Listening to it as a child, The Ballad of John and Yoko was such an obvious outlier in terms of quality drop - but I wouldn’t change it for anything, it was a striking symbol that there was something weirder going on below the surface than the insane megahits. It connects 1 to stuff you only later find via the White Album
It’s so funny how perspective and taste changes. When I was a kid all I wanted to listen to were the early Beatles. I hated the white album. Now I appreciate the early Beatles stuff but constantly relisten to Abbey road, Let it Be, and the white album all back to back.
I have always loved that song even though it is very self mythologizing on John’s part. I also think it’s interesting that only John and Paul worked on it even though there was friction between them at the time I believe.
Had to look up exactly what was said- but this little tidbit from the recording session always made me laugh. Just John and Paul getting back to their silly form:
Lennon (on guitar): "Go a bit faster, Ringo."
McCartney (on drums): "OK, George!"
I always had a tough time w the Ballad of John and Yoko as a #1 Beatles record. No george or Ringo, probably…
Edit: Agreeing with the many folks that are mentioning great Beatles songs that don’t have the full compliment of Beatles playing. So let’s strike my second sentence and add “When I think of the canon of incredible Beatles songs, the Ballad of John and Yoko just isn’t in it. We’re talking about #1 songs! The Ballad is a good catchy tune and a fun time, but for me it just doesn’t match most of the rest of the #1s.”
I think that since all The Beatles weren’t on it doesn’t make it a bad song. Yesterday, Blackbird, She’s Leaving Home, Julia, Eleanor Rigby, and maybe a few more all don’t have all the Beatles.
However, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a weak song. The song isn’t as beautiful as Here Comes the Sun or Strawberry Fields Forever and isn’t as cool or interesting as Come Together or I am the Walrus.
The song is a bit catchy and that’s all it has going for it
It feels weird not having 1/2 the band there, but I do love that song. It's got such an attitude and coolness to it. Paul's harmonies are also sublime.
It's such a strange song to be a #1 hit, I've never understood how that happened aside from the obvious truth that by 1969 they could've sat around and farted into a microphone for a few minutes straight and it would've gone to #1 as a single.
I enjoy the song, but I don't get how anybody other than the most diehard Beatles fans in 1969 cared about the story of how John and Yoko got married and were treated by the media at the time. Despite technically being one of the newest Beatles songs, it simultaneously feels like it is one of the most outdated because of how specific the topic is. The best Beatles songs are universal, they could've been recorded at any time in history and been a hit. The Ballad of John and Yoko feels like it only could have been a hit in 1969.
I think it was of interest to because John and Yoko were such celebrities at the time. It would be like if Kim Kardashian and Kanye West came out with a song about their relationship and media’s perception of them. It would be everywhere
>I don't get how anybody other than the most diehard Beatles fans in 1969 cared about the story of how John and Yoko got married and were treated by the media at the time.
I mean, John and Yoko were some of the most talked about people in the world at that time. Their bed-in for peace is up there as one of the most iconic events of the year. Go on any "key moments in 1969" web page and you'll find a mention of John and Yoko's protests.
Interesting in that it was their final #1 in the UK (while they were still together) but only reached #9 in the US. ( I know, number 9, number 9, number 9). Due to the multiple uses of the word Christ many radio stations (especially in the Bible belt as well as the biggest Top 40 station in Chicago, WLS) refused to play it .
To my ears, *From Me To You* is the weakling of the album. I do like the way they added the harmonica onto the intro on the new remix (like on the mono mix).
I'll say this, it's about J & Y specifically but when listening to it I think back to my wife and the fun, chatotic first vacation to Europe we took together. That's what the song conjures up for me...memories of early adventures with someone you're in love with
You can’t list that as the weakest because there’s only John & Paul without listing ‘Yesterday’ or ‘Eleanore Rigby’ as being even weaker because it features ONLY Paul.
Not true. Off the top of my head...
For you blue steel guitar... "go Johnny, go!"
Piano on something.
While my guitar.... john plays guitar
There might be more...
Ironically, George re-recorded his vocals on "For You Blue" in January 1970, after John had already announced his departure from the group... making the "Go, Johnny, go" a far more interesting ad-lib.
It was written for kids, surely kids liked it at the time? Or their parents bought it for them? I can't judge Yellow Submarine by normal standards, it's genuinely iconic and hard to not sing along to but it's like a sophisticated Wiggles song.
Despite having played it 400 million times for my toddler I still think it’s pretty good, but Ringo’s slightly sharp ‘in the towwwwn’ note kills me every single time
That's how my dad got me too (playing from the 1 album, no less)... Probably the earliest song I remember. I'm getting a yellow submarine tattoo at some point
That song is just so iconic and memorable. I remember listening to it as a very young child and it firmly implanted itself in my brain lol, along with Elvis’ Hound Dog
My vote too. Especially when you consider that a huge reason it went number 1 was because it was released in the USA during peak Beatlemania. It peaked in the UK at 17 and that was a surprise for George Martin who figured it would not do as well, especially when compared to "Please Please Me". In the US it went to number 1, 2 years after it's initial UK release but only for 1 week and it was in a flurry of Beatles number 1s when the US pretty much ate, slept and dreamt Beatles. It is sandwiched between She Loves You, I Want To Hold Your Hand and Can't Buy Me Love (the latter 2 going to number 1 for a combined 12 weeks). This point in time also had an old version of "Aint She Sweet" with Tony Sheridan from their Hamburg days being re-released and becoming a top 20 hit in the US. Love Me Do really feels like a product of Beatlemania.
Love Me Do, has the same drum beat and guitar work the entire song. I think it's really just the drums, it changes very little throughout the 2 minutes. Vocally it doesn't really change too much (pitch and elongation wise), it's a bunch of short simple words in a quick fashion with "please" being the only outlier. It also has a rather elementary rhyme scheme of "do", "you", "true" "do". Which wouldn't be that bad if it was musically complex, but it's so simplistic, you almost HAVE to pay attention to the lyrics and they leave a lot to be desired. The harmonica is nice and the "someone to love" bit is fine, but not enough of a segue from the verses and chorus to stand out a ton.
There are several Beatles songs that I'm astonished the label or band didn't release as singles because they would've been surefire hits (a big one is "Here Comes the Sun" and "Ob La Di, Ob La Da"). During the height of Beatlemania in '64, I always thought it was a missed opportunity not to release "All My Loving" as a single because that would've been a huge smash, especially in the US.
FWIW The Beatles didn't want to release multiple double A side singles from the Abbey Road album. So they chose what they thought were the two strongest songs (Come Together/Something) and packaged them as a double A side Single, and then used two non album singles (Ballad of John and Yoko / Old Brown Shoe). I think the thought process is that they didn't want \~1/3rd to 1/2 of the album to be released in single format.
As for Ob La Di Ob La Da, it should've been a single, but John and George hated the song and vetoed it. They released it as a single in every market except US/UK as a compromise. Unsurprisingly it went #1 in almost every country it was released in, and a Scottish band called Marmalade did a cover and it went #1 in the UK. Ob La Di would've definitely been a US/UK #1 had it been released.
Completely agree with All My Loving, it actually went #1 in Canada, which makes me think it would've also gone #1 in the States. It's prominence on the Ed Sullivan show was a prime opportunity to release it as a lead single.
EDIT: Doing a deep dive, apparently the single was so successful in Canada that there were so many imports into the US, that "All My Loving" charted at #45 in the US, despite never being officially released in the US. That's insane. Yeah it definitely would've gone #1 in the US.
Ob La Di Ob La Da was a single with While My Guitar Gently Weeps on the other side. I have a rare misprint of it where they accidentally put the label for Turn Turn Turn by Mary Hopkin on there instead! 🤣
If 1 ever got re-repressed, Here Comes The Sun would absolutely make it on. It might not have charted #1, but it’s the #1 most streamed Beatles song (by double the streams #2 has) so that’s gotta be worth something. Now And Then as well, since it did chart #1 in the UK
\> Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
This was a single everywhere except the UK and US. From what I know Paul wanted this released as a single worldwide, but it was vetoed by John and George who both disliked the song. A band from Scotland named Marmalade made a cover of it almost immediately after the album release, that went to #1 in the UK.
1000% It’s historically significant, but it sounds like it could have been released by almost any British band that year. There’s not much uniquely Beatle-esque about it.
I think part of the problem with Love Me Do is we've heard it SO MUCH. It is on:
1. Please Please Me
2. The Early Beatles Compilation
3. Red (1962-1966)
4. Rarities
5. Past Masters
6. Live at the BBC
7. Anthology 1
8. 1
9. Ringo has an official cover of the song on his album "Vertical Man"
10. Paul has an official cover on his Spotify Singles album
11. Paul has regularly played the song live since 2016
12. Paul performed a mashup of the song called "P.S. Love Me Do" in 1989/90 tour that was released on his Tripping the Live Fantastic album
13. Ringo has regularly played the song live since 1998
14. It was the B-Side to "Now and Then"
And this is only official releases overseen by the Beatles. I don't think a single Beatles song has ever been released and performed this much. For a fairly ho-hum song I've heard it so damn much and I'm just over it lol
Every album has a weakest song, even if every song is great the songs are never all going to be the EXACT SAME quality there will be song weaker and some stronger, doesn’t mean the weakest is bad, just means it’s not as strong as the others.
Yep. To use another band.. The Cars' debut album was basically also their greatest hits album, and even relative to the rest of the songs, a couple just are not as strong.
The Long and Winding Road for me.
Cant believe people are saying Ballad of John and Yoko as well as Love me do, i love both songs. Love me do is really iconic and the ballad of john and yoko is extremely catchy, fun and a heartwarming moment between John and Paul
I agree, and I only fully realized and appreciated its beauty after listening to the “Naked” version. I don’t mind the strings on it, but can’t stand the choir and harp.
Yep, I thought it was weak back in the day and even though it grew on me enough that I wouldn't really skip it, but it really seems like the weakest song on 1. Even so, I wish I could have written a song like it.
Mm, I think the melody still holds up well enough in memorability better than Love Me Do (which I like, but the harmonica is a stronger hook than the vocal melody IMO)
Those songs don’t really count though because they purposefully tongue in cheek and weren’t written with any moxie. Especially Wild Honey Pie, it’s more of a chant than a song. The Long and Winding Road is legitimately one of the worst attempts at an honest to god song that the Beatles ever did.
The song was the Beatles' 17th UK number-one single and their last for 54 years until "Now and Then" the other week. Remember, they are a British band. So they don’t take any notice to the US charts when compiling #1 comps (there’s been a few - Australia had its own in 1983)
1 is a compilation of #1 hits in the UK or US, not just the UK. Love Me Do, for example, peaked at 17 in the UK but is one the 1 album because it hit #1 in the US.
Oh yeah! My bad. Post-spinal surgery/general anaesthetic brain fart.. 😜 I forgot that its an amalgamation the US and UK versions of the “20 Greatest Hits” compilations from ‘82, except on “#1”: "Something" is added (which was criminally left off due time constraints) & the proper version of "Hey Jude”, which was (typically and extremely criminally 😝) edited down on the American version of compilation from ‘82. ✌🏻➕♥️
Reading these comments and… I love The Long and Winding Road 🫣😂 Please don’t kill me, but if I had to choose, Paperback Writer doesn’t really do it for me. I do understand the Love Me Do comments when thinking about the “weakest” song though. I guess the elements of the song just aren’t as interesting as the other ones on this album?
The song I'm most tired of is Yesterday. Enough already with this song. Paul must be tired of it too because he's not playing it live anymore.
No one loves George more than I do but he had no number ones. So, he can't be on it. Ringo at least sang a number 1.
And how is Penny Lane on there and not Strawberry Fields. Double A side.
I'm not a fan of 1. Its 27 songs out of now...what...219. I get it for new fans.
The Red and Blue albums are much better for those who want more of a sampler.
1 was a money grab. Nothing wrong with that. Great idea. 31 million sold.
Nailed it. Personally I think 1 is a terrible starting point for new fans, at least it was for me. It was my first introduction to the band, I had it on my iPod when I was a teen, almost reluctantly as I tried to get into them to see what all the fuss was about. It wasn't until years after high school that I heard Revolver and Abbey Road all the way through and fell in love. Been a diehard fan ever since.
Penny Lane hit number 1 in the US, but both sides of the Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever single peaked at number 2 in the UK—held there by Engelbert Humperdinck.
"Long winding road" probably one of my least favourite Beatles songs ever.
I know why they added as it was a #1 hit in the states but still. One of the worse songs.
Besides the ones listed by everyone else, I usually skip We can work it out, Lady Madonna and Get Back.
I do like We Can Work it Out more than I used to though.
Long & Winding Road is over-produced and over-dramatic, I'm not a fan.
That being said, I used to think it was a bad song until I heard the "naked" version.
Still, that's the weakest track on Beatles 1 imo
I suspect John and Paul would say Eight Days a Week. It's a fine song but also rather derivative of their earlier work. I've read that they both thought it was a weak hit.
The Long And Winding Road. Not saying it’s a bad song (it’s great songwriting as usual from Paul). I couldn’t put my finger on why exactly, maybe it sounds too “grown up”(?). Like the kind of Billy Joel/Carpenters ballad my mum would listen on Sunday afternoons.
I’m a great Billy Joel/Carpenters fan, I just feel that song doesn’t belong within their body of work.
Oh that’s tough. The songs i like least on this album are the long and and winding road, hey Jude and I feel fine.
I can’t quite decide. I’ll go for winding road and hey jude.
The Ballad of John and Yoko, the worst Beatles single in my opinion
Spector's Long and Winding Road is a close second
Please Please Me and Strawberry Fields should've been on 1
Speak for yourself.
You don't know ANY of us.
Sock of people like you who get bothered because others font think like you.
People dienvoyed me but I don't care, I feel none of the songs are weak .
In short. Don't tell.me or any of us here what we are SUPPOSED to think.
Sorry if it's not how you think but too bad. How dare you judge a group of strangers.
You'd like to think that. I know....so. hiw does it feel to be a narcissist who deems themselvesv100% right?
You're going to get an aneurysm trying to support that overblown ego.
All that's been proven is you have no respect for others' views. I'm not blind, I actuslly like ALL of Beatles songs.
If you can't believe that, tough. Neither I or anyone else need to justify anything.
Listening to it as a child, The Ballad of John and Yoko was such an obvious outlier in terms of quality drop - but I wouldn’t change it for anything, it was a striking symbol that there was something weirder going on below the surface than the insane megahits. It connects 1 to stuff you only later find via the White Album
The Ballad of John and Yoko used to be my least favorite Beatles song, now I absolutely jam to it
It’s so funny how perspective and taste changes. When I was a kid all I wanted to listen to were the early Beatles. I hated the white album. Now I appreciate the early Beatles stuff but constantly relisten to Abbey road, Let it Be, and the white album all back to back.
you are describing me in the last 3 days rn
I have always loved that song even though it is very self mythologizing on John’s part. I also think it’s interesting that only John and Paul worked on it even though there was friction between them at the time I believe.
I love this song. It rocks.
I think that may be because it was only John and Paul playing on the record
Had to look up exactly what was said- but this little tidbit from the recording session always made me laugh. Just John and Paul getting back to their silly form: Lennon (on guitar): "Go a bit faster, Ringo." McCartney (on drums): "OK, George!"
That bass line
I always had a tough time w the Ballad of John and Yoko as a #1 Beatles record. No george or Ringo, probably… Edit: Agreeing with the many folks that are mentioning great Beatles songs that don’t have the full compliment of Beatles playing. So let’s strike my second sentence and add “When I think of the canon of incredible Beatles songs, the Ballad of John and Yoko just isn’t in it. We’re talking about #1 songs! The Ballad is a good catchy tune and a fun time, but for me it just doesn’t match most of the rest of the #1s.”
Eh, I disagree. Plenty of their songs don’t have everybody on it.
I think that since all The Beatles weren’t on it doesn’t make it a bad song. Yesterday, Blackbird, She’s Leaving Home, Julia, Eleanor Rigby, and maybe a few more all don’t have all the Beatles. However, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a weak song. The song isn’t as beautiful as Here Comes the Sun or Strawberry Fields Forever and isn’t as cool or interesting as Come Together or I am the Walrus. The song is a bit catchy and that’s all it has going for it
Sounds like Modern Pop songs took a lot of inspiration from the Ballad of John and Yoko.
Within You Without You, Inner Light and Love You To also have very little to no input from John/Paul/Ringo
Love You To has the most, it has Paul on backing vocals and Ringo on tambourine.
Those are great.
No, those are all great.
It feels weird not having 1/2 the band there, but I do love that song. It's got such an attitude and coolness to it. Paul's harmonies are also sublime.
There’s so many to choose from, but Paul’s harmonies on that track might be my favourite
I'm used to calling it the Ballad of John and Paul LOL
It's such a strange song to be a #1 hit, I've never understood how that happened aside from the obvious truth that by 1969 they could've sat around and farted into a microphone for a few minutes straight and it would've gone to #1 as a single. I enjoy the song, but I don't get how anybody other than the most diehard Beatles fans in 1969 cared about the story of how John and Yoko got married and were treated by the media at the time. Despite technically being one of the newest Beatles songs, it simultaneously feels like it is one of the most outdated because of how specific the topic is. The best Beatles songs are universal, they could've been recorded at any time in history and been a hit. The Ballad of John and Yoko feels like it only could have been a hit in 1969.
Let’s be honest, the chorus is catchy
Christ you know it ain’t easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are gooo-when
They're gonna crucify me
Eh, it sounds good, nice energy….it works! Why not, i say.
I think it was of interest to because John and Yoko were such celebrities at the time. It would be like if Kim Kardashian and Kanye West came out with a song about their relationship and media’s perception of them. It would be everywhere
Fantastic analogy
>I don't get how anybody other than the most diehard Beatles fans in 1969 cared about the story of how John and Yoko got married and were treated by the media at the time. I mean, John and Yoko were some of the most talked about people in the world at that time. Their bed-in for peace is up there as one of the most iconic events of the year. Go on any "key moments in 1969" web page and you'll find a mention of John and Yoko's protests.
Interesting in that it was their final #1 in the UK (while they were still together) but only reached #9 in the US. ( I know, number 9, number 9, number 9). Due to the multiple uses of the word Christ many radio stations (especially in the Bible belt as well as the biggest Top 40 station in Chicago, WLS) refused to play it . To my ears, *From Me To You* is the weakling of the album. I do like the way they added the harmonica onto the intro on the new remix (like on the mono mix).
It’s an energetic , fun rock song
It's great It sold It's the bloody Beatles "Ballad of John and Yoko"
I'll say this, it's about J & Y specifically but when listening to it I think back to my wife and the fun, chatotic first vacation to Europe we took together. That's what the song conjures up for me...memories of early adventures with someone you're in love with
You can’t list that as the weakest because there’s only John & Paul without listing ‘Yesterday’ or ‘Eleanore Rigby’ as being even weaker because it features ONLY Paul.
If I was to name my top 10 beatles songs it would probably be there. I love the 68-69 era such great rock songs.
As much as I love that song… I do frequently forget it’s on that album lol
I heard recently that John doesn’t play on a George song after 66 or 67. If true that’s pretty wild.
Not true. Off the top of my head... For you blue steel guitar... "go Johnny, go!" Piano on something. While my guitar.... john plays guitar There might be more...
Ironically, George re-recorded his vocals on "For You Blue" in January 1970, after John had already announced his departure from the group... making the "Go, Johnny, go" a far more interesting ad-lib.
I stand corrected. I took the quote from the Producing the Beatles podcast “Now and Then” episode. I had no idea John played piano on “Something.”
He did. He didn’t play on Here Comes the Sun. Maybe that’s where the confusion came from.
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lol are you familiar with the premise of this compilation?
The song was the Beatles' 17th UK number-one single and their last for 54 years until "Now and Then" the other week.
The whole compilation is songs that hit number 1... hence the title of it. Doesn't matter what you do or don't recall. The hint is in the title...
Yellow Submarine. I'm just stunned that it went to #1.
Worth considering that for its time all of the sound effects were pretty novel.
It was written for kids, surely kids liked it at the time? Or their parents bought it for them? I can't judge Yellow Submarine by normal standards, it's genuinely iconic and hard to not sing along to but it's like a sophisticated Wiggles song.
Holy shit what an apt comparison
Despite having played it 400 million times for my toddler I still think it’s pretty good, but Ringo’s slightly sharp ‘in the towwwwn’ note kills me every single time
In the TOWWwwwwn
That's how my dad got me too (playing from the 1 album, no less)... Probably the earliest song I remember. I'm getting a yellow submarine tattoo at some point
Octopus' garden is the superior "kid friendly" beatles song, but they're both great songs by their own right, in my opinion
I like it, it's a fun song.
It was a double A with Eleanor Rigby - that got it to 1
Nah Yellow Submarine is catchy as hell. It’s more well known than Eleanor Rigby now
That song is just so iconic and memorable. I remember listening to it as a very young child and it firmly implanted itself in my brain lol, along with Elvis’ Hound Dog
Only made it to #2 on billboard in US.
It’s all about the UK charts, la. After all, they’re a British band.
I had to check to see what was #1. Hard to make it past "You Can't Hurry Love" by the Supremes.
It didn’t deserve to beat that song I’m afraid, the supremes were too good on this one
Another example of discerning musical tastes by Americans
It's like the original Baby Shark lol.
Agreed. I don’t even like the song.
it’s a good song for kids but a crappy song overall
There is no weak song on this album.
In Beatles standards, weakest probably means a 7/10
An underrated comment. Mediocre for The Beatles is pretty amazing stuff.
Weakest ≠ Weak
Love Me Do. It’s a cute song and everyone has to start somewhere. Taken out if its historical context it is a pleasant throwaway.
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Love Me Do
My vote too. Especially when you consider that a huge reason it went number 1 was because it was released in the USA during peak Beatlemania. It peaked in the UK at 17 and that was a surprise for George Martin who figured it would not do as well, especially when compared to "Please Please Me". In the US it went to number 1, 2 years after it's initial UK release but only for 1 week and it was in a flurry of Beatles number 1s when the US pretty much ate, slept and dreamt Beatles. It is sandwiched between She Loves You, I Want To Hold Your Hand and Can't Buy Me Love (the latter 2 going to number 1 for a combined 12 weeks). This point in time also had an old version of "Aint She Sweet" with Tony Sheridan from their Hamburg days being re-released and becoming a top 20 hit in the US. Love Me Do really feels like a product of Beatlemania. Love Me Do, has the same drum beat and guitar work the entire song. I think it's really just the drums, it changes very little throughout the 2 minutes. Vocally it doesn't really change too much (pitch and elongation wise), it's a bunch of short simple words in a quick fashion with "please" being the only outlier. It also has a rather elementary rhyme scheme of "do", "you", "true" "do". Which wouldn't be that bad if it was musically complex, but it's so simplistic, you almost HAVE to pay attention to the lyrics and they leave a lot to be desired. The harmonica is nice and the "someone to love" bit is fine, but not enough of a segue from the verses and chorus to stand out a ton.
There are several Beatles songs that I'm astonished the label or band didn't release as singles because they would've been surefire hits (a big one is "Here Comes the Sun" and "Ob La Di, Ob La Da"). During the height of Beatlemania in '64, I always thought it was a missed opportunity not to release "All My Loving" as a single because that would've been a huge smash, especially in the US.
FWIW The Beatles didn't want to release multiple double A side singles from the Abbey Road album. So they chose what they thought were the two strongest songs (Come Together/Something) and packaged them as a double A side Single, and then used two non album singles (Ballad of John and Yoko / Old Brown Shoe). I think the thought process is that they didn't want \~1/3rd to 1/2 of the album to be released in single format. As for Ob La Di Ob La Da, it should've been a single, but John and George hated the song and vetoed it. They released it as a single in every market except US/UK as a compromise. Unsurprisingly it went #1 in almost every country it was released in, and a Scottish band called Marmalade did a cover and it went #1 in the UK. Ob La Di would've definitely been a US/UK #1 had it been released. Completely agree with All My Loving, it actually went #1 in Canada, which makes me think it would've also gone #1 in the States. It's prominence on the Ed Sullivan show was a prime opportunity to release it as a lead single. EDIT: Doing a deep dive, apparently the single was so successful in Canada that there were so many imports into the US, that "All My Loving" charted at #45 in the US, despite never being officially released in the US. That's insane. Yeah it definitely would've gone #1 in the US.
Ob La Di Ob La Da was a single with While My Guitar Gently Weeps on the other side. I have a rare misprint of it where they accidentally put the label for Turn Turn Turn by Mary Hopkin on there instead! 🤣
If 1 ever got re-repressed, Here Comes The Sun would absolutely make it on. It might not have charted #1, but it’s the #1 most streamed Beatles song (by double the streams #2 has) so that’s gotta be worth something. Now And Then as well, since it did chart #1 in the UK
\> Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da This was a single everywhere except the UK and US. From what I know Paul wanted this released as a single worldwide, but it was vetoed by John and George who both disliked the song. A band from Scotland named Marmalade made a cover of it almost immediately after the album release, that went to #1 in the UK.
Lmao I can see sometimes why Paul feels vindicated about their rift
For me personally Love Me Do is way better than Please Please Me
George Martin called the lyrics "greeting card dumb."
No way, it’s the most simple and straightforward song but it’s PERFECT
1000% It’s historically significant, but it sounds like it could have been released by almost any British band that year. There’s not much uniquely Beatle-esque about it.
Love Me Do
Love Me Do slaps though!
I think part of the problem with Love Me Do is we've heard it SO MUCH. It is on: 1. Please Please Me 2. The Early Beatles Compilation 3. Red (1962-1966) 4. Rarities 5. Past Masters 6. Live at the BBC 7. Anthology 1 8. 1 9. Ringo has an official cover of the song on his album "Vertical Man" 10. Paul has an official cover on his Spotify Singles album 11. Paul has regularly played the song live since 2016 12. Paul performed a mashup of the song called "P.S. Love Me Do" in 1989/90 tour that was released on his Tripping the Live Fantastic album 13. Ringo has regularly played the song live since 1998 14. It was the B-Side to "Now and Then" And this is only official releases overseen by the Beatles. I don't think a single Beatles song has ever been released and performed this much. For a fairly ho-hum song I've heard it so damn much and I'm just over it lol
None, that’s why they are on an album called 1
Every album has a weakest song, even if every song is great the songs are never all going to be the EXACT SAME quality there will be song weaker and some stronger, doesn’t mean the weakest is bad, just means it’s not as strong as the others.
Yep. To use another band.. The Cars' debut album was basically also their greatest hits album, and even relative to the rest of the songs, a couple just are not as strong.
Probably most of my favorite Beatles songs are not in this album
The Long and Winding Road for me. Cant believe people are saying Ballad of John and Yoko as well as Love me do, i love both songs. Love me do is really iconic and the ballad of john and yoko is extremely catchy, fun and a heartwarming moment between John and Paul
I hate Phil Spector’s version of Long and Winding Road. It’s so saccharine and over the top.
Me too! I ALWAYS skip it. It’s so droll. I love Macca’s letter to Spector and Klein about it. Brutal!
The LIB naked version is so much better it's insane. Phil Spector messed around
Phil Spector is such a garbage producer to be entirely honest. What he did to All Things Must Pass is unforgivable.
The Long And Riding Road because Phil Spector butchered it.
That song is beautiful
I agree, and I only fully realized and appreciated its beauty after listening to the “Naked” version. I don’t mind the strings on it, but can’t stand the choir and harp.
Naked has my definitive versions of Across The Universe and TLAWR
The long and winding road was phil spectors worst crime
He had many crimes Sabotaging Mal Evens being among them.
Yellow Submarine
Idk the only one I don’t like is BoJ&Y. The rest are great
Eight Days A Week is the weekest it has 1.14285714285 of them Lady Madonna was a day short of a week.
with love from me to you?
Idk, every time I play this song, it goes harder than I remember.
Yep, I thought it was weak back in the day and even though it grew on me enough that I wouldn't really skip it, but it really seems like the weakest song on 1. Even so, I wish I could have written a song like it.
Ding dong, your opinion is wrong.
Mm, I think the melody still holds up well enough in memorability better than Love Me Do (which I like, but the harmonica is a stronger hook than the vocal melody IMO)
Hello, Goodbye imo, the song is just really repetitive and not that interesting
Surprised to see this one so far down. Maybe people do enjoy it! Always found it repetitive and basic from a Paul standpoint.
The Long and Winding Road
Y'all tripping
The Long And Boring Song
That song almost foreshadows the type of soft rock music that would dominate 70s pop. Some of it good, some of it bad, a lot of it meh.
all of abbey road foreshadowed every aspect of 70s rock
Whatever 🙄
I find it more palatable once it had been de-Spectored for the Let It Be Naked, but yeah it's still a bit of a plod.
I second that. I’ll go one step further and say it is the weakest original song in their catalogue.
That is quite the take
That’s a spicy take but there are some real stinkers if you want to go down that route. You Know My Name? Wild Honey Pie?
You know my name is a bop!
Those songs don’t really count though because they purposefully tongue in cheek and weren’t written with any moxie. Especially Wild Honey Pie, it’s more of a chant than a song. The Long and Winding Road is legitimately one of the worst attempts at an honest to god song that the Beatles ever did.
Yellow submarine and lady Madonna.
The Ballad of John and Yoko
The song was the Beatles' 17th UK number-one single and their last for 54 years until "Now and Then" the other week. Remember, they are a British band. So they don’t take any notice to the US charts when compiling #1 comps (there’s been a few - Australia had its own in 1983)
1 is a compilation of #1 hits in the UK or US, not just the UK. Love Me Do, for example, peaked at 17 in the UK but is one the 1 album because it hit #1 in the US.
Oh yeah! My bad. Post-spinal surgery/general anaesthetic brain fart.. 😜 I forgot that its an amalgamation the US and UK versions of the “20 Greatest Hits” compilations from ‘82, except on “#1”: "Something" is added (which was criminally left off due time constraints) & the proper version of "Hey Jude”, which was (typically and extremely criminally 😝) edited down on the American version of compilation from ‘82. ✌🏻➕♥️
Reading these comments and… I love The Long and Winding Road 🫣😂 Please don’t kill me, but if I had to choose, Paperback Writer doesn’t really do it for me. I do understand the Love Me Do comments when thinking about the “weakest” song though. I guess the elements of the song just aren’t as interesting as the other ones on this album?
Same here, as far as Paperback Writer. I know it’s super-popular with both the critics and fans, but it’s never been a favorite of mine.
Sacrilege
Long and Winding Road
That song got so over produced.
The song I'm most tired of is Yesterday. Enough already with this song. Paul must be tired of it too because he's not playing it live anymore. No one loves George more than I do but he had no number ones. So, he can't be on it. Ringo at least sang a number 1. And how is Penny Lane on there and not Strawberry Fields. Double A side. I'm not a fan of 1. Its 27 songs out of now...what...219. I get it for new fans. The Red and Blue albums are much better for those who want more of a sampler. 1 was a money grab. Nothing wrong with that. Great idea. 31 million sold.
George had Something….
Whoops...my bad...
Nailed it. Personally I think 1 is a terrible starting point for new fans, at least it was for me. It was my first introduction to the band, I had it on my iPod when I was a teen, almost reluctantly as I tried to get into them to see what all the fuss was about. It wasn't until years after high school that I heard Revolver and Abbey Road all the way through and fell in love. Been a diehard fan ever since.
My advice to newbies is get the Red and Blue albums. Especially the new ones. Then, choose the era you like, then go to the albums from that era.
Penny Lane hit number 1 in the US, but both sides of the Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever single peaked at number 2 in the UK—held there by Engelbert Humperdinck.
Yellow Submarine and Love Me Do
I’m just disappointed that octopuses garden isn’t on there, at least I think it isn’t
You’re right. I just wrote it under another comment, most of my favorite beatles songs are not on this album.
all of them
Has to be Yellow Submarine.
I don’t know if this is a hot take but The Long and Winding Road is definitely my least favorite
This is really easy. Love me do.
Hello Goodbye
"Long winding road" probably one of my least favourite Beatles songs ever. I know why they added as it was a #1 hit in the states but still. One of the worse songs.
The Long and Winding Road.
Not a big fan of The Long and Winding Road. I can listen to it, but it isn't my favorite.
Why look for weak when you can just sit back and enjoy?
I Feel Fine and From Me To You. Great songs nonetheless.
The fuck?
😅
Love Me Do.
Besides the ones listed by everyone else, I usually skip We can work it out, Lady Madonna and Get Back. I do like We Can Work it Out more than I used to though.
Eight Days A Week. The song has started to irritate me as I’ve gotten older.
For me, the idea of a Beatles' song being weak, or anything other than brilliant in some way(s), does not make sense.
Same
Solidarity!
Long & Winding Road is over-produced and over-dramatic, I'm not a fan. That being said, I used to think it was a bad song until I heard the "naked" version. Still, that's the weakest track on Beatles 1 imo
All You Need Is Love
Utter garbage song
The long and winding road. Not my favorite song anyway and the original version is the worst version of it.
Long and Winding Road.
I’ve never really cared much for The Long and Winding Road
I suspect John and Paul would say Eight Days a Week. It's a fine song but also rather derivative of their earlier work. I've read that they both thought it was a weak hit.
It was a “work song”, simply enough. Still kinda catchy, though.
Paperback Writer is one of the weaker songs, but The Ballad of John and Yoko is my least favorite
Get Back. Maybe iconic just due to context but I think it's mid-tier as a Beatles song itself.
Ballad of John and Yoko is bad
Weird how this song is upvoted and downvoted
I Want To Hold Your Hand. Boring, generic, pop song.
The long and winding road with the strings
Eleanor Rigby is my least favorite.
The Long And Winding Road. Not saying it’s a bad song (it’s great songwriting as usual from Paul). I couldn’t put my finger on why exactly, maybe it sounds too “grown up”(?). Like the kind of Billy Joel/Carpenters ballad my mum would listen on Sunday afternoons. I’m a great Billy Joel/Carpenters fan, I just feel that song doesn’t belong within their body of work.
Eight days a week
I always thought Hello Goodbye was pretty weak. Especially in comparison to its B side
The Ballad of John and Yoko because reminds me Yoko 
Oh that’s tough. The songs i like least on this album are the long and and winding road, hey Jude and I feel fine. I can’t quite decide. I’ll go for winding road and hey jude.
The Ballad of John and Yoko, the worst Beatles single in my opinion Spector's Long and Winding Road is a close second Please Please Me and Strawberry Fields should've been on 1
But they didn't go to #1...
Eight Days A Week or All You Need is Love.
Yesterday. It bores me as hell
Long and Winding Road, From Me to You, I Feel Fine
“Let It Be” If rounding out a bottom 3, probably “Get Back” & “Lady Madonna”.
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All of them reached #1 either in the US or the UK
love me do EASILLYYYYY that song is dog water sorry it must be said
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Easy, Yellow Submarine isn’t just the worst song on that, or one of the worst Beatles songs, it’s one of the worst songs ever made.
How can you possibly say that a song about a reefer is bad?
No way
It’s absolute garbage. People need to realize even The Beatles aren’t perfect. Unfortunately, people in this sub are too blinded.
Speak for yourself. You don't know ANY of us. Sock of people like you who get bothered because others font think like you. People dienvoyed me but I don't care, I feel none of the songs are weak . In short. Don't tell.me or any of us here what we are SUPPOSED to think. Sorry if it's not how you think but too bad. How dare you judge a group of strangers.
You literally proved my point.
You'd like to think that. I know....so. hiw does it feel to be a narcissist who deems themselvesv100% right? You're going to get an aneurysm trying to support that overblown ego. All that's been proven is you have no respect for others' views. I'm not blind, I actuslly like ALL of Beatles songs. If you can't believe that, tough. Neither I or anyone else need to justify anything.
Get back or lady Madonna