Rank the White Album

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Peter, I've always liked that little McCartney song that comes right before "Revolution IX". If Paul had done more of that instead of frickin' "Honey Pie", it'd be easier to like him.

And "Not Guilty" is a white album Harrison outtake that's much, much better than "Long, Long, Long" though the end oscillating moaning part used to scare me, too. ("Used to...", who am I kidding?)

The worst stretch for me has always been those animal songs: "Blackbird", "Piggies", and "Rocky Raccoon" leading right into that prize-winner of "Don't Pass Me By". Yech.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:45 (twenty-one years ago)

oh right right - i totally shouldve picked up on the "can you take me back"... thats one of the main reasons "cry baby cry" figures so high on my list. i cant bring to mind the end of "long long long" right now.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:48 (twenty-one years ago)

1 and 2 tied are Happiness is a warm gun and I Will
3 Blackbird
4 so tired

the rest can go to hell. especially the Honey Pies

― AaronK (AaronK), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:50 (twenty-one years ago)

1. John
3. George Harrison
4. George Martin
5. Ringo for his rhythms, not his songs
-100. Paul

Long, Long, Long is lovely

― Good Dog, Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:54 (twenty-one years ago)

is yoko #2? she deserves it.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:55 (twenty-one years ago)

flipping 'eck, I forgot 2!

2 was the bass in Dear Prudence. Even though it's Paul

― Good Dog, Thursday, 14 October 2004 17:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Julia Lennon theory!

― Roy Williams Highlight (diamond), Thursday, 14 October 2004 17:01 (twenty-one years ago)

1. Happiness is a Warm Gun
2. Everybody's got something to hide...
3. Savoy Truffle
4. I'm So Tired
5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
6. Helter Skelter
7. Cry Baby Cry
8. Martha My Dear
9. Glass Onion
10. Sexy Sadie
11. Julia
12. Revolution #9
13. Mother Nature's Son
14. Dear Prudence
15. Good Night
16. Why Don't We Do It in the Road
17. Blackbird
18. Long Long Long
19. Revolution #1
20. Honey Pie
21. Yer Blues
22. I Will
23. Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
24. Back in the USSR
25. Don't Pass Me By
26. Birthday
27. Piggies
28. Ob La Di Ob La Da
29. Wild Honey Pie
30. Rocky Racoon

― darin (darin), Thursday, 14 October 2004 17:25 (twenty-one years ago)

1 Dear Prudence
2 Cry Baby Cry
3 Helter Skelter
4 Julia
5 Martha My Dear
6 Revolution
7 Long, Long, Long
8 Happiness Is a Warm Gun
9 Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
10 Blackbird
11 While My Guitar Gently Weeps
12 Back In The USSR

The rest I can't be bothered to rank it's so mediocre.

― Jamie Fake (the pirate king), Thursday, 14 October 2004 17:28 (twenty-one years ago)

1. Martha My Dear
2. Savoy Truffle
3. Happiness Is a Warm Gun
4. Long, Long, Long
5. Sexy Sadie
6. Dear Prudence
7. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
8. Julia
9. Glass Onion
10. Helter Skelter
11. Blackbird
12. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
13. I Will
14. Mother Nature's Son
15. Cry Baby Cry
16. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
17. I'm So Tired
18. Revolution 1
19. Yer Blues
20. Back in the USSR
21. Piggies
22. Rocky Raccoon
23. Good Night
24. Don't Pass Me By
25. Revolution 9
26. Honey Pie
27. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
28. Why Don't We Do It In The Road
29. Birthday
30. Wild Honey Pie

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 14 October 2004 18:45 (twenty-one years ago)

This album is perfect. It is an encyclopedia of every genre of music ever made - easy listenng, ska, blues, surf rock, avntgarde, jazz, hard rock... it has everything!

It is a mess and that is why it is brilhant There is no filler - the sequence is responsible for the enjoyment - you have to hear "revolution 9" before "good night" to understand the beauty of these song.

My favorite beatles album.

― Elvis is Dead, Thursday, 14 October 2004 18:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Repeating "honey pie!" 11 times isn't filler?

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 14 October 2004 18:54 (twenty-one years ago)

ok, elvis. now rank them!

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 14 October 2004 18:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I can rank pretty much everything under the sun except The White Album and Sandinista!. To me, doing so would be a fundamental insult to the point of both albums. Mostly for the reasons Elvis listed.

I could do it in a life or death situation but would under no other circumstances.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Me too.

― Elvis is Dead, Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm too lazy to do this properly, but:

AWESOME
Savoy Truffle
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
Sexy Sadie
The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
Julia
Helter Skelter
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
I Will
I'm So Tired
Piggies
Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
Why Don't We Do It In The Road
Birthday
Wild Honey Pie

OK
Long, Long, Long
Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
Blackbird
Revolution 1
Back in the USSR
Good Night
Revolution 9

SUCK
Martha My Dear
Mother Nature's Son
Cry Baby Cry
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Yer Blues
Rocky Raccoon
Don't Pass Me By
Honey Pie

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:17 (twenty-one years ago)

For a start the extremes. For the stuff in between I need more time.

1. Julia
...
30. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't decide whether I hate Don't Pass Me By or Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da with more passion.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm a massive Beatles fan but never particularly liked this album. I like Happiness is a Warm Gun, Dear Prudence, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, I'm So Tired, Back in the USSR, and Sexy Sadie in about that order. The rest I don't much like.

― frankiemachine, Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I made some brief comments on my blog that I co-write with Huck.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:40 (twenty-one years ago)

1. Long, Long, Long
2. Happiness is a Warm Gun
3. Helter Skelter
4. Sexy Sadie
5. Birthday
6. Cry Baby Cry
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
8. Everybody's Got Something to Hide Cept For Me and My Monkey
9. Revolution 9
10. Back in the USSR
11. I'm So Tired
12. Julia
13. Dear Prudence
14. Don't Pass Me By
15. Glass Onion
16. Savoy Truffle
17. Mother Nature's Son
18. Wild Honey Pie
19. Revolution 1
20. Why Don't We Do It In the Road?
21. Martha My Dear
22. Good Night
23. Yer Blues
24. Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da
25. I Will
26. Blackbird
27. Rocky Racoon
28. Honey Pie
29. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
30. Piggies

― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:55 (twenty-one years ago)

i agree with most of your classification, nick but surely don't pass me by is classic. ringo is so bad a singer that he is good again.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Thursday, 14 October 2004 20:00 (twenty-one years ago)

It's not the singing that really pisses me off, it's just a terrible song, with that sucky bouncy organ part and the stupid fake ending.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 14 October 2004 20:17 (twenty-one years ago)

1. Good Night
2. Revolution 9
3. Mother Nature's Son
4. Revolution 1
5. Cry Baby Cry
6. Blackbird
7. I Will
8. Julia
9. Savoy Truffle
10. I'm So Tired
11. Long, Long, Long
12. Birthday
13. Honey Pie
14. Martha My Dear
15. Dear Prudence
16. Happiness Is a Warm Gun
17. Sexy Sadie
18. Back In The USSR
19. Glass Onion
20. Helter Skelter
21. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
22. Rocky Racoon
23. Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
24. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
25. Don't Pass Me By
26. Wild honey pie
27. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
28. Piggies
29. Why Don't We Do It In The Road
30. Yer Blues

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Thursday, 14 October 2004 20:23 (twenty-one years ago)

i bet there will be little consensus here.

It kind of seemed there was regarding two tracks. Until I Billy Dods' list that is :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 14 October 2004 22:42 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah - im pleased that most everyone likes "happiness is a warm gun" and "sexy sadie". i wasnt sure what ILM would collectively think of SS...

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 14 October 2004 22:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Those were among the last good non-ballads John Lennon ever wrote IMO. At least until "Double Fantasy"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 14 October 2004 22:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm going to wait a little while longer and then tabulate this.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Thursday, 14 October 2004 23:37 (twenty-one years ago)

whoa geir - thats some strong shit.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 14 October 2004 23:42 (twenty-one years ago)

geir's healthy irreverance is simply blowing my mind. i now know how it must have felt to be george bush at that first debate! i'm blinking furiously and sniggering incredulously like a drunkin frat boy at the "vagina monologues". savoy truffle, unlistenable? at least most everyone consistently recognizes that "happines is a warm gun" is a fucking great song. white album = best beatles album i own and i own 'em all.

― j.m. lockery (j.m. lockery), Friday, 15 October 2004 00:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Julia

Long, Long, Long

Happiness Is a Warm Gun

Revolution 9

Martha My Dear

Dear Prudence

Cry Baby Cry

Glass Onion

Helter Skelter

Birthday

I'm So Tired

I Will

Good Night

Why Don't We Do It In The Road

Don't Pass Me By

Mother Nature's Son

Sexy Sadie

Yer Blues

Rocky Raccoon

Blackbird

Back In The USSR

Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill

Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey

Revolution 1

Savoy Truffle

Piggies

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

Wild honey pie

Honey Pie

― christmas lights (christmaslights), Friday, 15 October 2004 00:58 (twenty-one years ago)

(Dammit. OK, here we go again:)

1. Julia
2. Long, Long, Long
3. Happiness Is a Warm Gun
4. Revolution 9
5. Martha My Dear
6. Dear Prudence
7. Cry Baby Cry
8. Glass Onion
9. Helter Skelter
10. Birthday
11. I'm So Tired
12. I Will
13. Good Night
14. Why Don't We Do It In The Road
15. Don't Pass Me By
16. Mother Nature's Son
17. Sexy Sadie
18. Yer Blues
19. Rocky Raccoon
20. Blackbird
21. Back In The USSR
22. Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
23. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
24. Revolution 1
25. Savoy Truffle
26. Piggies
27. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
28. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
29. Wild Honey Pie
30. Honey Pie

― christmas lights (christmaslights), Friday, 15 October 2004 01:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Geir, did you fucking rank Bungalow Bill at number two?

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Friday, 15 October 2004 01:30 (twenty-one years ago)

...and Mother Nature's Son at 13?

― WeatheringD, Friday, 15 October 2004 01:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't be bothered to renumber these.

BEST

1. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
28.Helter Skelter
12.Happiness Is a Warm Gun
19.Revolution 1
9. Julia
7. I'm So Tired
6. I Will
...and then there's a bunch of average stuff I can't be bothered to rank...
23.Don't Pass Me By
25.Why Don't We Do It In The Road
20.Birthday
Wild Honey Pie
10.Martha My Dear
29.Revolution 9
3. Honey Pie

WORST

― a banana, Friday, 15 October 2004 05:07 (twenty-one years ago)

When the album first broke, Birthday and Back In The USSR were the AM players which really were ample, back in the day.

As the years have gone by, my personal faves have remained:

1. I'm So Tired
2. Glass Onion
3. Sexie Sadie
4. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
5. Why Don't We Do It In The Road
6. Happiness Is A Warm Gun
7. Blackbird
8. Back In The USSR
9. Revolution 1 (which really belongs at # 1 but I'm too lazy to edit)
10. Martha My Dear

And most of the rest fall into line

The worst track/s by far is one, if not both of, the Honey Pies.

― jim wentworth (wench), Friday, 15 October 2004 05:34 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't know what it is about this album - there are plenty of bad songs on it, but whenever i listen to it, i never find myself skipping anything. it just flows so well that even the worst stuff ("wild honey pie," "mother nature's son") seems to fit. i'm especially fond of the way "rocky raccoon" collapses into the weird opening of "don't pass me by."

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Friday, 15 October 2004 06:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I am dismayed by the general poor showing of 'Wild Honey Pie' on this thread.

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Friday, 15 October 2004 07:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I've never pwn3d a Beatles album but if ever I were to embark on such a retrograde step, this is the album I'd consider (not that buy it of course, but if somebody gave me it I woudn't say no!)

GOOD:
Blackbird
Long, Long, Long
Julia
Dear Prudence
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
Mother Nature's Son
Sexy Sadie
Rocky Racoon
Cry Baby Cry
Back In The USSR
Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
Helter Skelter

FAIR TO MIDDLING:
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
I'm So Tired
Martha My Dear
Glass Onion
Birthday
Wild Honey Pie

NOT MUCH COP:
The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
Honey Pie
I Will
Why Don't We Do It In The Road
Savoy Truffle
Revolution 9

FOUL:
Piggies
Revolution 1 (so dreary and plodding compared to the single)
Good Night
Don't Pass Me By
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Yer Blues

.... which is pretty good for a Beatles album. Overall, I'd say "Rocky Racoon" is probably my favourite track and that I prefer McCartney to Lennon - sorry Beatlefans!

― Dataismus (Dada), Friday, 15 October 2004 08:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I prefer McCartney to Lennon on this album I mean

― Dataismus (Dada), Friday, 15 October 2004 08:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Stop dissing "Honey Pie", which is an excellent song. Yes, it isn't "rock", but that is just a good thing.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 15 October 2004 11:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, now I come to think of it, I like "Honey Pie"

― Daddyismus (Dada), Friday, 15 October 2004 11:28 (twenty-one years ago)

"Bungalow Bill" is great too. Those who have no musical taste may call it "twee", but there is no such thing, at least not in a negative sense. :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 15 October 2004 11:35 (twenty-one years ago)

There I must disagre with you Geir, "Bungalow Bill" is rotten

― Daddyismus (Dada), Friday, 15 October 2004 11:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Stop dissing "Honey Pie", which is an excellent song. Yes, it isn't "rock", but that is just a good thing.

Yeah, come on Rockers! Open your minds!

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Friday, 15 October 2004 12:24 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.sentimentosdilacerados.blogger.com.br/charles%20manson.jpg
"It's fine just the way it is. Don't mess with it."

― Uncle Charlie (vassifer), Friday, 15 October 2004 12:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Here's my ranking of the tracks on the Beatles' SMiLE album:

1. Because
2. Tomorrow Never Knows
3. Strawberry Fields Forever
4. It's Only A Northern Song
5. Penny Lane
6. She's Leaving Home
7. What's The New Mary Jane
8. Revolution (single version)
9. Wah Wah
10. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
11. Happiness Is A Warm Gun
12. Flying
13. Hey Jude
14. You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)
15. I Am The Walrus
16. Carnival Of Light
17. Long Long Long
18. The Inner Light
19. Revolution 9
20. Good Night
21. My Mummy's Dead

― Marcello Carlin, Friday, 15 October 2004 13:07 (twenty-one years ago)

(hidden extra track: A Day In The Life)

― Marcello Carlin, Friday, 15 October 2004 13:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Not so much a ranking, more a running order.

― Marcello Carlin, Friday, 15 October 2004 13:08 (twenty-one years ago)

"Not Guilty" deserves to be part of that album.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 15 October 2004 13:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 406 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

o nate otm X10000

is "why dont we do it in the road" the first song about fucking in a car?

― kendrick lamaze "to push a baby out" (m bison), Thursday, 13 February 2025 04:39 (one year ago)

iirc it was inspired by seeing monkeys fucking in the road in India

― JoeStork, Thursday, 13 February 2025 06:28 (one year ago)

I always thought it was about having sex in the burning asphalt as the local government pours it

― H.P, Thursday, 13 February 2025 06:29 (one year ago)

I'm only half joking

― H.P, Thursday, 13 February 2025 06:29 (one year ago)

I cant see this thread title without misreading it as 'wank the right album'

― ringworm, Thursday, 13 February 2025 07:23 (one year ago)

I'm sorry but Why Don't We Do It In The Road is absolutely not about having sex in a car.

― Inside The Wasp Factory with Gregg Wallace (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 13 February 2025 07:29 (one year ago)

was gonna say. have listened to that song hundreds of times and have never once thought a car was involved

― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Friday, 14 February 2025 14:30 (one year ago)

crash.jpg

― xyzzzz__, Friday, 14 February 2025 14:41 (one year ago)

cars are a great answer to the question "why don't we do it in the road?"

― Inside The Wasp Factory with Gregg Wallace (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Friday, 14 February 2025 14:43 (one year ago)

There’s an interview with Paul where he says that it could be taken as being about f***ing or sh**ting in the road. I never would’ve come up with the second interpretation.

― o. nate, Friday, 14 February 2025 14:44 (one year ago)

how do you even get in a road?

― brimstead, Friday, 14 February 2025 15:01 (one year ago)

I'm sorry but Why Don't We Do It In The Road is absolutely not about having sex in a car.

Yes, because in India monkeys are forbidden to drive anything but trucks.

― Halfway there but for you, Friday, 14 February 2025 15:10 (one year ago)

do you know how many times I have taught the in/on/at prepositions lesson?

― Inside The Wasp Factory with Gregg Wallace (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Friday, 14 February 2025 15:13 (one year ago)

I just for the first time saw the George Carlin bit where someone says to get on the plane & he’s like “fuck you! I’m getting IN the plane!! Go FUCK yourself!”

(This is what reading that stupid phrases you hate thread is like also #onethread)

― the babality of evil (wins), Friday, 14 February 2025 15:22 (one year ago)

My favorite will always be Robert Ashley - “These are stories about the corn belt and the people who live in it…or on it.”

― timellison, Friday, 14 February 2025 15:53 (one year ago)

There’s an interview with Paul where he says that it could be taken as being about f***ing or sh**ting in the road. I never would’ve come up with the second interpretation.

Related, ".. which he ate and donated to the National Trust" means to take a shit in a public park, it's something Derek Taylor used to say iirc

― nate woolls, Friday, 14 February 2025 23:15 (one year ago)

oh i LOVE that

― assert (matttkkkk), Friday, 14 February 2025 23:30 (one year ago)

The Hague

Wild Honey Pie
Piggies
Good Night

B-b-but these are great!

Tangent: as a child my grandparents had that record of Moog arrangements of Beatles songs (already an impossibly ancient artifact to juvenile me ca.1990) and that "Good Night" rendition was the most hauntingly beautiful thing I'd ever heard lol. ( *looks it up* This LP. )

― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Saturday, 15 February 2025 00:28 (one year ago)

There's a definite "two virgins" vibe on that front cover!

― Mark G, Saturday, 15 February 2025 09:10 (one year ago)

xp its v good version

― xyzzzz__, Saturday, 15 February 2025 12:23 (one year ago)

I’m positive I’ve posted about it before, maybe even on this thread, but the Ramsey Lewis album of White Album songs “Mother Natures Son” is heavy on the moog & is phenomenal imho

― waste of compute (One Eye Open), Saturday, 15 February 2025 19:52 (one year ago)

checking out Lennon's version of Yer Blues on Rock & Roll Circus, with Richards, Clapton & Mitch Mitchell, think I prefer the white album version to be honest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeFwaWFTGYU

― Inside The Wasp Factory with Gregg Wallace (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Sunday, 16 February 2025 13:14 (one year ago)

I always wondered if the name of the supergroup for that, The Dirty Mac, was against McCartney ?

― AlXTC from Paris, Sunday, 16 February 2025 20:27 (one year ago)

XP: that Ramsey Lewis record is pretty cool. More textural juxtapositions than an olde hi-fi demonstration disc or whatever lol.

― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Monday, 17 February 2025 01:00 (one year ago)

esher demo of honey pie is... good actually? surprised me.

― master of the pan (abanana), Sunday, 2 March 2025 05:25 (one year ago)

one year passes...

This post from The Beatles official social media account plus Peter Jackson's claim of 3-4 hours of unreleased White Album sessions makes me wonder about this years inevitable media drop...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib8Q2ySaFoY

― bookmarkflaglink (Darin), Wednesday, 22 April 2026 18:43 (one month ago)

Yeah this was exciting news; I'd gladly watch all three hours of that but even a 90 minute distillation would be cool

― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Wednesday, 22 April 2026 23:06 (one month ago)

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