And we've reached the top 100!

Eliminated:

20 Rocky Raccoon
17 Things We Said Today
17 I'll Follow The Sun
17 I Should Have Know Better
16 You're Going to Lose That Girl

Close: From Me To You, If I Fell, Everybody's Got Something To Hide...


RULES: Vote for 10 Beatles songs assigning 5 points to two, 4 points to two, 3 points to two, 2 points to two and 1 point to two. Please put the point value next to each song. Please follow this format to make it easy for me to plug into Excel.

5: Song
5: Song
4: Song
4: Song etc...

Comments are very welcome but not required. I'd like it if you give an overall comment but you don't have to.

5 songs will be eliminated every Monday and Thursday and a new vote will begin each day. The deadline for submitting a list is 2PM on each elimination day. In the event of a tie all songs receiving the elimination vote will be eliminated.

THE MASTER LIST!

211. Revolution #9
210. Love Me Do
209. Dig It!
208. Dizzy Miss Lizzie
207. Maggie Mae
206. Devil in Her Heart
205. A Taste of Honey
204. Matchbox
203. You Know My Name (Look up the Number)
202. Bad Boy
201. PS I Love You
200. When I Get Home
199. Wild Honey Pie
198. Boys
197. Flying
196. Mr. Moonlight
195. Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey
194. Anna (Go To Him)
193. Run For Your Life
192. Her Majesty
191. Act Naturally
190. Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby
189. Chains
188. Honey Don't
187. Not a Second Time
186. You Really Got a Hold On Me
185. Maxwell's Silver Hammer
184. Baby It's You
183. Till There Was You
182. Rock and Roll Music
181. Roll Over Beethoven
180. Misery
179. Words of Love
178. When I'm 64
177. For You Blue
176. Blue Jay Way
175. The Inner Light
174. Money (That's What I Want)
173. Please, Mr. Postman
172. I'm Happy Just To Dance With You
171. Only a Northern Song
170. You Like Me Too Much
169. Slow Down
168. Good Night
167. Thank You Girl
166. Little Child
165. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
164. Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
163. One After 909
162. All Together Now
161. I Wanna Be Your Man
160. Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
159. Yes It Is
158. There's a Place
157. Ask Me Why
156. I'll Get You
155. Yellow Submarine
154. Hold Me Tight
153. I Me Mine
152. I Need You
151. Your Mother Should Know
150. Revolution 1
149. Honey Pie
148. Don't Bother Me
147. Tell Me What You See
146. Do You Want To Know a Secret?
145. All I've Got To Do
144. Why Don't We Do It In the Road?
143. I've Got a Feeling
142. Michelle
141. What Goes On
140. Another Girl
139. Any Time at All
138. Within You, Without You
137. This Boy
136. I Don't Want To Spoil the Party
135. Old Brown Shoe
134. It's Only Love
133. Don't Pass Me By
132. Long Tall Sally
131. I Call Your Name
130. I'll Cry Instead
129. I'm Down
128. Tell Me Why
127. The Night Before
126. Every Little Thing
125. Long, Long, Long
124. What You're Doing
123. I'll Be Back
122. Sun King
121. Wait
120. She's a Woman
119. You Can't Do That
118. Doctor Robert
117. Yer Blues
116. It Won't Be Long
115. Birthday
114. The Word
113. Baby's in Black
112. Glass Onion
111. The Ballad of John and Yoko
110. Dig a Pony
109. Good Morning, Good Morning
108. Mean Mr. Mustard
107. Polythene Pam
106. And I Love Her
105. Love You To
104. Octopus's Garden
103. No Reply
102. Rocky Raccoon
101. Things We Said Today
100. I'll Follow The Sun
99. I Should Have Know Better
98. You're Going to Lose That Girl



Discography

Please Please Me

1. I Saw Her Standing There
7. Please Please Me
14. Twist And Shout

With the Beatles

3. All My Loving

A Hard Day's Night

1. Hard Day's Night, A
3. If I Fell
7. Can't Buy Me Love

Beatles For Sale

2. I'm A Loser
8. Eight Days A Week

Help!

1. Help
3. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
7. Ticket To Ride
12. I've Just Seen A Face
13. Yesterday

Rubber Soul

1. Drive My Car
2. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
3. You Won't See Me
4. Nowhere Man
5. Think For Yourself
9. Girl
10. I'm Looking Through You
11. In My Life
13. If I Needed Someone

Revolver

1. Taxman
2. Eleanor Rigby
3. I'm Only Sleeping
5. Here, There And Everywhere
7. She Said She Said
8. Good Day Sunshine
9. And Your Bird Can Sing
10. For No One
12. I Want To Tell You
13. Got To Get You Into My Life
14. Tomorrow Never Knows

Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. With A Little Help From My Friends
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
4. Getting Better
5. Fixing A Hole
6. She's Leaving Home
7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
10. Lovely Rita
13. A Day In The Life

Magical Mystery Tour

1. Magical Mystery Tour
2. Fool On The Hill, The
6. I Am The Walrus
7. Hello Goodbye
8. Strawberry Fields Forever
9. Penny Lane
10. Baby You're A Rich Man
11. All You Need Is Love

The Beatles (White Album)

1. Back In The U.S.S.R.
2. Dear Prudence
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
8. Happiness Is A Warm Gun
9. Martha My Dear
10. I'm So Tired
11. Blackbird
12. Piggies
16. I Will
17. Julia

3. Mother Nature's Son
4. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
5. Sexy Sadie
6. Helter Skelter
10. Savoy Truffle
11. Cry Baby Cry

Yellow Submarine

4. Hey Bulldog
5. It's All Too Much


Abbey Road

1. Come Together
2. Something
4. Oh! Darling
6. I Want You (She's So Heavy)
7. Here Comes The Sun
8. Because
9. You Never Give Me Your Money
13. She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
14. Golden Slumbers
15. Carry That Weight
16. End, The

Let It Be

1. Two Of Us
3. Across The Universe
6. Let It Be
10. Long and Winding Road
12. Get Back

A Sides and B Sides:

From Me To You
She Loves You
I Want To Hold Your Hand
I Feel Fine
Day Tripper
We Can Work It Out
Paperback Writer
Rain
Lady Madonna
Hey Jude
Revolution
Don't Let Me Down

Same as last cut.

5: Oh! Darling
5: I've Just Seen a Face
4: Baby You're a Rich Man
4: You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
3: Mother Nature's Son
3: For No One
2: From Me to You
2: Getting Better
1: Hey Bulldog
1: Hello Goodbye

Wow that's rough. That's three top twenty songs stricken from my list. Maybe we should have waited a couple weeks for that Wild Card... I just don't get what isn't to love about Things We Said Today, I'll Follow the Sun and You're Going To Lose That Girl. What makes From Me To You better? Or a cover in Twist and Shout? Man, that's rough.

5: All You Need is Love
5: She Loves You
4: Long and Winding Road
4: Eight Days A Week
3: Savoy Truffle
3: Got To Get You Into My Life
2: Twist and Shout
2: From Me To You
1: Back in the USSR
1: I Want To Hold Your Hand

Okay, I think I know the songs well enough now to participate:

5: Girl
5: I Am the Walrus
5: Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
4: Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
3: I Want to Hold Your Hand
3: Twist and Shout
2: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
2: I'm So Tired
1: Sexy Sadie
1: Baby You're a Rich Man

5: Drive My Car
5: Back In The USSR
4: I Want You (She's So Heavy)
4: I Saw Her Standing There
3: I'm A Loser
3: I'm So Tired
2: I Want To Hold Your Hand
2: Can't Buy Me Love
1: From Me To You
1: Please Please Me

Very sad to see "I'll Follow the Sun" go, and I also think it was a bit early for "Things We Said Today."

5: LADY MADONNA
5: ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
4: BECAUSE
4: DON'T LET ME DOWN
3: IN MY LIFE
3: EVERYBODY'S GOT SOMETHING TO HIDE EXCEPT ME AND MY MONKEY
2: GIRL
2: THINK FOR YOURSELF

Six of us dressed up and played Pest Control, exterminating that annoying raccoon that made it's way back here. With it gone, together with the departure of TWST means that two new slots are made available for:

1: I'M LOOKING THROUGH YOU: Paul's bitter side, featuring an opening chord phrase that George took upon himself to rip off in the Wilburys' "End of the Line".

1: IF I NEEDED SOMEONE: George, the little thievin' bastard, steals this one from the Byrds -- but this time (according to legend) has the courtesy to write a thank you note.

One McCartney and one Harrison, and if my math's correct, it looks like 50% of my ballot is comprised of songs from Rubber Soul. Hey, I'm doing my part.

Seriously, I'm not trying to be deliberately provocative here by loading my ballot with one album; I've made it pretty clear that RS is the album that I'm least fond of... or, at least, it's tied for that honor. With the exception of "Nowhere Man" (which is utterly brilliant), I just can't get on board with the record, and I'll explain why.

It's well known as being the transitional album in the catalog -- the stepping stone between the rock n' roll roots of their early years and the adventurous, avant-garde experiments that would soon follow. It was the album that saw new instruments being brought into the fold (sitar), new studio innovations (tape speed manipulation), new influences (folk), and improved lyrics, from John, Paul and George. But it also retained a lot of what made the Beatles great in the first place: blistering rock ("Drive My Car"), country-tinged pop ("What Goes On", and low-key introspectiveness introduced on Beatles For Sale ("Nowhere Man"). The problem for me though is that it's too much middle-of-the-road to really be a consistent and enjoyable listen. It's not full-blown pop like Please Please Me, nor is it a psychedelic trip like Pepper; it's kind of the halfway point, and with the songs being a bit half-arsed, it's a less-than-thrilling journey.

Now, this is where I offer my usual proviso and reiterate that John, Paul George and Ringo -- as Beatles -- are gods in my world. Like twister said over on the Survivor thread, "if you got The Beatles in your life, you don't need much else". So true. The Beatles are my favorite band, period, and like a devoted man loves his significant other, I love everything about the Fab Four -- even their shit. I'm not saying that Rubber Soul is shit, because it's not, but on the spectrum of Beatles albums, it's at the bottom for me simply for being jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none. But I'd even be willing to forgive that aspect if the songs were amazing, but in this case, they're only just good. Like I said, it's a stepping stone, but it's one that sinks under your foot -- it just doesn't hold up. And by that I mean, the songs are all melodic, which the Beatles did effortlessly, but 13 of the 14 songs lack something.... hooks. Other than "Nowhere Man", which features the best hook on the album -- the G#m-A transition "...nowhere man, please listen...", there's not a classic hook to be found that comes close to that one. "Michelle" doesn't have one; neither does "The Word". Tons of melody, but no hooks that send shivers. That's my take on it anyway.

For me, Rubber Soul will probably always be the album that I return to the least. It was a necessary step in their evolution - a bridge - but I'd just rather be on the solid ground on either side rather than on the thin rope-connected boards in between.

I'm with you that all Beatles music is good but for me Help, Rubber Soul and Revolver are the peak years where they mastered the pop music artform. The early years are the ascension to that and the late years are the decline (even though that's not the term I'd really use).

Well,I'm just starting to rank the remaining songs here but until then,I'll just vote for pretty much the same ones

5: Magical Mystery Tour
5: I'm A Loser
4: Baby You're A Rich Man
4: Hey Bulldog
3: Because
3: I Want You(She's So Heavy)
2: Lady Madonna
2: Eight Days A Week
1: Drive My Car
1: Piggies

5: The Fool on the Hill
5: From Me to You
4: I've Just Seen a Face
4: The Long and Winding Road
3: It's All Too Much
3: I Want to Tell You
2: Magical Mystery Tour
2: Piggies
1: Think for Yourself
1: Fixing a Hole

I can't believe "Things We Said Today" is gone and that it JUST missed making the top 100. Aarrgghh!!

John, somehow one of the recently eliminated songs (which also left too soon) has lost a letter from its title. Really, John - you should have "know" better.

I can't believe "Things We Said Today" is gone and that it JUST missed making the top 100. Aarrgghh!!

Actually, isn't it technically tied for 99? That's how I'm rationalizing the elimination of my favorite pre-1965 Beatles song.

Thanks, sonofsamiam. That makes me feel a -little- better. Well, not really ...

Seriously, folks - not to impugn other people's taste, but "The Fool on the Hill" is still here? Really? With its twee little recorders and trite lyrics ("He knows that they're the fools" - how profound, Paul)? Really?

Harold -- I empathize, but join the fricken' club. I've watched a few gems get voted off while other, let's say "questionable", picks remain in contention. That's the way it went in artist Survivor and that's the way it goes here.

Try not to think about the number 100 as being significant; after all, it's still practically the middle of the pack. The top 50 is the more important number.

5: I Want to Tell You
5: Hello Goodbye
4: I Want To Hold Your Hand
4: If I Fell
3: Getting Better
3: Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
2: Magical Mystery Tour
2: Ticket to Ride
New votes:
1: Baby You're a Rich Man: I like the bizarre arrangement (with that strange Clavioline) and I like the Lennon part (the verses about “One of the Beautiful People”). The problem is the McCartney part (the sticky chorus).
1: I'm a Loser: who talked about sincerity in pop music? A member of The Beatles at the height of the Beatlemania defining himself as a loser? And are we supposed to believe him?

My vote remains the same, except I swapped Fool on the Hill and Back in the USSR. Harold made some good points.

5: Piggies
5: Drive My Car
4: All You Need Is Love
4: Come Together
3: Fool On The Hill, The
3: Good Day Sunshine
2: I Want To Tell You
2: Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
1: Back In The U.S.S.R.
1: Think For Yourself

I noticed a mistake in mine, here's the correct version:

5: Girl
5: I Am the Walrus
4: Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
4: Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
3: I Want to Hold Your Hand
3: Twist and Shout
2: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
2: I'm So Tired
1: Sexy Sadie
1: Baby You're a Rich Man

5: Please Please Me
5: If I Fell
4: Lady Madonna
4: Dear Prudence
3: Girl
3: Drive My Car
2: Getting Better

Three of my choices went out, so here are three new ones:
2: From Me To You
1: The Long And Winding Road
1: Martha My Dear

5: Julia
5: For No One
4: Got to Get You Into My Life
4: With a Little Help from My Friends
3: Because
3: Come Together
2: If I Fell
New entries:
2: I'm Looking Through You: The first Rubber Soul's track I'm voting for. Since my first auditions of the album, this one, What Goes On and Run for Your Life have always sound for me the only ones below the quality standard that marks all the disc. Surely this song has some great parts, like the introduction, but there are moments that look very forced. Something that I've always noted about this is that it looks like a George's track sung by Ringo, nothing against this fact, anyway...
1: Martha My Dear: 1968 surely wasn't Paul's year. Actually, my favorite song of him in the White Album is just my #13 of it!
1: Get Back: Good upbeat song, but sometimes it sounds very insipid to me.

Sad to see such great early gems (Things We Said/Follow The Sun/Should Have Known Better) leave us...but it's getting to be that time of this game, isn't it?

5: Everybody's Got Something to Hide...
5: Because
4: Good Day Sunshine: Am I missing something? It's got a nice chorus, but the verse is Paul's jaunty music hall at his most annoying - just because it's from Revolver doesn't necessarily mean it's a great song...
4: Hey Bulldog
3: It's All Too Much
3: Julia
2: Girl
2: From Me To You
1: She's Leaving Home
1: She Said She Said

John, everything OK?

Yep, I forgot it was Thursday yesterday! This week has gone so fast which is always nice. I'll have the results up in a few minutes.