As a songwriter, I could never imagine at this point in my life, putting out song a wrote at 16 or 17. I don't ever want anyone to hear that. But then again, I'm not the Beatles, who were able to resurrect one of the earliest songs in their repertoire, from well before they were even The Beatles. Though the song was in their early setlists for a long time, it never found a home on a Beatles record, even after taking a shot at recording it in 1963. But when nostalgia reared it's head during the Let It Be sessions, this song came back to the fore, and with Billy Preston in tow, it found a new life a scorching little rock song that fit the bill for the Get Back project perfectly. It's the most rocking moment of the whole month, and in their performance on the rooftop that day, for a couple of minutes, you see these world-weary men return back to the young, hopeful, driven boys they were when they first started. Even if the song has no real meaning, it's a fantastic moment with real electricity to it.

Joining us this week are Allison and Erika from BC The Beatles, one of our favorite Beatles podcasts. We chat about their own Beatles journeys, the Beatles' invention of meta-nostalgia, Paul's sock game, Cruisin' Classics, and much more! If you're not listening to BC The Beatles, I dunno what you're waiting for, get on it! Listen here, or anywhere you get podcasts, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

What do you think about "One After 909" at #85? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Be sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rankingthebeatles.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Us A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Though the Lennon & McCartney songwriting team found it harder and harder to truly write songs together from scratch as they got busier and busier, with "Baby's In Black," they were able to get "nose-to-nose" and write something truly different from what was expected at the time. A 3/4 time waltz with a melancholy lyric (possibly inspired by Astrid Kirchherr's mourning for Stu Sutcliffe), the first song they recorded for the Beatles For Sale album was a far cry from the uptempo Beatlemania rave ups of A Hard Day's Night or the Cavern-era screamers on their first two LPs. The song shows tremendous growth and bravery for daring to do the unexpected, and gives a brilliant example of John and Paul's best Everly Brothers-esque harmonies. It's a song they were very proud of, as evidenced by the fact that that once it was out, it stayed in their live show until the end of their touring days. Even in the jaded-slugging-it-out-un-enthusiastically shows of 1966, John and Paul seem to genuinely delight in being so close on one mic and singing in harmony for the entire song. It's a real gem that likely doesn't get it's due since it's a waltz in the 3rd song slot on what some consider their "worst" album.

This week, we close the circle on the RTB X 2Legs meet up by welcoming Andy Nicholes to the show! After having his co-host Tom Hunyady on the last episode, it only seemed appropriate to have Andy on as well. We love 2 Legs, and Andy was great on the panels we saw him on at the Fest for Beatles Fans, so we're big fans. He joins us to talk about bootlegs, solo fandom, growing up as fans in the 90s, and so much more! Be sure to check out 2Legs anywhere you get podcasts and follow them on Facebook!

For you Julia stans, she's not with us this week unfortunately. She'll be back we promise. To make it up to you, be sure to listen through to the end of the episode for a little bonus treat.

What do you think about "Baby's In Black" at #86? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Be sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rankingthebeatles.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Us A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Some 25 years after the Beatles' break up, new music from the band emerged via a cosmic combination of technology and enduring love...and the career-spanning Anthology project. Using a solo John piano demo, the remaining Threetles completed "Free As A Bird," a stately and beautiful track, complete with the still gorgeous Beatle harmony, brilliant lead guitar, some new lyrics by Paul and George, a bit of that trademark Beatle cheekiness...it was them, all over again. In my opinon, the song holds up incredibly well within the catalogue. Of course there were/are naysayers, but wasn't this song bound to be the victim of unreal expectations? Despite that, it's a track that makes me feel a real sense of warmth and love and happiness, which is everything I want out of a Beatles song, and it's all the more amazing that they were able to provide that some 25 years after they initially broke up.

We're so happy to be back! We're also so happy to have our first guest for this season be the absolutely wonderful Skylar Moody! If you're on social media and a fan of the Beatles, you've likely seen Skylar's content out there. She handles social media content for the Fest for Beatles Fans, and is partnering with the Brooklyn Museum as a consultant and content creator for the Paul McCartney "Eyes of the Storm" photo exhibition. It's good to know that with people like Skylar at the helm, Beatles fandom will continue to grow and spread to new generations of fans. Follow Skylar on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, or at skylarmoody.com.

What do you think about "Free As A Bird" at #94? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Be sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rankingthebeatles.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Us A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Even though the Fabs had shown some affinity for country, it's on the White Album where they dive headfirst. Paul's turn at spinning a country story comes via "Rocky Raccoon," one of the numerous songs written by the band in India early in 1968. Leaning on a cheeky, twangy vocal, the tale of Rocky, Dan, and Lil has a bit of everything: a love triangle, a shootout, a drunk doctor who doesn't appear to actually help Rocky with his gunshot wound. Thankfully, he finds a Bible in his room and then....we don't know! Does he ride of into the sunset? Does he die? TELL US PAUL!

This week, we're taking everyone to school, and keeping in it in the fam. We're joined by Celeste Faia, a PhD candidate studying microbiology and immunology, a budding casual singer and painter, and also, Julia's cousin, and one of our closest people. We thought it'd be fun to shine a light on science for a change, and boy do we. We discuss everything from the science of the Covid vaccine, the chemical results of the Beatles' drug use, entering the Beatles' catalog via the Anthology, a history of the Gideons, whether or not Rocky Raccoon is a cowboy dude, or a human-sized Raccoon-man hybrid. Also, Julia's tired all the time, and one time Jonathan was attacked by a raccoon. It's a wild time.

What do you think? Too high? To low? Just right? Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles), on Twitter at @rankingbeatles, and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

As the opening track on Rubber Soul, "Drive My Car" represents the line in the sand in which The Beatles shake off their beat-group roots, and firmly enter a smokey, hazy world, influenced by the world they've conquered and toured, and made in their image. Their continuing love of R&B manifests itself in the bass driven tune, propelling a story of a would-be star persuading the narrator to be her "chauffeur" (nudge nudge wink wink say no more) before she even has a car. A great example of a fascinating and clever story in song. It's a great song for sure, and it's an important song in their oeuvre, but I've never really LOVED it. 

To help me figure out why, we're joined by Sean Nelson, the singer behind the beloved band Harvey Danger, who's late 90s hit "Flagpole Sitta" has grown to be one of the most enduring songs of that decade, with its sharp wit and singalong hooks. In addition to the 3 albums his band released,  his own solo work, collaborations with other artists like Robyn Hitchcock and Death Cab for Cutie, he's also been the editor of Seattle's The Stranger newspaper, written a 33 1/3 series book on Joni Mitchell, acted in indie films, ran a record label, and, oh yeah, he's a HUGE Beatles fan. His most recent album is an absolutely fantastic collection of Harry Nilsson songs called Nelson Sings Nilsson, which we recommend you download/stream/buy as soon as you're done listening to this episode. Topics explored in this episode range from the adventures of starting a band, doing music on your own terms, working for pay versus being paid for your work, The Beatles being the blueprint for what a band should be,  ugly crying at Paul shows, to a shared love of the Monkees, and all points in between. 

Non-Beatles songs included in this episode:

Harvey Danger - “Flagpole Sitta” from Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone?

Paul & Linda McCartney - “Backseat of My Car” from Ram

Archie Bell & The Drells - “Tighten Up” from Tighten Up

Harvey Danger - “Little Round Mirrors” from Little By Little

Sean Nelson & Seattle Rock Orchestra - “Helter Skelter” (live)

Sean Nelson - “Gotta Get Up” from Nelson Sings Nilsson

What do you think? Too high? To low? Just right? Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles), on Twitter at @rankingbeatles, and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

To finish the break-neck recording sessions for Rubber Soul, the band dug back into the archives for the song "Wait," originally recorded and shelved during the Help! album soundtrack. A new overdubs, and voila! A fine album track, it's a great performance from all parties, but it also has a hint of the beat-group that the band had outgrown by this album, so it's got an interesting vibe of being a Help song in a Rubber Soul costume. One wonders if late 65 Beatles would've recorded this in the same style as early 65 Beatles, considering the growth they'd made personally, professionally, and musically in that year.

Joining us to this week is singer/songwriter Micah McKee. Micah has been a fixture in the New Orleans scene for years, with the bands Little Maker, The Essentials, and on his own. He also hosts the American 100 podcast, a podcast that explores the music of America by way of the history of the Billboard Top 100 chart. On this episode, recorded on Inauguration Day, we discuss everything from the relief of welcoming in a new administration, getting into the Beatles via the right album at the right time, making an album on your own with total control, to Disco Duck and recording a podcast with a robot named Rando.

Micah's new album "Abundences" will be out Feb 16th, and our episode features the tracks "Your Favorite Beatle" and "Someone Lost The Map." You can check out Micah's music at https://micahmckee.bandcamp.com and pre-order "Abundences" at http://www.campersrule.com/artists/micahmckee.  Check out the American 100 podcast at Apple Podcasts, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

What do you think? Too high? To low? Just right? Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles), on Twitter at @rankingbeatles, and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

This week's song is an "all-Paul" track (writing-wise, at least John says it is) that found a home on the Help! film and soundtrack. On celluloid, the boys craft "The Night Before" in a field, surrounded by tanks and assailed by wind. In real life, they knocked it out in 2 takes in Abbey Road in February of 65, the track marking the first time we hear Lennon on keys, and a key part that drives the entire song. It's a fun, upbeat song that gives Paul a place to shine in the film, while the latin-tinged bridge section shows their growth and willingness to change gears completely. And while they're growing by leaps and bounds, part of the song still feels steeped in early-Beatles-beat-group land...a land they were fast escaping on this album. On a record which delivers classics like "Help!," "Ticket To Ride," and the classic of classics, "Yesterday," the growing pains on this song kind of stand out. But then again, it's '65 Beatles, so it's still fantastic. 

Joining us this week is Louisiana-based singer/songwriter Ben Labat. When Covid shut down touring, Ben found a way to help other musicians pay their bills while continuing to record with his Bayou Fever Sessions project, and also found time to write, record and release a ton of other music. His latest single, "Rocket Heart," is out now, and the video was just premiered January 16th on Ditty TV. In our chat, we touch on everything from finding ways to adapt during pandemic times, the benefit of creators having a partner to impress and keep their bar high, to passing the Beatles down to your own kids. You can check out Ben on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/benlabatmusic, his website http://www.benlabat.com/, and check out the video for "Rocket Heart".  

What do you think? Too high? To low? Just right? Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles), on Twitter at @rankingbeatles, and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

There's an old joke...What was the last thing the drummer said before getting fired? "I've written a song..." Ringo first brought "Don't Pass Me By" to the Beatles when he joined the band in 1962. Not until the free-for-all spirit of The White Album in 1968 did the band agree to take up his jolly country tune, and when we say the band, we mean just Paul. Dueling sources place both Beatles behind the drum kit, strangely, and we're frankly not sure who it is because while it's messy enough to be Paul, it's weird and groovy enough to be Ringo . The song is filled with Sir Rich's trademark charm, and certainly adds to the sonic journey of the band's sole double album. Speaking of the band, The Band, it was their favorite track on the record, apparently. 

To discuss this track, we've brought back two of New Orleans' premier drummers...Kyle Melanon (Dash Rip Rock, Imagination Movers) who loves the track, and Andre Bohren (Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes) who does NOT. In our first in-person podcast, we discuss the pros and cons of being not quite professional, the difference singing versus being able to truly deliver a vocal, the weight of charm, and importance of letting your fiddle player tune up and make more than 1 pass on a track, while Julia drops a bomb that just may be the one overarching rule when it comes to The Beatles....

What do you think? Too high? To low? Just right? Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles), on Twitter at @rankingbeatles, and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

The Beatles kicked off sessions for Rubber Soul with a song John wrote based off a lyric lifted from an Elvis song. It's an interesting case that on a record where they tap into the idea that "the word is 'Love'" but close that record out with "Run For Your Life," perhaps the most aggressive and threatening song Lennon ever wrote. The lyrical content being at odds with all things "fab," it's a shame that a band so known for bringing joy and happiness never took the time to second guess what they were singing about on this track. It's the angrier, scarier version of the possessive side of himself on display later in "Jealous Guy." Disowned by Lennon himself in the 70s, and named as the worst Beatles song by NME Magazine, "Run For Your Life" is the rare severe misstep in the band's catalog.  This week we're joined by Diana Erickson, co-host of The Beatles podcast "Another Kind of Mind," a podcast which presents a fresh, well-researched, irreverent, nuanced, and emotionally intelligent analyses of the Beatles’ story. It's one of our favorite Beatle podcasts. We dive deep into the roots of the causes that enable someone to write a song with this kind of message, looking at the the yin and yang of personality that was John Lennon. What of that possessive side? Where does that intense feeling come from for John? We discuss the pros and cons of putting your faults out in the public eye, while also being brave enough to own up to those faults and work to overcome them in that same public forum. We also discuss how the AKOM team decided to shine a new light on the well-worn tale of the band, the complications of relationships and the effects they have, and the mutual upbringing of having no other Beatle-centric friends as a kid. Do yourselves a favor and subscribe to Another Kind of Mind anywhere you listen to podcasts. Join in their deep discussions on their Facebook Discussion Group, FB page, Twitter, Instagram. and Tumblr. And be on the look out for new episodes coming soon! As for us, be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. You can also now follow us on Twitter at @rankingbeatles! Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

John & Paul often talk about some songs as being "work songs"....tunes they knocked out for other artists, or George and Ringo, or tracks to fill out the album. They often referred to #188, "Little Child," as one of those songs. It's a fairly simple, uptempo rocker intended for Ringo's vocal spotlight on With The Beatles, though John eventually handles  the vocal on it. Simple as it may be, it's part of a period where the band starts realizing they're not beholden to the standard pop song arrangement or instrumentation, starting to spread their wings while maintaining a foot steadily in their beat group phase. It's also a remnant of that strange time in music where women are always referred to like young children, which is...yeah, kinda weird. A rocking track though that does it's job on the record.

It takes a certain level of love for a band to devote oneself to a podcast, and we're kicking off season 2 by talking to James C., the host of one of our favs, The Oasis Podcast. Since 2017, James has been chatting with ex-Oasis members, musicians who worked with the band, art directors, video directors, a whole slew of of people who worked with the Britpop giants, while also discussing the on-going solo careers of the Gallaghers and co., giving a much-deserved spotlight to music that, whether we in the states realize or not, was an influential, cultural JUGGERNAUT. There's so much more than just "Wonderwall," folks! We touch of the perfect storm of Oasis coming to the alongside the Beatles Anthology, the joys of a shimmering coda, the pride and love of having YOUR band, and our half-hearted attempts to reach out to the brains behind the music that fuels our respective shows. Be sure to listen and subscribe to The Oasis Podcast at any podcast provider of your choice, and follow along with James on Twitter @oasispodcast. Additionally, he hosts the 1001 Albums podcast, based on the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die." Check them out!

Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. You can also now follow us on Twitter at @rankingbeatles! Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

One of the great things this podcast has given over so far is a chance to re-examine songs you've heard hundreds of times. Through that, "There's A Place" revealed itself to be the roots of the introspective and sensitive Lennon who goes on the bring us songs like "Nowhere Man," "Strawberry Fields Forever," all the way to "Watching The Wheels." And it's brave as hell to put a song that low-key is commentary on mental health on your debut album in 1963, a time when those things weren't really discussed. But this is maybe the first time the Beatles become a band that people could connect to through song on a mental/emotional level, in that "this song gets me" kind of way.

On the flip, "Devil In Her Heart" shows the band finding material that no one else was playing or listening to, standing out among the other bands in Liverpool with more interesting choices and songs. They really connect on girl-group songs, and this song is no different. An overlooked, under-appreciated tune which, due to this podcast, finally led us to the original version, which rules!

This week, we elected to have no guest, and take a look back at the first season of our show. Jonathan and Julia chat about what they've learned and what's surprised them about this deep dive into the Fabs catalog, feeling conflicted about past rankings (and a couple of future ones), and touch briefly on what's to come in the new year. 2020 has been pretty awful, but doing this podcast has been the real highlight for us, so thank you all for joining us this season! Season 2 starts up in January!

Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support! 

Every holiday season from 1963-1969, members of the Official Beatles Fan Club would receive a special present from the Fab Four: a limited edition, fan-club-only flexidisc record, made just for them. What started out as a brilliant turn of PR, scripted to strengthen the appeal and bond between band and fan turned into an outlet for the boys to create whimsey and weirdness without consideration of commerciality. As they got turned on, so did the Christmas records. Bringing in elements of their beloved Goon Shows, pantomime and theatre, avant garde sound collages, the band turned in increasingly creative, then increasingly distant records every year, providing a fascinating glimpse into their trajectory throughout their career. 

To discuss this curio in the catalog, we teamed up for this crossover episode with Christmas music fanatic, previous guest, and host of the 12 Songs of Christmas Podcast, Alex Rawls. For several years now, in addition to his regular music website, My Spilt Milk, he devotes the end of the year to discussing Christmas music old and new, it's place in the zeitgeist and the relationship we have it. It's a fantastic podcast we highly recommend subscribing to. 

If you want to dive deeper into the Beatles Christmas discs, they're pretty easy to find on Youtube. They reissued them in a 7" boxset in 2017, which can still be purchased should you love them and decide to add them to your collection. 

Also featured in this episode is The Breton Sound's cover of "Wonderful Christmastime," which you can stream on all streaming sites, or download on iTunes if you really want it, and The Fab Four's "Tomorrow Never Knows"-ish cover of "Jingle Bells," which is absolutely a blast. They have a Christmas album called HARK!, all holiday songs done in Beatles-style, and it's a hoot. Highly recommend. 

Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

At the onset of the Get Back/Let It Be project, John had a dilemma: he was short on songs. Paul and George had them falling out of their back pockets, but John was...going through some things, and didn't have a ton of material. He looked to the past, as the rest did, to old Lennon/McCartney tunes, rock & roll standards, covers, and old folk songs, like "Maggie Mae," a tale-as-old-as-time story about a prostitute robbing her...John. This tune, with's it's equally odd history, shows up between takes of "Two of Us," a light-hearted jaunt through songs they knew back when, relieving tension, and providing that "fly-on-the-wall" perspective that was the impetus behind the project. It's an enjoyable, if somewhat perplexing inclusion in the catalog.

To somehow get an episode's worth of discussion on this track, we called the man who wrote the book on these sessions...literally. Bruce Spizer has written 10 books on the Beatles, examining everything from their releases on obscure independent record labels to band and solo releases on their own Apple Records, deep dives on their conquering of America, to in-depth analyses on Sgt. Pepper, The White Album, and now, Let It Be. He was the infuriating brain behind the questions on the Beatles' Trivial Pursuit game (10 points if you know what Jet Clipper Defiance is without Googling), and he's a regular speaker at Beatles conventions and events around the world. In addition to the odd history of "Maggie Mae," we touch on growing up as a 1st generation fan, what it takes to write some of the best Beatles books, the twists and turns of the Get Back/Let It Be project, and getting past book-burnout courtesy of an ex-Wings member.

Bruce's new book, "The Beatles Finally Let It Be," is available now! You can get it (autographed and with a SLEW of extra goodies - all of which he outlines in the episode) at his website, Beatle.net. Get it now and you'll be able to get the addendum accompanying the release of the Peter Jackson "Get Back" film next year! We also highly recommend his other books if you're looking for informative deep dives on Beatles topics, packaged in wonderful coffee-table books.

Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

After a few years of producing some fairly heady and serious musical output, George found himself wanting to lighten the load a bit in 1968. Not everything needed to be Within You Without You, inspiration didn't always have to be divine. It could come from anywhere, even your friends gross teeth. Thanks to his friend Eric (you know who)'s love of chocolates and disregard of dental hygiene, George came up with Savoy Truffle, an under-rated (imo) tune in which Paul and Ringo provide some of their nastiest grooves. George's decision to let the song be led by horns instead of guitar keep it exciting and energetic in a way it just wouldn't be if guitars were the feature instrument. George said around this time he "just wanted to be a rock star," and he certainly seems to be the part here, with a great vocal delivery matching his guitar lines, and lyrics that are downright sexy. How this song doesn't get more love is beyond me, cuz it's a killer.

To wrap up our 2023 season, we're delighted to welcome the one and only Chris Carter, host of Breakfast with the Beatles! Chris is celebrating the show's 40th ANNIVERSARY, and we couldn't be happier to talk about it with him. I mean, it's on in our car every morning anyway! We chat with Chris about the history and the future of Breakfast with the Beatles and how he keeps it fresh, gnarly horn sounds, absent John, and a wonderful story about a call from a Beatle's wife. If you don't already, listen to Breakfast with the Beatles Monday - Friday 8-11 ET on Sirius XM's Beatles Channel, and on KLOS every Sunday 9-12 PT.

What do you think about "Savoy Truffle" at #95? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Be sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rankingthebeatles.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Us A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

One of the first songs The Beatles worked on for their fourth record, Beatles for Sale, ended up being one of the last ones they finished, and along the way, I argue, the create the blueprint for what becomes power-pop. A catchy, repeating guitar riff on a jangly 12-string, a signature drum part, earnest, powerful, heart-on-the-sleeve vocals, and MELODY MELODY MELODY. "What You're Doing" may not be the high-water mark on the album, but it's impact on bands would be felt for generations to come.

One of those bands who followed that blueprint, and then fine-tuned it themselves was Memphis's Big Star. We're joined this week by author Rich Tupica, who's book "There Was A Light: The Cosmic History of Chris Bell and the rise of Big Star" is a brilliantly written bio on Big Star founder Chris Bell, who often gets sidelined in the story for the more well known and cult-worshipped Alex Chilton. Together, Chris and Alex wrote all the material for the band's debut, #1 Record, fashioning themselves as a Lennon-McCartney-style writing team with Chris the embracing the melody and production values of McCartney, and Alex the chaos and immediacy of Lennon. The partnership didn't last, as Chris left after the album came out to no fanfare, fruitlessly pursuing a solo career, while the band forged on, putting out an additional 2 records that sank without much of a trace upon release. Over the years, the Big Star/Chris Bell catalog moved underground, a secret between musicians with a shared love of Beatle-esque pop/rock, until a 90s reunion and on-going resurgence brought the band the acclaim and notoriety that eluded them during their initial run. All 3 of their original albums, #1 Record, Radio City, and Third, rank in Rolling Stone's top 500 Albums of All Time list. 

Rich's book can be purchased online or via your local bookstore. We suggest ordering locally if possible, and we can't recommend the book enough. Also, check out Rich's podcast Hanging on the Telephone (long-form phone conversations with creative people) and Inzane Michigan (a dive in the sights and sounds of Michigan).

This episode is a bit longer than usual, but Rich's knowledge of Big Star is impressive, and this music is as important, imho, as Beatles music, and I wanted to give it all the space it deserved. Non-Beatles songs featured in this episode are "In The Street," "Feel," "Septmber Gurls," I'm So Tired," "Thirteen," and "O My Soul" by Big Star, "I Am The Cosmos," and "You And Your Sister" by Chris Bell (the latter featuring Alex Chilton), and "The Letter" by The Boxtops.

Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

The White Album is definitely a high water mark for The Beatles. This expansive, now-classic album lifts off with the Chuck Berry-meets-The Beach Boys flavored rocker "Back In The USSR." The rocking Beatles are back from their psychedelic trips, and the gang's all here...except for Ringo, who walked out during the recording of this track. Paul takes over on the drums, adequately, and the original Threetles create a classic Beatles tune. But it's also the first time they look backwards, and it's the first time in a long time we hear them trying to sound like someone else. 

Elsewhere, Paul goes with the ol' "first idea-best idea" method with "Why Don't We Do It In The Road?" Ringo's here, but John and George are missing. Could Paul have not had a second idea though? In an increasingly familiar move, Paul creates the track without the input of any other band member, which, they've all done to some extent, but it's starting to stick in the craw of some. But also, like, no other idea besides just the one here? 

Joining us this week is guitarist/songwriter/singer/Texas Guitar Hall of Famer John Thomas Griffith. As the lead singer of early MTV stars Red Rockers, he came up in the early 80s punk/new wave scene, scoring a Billboard hit with the song "China," and seeing the world. Then in the 90s as a member of Cowboy Mouth, he saw the world again, and continues to do so today (when not shut down by a pandemic). Having shared the stage with everyone from U2 to Dave Matthews to Kiss to Bo Diddley, he's a rock and roll lifer who's seen and done it all. He's one of my favorite singers as well, and it's all topped off by the fact that he's one of the best dudes on the planet. I don't have a big brother, but if I did, it'd be John Thomas Griffith. We talk about all sorts of things, as fellas who've spent countless hours in a tourbus will do. We touch on writing the kind of songs YOU want to hear as an artist, coming up in the early punk/new wave scene, genre hopping, the weird and messy world of band dynamics, and we maybe even write a hot new blues jam for a new JTG solo album,  right here on the show!

Keep up with JTG on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/johnthomasgriffith for his Pandemic Fireside Livestream shows. You can also check out his music on all streaming platforms. Non-Beatles songs featured in this week's episode include "China" and "Another Day" by Red Rockers, "Everybody Loves Jill," "Man On The Run," and "New York City" by John Thomas Griffith, "This Boy," "Everybody Loves Jill," "Follow Me," and "Here I Sit In Prison" by Cowboy Mouth. 

Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

"When I Get Home" is a great example of peak early-period John Lennon. It's a raucous track with interesting harmonies, an amazing vocal delivered with all the attitude and swagger of someone who'd dared to take on the world and won. It's a brutal, rocking punch that found it's way to the second half of the "A Hard Day's Night" album. It's really got nothing going against it, other than it's maybe the most "throwaway" of John's early peak. Well, that, and maybe one of the worst bits of lyric the man every committed to tape. But he sells it and the track wins in the end. **Note** No cows were hurt in the making of this episode.

Joining us this week are the hosts of one of our favorite podcasts, "El Vinilo." Thanks to the internets, we check in with Matt, Adam, and Grace over in that oft-spoken city of Liverpool. Their podcast (one of the favorites in the RTB house) is a look at Rolling Stone Magazine's top 100 albums of all time, and each week they discuss an album and compare it with a new release to see what stands up or stands out. We touch on growing up and discovering The Beatles in Liverpool, The Beatles' influence on worship music, the pros and cons of loving til the cows come home, and how to run a podcast based on a list when the list gets changed well after you start that podcast! Do yourselves a favor and join in their discussions by subscribing to their show, following them on Instagram or Facebook, or picking up some of their wicked merch! (Which reminds me, we should get some RTB march)

Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

Send us your HOT TAKES for a chance to be featured in a future episode! Visit anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles, and click on Message. You can do it from your phone or computer, and send us your thoughts on a track we've discussed or any particular thing that you'd like to hear us yammer on about!

There's always been something about The Beatles that made them really shine on screen. Their charisma and ease on camera seems to come from a rounded appreciation of the arts, including literature and theatre. That they only ever released one cover of a Broadway tune is interesting, especially when you consider it's kind of what got them their shot with George Martin, but that's what happened with "Til There Was You." They really nail it on this song from The Music Man, despite John's own misgivings, thanks to a gorgeous vocal from Paul, and sublime guitar work from George. Given their ease and apparent comfort and draw to acting, one wonders why they didn't dive further into that side of the arts.

Who better to discuss the impact of theatre and literature on The Beatles than with a two-time Tony Award winner?  (He's half an EGOT winner too thanks to a Grammy, but who's keeping track?) Actor/musician Michael Cerveris joins us to discuss the impact being raised with an appreciation of multiple forms of the arts creates a well rounded performer, and how The Beatles on-screen magnetism gives their fieldwork a leg up on competitors like Elvis. We also discuss Michael getting advice from Sir George Martin on how to handle Roger Daltry's vocal parts when he starred as Tommy in The Who's Broadway version of the famous rock opera (while under the watchful eye of Pete Townsend no less), college singalongs to Sgt. Pepper with other actor friends, and how playing a musician on TV can actually help you realize that legitimately ARE a musician.

Michael's band Loose Cattle has a brand new single out November 13th, a cover of David Bowie's "Heroes," which you can get at their website and all streaming outlets. 

Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

Send us your HOT TAKES for a chance to be featured in a future episode! Visit anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles, and click on Message. You can do it from your phone or computer, and send us your thoughts on a track we've discussed or any particular thing that you'd like to hear us yammer on about!

As a musician, I couldn't ever imagine having the world hear the first song I ever wrote...or have the guts to put that first song on a record that's expected to sell millions of copies. But that's just what happens with #198, George's "Don't Bother Me." It checks all the 60's early rock boxes, all while in a minor key! Impressive? George called it "not a great song," and maybe he's not wrong, but its not awful, and it certainly shows a better beginning than anything I ever wrote. #197, "Ask Me Why," hits a spot I love: Early John drawing inspiration from R&B. This Smokey Robinson & The Miracles-inspired tune finds the band dropping some FANTASTIC 3 part harmony, with some clever lyrics...but does it sound like The Beatles? 

This week, we're joined by....another couple! Jak Locke (Jak Locke Rock Show) is a New Orleans-based musician, and Angie Tusa is an accountant, painter, and podcaster....and they're married, just like us! The difference is, SHE's The Beatles nut, and he's the casual fan. We dive into the role The Beatles, their music, and their own interpersonal and romantic relationships have impacted or inspired our own, and how having a partner who provides love and support can enable you to become the best version of yourself, for you AND your partner. We also touch on the being a product of your own record collection, kids being the worst, and Jak and Angie show off a very special piece of memorabilia. 

You can check out Jak's new record "Loud As Me," along with all his music from various bands at www.jaklocke.com and all streaming platforms. The track "Hannah" is featured in this episode, as well as several Beatles covers he's done with various bands. Angie's podcast, Schumacast (A journey through the films of Joel Schumacher) can be heard at https://schumacast.blogspot.com and at various podcast platforms.

Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

Send us your HOT TAKES for a chance to be featured in a future episode! Visit anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles, and click on Message. You can do it from your phone or computer, and send us your thoughts on a track we've discussed or any particular thing that you'd like to hear us yammer on about!

Few can dispute the fact that The Beatles were masters at the craft of songwriting. Melding music and lyrics was literally THEIR THING. They were GREAT at it. So it's an odd move for them to undertake recording a Memphis R&B styled instrumental during the sessions for Rubber Soul. A track owing more than just a tip-of-the-cap to Booker T. & The MGs' "Green Onions," "12 Bar Original" finds the band doing their best to step WAY out of their lane. The track gets tossed into the archives eventually and Rubber Soul gets spared this white boy groove, but if nothing else, it serves as love letter from the band to the music of Memphis and Stax Records, Detroit and Motown, and New Orleans R&B legends, all of whom serve as the literal foundation of what The Beatles are building upon in their own way. That love proved to be reciprocal, especially in Memphis, with Stax legends like Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Isaac Hayes, and the aforementioned Booker T. & The MGs, not to mention non-Stax acts like Al Green (to say nothing of power-pop acolytes Big Star, but that's a whole other episode - and it's coming) all embracing, covering, and reinventing The Beatles music. 

To explore the love-in between the Fabs and Memphis, we welcome Memphis-based engineer & producer Adam Hill into the two-timers club. Having been submersed in the music scene and recording industry in Memphis for the better part of 20 years, Adam gives us a history lesson through the river that runs from Liverpool to Bluff City. We also touch on The Beatles' aborted plans to record the album that would become Revolver in Memphis, choosing the wrong instruments to get funky on, and the surprising mystery of an acetate rough-mix of "A Day In The Life" surfacing in Memphis months before Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was released. 

Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

Send us your HOT TAKES for a chance to be featured in a future episode! Visit anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles, and click on Message. You can do it from your phone or computer, and send us your thoughts on a track we've discussed or any particular thing that you'd like to hear us yammer on about!

Country music always played a part in The Beatles' story, more so than it probably gets credit for. Cavern and Hamburg sets featured covers of  songs from the likes of Chet Atkins and Carl Perkins, while George's early lead style is massively influenced by them as well, all the way down to his choice of guitar. Ringo's love of country ends up with him doing a full on country album with studio giants in 1971 in Nashville, but before that, he dips his toes in the the country pool with his own songs and cover choices, like #200, "Act Naturally." Ringo's natural acting chops had come to the forefront in their first two films, so it made the most sense for him to be the one singing "they're gonna put the in the movies" on this Buck Owens tune. His persona carries the tune as well, leaning into the "aw shucks"ness naturally inherent in his voice, and for 4 guys who grew up as far away from "country" as possible, they do a fine job on this tune, which serves it's purpose well as the token Ringo vocal on "Help!".

Joining us this week is Chapel Hart, a country band consisting of 2 sisters, Danica and Devyn, and their cousin Trea. Their single "Jesus & Alcohol" is currently working it's way up the CMT charts and at country radio, as they try finding safe and smart ways to continue touring and working as a band during cover. They were recently named Mississippi Songwriters of the Year, and we discuss learning about songwriting from the diversity of the radio and learning wordplay from John Lennon. We also touch on crossing over from country to rock and vice versa, keeping a thesaurus and a wrench in your purse, and how they got Z.Z. Top legend Billy Gibbons to appear in their music video. Find out all at about Chapel Hart at www.chapelhart.com, check them out on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Their video for "Jesus & Alcohol," featuring Billy MF'in Gibbons, can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_bMgoPAlTY

Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

Send us your HOT TAKES for a chance to be featured in a future episode! Visit anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles, and click on Message. You can do it from your phone or computer, and send us your thoughts on a track we've discussed or any particular thing that you'd like to hear us yammer on about!

This episode drops into the contentious White Album sessions. Paul's perfectionism can be such a blessing, but also a curse. In trying to craft the joy and fun of #202 "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da," he ends up infuriating other band members and fighting with George Martin. Not the easiest way to get to a happy, silly, family friendly song. But then again, happy and family friendly are nowhere on the docket when John and Yoko enlist George and Mal Evans on the auditory equivalent of a bad acid trip, #201, "What's The New Mary Jane." Then again, they're crafting two VERY different ideas here. One is rooted in musicality and traditional song structure, with it's creator leaning on his own well-respected strengths and ability, while the other seems to be a product of someone free from the binds of being a pop star, and able to indulge in the creative whimsy in discovering oneself as "an artist." Or maybe it's just pure mumbo jumbo, I dunno. 

Joining us this week is guitarist and Jonathan's musical partner Stephen Turner. After being in bands together for the better part of 2 decades, they're still best friends and brothers, in that way that only people who've been creative together and spent countless fart-filled hours touring in a van can be. We discuss growing up in a house in which The Beatles and The Stones were never pitted against each other, switching off one side of your brain to enjoy more complicated music, the kind of music one would create when they get "f#&k you money," and Julia manages to drop a "your mom" for the first time.

Want to hear some of Stephen's guitar work? You can check out his and Jonathan's work in The Breton Sound. If instrumental prog is more your thing, you can dig his old band, Epic's album "Proprium."

Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

Send us your HOT TAKES for a chance to be featured in a future episode! Visit anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles, and click on Message. You can do it from your phone or computer, and send us your thoughts on a track we've discussed or any particular thing that you'd like to hear us yammer on about! 

There's a reason The Beatles are so associated with the word "love." While they wrote a huge amount of songs about romantic love, they became the flag-bearers for love as a universal cause. #204 "The Word" marks the first time we see the Fabs stepping into that spokesperson role, espousing the power of love and peace. Just two years later, on the heels of telling the world love was all they needed, they found a way to turn the most simple melody into an absurdly catchy instrumental for a spaced out druggy film, which is were we find ourselves with #203, "Flying." This week, we finally escape sausage land and get another dose of estrogen on our show! We're joined by powerhouse vocalist Debbie Davis, who's been singing professionally since she was 2 years old. Known as one of New Orleans' premier jazz vocalists, she's performed all over the world, accompanied by a variety of groups, duos, and with her signature ukulele. With Debbie in tow, we discuss the genre-crossing power of a good pop song, the confusion is can cause performers in figuring out how to end songs live where the Beatles faded them out, the Fabs touching on Motown and New Orleans R&B, using body parts for percussion, serving birthday cake to Sir Paul and watching him be a normal human when he walks out the wrong door. This episode was recorded Sept 9th, which was a BONKERS news days. We wondered aloud how weird things would be when we released the episode in early October. Yikes. Debbie's latest album is a duo release with pianist Josh Paxton, and is called "Interesting Times." This episode features the song "Other Than Everything, Everything's Great," as well as a live cover of "When I'm 64" from her and Josh's live album "Vices and Virtues." Both albums, as well as as the rest of Debbie's music, including her WONDERFUL "Oh Crap! It's Christmas" album can be heard at www.debbiedavismusic.com. You should buy them, because she's incredible.  Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

Buddy Holly was one of the biggest influence on the Beatles, particularly John and Paul. They covered at least 13 of his songs during their early days. He inspired them to be both singers AND songwriters. So it's kind of surprising they only released Buddy Holly cover. As much as I enjoy "Words of Love," it feels like it's never gotten above the "that's nice" level for me. It's a track that struggles to stand out in an album that struggles to standout amongst the best of the Fabs. It's not that I don't like, I just feel like I want something more.

We're joined by our first return guest, drummer and certified Beatles nerd Kyle Melancon (seriously, he's such a nerd, he just bought an absolutely atrocious Magical Mystery Tour area rug, it's comically awful). We touch on all manner of subjects this week, like Buddy Holly's place in the rock and roll pantheon, the troubles with music biofilms, what publishing we'd own if we had "F&(k you" money, and we somehow manage to connect Buddy Holly, The Beatles, 311, and Weezer all in the same episode. We also question if it's maybe time to sweep ol Gary Busey and his teeth under the rug and revisit Buddy Holly on the big screen, and how does this song stack against other covers, including the shelved tour-de-force, "Leave My Kitten Alone"?

Follow all of Kyle's adventures on Instagram at @yeskyle. He's the king of the selfie. He's also a prolific tweeter, @kyle_melancon. For all his bands and musical projects, check the show notes on our previous episode #223 Sie Liebt Dich & #222 Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand.

Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

Riding high on the success of a chart topping debut album and #1 singles, the Beatles were searching for what the next big hit would be. While "It Won't Be Long" didn't turn out to be that hit, it did provide a brilliantly urgent shot with which to start their sophomore album. It absolutely fires out of the speakers, grabbing the listener immediately with a passionate lead vocal from John that volleys back and forth "yeah!" "yeah!" "yeah!"s with Paul and George. A great guitar hook, tight syncopation from John and Ringo showing that this band has chops and an ear for crafting winners even on mere album tracks. It's a great way to start the second album, showing that there's definitely more in the tank from this young upstart band.

We're thrilled to welcome back author and Beatles scholar Ken Womack! He's ready to rank, and ready to talk about his fantastic new book, "Living The Beatles Legend: The Untold Story of Mal Evans," a book that finally shines the light on the boys' longtime assistant and confidante. We talk about amazing journey to rescue Big Mal's archives, the Red and Blue remixes, the storm of touring, and much more! Grab a copy of the book here, and get ready for the follow up next year!

What do you think about "It Won't Be Long" at #96? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Be sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rankingthebeatles.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Us A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Under the gun for material to complete Rubber Soul, the Beatles dusted off an old Quarrymen-era tune, sprinkled a bit of Buck Owens on it, and gave Ringo his vocal turn with #207, "What Goes On."  An earlier version was considered as a single to follow up "Please Please Me," but it found it's home as a nice bit of album filler in 1965. Featuring nice guitar and bass work, a solid vocal, and done in one take, it lands as not a bad song, not a great song, but good enough. 

#206, "A Taste of Honey," is the first time we get a sample of what John called Paul's "granny music $h!t." Everyone turns in a nice understated performance for a song that was sure to win over the parents of their target demographic, but is it too syrupy for its own good? And for a song with so many well known and unknown covers, how does it stack up?

Joining us this week to discuss these songs is music writer Brett Milano (Boston Globe, OffBeat Magazine, Rhino Records), who entered the Fabs' orbit as lead writer and content creator for The Beatles Rock Band game. We talk about learning what a band should look, feel, and act like, take a peek behind the curtain at the creation of the Beatles Rock Band, including being in the same room as a copy of of mythical, mysterious, holy grail, "Carnival of Light." Elsewhere we touch on long lost tracks from Billie Dee Williams (the OG Lando Calrissian), finally touch on the Monkees,  Jonathan and Julia shamelessly shill for beer again, and we introduce a brand new feature....BLOOPERS!

Learn more about Brett at his website brettmilano.com. Pick up one of his great books anywhere you get books...

• Vinyl Junkies: Adventures in Record Collecting
• THE SOUND OF OUR TOWN: A History of Boston Rock & Roll
• 300 Songs for 300 Years: Songs That Have Immortalized New Orleans

Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

Paul McCartney and John Lennon are, inarguably, two of the greatest songwriters of all time. On this episode, we tackle what may be the most inconsequential songs they penned during their time as Beatles. These songs also show the different paths they'd found themselves on in 1969...Paul, able to be fully self-sufficient on his own, creating on whim; John, searching for something while in the throws of addiction, and pulling the band behind him to try and manufacture inspirado. 

We're joined this week by New Orleans-based singer/songwriter Justin Molaison. Justin studied music and songwriting at Berklee, where he even took a course built on the study of John Lennon's songwriting. We cover lots of ground in this episode, including Justin growing up with a British mother, Paul digging into his most impish and whimsical, a missed opportunity to use Her Majesty as the theme music to "The Crown," and put out our first soulless grasp at sponsorship.

Non-Beatles music in this episode include
Chumbawumba - Her Majesty (NOT KIDDING)

Justin Molaison - Ain't Loved Like This Before

You can find Justin's music at justinmolaisonmusic.com and keep up with him on Facebook.

Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles.

It's our first ever crossover episode! We're putting our heads together with Tommy, Scotty, and Becker, the hosts of Blotto Beatles, a podcast where they discuss a different Beatles song over a handful of adult beverages, then decide where it should rank in their personal rankings. Great minds think alike! In this episode, we discuss "I'll Get You," the b-side to the "She Loves You" single. It's a song that really has no downside to it, it shows the Fabs already learning how to work the crowd, even on record, and has one of my absolute favorite John & Paul joint vocals. 99.9% of other bands would absolutely kill for this kind of song to be their b-side, lesser bands made careers out of songs that weren't as good as this. We also discuss growing up with friends who bond over the Beatles, kleptomaniac parents, intimate ideas for show that Macca could (but probably would never) do, and invent what's destined to be the first official Ranking the Beatles merch, the Paul Shawl.  Blotto Beatles can be heard anywhere you listen to podcasts, including Apple and Spotify, as well as on their website, blottobeatles.com. We highly recommend kicking back with the beverage of your choice and hanging with our new pod pals! Be sure to follow along and leave your comments on the rankings, and the show, on Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles

Ancient philosophers once wrote "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." No, wait, sorry, that was Semisonic. It's true though. Beginnings and endings are fascinating because of what comes from both. "Love Me Do" was the beginning for the Beatles, but the end of the proverbial black & white life society was living in. Boom! Color. "The Long and Winding Road" marked the end of the Beatles, but the beginning of their respective solo careers, and the beginning of the hindsight with which we view them and their collective works. Which allows me too look back at these two songs and say, while I don't dislike them, they're not really my favorites. "Love Me Do" just never clicked for me for some reason. "The Long & Winding Road" is maybe just a touch too sad for my liking, and Phil Spector's sappy production is the syrupy icing on the cake that makes me not yearn to hear this track too often.

For our guest Paul Sanchez, The Beatles' music marked the start of a career that landed him on the charts in the mid 90's with New Orleans rock band Cowboy Mouth. For 16 years, he toured across the globe relentlessly with the band as rhythm guitarist, songwriter, and co-lead singer. The end of that time came about in 2006, when he decided to leave the band and focus on what's become an amazing solo career. That ending also marked a beginning for Jonathan, who joined Cowboy Mouth after Paul's exist, taking his role as rhythm guitarist. 3 years later in 2010, that beginning became an ending as well, as Jonathan left the band to pursue his own new beginning with The Breton Sound. Ironically enough, the night Jonathan returned from his final tour, he happened to run into Paul in a music club in New Orleans, and thus began yet another beginning; a friendship and occasional collaboration on record and stage that continues through to this day. He's been hailed by Tim Sommer of the Brooklyn Observer as "America's greatest living folk singer." Paul has released 19 solo albums, created a musical adaptation of the novel Nine Lives, and has been named Songwriter of the Year like 100 times by New Orleans' OffBeat Magazine. The dude knows how to write a good song.

Paul's music can be found at PaulSanchez.com, all streaming sites, and you can purchase his music on vinyl and CD at louisianamusicfactory.com. Songs featured in this episode are:

Walking In Liverpool - Paul Sanchez

At the Foot of Canal Street - John Boutte & Paul Sanchez - HBO's "Treme Season 1 - Official Soundtrack"

Light It On Fire - Paul Sanchez 

Jet Black & Jealous - Paul Sanchez

Be sure to follow along and leave your comments on the rankings, and the show, on Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles

You know how when a puppy's paws get big, and they get real clumsy and don't know what to do with them, and it's super cute, but they need to grow into their paws? That's how Jonathan sees "That Means A Lot," a song from the "Help!" album sessions, shelved until the Anthology release in the 90s. We're joined this week by drummer and classical pianist Andre Bohren to discuss this song, as well as "Tell Me What You See," a song that features a lyric Andre calls "unforgivable." GASP!

We also discuss making music during a pandemic, touring the country and soaking up all kinds of music as a child, and Andre reveals to Jonathan that apparently Sir Paul & Co. once knew about, and maybe talked about trying to make it to a John Lennon tribute show they were involved in. You can hear Jonathan's heart rate build up.

Andre is the drummer is in New Orleans rock/funk band Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes. Additionally, a classically trained pianist, he's toured and performed all over the country in both roles. Currently, you can catch him playing AMAZING daily classical livestreams on his Facebook page, facebook.com/andre.bohren. 

What are your thoughts on these rankings? Agree or disagree? Drop us a line on at facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, and follow us on Insta at @rankingthebeatles. Don't forget to subscribe, and if you're really digging it, leave us a review!!

This week we travel back to 1963 and 1965 via 1995 with previously unreleased tracks from The Beatles Anthology. The Fabs had a great knack for self-editing and knowing when something wasn't quite working. In the case of "If You've Got Trouble," that knack helps when your song has got "stupid words" and is "the naffest song" (George said so himself. This shelved Ringo vocal from the "Help!" session is a perfect example. He's GOT to have a song on the record, but this one just never really connects. 

Another element to their story is how they were always willing to bet on themselves. While the powers that be wanted to release "How Do You Do It?" as their debut, but the boys insisted on one of their own compositions. How would history have been different if this had been their debut though, and does their version have that razz-a-matazz that made it a hit for someone else? 

Joining us this week is Jeffrey Roedel, a writer, director, producer, and fellow hardcore Beatlemaniac.  We discuss coming of age during the Anthology renaissance and how that impacted our experience of the Beatles story, Jonathan and Julia reminisce about their pilgrimage to Liverpool,  and we talk about the often-missed humility and humbleness of the young John Lennon. Wait, what?

Check out Jeffrey's literary magazine Wonder South at www.wondersouth.com and on Instagram @wondersouth, and you can also check out his writing and film endeavors at www.jeffreyroedel.com.

Listen to Jeffrey's Anthology and Outtakes Playlist! 

Heads up, Faith No More fans: this ain't your guy, and yes he's heard all the jokes. Power-pop songwriter and dj/music curator Mike Patton joins us as we continue counting down our ranking of all the Beatle songs. At #218, Hold Me Tight is, as Macca describes it, " an attempt at writing a single that didn't quite work out." Sure is snappy though! Mike tells Jonathan why he's way off base with it at #218. 

Following that is George's "You Like Me Too Much," a song that, once listened to with modern day thoughts and sensibilities, maybe isn't one of George's finest moments. Jonathan put it at #217, Julia puts it in the dumpster. Note: this portion of the episode does contain discussion of abuse. If you'd like to skip that part, following the "intermission," jump ahead about 23 minutes to continue the show. 

We also discuss Mike's music with the bands Vista Blue, Ralphie's Red Riders, his indie label and power-pop radio show. The dude does it all!

Non-Beatles songs in this episode include The Treasures "Hold Me Tight," Vista Blue "Three Chord City" and "I Think Cathy Is Crazy (About You)".

Check out Mike's music at https://wearevistablue.bandcamp.com/music.

His power-pop radio show "The Radiant Radish" can be heard Saturdays at 9:00pm on Radio Free Nashville (103.7 FM) or online here! The archives of his show are available to stream and are a treasure trove of great pop songs, highly recommended for good times in your ear holes!

Be sure to follow along and leave your comments on the rankings, and the show, on Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles) and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles

Sorry if we offended anyone by approaching something from Revolver so quickly, but alas, here we are. George's first full-on excursion into Eastern music may be one of the more significant and important songs in the Beatles catalog. That doesn't mean it's my favorite of his songs though. I've got it ranked at #219, but music writer/critic Alex Rawls totally disagrees with me. We talk about Alex's history with Beatles music, Christmas music...all kinds of music! 

Check out Alex's site www.myspiltmilk.com where he covers the cream of New Orleans music and beyond.

ALSO, if you love Christmas music like we do, check out his Christmas music podcast, 12 Songs of Christmas, and be sure to subscribe!!

Be sure to follow our socials! www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles and on Instagram @RankingTheBeatles. And lastly, be sure to do your part in keeping everyone safe and healthy by staying home when you can, and wearing a mask when you have to go out. We want to interview our guests in person one day!!

The b-side to the Fabs' debut single has never been my cuppa. It's always seemed a bit too wimpy and lightweight. Yet beneath the surface,  might there be the an early sign of a new direction? Dave Pomerlau seems to think so, and does his best to convince Jonathan that this song is maybe trickier than originally thought. We also explore how The Beatles' helped provide healing times for New Orleans musicians post-Hurricane Katrina, Julia establishes the podcast as a Wings-friendly zone, and briefly dip our toes into the world of "Return To Pepperland." Briefly. Like, not long, but enough to know what the temperature is. 

Check out Dave's work with Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes at johnnysketch.com and on Facebook

Their new live album, "Melt Your Face" is available now on their website and all streaming platforms. 

Not quite the caboose, but close! At #221, Mr. Moonlight ranks as my 3rd least favorite Beatles song. We’re joined on this episode by engineer/producer Adam Hill (Big Star, Jack White, Klaus Voorman and more). In this epidode, we discuss how a band so known for it’s brilliance could lay such an egg as this. We also discuss Adam’s work with Klaus Voorman on his solo album “A Sideman’s Journey" (with some great Hamburg stories re-told), how the Beatles influenced the work that went into making the classic Big Star albums, Ringo watching bums, and hear the beautiful sounds of birds chirping throughout our episode, as Adam joined us from a cabin while on a woodland get-away with his family for Father’s Day.

It can be tough to write songs when you're not out living real life experiences. After the Beatles stopped touring, John often found himself at home, bored and isolated from the social scenes he'd been in while on the road. But John could find inspiration in anything...posters, newspapers, even commercials. That's where he found inspiration for this rocking ode to everyday malaise that would find a home towards the end of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Driven by some gnarly sounding horns, a driving drum track that hides a complicated time signature, and an absolutely ripping guitar solo from Paul, "Good Morning, Good Morning" seems to often get the short end of the stick. It's not as psychedlic and dreamy as some of John's other Pepper-era tunes, but it's certainly as vidual a lyric and as well produced a track, and a nice chance to hear the band really rock on that album.

This week, we're thrilled to be joined by Darren HIll and John Thomas Griffith of the recently-reunited Red Rockers. Before they scored an early MTV hit in 1984 with the song "China," they were hailed as America's answer to The Clash by Rolling Stone, and released the seminal album "Condition Red." After a fateful discovering of long-lost master tapes, they've not only recently re-mixed and re-released the album, they've also performed their first live show since breaking up in 86 (it was amazing, btw). We chat with John and Darren about how they got their record back, reuniting, the Beatles punk credibilty, de-evolution, the art of the album, and so much more. Follow Red Rockers on Facebook or Instagram to see what the future holds, order yourself a copy of Condition Red, or stream it wherever you listen to music!

What do you think about "Good Morning, Good Morning" at #97? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Be sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rankingthebeatles.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Us A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And we're off! Counting down Jonathan's own personal ranking of the entire Beatles catalog. Our guest on this episode is musician Kyle Melancon, drummer for Emmy-award winning Disney stars The Imagination Movers and formerly of Louisiana Music Hall of Fame rock band Dash Rip Rock. We get in to the brass tacks of why these songs are where they are on the list, a bit of history and why these songs were made, as well as Kyle's personal Beatles history and how it's impacted his career as a musician. We also get enjoy a spoken-word rendition of the translations of the Beatles' German-language singles, and Julia is pleasantly shocked at Paul McCartney's business acumen. Apologies for Jonathan's continued butchering of the German language throughout the episode!

Kyle also plays in pop rock band Daphne Moon, and with Jonathan in 90s cover band supergroup Big In The 90s. Check out all of Kyle's musical going-ons at:

www.imaginationmovers.com

Facebook.com/biginthe90s

Facebook.com/daphnemoonband

Out of boredom during COVID quarantine, I decided to rank 224 songs recorded by my all time favorite band, The Beatles. My own opinions, my own $.02. Long story short, all my friends had opinions, and they weren't afraid to share them. They also shared how that music has effected their lives in different ways. It turns out, everyone has a Beatles story. This is a place to share and experience those stories.

"There's a great woman behind every idiot." - John Lennon. 

This is super true. When the idea came of having a co-host, I wanted someone who didn't share my same obsession with The Beatles, someone who could help keep my scattered brain organized, someone who could make me laugh and was easy to talk to. Also, someone who was, you know, available? We're still under quarantine and all. I just so happen to be married to a woman who checks all those boxes, and was surprisingly willing to follow me down this ridiculous road and keep me from losing the map. 

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Beatle-people of all ages, meet my co-host, my best friend, the great woman behind my idiot, the one-and-only Mrs. Julia Pretus!

Hi! I'm Jonathan, and I'm a Beatles nut. I have been ever since I was a little kid. I've bought all the records (and cds and tapes and download), read all the books, poured over the boxsets, the hours and hours and hours of outtakes and isolated tracks and live tracks, made the pilgrimage to Abbey Road, The Cavern, Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane. I've spent what my parents always called "an exorbitant amount of time" on this band. They've always been my musical companion, through good and bad. So with time on my hands during the Covid-19 lockdown, I figured why not add to that exorbitant amount, and rank the entire recorded output of the band?

I began posting the rankings on my personal Facebook to start, and the conversations they sprung were fantastic. So fantastic, that it seemed a shame to not go further in-depth than a Facebook thread would allow. So here we are.

This episode is just a little intro to me and my history...a "get-to-know-your-Captain" informative packet, but in audio form. If you feel the same way I do about The Beatles, or even about any band, let me know! I'd love to hear it. Drop me a line on Facebook  or IG @rankingthebeatles, or email rankingthebeatles@gmail.com. 

Get ready to dive into a total fool's errand....

1967 was arguably the top of the mountain for the Beatles. With the Sgt. Pepper album, they provided the soundtrack that encapsulated global consciousness, while also elevating themselves beyond just a mere pop band; they were artists of the highest order.

It was also the beginning of the end, with the death of Brian Epstein kicking off a long series of events that would eventually unravel the band. But by the year's end, they were just too big to fail. As such, "Hello, Goodbye" made it's impact as a return to light-heartedness that the band, and the world, needed. It's an insanely catchy song, sing-a-long-able in every way, and miles removed from the higher plane they'd been operating on for the last year. But it's kind of like cotton candy. It's sweet, and satisfies the sweet tooth, but doesn't have any real substance to it. But boy, it's sure tasty.

This week we inaugurate Debbie Davis as the newest member of the 4 timers club! We welcome back one of the best singers in New Orleans to discuss this song, musical grave robbing, commerciality, and more!

What do you think about "Hello, Goodbye" at #98? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Be sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rankingthebeatles.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Us A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

We're into the top 100 songs in our rankings! We can't turn back now!!

Paul McCartney seems to have a knack for making sure he finishes things. "Now and Then" is a good example; he saw something there worthwhile and though it took a couple of decades, he saw it through to completion. The same can be said for "I Will," a song for which he had a melody kicking around a long time before he was able to complete a lyric for. After tossing lyrics he worked on in India with Donovan, and after John declined to help, he came up with what on paper are incredibly simple lyrics, but say so much more. And that melody...what a winner. He looped in Ringo and John to add percussion, and a brilliant vocal bass, cramming the final song with hooks in a simple arrangement. It makes for one of the more beautiful and light-hearted moments on an album that can sometimes be viewed as really dark.

To discuss this song, we're thrilled to welcome back this week's guest, Mike Viola! Mike (who joined us back in 2021 to discuss #165 "Your Mother Should Know") is a wonderful singer, songwriter, and producer, who's worked with acts like Panic! At the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Mandy Moore, Jenny Lewis and more, and has written songs for numerous films like Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. He's also the voice you hear singing the brilliant "That Thing You Do!" from the film of same name. Since we last spoke, he's released the fantastic "Paul McCarthy" album, which we highly recommend you check out. And he's going to be on a solo acoustic tour in the early part of 2024, which we also highly suggest you get tickets for if he's in your area. We chat with Mike about manic creativity, songwriting responsibility, the best way to watch Get Back, and more!

What do you think about "I Will at #99? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Be sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rankingthebeatles.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Us A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

As Paul noted in the Get Back series, The Beatles seemed to excel when their backs were against a wall. They were certainly feeling the time crunch during a several week residency in Paris in early 64. They hadn't yet conquered America, but they were due to be there in a couple of weeks. They also had their first movie on the horizon, and they had to finish writing most of the songs for the film and it's accompanying album. All while playing a bunch of shows, and trying to enjoy the fact that they'd just gotten their first #1 in the US.

Thankfully, they were able to knock out some classic material in that time, including this song, "I Should Have Known Better." Featuring an effective harmonica hook, a 12 string guitar solo, and a wonderful lead vocal from John, this song almost exemplifies '64-era Beatles. In fact, it's often the song I think about what when I think about what typifies the band. It's the first Beatles song I can remember hearing also, which may explain that. It's simple, sustinct, effective, and so so catchy.

Joining us to chat this week is Laurie Kaye, author of the new book "Confessions of a Rock and Roll Name Dropper: My Life Leading Up to John Lennon's Last Interview. We chat with Laurie about her journey in radio, including interviewing a couple of other Fabs, leading up to her December 8th 1980 interview with John. We also discuss some of the other legends she's chatted with, harmonicas, the Hard Days Night Movie, and much much more! Check out Laurie's book at https://www.confessionsofarocknrollnamedropper.com/ or wherever you get Beatle books!

What do you think about "I Should Have Known Better" at #100? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Be sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rankingthebeatles.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Us A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

While the exact time and place of this song seems to have been lost to the fog of 80+ years of memories, Paul does remember that he wrote this song with the thought it might end up as the Beatles next single in 1964. It seemed to lack that certain Beatle magic singles required, but it found a home on the back half of Beatles For Sale, albeit a home that maybe doesn't do it the justice it deserves. It's sneaky in a few different ways. It's got melodies and hooks for days, from the verse melody to the soaring chorus, to that chorus' emphatic tympani hits. And that's before we even get to John's 12 string electric guitar part, which comes across as a totally different take on the 12 string electric from what George would have played. Speaking of John, he turns in a fantastic vocal, and it's one of the rare times in the catalogue a song is sung by a Beatle who wasn't also the composer of the song.

Joining us this week is Joe Adragna, the brains behind power-pop force The Junior League. He's been putting out critically acclaimed music under this moniker since the early aughts, as well as playing in a variety of other groups. We chat with Joe about DIY recording and Jonathan's lazy musical output, power pop blueprints, childhood Beatles obsessions, and the Beatles' impact on kids today. Be sure to check out Joe's music at The Junior League's bandcamp page, or wherever you buy or stream music! And give em a follow on Facebook!

What do you think about "Every Little Thing" at #101? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Be sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rankingthebeatles.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Us A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Been a long time since we did a two-fer episode! Here we go!

The Beatles often seemed to turn in some of their best work when up against a deadline. A handful of songs that would make up most the Help! album seemed to come about in short order, as the band had to write and record a big majority of the album before leaving to film. "You're Going to Lose That Girl" is one John knocked out in short order that really shows the band's growth as a unit, and represents them at maybe the most professional sounding of the early Beatles era. A killer, classic John vocal with pitch perfect call and response vocals from Paul and George and rock solid foundation from Ringo, pushed forward by a frantic bongo overdub. It just seems to be the epitome of early-Beatles cool, especially in light of the brilliant performance footage of it in the Help! film.

And in very different times, the band turn in one of their most straight ahead rocking performances with "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)." By the end of the Sgt. Pepper sessions, the band hadn't really done a true out and out fast rocker since maybe the middle of 1965. Ready to put their masterpiece to bed, the band spent the last day of the sessions letting it all out on the uptempo penultimate track. With some of Ringo's most killer grooves (the Beastie Boys would sample the intro on Paul's Boutique, their own hip-hop Sgt. Pepper), absolutely killer guitar from George and John, and some of Paul's most frenzied shouting, the band showed that even though they were branching out in all directions, they could be the best rock and roll band in the world.

Joining us to talk these two songs this week is Mary Lasseigne! The bassist for The Cowsills (formerly of Cowboy Mouth, just like me - there's a lot of us) stops by to talk backing into the Beatles via Wings, playing with 60s legends, Now and Then, and these two very different Beatles tunes. Catch her on the road with The Cowsills!

What do you think about "You're Going to Lose That Girl" at #103 and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" at #102? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Be sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rankingthebeatles.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Us A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

IT'S HERE!! New Beatles music in...2023!?!?!

What a time to be a Beatles fan. After blowing our collective minds with the Get Back documentary in 2021, Peter Jackson and co. have again used their MAL software to allow separation of John's vocal and piano from his original demo, solving the issue that seemed to have stalled the completion of this song in the 95 Anthology sessions. With the help of Giles Martin, Paul and Ringo have finally seen this one over the finish line, the last new Beatles song.

It's a LOT to take in. From the song itself, to ithe controversial video, to the even more controversial single artwork, we wanted to discuss it all. So we decided to gather some Beatle pod friends to chat about after we had a couple of days to let it all sink in. We're joined by Allison of BC The Beatles, and Tommy, Becker, and RB of Blotto Beatles to let our thoughts out and see just how we're all feeling about this momentous moment in Beatles history.

What do you think about Now and Then? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com for all things RTB, grab yourself a Rank Your Own Beatles poster (we'll be updating it soon to include "Now and Then"), or if you're really enjoying it, Buy Us A Coffee!

In many ways, Paul McCartney is the ultimate storyteller. He's got an unparalleled ability to craft characters and a situations that are so vivid, you can't easily tell when he's hiding his own feelings and life stories in them. So when we writes a song where he's totally upfront about a situation, no story, no characters, you can bet it's something important to him. And that's what he's doing with "You Never Give Me Your Money" from Abbey Road. Maybe the first time we get. real glimpse of the Paul who can take various fragments and create a composition with different movements, the song discusses his frustration with the Beatles' inner-organization fighting over their financial situation. One might think a song with such a specific perspective would make it hard to connect to, but Paul's vocal is so on point and so emotive and authentic, it's easy to connect to. It's also, imho, the auditory blueprint for Abbey Road, crystal clear guitars, signature drum fills, sparkling sonics, it's a true gem of the catalogue.

Joining us this week is someone who knows McCartney pretty darn well, Tom Hunyady, co-host of 2Legs, A Solo Paul McCartney Podcast, as well Talk More Talk, A Solo Beatles Videocast. Tom's been deep-diving into Paul's catalogue for a long, long time, and we're big fans of his shows, so when we had a chance to connect at the Fest for Beatles Fans, we couldn't have been happier. Tom joins us (with a BIG discrepancy in our ranking) to discuss the Beatles podcast landscape, One Hand Clapping, recognizing Paul's genius, and more. Be sure to check out 2Legs and Talk More Talk to follow what Tom's doing!

What do you think about "You Never Give Me Your Money" at #87? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Be sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rankingthebeatles.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Us A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

After what must have been a creatively exhausting few months creating Sgt. Pepper, The Beatles blew off steam by recording a track that was more in line with the Goon Show humor they grew up loving, filled with weird voices and sound effects, creating comedic environments and asides, purely for the enjoyment of doing something that appeased them. It took them several sessions over a couple years to finish it, with Paul and John working in on it together even during some of their most tumultuous times. For somer reason, it was something they really wanted to finish. Usually a song like that would stay in the vaults, but by the time the wheels had fallen off, this bizarre track found a home as the B-side of "Let It Be," mainly due to John's prodding. If any song released during their time together could be considered obscure, it's probably this one.

However, while it's understandable that this song may not be people's cup of tea, I've always found this to be an absolutely captivating and fun song. It's the absurd humor and silliness we all love in A Hard Day's Night or Help or (more so) Magical Mystery Tour, but on record instead of film. This is probably one of the best looks at the entangled relationship of Lennon and McCartney, two people so connected into each other's brain and psyche and humor. It's their in-jokes, it's their connection as friends with their own private world, and it's right here on record. It's two friends on the microphone doing being the kids they've always been, and it's a blast. How you can you listen to this and NOT smile? And not to mention, it has maybe one of Paul's most ferocious vocals, and possibly Ringo's fattest groove and best sounding drums? Cmon! Who else could do this!?!?!

To discuss this bizarre tune, we're happy to welcome back our good buddy Sam Whiles. He's the host of "Paul or Nothing," the absolutely wonderful Paul McCartney podcast, which is the only place to get All Paul All The Time. He joins us to discuss the bizarre humore and charm of the Beatles, the weird chemistry of bandmates, early aughts internet, and why Jonathan chooses this hill to die on. Be sure to subscribe to Paul or Nothing wherever you get podcasts, and follow Sam on Twitter and Instagram to join the fun.

What do you think about "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)" at #104? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠! Be sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rankingthebeatles.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Us A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Lots of songwriters point to the idea that the best songs are the ones that tend to find the you, letting the writer be the vessel or medium. Much like "Yesterday" did for Paul, "Across The Universe" seemed to come to John from within a dreamstate, appearing in his subconscious while lying in bed, almost pushing him to get up and go write down the words and find the melody that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. An absolutely gorgeous lyric no doubt influenced by the band's recent immersion into meditation and easter philosophy, the song marks John at perhaps his most cosmic and peaceful. The irony is that from a recording standpoint, John never could figure out what he wanted to do with the song. Unlike "Yesterday," where George Martin seemed to know exactly what the song needed, that directive and inspiration was no where to be found for "Across The Universe." Lennon lead the band through multiple arrangement ideas but never captured what he thought he was hearing in his head, or where he thought the song should go. Which is a shame because I think although it's a really beautiful track (I love all the versions out there) the track ultimately suffers from an almost un-easy performance from John. As released, it never feels totally settled and comfortable in it's own skin. It's almost like it's missing the confidence in the delivery because John never seems sure of where he should be going. But even still, it's a beautiful song, one of John's best written songs, I just think it's a B- minus track of an A+ song.

Joining us this week is jazz guitarist Dan Wilson! The Ohio-based virtuoso joins us to chat about making people move, jazz vs rock, coming into jazz from a church and funk background, and his newest album Things Eternal, which features a FANTASTIC version of "Eleanor Rigby." There's a taste here in the episode, but we highly recommend you check out the whole thing. Be sure to follow Dan on Facebook and at his website to hear more music and see when he's playing!

What do you think about "Across the Universe" at #105? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠! Be sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠www.rankingthebeatles.com⁠⁠⁠ and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠Buy Us A Coffee⁠⁠⁠!