Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

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Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

John Lennon
27
51%
Paul McCartney
21
40%
George Harrison
3
6%
Ringo Starr (answer only for jokers)
2
4%
 
Total votes: 53

mat.bez.lima
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Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by mat.bez.lima »

Sorry for my long absence here. I will talk here about many interesting subjects that I discussed in many threads that I created in RYM this time. I want much to see also your opinions about these subjects.
In my opinion, Paul McCartney. It is true that he
many times wasted his talent with banal songs,
but at his best he could deliver great melodies
and lyrics also like no other Beatle. Even John
Lennon, with all his criticism about banality of
many Paul McCartney, praised McCartney as
being a better songwriter and more of an musician. George Martin said
that Paul McCartney had more understanding of
music and that could expresse opinions about
arrangements better than Lenon, that wanted
things arrangements with a taste of a specific
fruit, etcetera. John Lennon was, especially after
he know Yoko Ono, an artist trying to express his
ideas in many ways, music was just one of them,
but his major focus was personal expression and
social critics, Paul McCartney was really
obssessed with music in a deep way, was more
of an musician. In fact, John Lennon was better
than Paul McCartney in just one thing in matter
of songwriting: lyrics. I am not forgetting George
Harrison, but his quantity of great songs is
inferior to Lennon/McCartney, tough this isn't
much Harrison's guilty, but his lack of
opportunities. I am not taking anything way of Harrison, he was genial also. All Things Must Pass have many great songs that were composed still in Beatles time, but were ignored because the priority were Lennon/McCartney songs. I see that many people seem to have a selective memory and prejudice against Paul McCartney because they
seem remember much more the bad and banal
songs that McCartney wrote than Lennon bad and banal songs. I am not taking anything away of Lennon, he and McCartney were geniuses and immortal musical legends.
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prosecutorgodot
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by prosecutorgodot »

Paul McCartney for me, I guess. It's just a personal preference. I'm a sucker for good pop. Lennon was the artsier one. Not sure if I could describe the styles of Harrison and Starr.
Jonathon
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by Jonathon »

John Lennon had a higher ceiling, Paul McCartney had a greater body of songs.
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arthurnottheking
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by arthurnottheking »

The drama line in all The Beatles songs belongs to John, that's for sure. When I analyzed the texts to write my paper on Music Arts, I mentioned a couple of conceptual metaphors used by John. His lyrics so not copy the tunes, rather - the words are making their own rythms, when we read them aloud without music.
Hello guys,

I discussed this on the BeatlesBible forum too. Paul and John were both remarkable songwriters I guess. For example, if we take Like A Day In The Life: The part written by John is quite dark, whereas Paul's is brighter and more enthusiastic: "woke up, got out of bed." John's writing was more lyrical I think and Paul's - more tune based.
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by Brad »

I generally prefer John's songs but what's great is the combo of the two (three) could work so well off each other and make for such a wide variety in their output.
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by alexjohnson10 »

Hello, I would like to add my point of view to this topic. As for me, It's quite a personal preference. I like all the kind of music. When I want to relax I simply listen to jass or The Beatles. I think so.
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FrankLotion
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by FrankLotion »

Lol I’m glad this thread keeps coming up every once in a while.

For me John, Paul, and George all had such a preternatural ability to write unique and iconic songs that it’s impossible to say who’s the best of the three.

Except Paul is the actual best. :mrgreen:
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by Holden »

FrankLotion wrote: Fri May 15, 2020 6:49 pm Lol I’m glad this thread keeps coming up every once in a while.

For me John, Paul, and George all had such a preternatural ability to write unique and iconic songs that it’s impossible to say who’s the best of the three.

Except Paul is the actual best. :mrgreen:
Paul is definitely the best in my opinion.
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by PlasticRam »

I prefer Paul too. He's so optimistic.
I feel like that
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FrankLotion
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by FrankLotion »

Also here’s an amusing “documentary” that came out a few years ago of some guy asking people “Lennon or McCartney” over a ten year period:

https://youtu.be/kSwUzM_nTGM
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Holden
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by Holden »

I always feel like Lennon has a holier-than-though attitude with his music. Paul seems like he's just having so much fun it's hard not to like.
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Live in Phoenix
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by Live in Phoenix »

alexjohnson10 wrote: Fri May 15, 2020 6:13 pm Hello, I would like to add my point of view to this topic. As for me, It's quite a personal preference. I like all the kind of music. When I want to relax I simply listen to jass or The Beatles. I think so.
Holy crap, I thought no one had listened to jass since 1917.
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by Madzong »

Live in Phoenix wrote: Fri May 15, 2020 8:31 pm Holy crap, I thought no one had listened to jass since 1917.
:mrgreen:
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by Brad »

PlasticRam wrote: Fri May 15, 2020 6:59 pm I prefer Paul too. He's so optimistic.
Probably why I prefer John. Love Paul's harmonies on John's leads.
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by Fred »

Feeling is Paul carried them a bit the first few years. Then John became more important although Paul had his moments.
Last edited by Fred on Tue May 19, 2020 2:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by Madzong »

John for me. I liked how his songs were a bit more experimental.
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by Holden »

Well if we’re going by percentage, I like 100% of Ringo’s songs that he wrote for the Beatles :D
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by notbrianeno »

George Harrison for me :)
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by Live in Phoenix »

These are more or less the Beatles songs in my overall top 1,000. I'm strongly pro-Lennon throughout my top 10 Beatles songs, and then it evens out a little bit (although I'm not sure of the authorship of some songs).

As far as the first few years, it's been a while since I've seen the Imagine documentary, but I think John sort of brags that in the early days, his songs would often be used for the single, "but that's okay."

1. In My Life
2. Hey Jude
3. Ticket to Ride
4. Revolution
5. Let It Be
6. Help!
7. A Hard Day’s Night
8. Nowhere Man
9. Strawberry Fields Forever
10. Penny Lane

11. A Day in the Life
12. Here Comes the Sun
13. All My Loving
14. Something
15. Eight Days a Week
16. She Loves You
17. Helter Skelter
18. I Feel Fine
19. Yesterday
20. If I Fell

21. Eleanor Rigby
22. Yellow Submarine
23. Across the Universe
24. I’m Happy Just to Dance with You
25. Paperback Writer
26. No Reply
27. From Me to You
28. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
29. Abbey Road Medley
30. Getting Better
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by Jirin »

Lennon definitely. McCartney is a great songwriter too of course, but Lennon has more of the songs with meaning and McCartney has more of the saccharine bubbly ones.
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by Brad »

As a side note, I (a Lennon fan) realized (during the 1973 poll) that my favorite Paul McCartney post-Beatles song is "Let Me Roll It", where Paul does his best Lennon vocal imitation (whether consciously or not - he has stated both at different times).

Of course, all this is about the sound as opposed to their songwriting. Just found it interesting.
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by Fred »

My favs with John, Paul, George and Ringo:

Beatles – You Never Give Me Your Money [Paul]
Beatles – I’m The Walrus [John]
George Harrison – What Is Life [George]
John Lennon – Whatever Gets You Thru The Night [John]
Beatles – Happiness Is A Warm Gun [John]
Beatles – Penny Lane [Paul]
George Harrison – Beware Of Darkness [George]
Beatles – Golden Slumbers [Paul]
Paul McCartney – Take It Away [Paul]
Beatles – A Day In The Life [John & Paul]
John Lennon – Mother [John]
Beatles – Martha My Dear [Paul]
George Harrison – All Those Years Ago [George]
Beatles – Strawberry Fields Forever [John]
George Harrison – Wah-Wah [George]
John Lennon – #9 Dream [John]
George Harrison – Run Of The Mill [George]
John Lennon - Bring On The Lucie (Freeda People) [John]
George Harrison - When We Were Fab [George]

8-6-6 John - Paul - George!

Someone should compile all the individual songs that were in the makings while they still were the Beatles. George used all he had at once but John-Paul might have leaked it out one pinch-punch at the time.
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by poorpete »

Jonathon wrote: Mon Nov 28, 2016 10:10 pm John Lennon had a higher ceiling, Paul McCartney had a greater body of songs.
Agreed.

Though listening to McCartney III, I got one complaint. He's great with melody and hooks but he prides himself on ~"oh, I wrote that on the way to the studio." I get you shouldn't mess with perfection, but I'd think sometimes some songs could handle a few more minutes of revising.
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by StyleItTakes »

What an impossible question to answer! John Lennon was a lyrical genius in a way that Paul wasn't. And Paul McCartney was a pop music composer in a way that John wasn't. That's not to say that Paul wasn't a great lyricist, or that John wasn't a marvelous melody maker. My 10 greatest Beatles songs probably would feature more of John's songs than Paul's, but Paul probably really became the band leader in the studio years (1966-1969). John was capable of sheer heavenly brilliance (Strawberry Fields Forever; Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds; A Day in the Life) and Paul was a master craftsman (Eleanor Rigby; Here, There and Everywhere; Let It Be). Both men changed the world. John Lennon was a genius. Paul McCartney is a living genius. I feel obligated to answer the question so my answer is Paul. I have no reason why, only a feeling.

George Harrison was a genius too. Some of his songs were right up there with the greatest songs the band ever wrote.
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Re: Who of The Beatles was the best songwriter?

Post by StyleItTakes »

Jonathon wrote: Mon Nov 28, 2016 10:10 pm John Lennon had a higher ceiling, Paul McCartney had a greater body of songs.
Completely agree with that. So accurate and well said. Impossible to separate them even after thorough analysis.
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