Worst Beatles Single

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Haha, I'm on a roll.

They did do so many other things etc.

Oh, and check the ska version on Anth3.

Hate all the early singles, "Hold Your Hand" was the first remotely bearable one

Wow, really? Not even "She Loves You"? I think "Please Please Me" is also a head above the others, although that's more just because I think the melody and John's singing are fabulous ("whydoyoumakemeblue," so fun to sing), also great example of the "sad lyrics but happy song" Beatle tactic.

Wow, really? Not even "She Loves You"?

Whoops, yes, I jumped over that one. Not that I ever want to hear it again, mind you.

I can't say I have out right hate for any of the singles. Even the early stuff has elements that still send shivers up my spine. For example, when John and Paul hit those harmonies in the chorus of "Please, Please Me", I hear the Everly Brothers crossed with Buddy Holly as interpreted by a bunch of Liverpool scruffs. Great Stuff. Even "Hey Jude's" endless coda can be soothing if I'm in the right mood. "All You Is Love" is an intentional self-parody of their early style so I let it pass on self-awareness if nothing else.

They were geniuses from "Please Please Me" onwards. "Love Me Do" was nothing special though - just a bunch of white UK guys trying to ape Bruce Channel's "Hey Baby" without adding anything much typically English on top of it.

^^^ 1963: The Year The Beatles Discovered HP Sauce"

I would have thought that if there were one universally loved Beatles song, it would be either "We Can Work It Out" or "All You Need Is Love," and this thread has proven me far, far wrong.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Bruce Channel's "Hey Baby"

Fucking incredible song.

I read somewhere that Bruce Channel played the Cavern in 1962, and showed John Lennon how to play the harmonica that way.

So, the influence was more explicit after all.

Except it was actually Delbert McClinton who played the harmonica on that song/concert, and he was also the one who taught John Lennon. :)

OK, I wrote that from memory.

Wasn't "Eight Days a Week" a single? That one should win.

In the US.

Yeah, I kept wanting to vote for it but it's not canonical.

was going to say paperback writer but forgot the flipside is the glorious Rain.

Then "Lady Madonna" it is. What a piece of shit.

jeezus the only thing worse than radiohead threads are beatles threads...

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Impressive turnout, and VERY close results. Thanks for playing, everyone.

Glad that all that trash talk about the early-mid period singles upthread didn't come to much.

not really that thrilled with this (what's everybody's beef against Lady Madonna? it's up there with Hey Bulldog and Rain as the best Beatles basslines...) but am happy that Hard Day's Night received no votes (and that Ticket to Ride & Paperback Writer scored relatively low)

as having the best Beatles bassline

I have never gotten the ILM hatred against "All You Need Is Love". A brilliant pop song IMO.

And "From Me To You" is one of the best songs ever written!

I remember liking and learning the bassline of "Lady Madonna" in high school but it took me a while to realize that the song as a whole is a real piece of shit, and the lyrics are fucking retarded. Anyway, I'm surprised at the winners here. Some of those are among the best Beatles songs. And "Hard Day's Night" should have been at the top somewhere.

This poll is shit.

This thread has something for everyone

"I have never gotten the ILM hatred against "All You Need Is Love". A brilliant pop song IMO."

Certainly one of my favorite tunes ever. And my love for it dates from early childhood...

I'm just finishing that recent book "Can't Buy Me Love". Really excellent.

Fair result, I'd say

A Hard Day's Night/Things We Said Today

lolz best single by default!

ballad o' j&y/ old brown shoe hate is cRaZy

oh man, Baby You're A Rich Man is soooo good, boo to AYNIL (which I admit, I also like - "nothing you can sing that can't be sung") for bringing it down!

A Hard Day's Night/Things We Said Today

lolz best single by default!

― Courtney Love's Jew Loan Officer (Shakey Mo Collier)

It's a great song.

even John defended "Things We Said Today"!

what's to defend? who says it's not great?

"I have never gotten the ILM hatred against "All You Need Is Love". A brilliant pop song IMO."

See, for me, AYNIL (anal!) is symbolic of shallow 60's "utopianin" ideals, mistaken at the time for actual political radicalism, but mostly used as an excuse for hedonistic indulgence (not that theres anything wrong with that, but jeez just call it what it is).

Those who voted for "Paperback Writer"/"Rain" are clearly not of sound mind.

Lady Madonna is amazing you fuckwits

"See, for me, AYNIL (anal!) is symbolic of shallow 60's "utopianin" ideals, mistaken at the time for actual political radicalism, but mostly used as an excuse for hedonistic indulgence (not that theres anything wrong with that, but jeez just call it what it is)."

Ok... but that doesn't mean it doesn't have a great hook, lyric, harmonies, arrangements, and production. I mean, if you're listening to it in 2009, how much does that "utopian" context matter when evaluating it as a song?

Not that you're not entitled to your opinion, of course.

Well, I don't find it to be intolerable or anything, & yeah, it does have a few nice hooks (Paul's "She Loves You" coda definitely), but the mantra-like schmaltz, combined with my reasons above, made this poll choice a no-brainer for me.

"See, for me, AYNIL (anal!) is symbolic of shallow 60's "utopianin" ideals, mistaken at the time for actual political radicalism, but mostly used as an excuse for hedonistic indulgence (not that theres anything wrong with that, but jeez just call it what it is)."

uh, dude, it's not utoptian nor hedonistic indulgence. love is one of the only things totally actually fucking essential to human survival (food and water would be the other two, obvs, but how lame of a lyric would that make: "all you need is water and food and love"?). john lennon was just stating an ever-so-slightly exaggerated fact.

also: lady madonna = sublime's "what i got." has anyone else ever noticed this?

in every beatles thread on ILM, at least

OK, so I take it the winner here is just another pathetic "I hate hippies and baby boomers"-demonstration from a number of people then?

all you need is love is great

You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) is great.

OK, so I take it the winner here is just another pathetic "I hate hippies and baby boomers"-demonstration from a number of people then?

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, January 21, 2009 9:33 AM Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

For me, AYNIL has a fine sentiment but just a crap performance, it sounds like someone turned the speed down on the master tape. Just too sluggish and evaporated.

Yes, it's biggest crime is it's plod plod ploddiness, it's the quintessence of plod

Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool
leaves behind a ball of wool
but he don't mind
he's a cop and he knows cops aint kind...

Yellow