I feel like you can play the Muskrat/Born game for any watershed moment in music. "(Everything I Do) I Do it For You" was the #1 song when "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was released. The summer charts in 1967 are full of dross. Schmalz always plays.
I love your inclusion of PM Dawn's great cover of "Norwegian Wood" - agreed that they're under-appreciated today (incidentally, their big breakthrough "Set Adrift on a Memory Bliss" came out the same month as "Smells"). My personal favorite cover of that song is Cornershop's pointed Punjabi-language version of the song at the end of their brilliant When I Was Born For the 7th Time
Back in the '70s, Mr. Moonlight was considered by most Beatlemaniacs to be their worst recording. Check Nicholas Schaffner's magisterial 'The Beatles Forever!' for confirmation.
Many of the 'worst' songs are among my favorites. Revolution 9, You Know My Name (Look Up the Number), and All Together Now? Love 'em, especially the use of ATN at the end of Yellow Submarine. Just a great outro for the film.
There are really no bad Beatles songs, only bad listeners. I think that's in Chairman Mao's 'Little Red Book'.
PM Dawn were horribly under appreciated and are deeply missed.
I'm not a super-fan or anything, but I have been listening to the Beatles for almost 40 years. I agree with Little Child as their worst song for the simple reason that, unlike every other song mentioned in this article, I can't bring the melody or lyrics to mind. If you'd asked me an hour ago if Little Child was a Beatles song, I would have said no.
When it comes to evaluation, I typically value the opinion of musicians first. It is well documented that John, George and Ringo hated "Maxwell's Silver Hammer." That's their worst song, because they say it is.
"Not a Second Time" was one of the first Beatles songs that piqued the interest of music critics. A summary of the discussion can be found in Wikipedia. The chorus resolves in E minor instead of the expected G. A couple of comments about George Martin's simple piano solo as well. Nothing too daring, but it adds a little unresolved tension to the chorus.
“Aiolion Cadences”. The Times music critic claimed something something about Not A Second Time having “Aiolion Cadences” I
have no idea what that means, but it was 1963 and the world was just waking up to The Beatles. This was probably the first pseudo intellectual nonsense written about them. It would not be the last.
And yes I misspelled “Aiolion” but am too lazy to look up the original review. It’s out there if you care to look.
I seem to remember "Mr. Moonlight" being the consensus "worst Beatles cut" back in the pre-internet days although I have no idea where that consensus came from.
As for "Muskrat Love", I have a soft spot for the 1973 version by America. It's got a nice vibe, lyrics be damned. The Captain and Tennille version is indeed rodent droppings.
Don't understand why you would single out She's a Woman and Yes It Is as egregious Beatles songs. Both of them are melodically, and in the latter's case emotionally/lyrically, far richer than anything else from their era. I would go so far as put Yes It Is in my top 20 Beatles songs
I think the rhythm guitar makes "She's a Woman" feel stilted and I find the melody and vocal performance in "Yes It Is" drab. But that's why their special: One person's garbage is another's treasure
After She Loves You, A Hard Days Night, name a bunch of others, She’s A Woman is just blah. Nothing wrong with it, but it kind of goes nowhere. Same for I Feel Fine. By mid to late 1964 they were kind of running on fumes. Better days were coming.
But I love Yes It Is. A straight rewrite of This Boy, but that’s fine. Great vocals and love the guitar work. A triumph!
I've always liked "Only a Northern Song"... A couple other folks in the comments mentioned "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" - to me, that's a solid example of the worst of the Beatles' songwriting. I don't think it takes anything away from Paul McCartney's genius to say that John was right to shade his "granny music." The vaudeville stuff is just too corny for my tastes.
It seems to me that the songs that find their way to the bottom of the full-catalogue rankings aren't so much "bad" ("Dig It" is perfectly fine) as hard to categorize or otherwise perceived as unserious. Maybe "Only a Northern Song" is rated poorly because it was obviously written under protest. But ignore the lyrics and it's a perfectly fine mid-period psychedelic pop-rock tune.
A PM Dawn reference was not on my bingo card for today lol! I agree with you that some of those " worst" Beatles songs aren't really fair picks, and I actually kinda like the top three so maybe that says something about me lol
I feel like you can play the Muskrat/Born game for any watershed moment in music. "(Everything I Do) I Do it For You" was the #1 song when "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was released. The summer charts in 1967 are full of dross. Schmalz always plays.
I love your inclusion of PM Dawn's great cover of "Norwegian Wood" - agreed that they're under-appreciated today (incidentally, their big breakthrough "Set Adrift on a Memory Bliss" came out the same month as "Smells"). My personal favorite cover of that song is Cornershop's pointed Punjabi-language version of the song at the end of their brilliant When I Was Born For the 7th Time
My 6 year old has been listening to Cotton Eyed Joe all day. Send help.
Maybe I should introduce him to dance monkey, I like that better.
It would be an honor to have a list of worst songs like the Beatles worst songs...
He discovered thriller and beat it. My ears may survive...
Back in the '70s, Mr. Moonlight was considered by most Beatlemaniacs to be their worst recording. Check Nicholas Schaffner's magisterial 'The Beatles Forever!' for confirmation.
Many of the 'worst' songs are among my favorites. Revolution 9, You Know My Name (Look Up the Number), and All Together Now? Love 'em, especially the use of ATN at the end of Yellow Submarine. Just a great outro for the film.
There are really no bad Beatles songs, only bad listeners. I think that's in Chairman Mao's 'Little Red Book'.
PM Dawn were horribly under appreciated and are deeply missed.
I'm not a super-fan or anything, but I have been listening to the Beatles for almost 40 years. I agree with Little Child as their worst song for the simple reason that, unlike every other song mentioned in this article, I can't bring the melody or lyrics to mind. If you'd asked me an hour ago if Little Child was a Beatles song, I would have said no.
Ok, obsessed with this "Betty's in the Band." (I also definitely think "I've Just Seen A Face" is very underrated.)
I agree with you about Mr moonlight, it is drab! And I would put Dr Robert on the bottom. Sorry George!
Thank you for listening to all the bad stuff so we don't have too! Brilliant article! Was hoping I'm So Tired would have been in the best list!
When it comes to evaluation, I typically value the opinion of musicians first. It is well documented that John, George and Ringo hated "Maxwell's Silver Hammer." That's their worst song, because they say it is.
"Not a Second Time" was one of the first Beatles songs that piqued the interest of music critics. A summary of the discussion can be found in Wikipedia. The chorus resolves in E minor instead of the expected G. A couple of comments about George Martin's simple piano solo as well. Nothing too daring, but it adds a little unresolved tension to the chorus.
“Aiolion Cadences”. The Times music critic claimed something something about Not A Second Time having “Aiolion Cadences” I
have no idea what that means, but it was 1963 and the world was just waking up to The Beatles. This was probably the first pseudo intellectual nonsense written about them. It would not be the last.
And yes I misspelled “Aiolion” but am too lazy to look up the original review. It’s out there if you care to look.
Yeah, I'm aware of that, and aware that the Aeolian cadences argument was strange. However, it did bring a bit of attention to the song. Thanks.
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/the-beatles-aeolian-cadences-what?
Gotta agree with Maxwell's, I don't know how that song made it to tape, except that it's indicative of Paul's declining quality control abilities
I seem to remember "Mr. Moonlight" being the consensus "worst Beatles cut" back in the pre-internet days although I have no idea where that consensus came from.
As for "Muskrat Love", I have a soft spot for the 1973 version by America. It's got a nice vibe, lyrics be damned. The Captain and Tennille version is indeed rodent droppings.
"Not A Second Time" one of the worst Beatles songs? Nonsense.
(Though I admit I like the Robert Palmer version a lot more).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBiXCDWELyo
Don't understand why you would single out She's a Woman and Yes It Is as egregious Beatles songs. Both of them are melodically, and in the latter's case emotionally/lyrically, far richer than anything else from their era. I would go so far as put Yes It Is in my top 20 Beatles songs
I think the rhythm guitar makes "She's a Woman" feel stilted and I find the melody and vocal performance in "Yes It Is" drab. But that's why their special: One person's garbage is another's treasure
After She Loves You, A Hard Days Night, name a bunch of others, She’s A Woman is just blah. Nothing wrong with it, but it kind of goes nowhere. Same for I Feel Fine. By mid to late 1964 they were kind of running on fumes. Better days were coming.
But I love Yes It Is. A straight rewrite of This Boy, but that’s fine. Great vocals and love the guitar work. A triumph!
I've always liked "Only a Northern Song"... A couple other folks in the comments mentioned "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" - to me, that's a solid example of the worst of the Beatles' songwriting. I don't think it takes anything away from Paul McCartney's genius to say that John was right to shade his "granny music." The vaudeville stuff is just too corny for my tastes.
It seems to me that the songs that find their way to the bottom of the full-catalogue rankings aren't so much "bad" ("Dig It" is perfectly fine) as hard to categorize or otherwise perceived as unserious. Maybe "Only a Northern Song" is rated poorly because it was obviously written under protest. But ignore the lyrics and it's a perfectly fine mid-period psychedelic pop-rock tune.
(I actually like the lyrics too)
I think a lot of those songs worked just fine in the context of their respective albums but suffer in the playlist era.
Where does that “Geronimo” song rank? The “bombs away” line really got me!
A PM Dawn reference was not on my bingo card for today lol! I agree with you that some of those " worst" Beatles songs aren't really fair picks, and I actually kinda like the top three so maybe that says something about me lol
Didn’t know Dance Monkey. Quite like it 🙂