlecoat
Footballguy
It’s tough to be the contrarian against krista and wikkid, but in my view Helter Skelter is ridiculously overrated.
I’ve never bought the “Helter Skelter created hard rock” narrative. I mean, Led Zeppelin I came out less than two months later and is louder, more aggressive, and just way way better in my judgment.
I’ve never bought the “Helter Skelter created hard rock” narrative. I mean, Led Zeppelin I came out less than two months later and is louder, more aggressive, and just way way better in my judgment.
Zegras11
Footballguy
Dear Prudence
2022 Ranking: 34
2022 Lists: 20
2022 Points: 226
Ranked Highest by: Alex(4) @shuke (4) @Westerberg(5) @ProstheticRGK (6) @Pip's Invitation (8) @MAC_32 (9) @prosopis (10) @FairWarning (11) @turnjose7 (15)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 26/10/149
Getz comments: 15 more points than #35, so we enter a new tier that contains the next five songs separated by 12 points. Slides down eight slots from 2019.
Krista4
My 2019 ranking: 18
2019 write-up:
Dear Prudence (White Album, 1968)
The award for Biggest Jump in the Rankings goes to "Dear Prudence." This is a song that I used to turn off when it came on; I was convinced that I couldn't stand it. Would have been in Tier 5 were it not for forcing myself to listen to it over and over, and now it lands in the top 20! WTG Prudence!
Prudence herself was Mia Farrow's crazy little sister, who was at the Maharishi's ashram at the same time as the lads in 1968. According to John, Prudence "seemed to go slightly barmy, meditating too long, and couldn't come out of the little hut that we were living in. They selected me and George to try and bring her out because she would trust us. ... She'd been locked in for three weeks and wouldn't come out, trying to reach God quicker than anybody else." Others described Prudence as being in a near-catatonic state, and the Maharishi provided her a full-time nurse. While the song didn't lure her out - she didn't hear it until the album was released - Prudence did finally emerge from her state and spend some time with John and George, who told her that the song had been written about her.
Ringo alert! This is my highest ranked song with no Ringo, having been recorded while he'd temporarily quit the band. That's Paul on drums, and, unlike on "Back in the U.S.S.R.," I think Paul acquits himself quite nicely here, especially on the fills and in the last verse when he goes nutso playing every pattern known to man. Paul also played, in addition to the usual bass, piano and flugelhorn. Because if you're Paul McCartney and see a flugelhorn lying around, naturally you can play it.
John puts the finger-picking style he learned at the ashram from Donovan to great use here; I love how the song begins and ends with that delicate circling guitar line over Paul's soft one-note bass and tambourine. Though it starts quietly and delicately, the song picks up incredible intensity, first by filling out the bass part and adding the drums in the first verse. Though the second verse tracks the same melody with a continuation of that meandering double-tracked guitar line and John's double-tracked vocals, it adds a delicious descending bass line, then gorgeous high falsetto harmonies, and then George's low guitar chords to continue the build. It's when Paul's descending bass starts providing those harmonies to John's guitar that this song gets exciting for me. From that second verse we head into the bridge, which features George adding a more prominent lead vocal part and our first non-John vocals, with swelling harmonies provided by, among others, Mal Evans and Jackie Lomax (recently signed to the Apple label). Rounding back out of the bridge, the intensity continues to build as George's guitar now distinctly winds around John's vocal, and Paul adds a series of slightly jarring downward arpeggios on piano; then handclaps and loud tambourines and double-tracked guitar and Paul's inexplicable drum solo and whirling high-pitched piano notes and gigantic glissando and things seem slightly out of control until...resolution. This song has what must be the most satisfying resolution of any in the Beatles catalogue - John extends out the vocal lines while each of the instruments first briefly falls into a standard pattern instead of the preceding madness, and then each fades away, bringing us back to the beginning and leaving us with just John's finger-picking guitar.
I find everything about this song mesmerizing.
Mr. krista: "I like it a lot. Surprisingly heavy. I didn’t think I liked it. Love the Indian guitar sound with slight distortion coupled with the finger-picked part. The drums sound kind of blowed out and heavy. You could put a song like that on a Flaming Lips record and it would not be at all out of place."
Suggested cover: If you're not going to be able to capture it, and you're not, might as well go really different: Siouxshie and the Banshees
2022 Supplement:
Dear Prudence,
You fell just shy of my top 25 in 2022 after a surprise appearance at #18 in 2019. It’s not you; it’s me. I still value your contributions, but other songs have really stepped up their game in the ensuing years, some even going so far as to have three-part documentaries made about them. Ultimately it’s that kind of initiative and determination that I’m looking for in a song. Hope to see you again in 2025.
Warmest regards,
k4
Guido Merkins
In Rishikesh, there was a young lady who would not come out of her hut because she was always meditating. Prudence Farrow, Mia Farrow’s sister, was that young lady and John would always try and make her come out. That experience caused him to write Dear Prudence wanting her to “come out and play.”
The joy of Back in the USSR fades into the dreamier Dear Prudence on the White Album. Love the lyrics like “the sun is up, the sky is blue, its beautiful and so are you” and “see the sunny skies” and “you’re a part of everything.”
John used the Donovan fingerpicking style for this song. Interestingly, Paul played drums on this song and Back in the USSR because Ringo left the group for 3 days. Paul does an outstanding job on Dear Prudence, especially near the end when we get the drum fills and George playing a counter melody on guitar.
John always claimed that he wrote the most miserable songs in the world in Rishikesh, and while Yer Blues and Sexy Sadie and Bungalow Bill are not happy songs, Dear Prudence has a childlike quality about it and is a happy song. It’s one of my favorites on the album.
2022 Ranking: 34
2022 Lists: 20
2022 Points: 226
Ranked Highest by: Alex(4) @shuke (4) @Westerberg(5) @ProstheticRGK (6) @Pip's Invitation (8) @MAC_32 (9) @prosopis (10) @FairWarning (11) @turnjose7 (15)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 26/10/149
Getz comments: 15 more points than #35, so we enter a new tier that contains the next five songs separated by 12 points. Slides down eight slots from 2019.
Krista4
My 2019 ranking: 18
2019 write-up:
Dear Prudence (White Album, 1968)
The award for Biggest Jump in the Rankings goes to "Dear Prudence." This is a song that I used to turn off when it came on; I was convinced that I couldn't stand it. Would have been in Tier 5 were it not for forcing myself to listen to it over and over, and now it lands in the top 20! WTG Prudence!
Prudence herself was Mia Farrow's crazy little sister, who was at the Maharishi's ashram at the same time as the lads in 1968. According to John, Prudence "seemed to go slightly barmy, meditating too long, and couldn't come out of the little hut that we were living in. They selected me and George to try and bring her out because she would trust us. ... She'd been locked in for three weeks and wouldn't come out, trying to reach God quicker than anybody else." Others described Prudence as being in a near-catatonic state, and the Maharishi provided her a full-time nurse. While the song didn't lure her out - she didn't hear it until the album was released - Prudence did finally emerge from her state and spend some time with John and George, who told her that the song had been written about her.
Ringo alert! This is my highest ranked song with no Ringo, having been recorded while he'd temporarily quit the band. That's Paul on drums, and, unlike on "Back in the U.S.S.R.," I think Paul acquits himself quite nicely here, especially on the fills and in the last verse when he goes nutso playing every pattern known to man. Paul also played, in addition to the usual bass, piano and flugelhorn. Because if you're Paul McCartney and see a flugelhorn lying around, naturally you can play it.
John puts the finger-picking style he learned at the ashram from Donovan to great use here; I love how the song begins and ends with that delicate circling guitar line over Paul's soft one-note bass and tambourine. Though it starts quietly and delicately, the song picks up incredible intensity, first by filling out the bass part and adding the drums in the first verse. Though the second verse tracks the same melody with a continuation of that meandering double-tracked guitar line and John's double-tracked vocals, it adds a delicious descending bass line, then gorgeous high falsetto harmonies, and then George's low guitar chords to continue the build. It's when Paul's descending bass starts providing those harmonies to John's guitar that this song gets exciting for me. From that second verse we head into the bridge, which features George adding a more prominent lead vocal part and our first non-John vocals, with swelling harmonies provided by, among others, Mal Evans and Jackie Lomax (recently signed to the Apple label). Rounding back out of the bridge, the intensity continues to build as George's guitar now distinctly winds around John's vocal, and Paul adds a series of slightly jarring downward arpeggios on piano; then handclaps and loud tambourines and double-tracked guitar and Paul's inexplicable drum solo and whirling high-pitched piano notes and gigantic glissando and things seem slightly out of control until...resolution. This song has what must be the most satisfying resolution of any in the Beatles catalogue - John extends out the vocal lines while each of the instruments first briefly falls into a standard pattern instead of the preceding madness, and then each fades away, bringing us back to the beginning and leaving us with just John's finger-picking guitar.
I find everything about this song mesmerizing.
Mr. krista: "I like it a lot. Surprisingly heavy. I didn’t think I liked it. Love the Indian guitar sound with slight distortion coupled with the finger-picked part. The drums sound kind of blowed out and heavy. You could put a song like that on a Flaming Lips record and it would not be at all out of place."
Suggested cover: If you're not going to be able to capture it, and you're not, might as well go really different: Siouxshie and the Banshees
2022 Supplement:
Dear Prudence,
You fell just shy of my top 25 in 2022 after a surprise appearance at #18 in 2019. It’s not you; it’s me. I still value your contributions, but other songs have really stepped up their game in the ensuing years, some even going so far as to have three-part documentaries made about them. Ultimately it’s that kind of initiative and determination that I’m looking for in a song. Hope to see you again in 2025.
Warmest regards,
k4
Guido Merkins
In Rishikesh, there was a young lady who would not come out of her hut because she was always meditating. Prudence Farrow, Mia Farrow’s sister, was that young lady and John would always try and make her come out. That experience caused him to write Dear Prudence wanting her to “come out and play.”
The joy of Back in the USSR fades into the dreamier Dear Prudence on the White Album. Love the lyrics like “the sun is up, the sky is blue, its beautiful and so are you” and “see the sunny skies” and “you’re a part of everything.”
John used the Donovan fingerpicking style for this song. Interestingly, Paul played drums on this song and Back in the USSR because Ringo left the group for 3 days. Paul does an outstanding job on Dear Prudence, especially near the end when we get the drum fills and George playing a counter melody on guitar.
John always claimed that he wrote the most miserable songs in the world in Rishikesh, and while Yer Blues and Sexy Sadie and Bungalow Bill are not happy songs, Dear Prudence has a childlike quality about it and is a happy song. It’s one of my favorites on the album.
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