MovieChat Forums > Magical Mystery Tour (1967) Discussion > Worst Beatles Song Ever

Worst Beatles Song Ever

posted 20 years ago by Shaolin_Apu
186 replies | jump to latest

The Question is: what would be the Beatles song that never should really have been written?

There should be some criteria first.

Worst early song?

Worst late 60's song?

Worst solo album song?

For early songs the worst could be I Need You, You Like Me Too Much or Hold Me Tight. I shouldn't really choose any early Harrison songs, because he was just practicing song making, but they are not really good songs. 'Hold Me Tight' just don't work: Paul had intended to do a Motown song and probably nobody wanted to co-operate with him.

For later 60's songs there would be Being for the Benefit of Mr.Kite, 'cos it really sounds bad. It's like a nightmare about circus. Or rather if you have a bad flu and try to sleep, and you're dreaming about circus and you have to cough and wipe your nose, and you don't really know whether you're wake or dreaming.

Worst solo album songs for John would be 'Remember' on his first solo album. It's too simple and monotonic. It's so bad that even I could have done better song and lyrics.

Paul's worst song might be 'Average person' on album 'Pipes of Peace'. Paul is master of melodies, but this is silly stuff. Another almost as bad is 'Famous Groupies' on 'London Town'. I remember there is some really odd song on the 'Back to the Egg' album, but luckily I don't recall its name.

[–] Wrongolini 20 years ago

I'm going to say Blue Jay Way, but only because it gave me nightmares as a kid.

It's a really hard question. I don't really think there is a "bad" Beatles song, (At least, a bad song from Rubber Soul onward) and a bad Beatles song is still probably better than most songs

Revolution 9 is brilliant. Wild Honey Pie is hilarious. Anyone who complains about either is missing the point anyway.

[–] FinnurE 20 years ago

This is funny, bruno sa mentioned all my favorites at the moment as the worst of the Beatles (apart from the Ballad of John and Yoke which I haven't heard).

Some people have also mentioned Octopus's garden which I think beats out Yellow Submarine any Day!

My least favorite track is probably All together now, but Revolution 9 is also a good candidate, as well as that Good Night song with Ringo on White Album

[–] Shaolin_Apu 20 years ago

Ballad of John and Yokel? - sounds terrible!

(Sorry I just burst into laugh when I read that)

Puukkoo
Play it again, Frank, I don't give a damn.

[–] danieloneill 20 years ago

I don't think anyone has mentioned 'Polythene Pam' which I think is particularly bad. Also 'Don't Pass Me By' isn't all that good. Always skip that one on the White Album.

[–] Deniro68 20 years ago

Early Period: If we're going to extend the early period to include anything pre-Revolver I'd pick Wait from Rubber Soul. It's not an awful song at all. It's just too formulaic for an unformulaic band.

Late 60s: Within You Without You. See above.

Solo Material: All of the Yoko material on Double Fantasy. Thank goodness for the ability to program certain tracks out.

And of course Ebony And Ivory. I'll never figure out how two of the most talented musicians in the history of recorded music could team up and make one of the most godawful sappy songs of all time. McCartney had been in a gradual decline for a while. But the 80s were a MAJOR low point for Stevie Wonder (this combined with "I Just Called To Say I Love You").

[–] bobalbrecht 20 years ago

Worst Early song: Either "Mr. Moonlight" or "michelle". I don't know why I don't like Michelle, it just bugs me.

Worst later 60's song: Maxwell's Silver Hammer

worst solo stuff:

George: anything from Living in the material world - he had a sore throat and should not have been singing. Why put out an album when you have a sore throat??

Paul: Loup (first Indian on the moon) from Red Rose Speedway. Just awful, although I loved the rest of the album.

John: Most of the Walls and Bridges album.

Ringo: the sentimental Journey album. He got bad advice on that one.

Basically, I love most of the music that these brilliant men put out. There are some clunkers here and there, but for the most part, it is great stuff.

[–] Shaolin_Apu 20 years ago

Yep. Loup 'The First Indian On the Moon' is nonsense. There is also the 'Hold Me Tight' part in it that is much worse than the Beatles song of the same name.

Rest of 'Red Rose Speedway' is great. The album cover is however tasteless and silly.

Puukkoo
Play it again, Frank, I don't give a damn.

[–] MartyMacFly 20 years ago

The album in which you can hear George's sore throat is "Dark horse", not "Living in the material world".

[–] victor1120 19 years ago

The way I see most Beatles albums is that they are entire journeys. It may be off topic to say so, but I feel like you must judge their albums in entirety, not their individual songs. When I sit down to one of their albums, I either like the whole journey or hate it. For this reason, I rarely put on the White Album, or the Magical Mystery Tour. Abbey Road is also pretty spotty but I've learned to love it. And the White Album really SHOULD have boiled down to one disc. (Clash's Sandinista! suffers from the same problem). For the record, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da is terrific! I also must defend "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus' Garden." If you don't dig Ringo, something's wrong with you. His Beatles' compositions are such celebrations of mediocrity that I can't help but have a goofy smile on my face when I listen to them.

But if I MUST go song for song... the ABSOLUTE worst from their early career is "Girl" except for the intro. The "dit-dit-dit-dit-dit" is nothing short of grating

For Later songs... I must say "Rocky Raccoon" just rubs be wrong, no matter how catchy it is. Same thing goes for "Piggies." I've gotta agree with "Wild Honey Pie" and "Revolution 9." "Within You Without Out" and "Inner Light" are both irritating Harrison joints. Sorry George... R.I.P. Also throw in "Lady Madonna," and "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) to round off the worst in the Beatles' canon.

[–] majestikmoose9 20 years ago

You people have some pretty strange opinions overall. But here's my list, and I'm sticking to it.

Worst early songs: Mr. Moonlight, Act Naturally, Yellow Submarine

Worst late 60's songs: When I'm Sixty-Four, Wild Honey Pie, Dig It

Worst solo album songs:

John -- Nutopian International Anthem
Paul -- The Lovely Linda
George -- It's Johnny's Birthday
Ringo -- almost anything

"And when I plugged her in, she just blew up!"

[–] FinnurE 20 years ago

I'm reverting my old opinion of the worst song to a song called You know my name, look up the number. It's horrible, and rightfully forgotten from the late beatles catalogue, heck, it never even made it to an album.

[–] Afternothing99 20 years ago

My least favorite Beatles song is "What Goes On", and also I don't care too much for their cover of "Matchbox." Specifically from their later period I would point out "Flying" which gets a little tedious. I'm a huge Macca fan, but I don't care too much for his song "Sinalong Junk" from the McCartney album, although I love the rest of the album, for the most part. I dislike all of "Two Virgins" "The Wedding Album" and "Life With The Lions", from John's period. But, as a regular song, I think his song "Love" is a bit weak. George I love, but, I don't like his song "Maya Love" from Dark Horse. And, Ringo, I haven't heard enough of.

That's about it...

"The romance of picture making ends here..." Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in 1929...

[–] SullenHobosapien 20 years ago

I can't stand the early song "Mr. Moonlight." I just have to switch the track on that one.

Umm for their later songs I would have to say is "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
I just think they were trying to hard to be "trippy" and "psycadelic"

and i don't know too much about their solo albums

[–] joostvrieler 19 years ago

In defence of poor old George: it was on 'Dark Horse' that he had a soar throat, though it turned out quite OK, in my opinion. Some nice rockers, good slide guitars. Listen to 'Maya Love' for instance. 'Living In The Material World' isn't that great though, that's true. The production is lacking, the lyrics are preechy, some songs feel unfinished. About 'It's Johnny's Birthday' being the worst song he did I must disagree. It's not a song, it's a joke that appeared on an album. You could say an album isn't the appropriate place for private jokes, I could agree with that. The whole 'Apple Jam'-disc of 'All Things Must Pass', on which the birtday-song is too, I could have easily lived without.

[–] Buzz-Duh 19 years ago

I can't say it's their worst, but "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" has to be their most irritating song. It's sparing amount of lyrics and the repetitive guitar chords that go on for 3 minutes at the end make it like nails on a chalk board. And after you listen to the ending for 3 minutes, thinking it's leading up to something big, it just gets cut off and it's over. No fade out, no nothing. I bet if hell exists, they play an endless loop this song's ending there.

"Extreme situations require extreme measures."

[–] joostvrieler 19 years ago

There's a simple explanation for the abrupt ending of 'I Want You (She's So Heavy'), Buzdahatesyou. It is on 'Abbey Road', which was recorded in 1969 and therefore an LP (vinyl). 'I Want You' was supposed to be the final track on side A, and because some LP-players (what do you call them in English?) kept their needle on the LP, the song would go on and on and on and on forever until someone would pick up the needle and turned to side B. As a kind of joke, experiment, call it what you like. You're still allowed to dislike the song though. ;)

[–] Buzz-Duh 19 years ago

Haha! That sucks, because my parents actually owned the Abbey Road vinyl, but our record player was one who's arm automatically returned when the side was done. So I basically missed out on the joke. :( BTW, doesn't the backwards jibberish at the end of Sgt. Pepper do the same thing?

"Extreme situations require extreme measures."

[–] Cbak 19 years ago

HANG ON. I've got Abbey Road on vinyl, and it does nothing of the sort. I Want You (She's So Heavy) stops before the run-off track, unlike Sergeant Pepper's end of side 2 gibberish, which COULD go on forever if the playing arm didn't lift up.

[–] brian_rmsy 19 years ago

Sergeant Pepper's end of side 2 gibberish, which COULD go on forever if the playing arm didn't lift up

That was there plan.

[–] hannibal_lusty 19 years ago

Ob-Li-Di Ob-Li-Da is easily the worst, in fact it's so bad that i just play it for the fun of listening to one of the worst songs of all times. This is the plan 9 of songs(if you don't know what plan 9 is look up"plan 9 from outer space" up) it's so bad it's funny. Also who do you think is the best beatle, i think John, I Am The Walrus is the best beatles song

[–] domingosantana1 19 years ago

well,I must admit that I can´t stand "Mrs. Vanderbilt" from Band on the Run...God!!! what a torture!!!!

[–] brian_rmsy 19 years ago

well,I must admit that I can´t stand "Mrs. Vanderbilt" from Band on the Run...God!!! what a torture!!!!

These are not Beatles songs.

The ones I don't like are Run For Your Life, Maxwell's Silver Hammer.

[–] Shaolin_Apu 19 years ago

Yes, the 'ho hey ho' can be quite annoying. I also hate the riff on 'Let Me Roll It', everything else in those songs is however good. Worst riff however is on 'Monkberry Moon Delight'.

The Apple Scruffs Corps, 05
There ain't no more strawberries, Sir

[–] ambrz 19 years ago

The first Beatle song I can think of that I could live without is "Goodnight" at the end of the White Album. Nice song, I guess, but there's nothing particularly 'Beatle-ish' about it.

Second choice would be "Revolution #9". It's great and all, but I usually skip it. Do a lot of people even allow this to play while they're listening to the album?

As for early stuff, that's harder: Maybe "Baby's in Black".

[–] Rat-O-Van 19 years ago

I Agree. I like Revolution #9 too, but you just cant sit down and lisen to it all in one go.

Let It Be would have been better if they left off Dig It, which is why i prefer Let It Be...Naked. Dont Let Me Down fitted much better on the album.

If I had to choose a few to let go, They would be Dear Prudence, Chains and Baby You're A Rich Man

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] sisterray20 19 years ago

hmmm... for early stuff, seems people have (rightfully) forgotten about the b-side of ticket to ride "yes it is" i can`t think of a worse song by the "best group in the world". It`s so twee, it makes penny lane seem cutting edge + hard-hitting. As for later ones, how about "why don`t we do it in the road?"? it`s truely AWFUL!!! Why does paul sing like that on it? It`s simply filler, "what`s the new mary jane?" would have been space FAR better spent on the white album...

[–] freeespirit 17 years ago

I disagree...
Even Lennon mentioned that 'Why Don't We Do It in the Road' was a fine song.

[–] stabbelju 19 years ago

Ob-la-di Ob-la-da

[–] Shaolin_Apu 19 years ago

It seems that most of their worst material is on the White Album.

Play it again, Frank, I don't give a damn.

[–] MissAnnThrope4 19 years ago

I love the white album, however #9 makes me (to borrow a line from yer blues) wanna die.

[–] MartyMacFly 19 years ago

It's not that their worst material is in the White Album: It's that the White Album is double, so it contains more songs than any other.

[–] Shaolin_Apu 19 years ago

It could have been even worse if 'What's the New Mary Jane' had been on it. It has 'Wild Honey Pie', 'Obladi Oblada', 'Don't Pass Me By' regularly named here. The jewels like 'Blackbird' and 'Dear Prudence' are so great that the total is hugely positive, but it has those odd moments too.

Play it again, Frank, I don't give a damn.

[–] JekyllBoote-1 19 years ago

I'm not crazy about all of the cover versions (although I don't find any of them horrible to listen to), but I can honestly say that there isn't an original song by The Beatles that I don't like. I even enjoy (and I mean enjoy!) "Revolution 9" and "Wild Honey Pie". ("Revolution 9" sets up "Goodnight" so wonderfully.)

Of the earlier songs, "Thank You Girl" strikes me as one of the weakest, but this is only relatively speaking. No sensible person would listen to any of Ringo Starr's songs with high expectations. They're unexceptionable, once their limitations are acknowledged.

I'm quite amazed (incredulous, in fact) to see people dismissing songs of the magnitude of "Girl" or "Penny Lane". "Blue Jay Way" (which I think is very atmospheric) also gets undeserved short shrift.

Not really interested in much of the solo stuff. Are you?

[–] lesg2 15 years ago

I didn't care much for "Don't Let Me Down"

Love The Oldies

[–] sylviap656 15 years ago

"Good Morning, Good Morning" grates against my ears.

[–] valro 19 years ago

You agree with John Lennon. He couldn't stand that song either, as well as "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". He wanted to put his song "Cold Turkey" on one of the Beatles albums but Paul didn't think it was appropriate for the group to do a song about heroin addiction.

[–] mmmccloskey 19 years ago

i hate:

a hard day's night
sgt. peppers (the whole album)
let it be
two of us
yesterday
help!
michelle
birthday
helter skelter
back in the ussr
happiness is a warm gun
while my guitar gently weeps
taxman
eight days a week
girl
all you need is love
penny lane
girl
lady madonna
norwiegan wood
dr. robert
twist and shout
girl

... and hey jude

i love:
matchbox
mr. moonlight
act naturally
all together now
only a northern song
anna

[–] Shaolin_Apu 19 years ago

You'd better say...

LOVE:

a hard day's night
sgt. peppers (the whole album)
let it be
two of us
yesterday
help!
michelle
birthday
helter skelter
back in the ussr
happiness is a warm gun
while my guitar gently weeps
taxman
eight days a week
girl
all you need is love
penny lane
girl
lady madonna
norwiegan wood
dr. robert
twist and shout
girl

HATE:

matchbox
mr. moonlight
act naturally
all together now
only a northern song
anna

...or fall into your own trap.

Play it again, Frank, I don't give a damn.