182 and Counting: The Beatles, Ranked

    The countdown concludes with #20-#1...

20
Oh! Darling
(#4, Abbey Road, 1969)
A song so good that John resented Paul for not letting him sing it. Paul really gives his all with the vocal, delivering a blistering, soulful performance where you can really feel the words. And you need to feel the words, too, because they aren't exactly the most complex or non-repetitive. Nevertheless, the combination of Paul's delivery and the music itself (which is terrific) make this one of the best bluesy rock songs the group ever did.
What I like about it: Great to sing with. The lyrics may be the same stuff run a couple times and changed around a bit, but they fit perfectly with what the song sets out to do and the music.
What I don't like about it: Nothing.

19
Lady Madonna
(#2, Past Masters Volume Two, 1988; first released as a single, 1968)
A brilliant song by Paul with absolutely perfect orchestration. Never mind that the lyrics are a wonderful ode to single motherhood - the piano and saxophone are simply masterful. As usual, Paul proves that he could make beautiful melodies, but here he did it with a rather crafty and meaningful lyric as well as his expectedly great blues/rock vocal.
What I like about it: Perfect musically and lyrically, walking that typical Beatles line between meaning and mystery.
What I don't like about it: Nothing.

18
Eleanor Rigby
(#3, Revolver, 1966)
First of all, if you haven't heard the strings-only track on Anthology 2, go do so. I love it. The strings are so perfect for this song, I can't bring myself to even begin to care that it's not traditional rock, and I'd wager most people at the time felt the same (the various experiments were a lot of what made Revolver what it was, after all). Moving on - perfect story-song by Paul, who also delivers a typically masterful vocal. Can you tell I'm a Paul guy yet? If not, just keep an eye on the principal composer of, oh, 13 of the top 20.
What I like about it: Lyrically gorgeous, musically spectacular, vocally sorrowful. Just so, so great.
What I don't like about it: Nothing.

17
In My Life
(#1, Rubber Soul, 1965)
A gorgeous song from John, with a beautiful melody, sweetly nostalgic lyrics, and, of course, great harmonies. There's nothing I can say against this song except that there just happen to be 16 songs I enjoy ever so slightly more.
What I like about it: That it turns from strict nostalgia into a great love song only makes it better.
What I don't like about it: Nothing. I even like George Martin's organ solo, which most of my friends hate (some went so far as to claim that said solo made the song worse than Judy Collins' cover of it, which as far as I'm concerned is just cause to be burned at the stake).

16
I've Just Seen a Face
(#1, Help!, 1965)
The lyrics are delivered with barely a pause for breath during the verses, which helps set the mood of the song - Paul has just met the perfect girl and he wants everyone to know about it as quickly as possible. You can picture him running into a room to tell his friends about it and blurting it all out in one breathless go because he's so excited. It's that kind of energy that makes this such a great love song. It sounds great musically as well, of course.
What I like about it: The "Yesss..." that leads into the instrumental break is just one part of the song that really gives the impression that Paul feels what he says. Ditto the "whoa, falling" as he does the chorus for the last time right at the song's end.
What I don't like about it: Nothing.

15
I've Got a Feeling
(#3, Let It Be, 1970)
Of all the songs near the top of this list, the one that has taken the most strides since the last time I went Beatles song-ranking is this one. I absolutely love it musically - the fuzzy guitar (at least that's what it sounds like) at the opening is perfect, and I love the melody throughout. It's another song that combines a Paul part (the soulful rocker part that gives the song its title) with a John part (the "everybody had a good year", etc. part). The two parts may not have had much to do with each other, but they mesh wonderfully, especially in the final section of the song when they are sung concurrently. Paul's "ooh yeah" thrown into the middle of John's "oh yeah" section also gives the suggestion that the two were enjoying their collaboration, whether or not that was the case.
What I like about it: Just sounds great.
What I don't like about it: The inclusion of the phrase "wet dream" is a bit crass, but I can forgive that.

14
A Day in the Life
(#2, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)
Another example where John and Paul combined two bits of songs together perfectly, meshing them as well as could possibly be expected. John's bit is mostly a relaxed, dreamy three-verse song about rather typical daily exercises like reading the paper and going to a film. Paul's bit is faster-moving and more "daily grind" than John's more luxurious day; Paul describes waking up late and rushing to work, only to kick back upon arriving, whereupon the song moves into its "dream sequence" bit, and then back for John's third verse with a blast of horns. It's like the song is illustrating the difference between a working man's life and a more laid-back existence, perhaps closer to the kind the Beatles were able to enjoy from day to day by 1967. That the latter is compared to a dream gives that feeling of "we're so lucky to get paid for this" that I think most people would have if they were making a preposterously good living as professional musicians. Whether this was intended or not, there are some autobiographical aspects worked into the song - the movie John describes in the second verse appears to be a reference to "How I Won the War", which he had appeared in the previous year, for example. Either way, one of the most epic Beatles songs in total scope, and also one of the nicest-sounding overall.
What I like about it: Aside from the song as a whole, that final crashing piano chord (actually played on three different pianos at once) is just a beautiful moment, and probably the coolest ending to any Beatles record (though if not for "Her Majesty", Abbey Road would be the winner).
What I don't like about it: Nothing.

13
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
(#3, The White Album, 1968)
George's best song in the blues-rock genre, I love the music in this one. Some people prefer the acoustic version on Anthology 3, but I just can't conceive of this song with the pounding piano intro and the great bluesy guitar, including Eric Clapton's solo. It also features George's best mystical, meaning-of-life lyrics, and they go perfectly with the melody.
What I like about it: After Lennon's yell of "Eh up!" to close "Bungalow Bill", the dramatic piano intro to this song is perfect - possibly my favorite transition between two Beatles songs on any album.
What I don't like about it: Nothing.

12
Something
(#3, Abbey Road, 1969)
A perfect love song from George. The melody is fantastic, the lyrics simple but heartfelt, and the bridge is terrific. The interesting thing about the bridge is that it actually introduces a note of uncertainty into the song - George seems not necessarily to be talking about a woman he's been with for a long time, but rather one he has only recently been seeing, and while he's attracted to her like no other, he can't necessarily say if that will turn to love. Something of an ironic message in what sounds more like a sweet love song all the way through. Still, George concludes by announcing that "I don't want to leave her now", which makes it stick.
What I like about it: Great love song, great to sing along to (especially during the soaring vocals in the bridge). Frank Sinatra apparently once said this was his favorite Lennon/McCartney song, which is amusing.
What I don't like about it: Nothing.

11
Hey Jude
(#1, Past Masters Volume Two, 1988; first released as a single, 1968)
Who exactly the subject of this song is has been up for some debate. I've heard it was aimed at Julian Lennon, Paul giving Julian advice on dealing with his father's new relationship. John, in his 1980 Playboy interview, believed that the song was Paul's subtle encouragement of the relationship between John and Yoko. Perhaps it was even aimed inwardly, as it was written right around the time Paul and Jane Asher broke their engagement. Not that it really matters. The piano playing in the song is gorgeous, Paul's vocal perfect, and of course the several-minute coda is brilliant. Do you think the song would be as memorable if it weren't seven minutes long? It probably would be well-regarded as the melody is beautiful enough, but without the "na, na na, na na na na" that encourages audience participation, I doubt it would have the same following. It's a tribute to how great the song is that the repetitions are thrilling fun instead of boring after a while - with another melody, they might never have worked.
What I like about it: In addition to all that, "better, better, better, better, better, better, YEAH!"
What I don't like about it: Nothing.

10
Get Back
(#2, Let It Be, 1970)
Is it the driving pace, Billy Preston's keyboard, McCartney's vocal, the amusing lyrics? I don't know. They're all great. But this is, bottom line, one of the Beatles' best songs that comfortably rests within the genre of rock. Perfect choice for a rooftop concert.
What I like about it: John's "I hope we passed the audition" joke at the end of the album version is amusing, but it's just a great rock song.
What I don't like about it: Nothing.

9
With a Little Help from My Friends
(#1, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)
Perfect lyrics and melody to this song, and Ringo's voice was actually a good choice, though I think Paul would have performed the hell out of it had he not passed it along. Great call-and-response harmonies during the bridges, along with everything else. This song also gets points for inspiring the best Beatles cover ever (and for that matter one of the very few that could even compete with the original song), Joe Cocker's version of it.
What I like about it: Simple yet charming and perfect lyrics throughout. Great harmonies, great tune.
What I don't like about it: Nothing.

8
Back in the USSR
(#2, The White Album, 1968)
Possibly the best straight rock song the Beatles ever did, depending on where you want to draw the line between this and some of the following entries. Witty, tongue-in-cheek writing by Paul here, and the sound is great, from the melody to Paul's terrific rock vocal to the Beach-Boys-mocking "ooh-wee-ooh" harmonies during the bridge to the guitar solo. It's certainly not among the Beatles' deepest songs, but it may well be the most fun.
What I like about it: Everything.
What I don't like about it: Nothing.

7
Here Comes the Sun
(#2, Abbey Road, 1969)
No more lyrically intricate than "Something", "Here Comes the Sun" is nonetheless as or more beautiful than its partner on Abbey Road. There are both strings and Moog synthesizer on this track, but its basis lies in the beautiful acoustic guitar that opens the song so delicately - after the thunderous close of "I Want You", "Sun" is a welcome respite, and I regrettably can only imagine the thrill of flipping over the Abbey Road LP to hear this, for the first time ever, as the first track on side two. Its lyrics are simple but tender, simply waxing poetic on the first nice day of spring and meaning no more than what they say. George's best Beatles tune and also his nicest to listen to, though by only a half-step ahead of "Something" on both counts.
What I like about it: The melody in particular is just gorgeous.
What I don't like about it: Nothing.

6
Blackbird
(#1, The White Album, 1968)
Simply beautiful. Though there are other McCartney songs I like more, this is Paul's folk masterwork, as he simply plays an acoustic guitar and sings perfectly. Like a few other tracks on The White Album, only Paul appears on "Blackbird", making it something of a McCartney solo track, but if that's what it took to get songs this good, who's complaining?
What I like about it: The choruses are great, but the verses are just poetic.
What I don't like about it: Nothing.

5
Got to Get You Into My Life
(#2, Revolver, 1966)
Half love song (to marijuana, as it happens) and half brass-infused rocker, this song is straight-up fun. The verses are solid but the whole thing comes together under the chorus, which is really just Paul belting out the title, followed by a punctuation of horns. The Beatles used horns to good effect throughout 1966 and 1967, but they may never have been as perfect as they were here. Still, the ringing guitar that replaces them for the coda's final repetition of the chorus is great too.
What I like about it: If you don't love yelling the song title along with Paul, you're not a Beatles fan.
What I don't like about it: Nothing.

4
Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
(#1, Abbey Road, 1969)
So many things to love here. "Slumbers" is a tender piano-fueled ballad delivered by Paul, with a wonderful vocal echoing the lyrical themes of love, nostalgia, and sentimentality. The words belonged not to Paul himself but to a traditional lullaby he found in a songbook, to which he composed new music as he could not read sheet music (which I have always found one of the more delightful ironies in music history), but they have no less power for it. The medley's second part, "Carry That Weight" is basically a chorus with no song, excepting the middle of it which revisits "You Never Give Me Your Money" with some nice horn and guitar work. Despite this, it works as a rousing bridge between the contemplative feel of "Slumbers" and the largely instrumental blast of "The End", in some ways the most musically exciting rock song the Beatles ever recorded. It features not only the only drum solo Ringo ever did on a Beatles album, but also an immensely fun and memorable three-way lead guitar attack, with John, Paul, and George all taking turns at belting out brief solo riffs. The whole thing winds up with, to quote Chris Farley, the "awesome" sentiment that "in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make". Closing with some dreamy harmonizing and an orchestra-backed guitar lick, the track would be among the Beatles' best even if it didn't have the added significance of functionally closing their recording career. Personally, I can't think of a better way to end it.
What I like about it: Just the perfect closer, but it's also both gorgeous and rocking in a five-minute span in a way that shows so many of the Beatles' different capabilities and why they were so great.
What I don't like about it: Nothing.

3
Let It Be
(#1, Let It Be, 1970)
A perfect song in its Let It Be album incarnation, featuring a brilliant guitar solo that kicks the song up a notch for its final verse. Some will claim that the church-organ solo on the single version suits the song's tone better, but see what I care (the Naked version sounds mostly like the album version, but features a different, and distinctly inferior, guitar solo). The song doesn't need to be straight-up gospel to work - it's Paul's lyrics, vocals, and perfect piano that make the song what it is, and the guitar just soars, driving the song, for me, into another stratosphere.
What I like about it: That guitar solo. Not only my favorite solo in Beatles history (as far as I know, done by George, so fair play to him if that's the case since I've spent so much time crowing about how Paul had done so many of my favorites), but absolutely perfect in ramping up the song a bit. Probably my favorite instrumental break, period, in all of music.
What I don't like about it: As far as the album version goes, nothing.

2
Strawberry Fields Forever
(#1, Magical Mystery Tour, 1967)
Again with the brilliant arrangements. As it happens, this song had two different phases - one as a folky, guitar-driven ballad, and one with more orchestration. Lennon wanted the two parts combined, only they were in different keys and tempos. One of the main reasons George Martin was a production genius was his solution, in which he sped up one of the versions and slowed the other down, at which point the keys and tempos managed to match. Anyone who has heard the earlier version on Anthology 2 knows it sounds very little like the final product, which starts with delicate Mellotron and some light guitar, and gradually adds instruments until it comes to the fadeout, with guitar, cello, some great Ringo drums, and George playing a swordmandel, of all things (apparently it's like a harp; I had to look it up). Then, after some silence, comes a bizarre, dissonant section that really throws the song into chaos. Is the place John was talking about really a utopian dreamworld, or is there something creepier behind the scenes? In his infamous Playboy interview, John says the song was about his feelings of alienation and hyper-awareness as a child, but he sounds sort of like a nut trying to explain them. In any event, the song, like most, can be interpreted however you want; it sounds to me like an ironic comment on how people claim to treasure uniqueness, but tend to recoil from it if it goes beyond the scope of their reality. Thus the utopia that John seems to talk about, one where a person can go and express themselves in any way they want, actually has the darker underpinnings of alienation and rejection echoed by the song's coda and sometimes bleak-sounding arrangement. Anyway, that's about as close as I get to philosophy where the Beatles are concerned - the point is, it's a great song.
What I like about it: Everything. Here's one case where's John's lyrics, even while being vague and random, actually seem to make some sense, at least if you think about them for a while. But it's just musically fantastic regardless.
What I don't like about it: I'm not a huge fan of the coda, relative to the song itself, but if you take that philosophy angle it's pretty indispensable.

1
For No One
(#1, Revolver, 1966)
In my estimation the best song the Beatles ever did, this short, dramatic tune is endlessly enjoyable. Paul's vocal is perfect, the instrumentation marvelous, capped by a doleful French horn solo. There's nothing I could say about this song, really, that would sum up how much it encapsulates the maturing sound of the Beatles of the 1965-1966 period - even "Yesterday", a turning point in songwriting in many ways for the group, pales in comparison. Just a beautiful, haunting song.
What I like about it: For one thing, maybe Paul's best lyrics ever. Certainly some of his most mature, especially in a song dealing with a male/female relationship. In fact, this almost sounds like Paul trying to write a John song, since the downbeat tone fits far closer to something like "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" than it does your typical Paul song about a girl (for example, the same album's "Here, There, and Everywhere", among many others). It doesn't matter whether Paul was trying to mimic John or just pulling the song entirely from his own creative mind, though; the point is, he got it exactly right. And that's before the perfect vocals and music come into the equation.
What I don't like about it: The only thing I could ever dislike about this song is that it ends so soon.