The Beatles Top 100 Songs: 70-61 - The Part-Time Critic

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

The Beatles Top 100 Songs: 70-61

70. "The Long and Winding Road" Let It Be (1970)
I didn't hear this song until I discovered it on the 1 album that came out in the early 2000's. Outside of my Dad's influence, the 1 album was actually the source of much of my early Beatles enjoyment. This is a lovely little ballad.

69. "I'm So Tired" The White Album (1968)
One of two songs centered around sleeping on this list (both written by John Lennon), this one strikes a sympathetic chord with me. How could one write a rock song about being tired? This is the answer.

68. "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" The White Album (1968)
Read the story behind the song at the wikipedia link when you get a chance, as it helps explain the song a bit. Songs like this one make The White Album completely unique for me. Because of the double album nature, they were able to throw in copious amounts of experimental, fun, and silly songs. Sometimes they work (this one), and sometimes they don't ("Why Don't We Do It In the Road?").

67. "Girl" Rubber Soul (1965)
Many of the songs on Rubber Soul had this neat little folk feel that I just love. I like the deep breaths, the vocal performances, and the unique instruments on this track.

66. "Revolution" (1968)
I'm not referring to the slower version of this song on The White Album, this refers to the faster version released as a single. Musically it's great, but this song gets sometimes stamped as just "Hippy-Beatles" and that's actually unfair. For a song about revolution, the lyrics are cautious, hesitant, and one could argue, even conservative. It deserves a second listen for those who wrote it off, it's a good song. A pretty rocking song at that. Had I a chance to re-order the list, the song might come off a few spots better.

65. "If I Fell" A Hard Day's Night (1964)
A beautiful ballad from the incredible A Hard Day's Night album.

64. "She's Leaving Home" Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Overlooked by most Beatles fans I've talked to, this is such a heart-rending song and like "Revolution", one that you wouldn't expect a pop-culture challenging Beatles to produce. Apparently the song stems from a newspaper story about a girl missing after leaving her parents with just a note. Leaving home on moment's notice was a popular thing then. Who would expect the most popular band in the world, a band that would seen as a figurehead of the hippy movement, and one artistically branching out, to make a song from the parent's perspective? An example of how the Beatles were a pretty introspective band beyond the mop top and drug stereotypes.

63. "Glass Onion" The White Album (1968)
Here is just a great driving rock song written by Lennon. It's filled with fun references to much of their earlier songs as well.

62. "She Said She Said" Revolver (1966)
Incredible guitar and drum work on this song, including a beautiful opening guitar riff. Nothing going on with the lyrics, but it's just a great rock song.

61. "Day Tripper" (1965)
Another fun rock song featuring one of the most memorable guitar riffs of the entire Beatles song catalog. 

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