As I mentioned: top five slots.
Beat that. (Obviously, nobody ever has.)
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18 comments:
I would rank them in that same order (except Twist & Shout would be 5).
"Twist and Shout" is the only one of those five that they didn't write.
"Please Please Me" is 100% Lennon, and it's arguably his most important composition, since it's their second single (after Paul's "Love Me Do"), and producer George Martin wasn't entirely convinced that they should be featuring their own self-written songs as singles (since he'd had his doubts about "Love Me Do," which admittedly isn't the best argument for the Beatles purely as composers). But Lennon came in to EMI with "Please Please Me" (which was inspired by his admiration for Roy Orbison) and the band put together an aggressively complex arrangement that prompted Martin, once they'd completed the master, to say, "Gentlemen, you've just recorded your first #1 hit." He was right.
The Beatles had 47 top forty hits, of which 27 made #1. I'll say that again: Twenty-seven #1 hits in six years (since there were no singles from "Pepper" or "White Album").
By contrast, the Stones had 41 top 40 hits...over 25 years.
When you listen to "The Beatles: 1" (the compilation CD released in 2000), every track you hear on the record was a Billboard #1 hit.
And, although they recorded a lot of covers (24), they never released a single that wasn't a song that they had written. Their stuff (obviously) got covered by a lot of other people; "Yesterday" is the most covered song in history.
Wow, I didn't realize that about the "Beatles 1" album. Yellow Submarine was a #1 single!?
Why weren't there singles on Peppers & the White Album? Were they taking a "it's meant to be listened to as a whole" stance?
The only acceptable Beatles cover I've ever heard is Cornershop's Norwegian Wood. Most make me either cringe or rant.
The Monkees had three #1 singles, none of which they wrote (or played on).
:(
(Last Train to Clarksville, I'm a Believer & Daydream Believer.)
I thought that was the whole point of the Beatles 1 album. It had that big 1 on it and everything.
" they never released a single that wasn't a song that they had written"
...Except Twist and Shout, right?
Duh...yes, except "Twist and Shout."
Correct on the "Pepper"/"White Album" "holistic experience" concept. No singles.
"Yellow Submarine" charted at #1 for four weeks in 1966.
Jordan, have you watched The Beatles Anthology? I'm sure you have but if you haven't it's a real treat. The DVD set is much longer than what was shown on television.
Dude, I'm watching it right now!
Yes, I've watched the whole thing many times. I love it, love it, love it.
My favorite part is the cleaned-up Shea Stadium footage. Those closeups of McCartney and Lennon sharing the mike on "Baby's In Black" are just beyond words.
Johnny, the Beatles cover I like is "Across the Universe" performed by Fiona Apple. (At the end of the Pleasantville soundtrack, I think.)
There's also the Stones doing "I Wanna Be Your Man," but that doesn't quite count, since they wrote it for the Stones (in the back of a touring van).
Actually I love that Fiona cover too. She sounds a bit strung out (in the best way possible).
Also Aerosmith's Come Together should be mentioned. In a way the song sounds more suited for Steven Tyler (in the 70's) than it did for Abby Road (which to this day I still can't embrace aside from She's So Heavy which gets me every time). Aerosmith's version captures and expands on the raw seediness of the song. Or sleaziness rather.. Also without it, there would be no reason to watch the 70's Sgt. Peppers movie. *shudder, shudder* (Whenever I think of George Burns' Fixing a Hole I lose faith in all of mankind.)
Listening to Abbey Road is like firing bullets at a wad of plastic explosive. Nothing...nothing...nothing...and then BLAM! Suddenly you'll get it, and you'll realize what a fucking incredible record it is. Some context:
1) It's AFTER Let It Be (although it was released first). It's the last Beatles record, as such, and that's why it ends with "The End" (where Ringo takes his only drum solo ever, and then the other three alternate 8-bar guitar solos, Paul, George, John, Paul, George, John. It's also a return to George Martin and Abbey Road studios (hence the title) and the way they'd been recording since the very beginning.
2) It's the only Beatles album recorded in 8 track rather than 4. It's also the only Beatles album with a synth (!): the Moog on "Because."
3) McCartney's bass playing (Oh! Darling, She's So Heavy, Something, Come Together) is at its absolute peak.
4) Lennon "controlled" Side 1 (hence separate tracks); McCartney "controlled" Side 2 (hence the famous medley).
To the extent that Abbey Road really is "the end," it's got a melancholy, bittersweet vibe throughout which isn't completely subjective. On "Anthology," McCartney makes a remark about how they were like Army buddies who eventually got back from the war, got married, and drifted apart, but with a bond that would last a lifetime. To the extent that it's all about "growing up," both in the context of the fire of the 'sixties and the Beatles personally, I love that Abbey Road is the moment that George Harrison, the "younger stepson" songwriter, is finally the guy who gets the dominant hit single: Harrison's "Something" was the big #1 from Abbey Road (with "Come Together" on the flipside), and it's just such a glorious song when viewed that way. He's finally grown up, and ready to go out on his own. Anyway, that's the way it sounds to me. You can imagine Lennon and McCartney looking at each other and going, you know, "Wow." ("He's finally as good as us! I guess the band's breaking up.")
Jordan have I told you I love you lately? Oh right, I did like yesterday.
Something is an incredible song. And in line with your Harrison observation, All Things Must Pass is by far my favorite post Beatles solo album (which I'm listening to/loving right now). My Sweet Love, Isn't It a Pity and All Things Must Pass never stop giving me me goosebumps. Omigod, and If Not For You? Pure beauty...
I admit that I'm still only peripherally familiar with Paul's solo/Wings output (which I remember you raving about), so I'm not equipped to GO NUTS on the subject but I'm certainly inspired to learn more.
Freakin' "Best Of" albums ruin everything!
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