Acclaimed Music Forums

The Beatles visit Rank the Tracks for the fifth time. Isn't it good, Norwegian wood?



The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" (1965)

Tracklisting:
01 | Drive My Car
02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
03 | You Won't See Me
04 | Nowhere Man
05 | Think for Yourself
06 | The Word
07 | Michelle
08 | What Goes On
09 | Girl
10 | I'm Looking Through You
11 | In My Life
12 | Wait
13 | If I Needed Someone
14 | Run for Your Life

You can guess who's next...

Fantastic album top to bottom.

11 | In My Life
02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
10 | I'm Looking Through You
03 | You Won't See Me
09 | Girl
01 | Drive My Car
12 | Wait
04 | Nowhere Man
05 | Think for Yourself
07 | Michelle
14 | Run for Your Life
06 | The Word
08 | What Goes On
13 | If I Needed Someone

12 | Wait
01 | Drive My Car
11 | In My Life
02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
14 | Run for Your Life
04 | Nowhere Man
13 | If I Needed Someone
08 | What Goes On
03 | You Won't See Me
09 | Girl
10 | I'm Looking Through You
05 | Think for Yourself
06 | The Word
07 | Michelle

01 | In My Life (#1 favorite Beatles song)
02 | Nowhere Man
03 | You Won't See Me
04 | Drive My Car
05 | Wait
06 | Girl
07 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
08 | The Word
09 | Think for Yourself
10 | If I Needed Someone
11 | Michelle
12 | I'm Looking Through You
13 | What Goes On
14 | Run for Your Life

It's only fairly recently that I started putting this in my top 100.

02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
11 | In My Life
04 | Nowhere Man
01 | Drive My Car
09 | Girl
10 | I'm Looking Through You
05 | Think for Yourself
07 | Michelle
14 | Run for Your Life
03 | You Won't See Me
12 | Wait
13 | If I Needed Someone
06 | The Word
08 | What Goes On

"Isn't it good, Norwegian wood?"

01 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
02 | Nowhere Man
03 | In My Life
04 | Drive My Car
05 | Think for Yourself
06 | You Won't See Me
07 | Michelle
08 | Run for Your Life
09 | Wait
10 | I'm Looking Through You
11 | If I Needed Someone
12 | What Goes On
13 | Girl
14 | The Word

My #1 album of 1965.

07 | Michelle
11 | In My Life
02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
01 | Drive My Car
04 | Nowhere Man
09 | Girl
06 | The Word
10 | I'm Looking Through You
14 | Run for Your Life
13 | If I Needed Someone
05 | Think for Yourself
08 | What Goes On
03 | You Won't See Me
12 | Wait

07 | Michelle*
11 | In My Life*
02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
10 | I'm Looking Through You
05 | Think for Yourself
12 | Wait
13 | If I Needed Someone
03 | You Won't See Me
04 | Nowhere Man
01 | Drive My Car
09 | Girl
06 | The Word
08 | What Goes On
14 | Run for Your Life

Personal favorites *
Overall album rating: 6.79

01 | Drive My Car
11 | In My Life
06 | The Word
02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
05 | Think for Yourself
13 | If I Needed Someone
09 | Girl
07 | Michelle
03 | You Won't See Me
04 | Nowhere Man
12 | Wait
10 | I'm Looking Through You
14 | Run for Your Life
08 | What Goes On

1. In My Life
2. Norwegian Wood
3. Nowhere Man
4. Drive My Car
5. Girl
6. You Won't See Me
7. Think For Yourself
8. The Word
9. Michelle
10. What Goes On
11. I'm Looking Through You
12. Wait
13. If I Needed Someone
14. Run For Your Life

02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
09 | Girl
01 | Drive My Car
10 | I'm Looking Through You
11 | In My Life
07 | Michelle
12 | Wait
03 | You Won't See Me
05 | Think for Yourself
13 | If I Needed Someone
06 | The Word
04 | Nowhere Man
08 | What Goes On
14 | Run for Your Life

I usually don't judge the songs on lyrics too much but Run for Your Life really is problematic

02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
04 | Nowhere Man
11 | In My Life
01 | Drive My Car
07 | Michelle
08 | What Goes On
09 | Girl
10 | I'm Looking Through You
05 | Think for Yourself
03 | You Won't See Me
12 | Wait
14 | Run for Your Life
13 | If I Needed Someone
06 | The Word

09 | Girl
04 | Nowhere Man
11 | In My Life
02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
03 | You Won't See Me
13 | If I Needed Someone
01 | Drive My Car
12 | Wait
10 | I'm Looking Through You
07 | Michelle
14 | Run for Your Life
06 | The Word
05 | Think for Yourself
08 | What Goes On

12 | Wait
11 | In My Life
13 | If I Needed Someone
02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
03 | You Won't See Me
04 | Nowhere Man
07 | Michelle
09 | Girl
01 | Drive My Car
14 | Run for Your Life
08 | What Goes On
10 | I'm Looking Through You
05 | Think for Yourself
06 | The Word

04 | Nowhere Man
02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
11 | In My Life
01 | Drive My Car
09 | Girl
05 | Think for Yourself
03 | You Won't See Me
13 | If I Needed Someone
07 | Michelle
12 | Wait
06 | The Word
10 | I'm Looking Through You
14 | Run for Your Life
08 | What Goes On

It's always a pleasure to have The Beatles on Rank the Tracks. 14 voters on the first four days...

Results after the first week of voting:
01 | In My Life | 2,4 points
02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) | 3,0 points
03 | Drive My Car | 4,7 points
04 | Nowhere Man | 5,1 points
05 | Girl | 6,5 points
06 | You Won't See Me | 7,4 points
07 | Michelle | 7,6 points
08 | Wait | 8,1 points
09 | Think for Yourself | 8,6 points
10 | I'm Looking Through You | 8,7 points
11 | If I Needed Someone | 9,3 points
12 | The Word | 10,9 points
13 | Run for Your Life | 11,2 points
14 | What Goes On | 11,9 points

11 | In My Life
01 | Drive My Car
02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
04 | Nowhere Man
03 | You Won't See Me
09 | Girl
07 | Michelle
12 | Wait
05 | Think for Yourself
13 | If I Needed Someone
10 | I'm Looking Through You
06 | The Word
14 | Run for Your Life
08 | What Goes On

Amazing:
11 | In My Life
02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

Great:
13 | If I Needed Someone
10 | I'm Looking Through You
06 | The Word
05 | Think for Yourself
04 | Nowhere Man
07 | Michelle
12 | Wait

Good:
14 | Run for Your Life
09 | Girl
01 | Drive My Car

Mediocre:
08 | What Goes On
03 | You Won't See Me

11 | In My Life
02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
01 | Drive My Car
04 | Nowhere Man
10 | I'm Looking Through You
13 | If I Needed Someone
03 | You Won't See Me
14 | Run for Your Life
09 | Girl
12 | Wait
06 | The Word
07 | Michelle
08 | What Goes On
05 | Think for Yourself

A classic... nothing bad here.

Great
02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
01 | Drive My Car
11 | In My Life

Very good:
04 | Nowhere Man
12 | Wait
09 | Girl
10 | I'm Looking Through You
14 | Run for Your Life
07 | Michelle
13 | If I Needed Someone

good:
03 | You Won't See Me
05 | Think for Yourself
06 | The Word
08 | What Goes On

Topically, this album is a hodgepodge, but perhaps mainly about relationships. There are some themes of freedom and self-expression peeking through this album, but for the most part, the subject material is pretty all over the place.

The sound palette - a slightly folky, rickety and poppy sound, laden with harmonies - cements the songs together as an album. The sound is more mellow than the band's previous work. You could say this signals maturity, or maybe just an over-consumption of recreational drugs.

I suppose I should say that this album and cover art are important to the counter-culture movement somehow, but I don't know enough to say anything about that.

Over fifty years later, this album does sound a bit bland and simple. But I think this rudimentary framework is the blueprint for the half-century of pop music to arise since Rubber Soul's release. For one, I think this style of songwriting, verse-chorus structure with minute musical details sprinkled throughout every track, heavily influenced many artists including ABBA, who perfected this style. This album is also sort of a standard for adult contemporary music, an impact that is felt even today.

Great "classic" songwriting, but it is really hard to rank them.

11 | In My Life
10 | I'm Looking Through You
04 | Nowhere Man
01 | Drive My Car
02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
03 | You Won't See Me
09 | Girl
07 | Michelle
13 | If I Needed Someone
08 | What Goes On
05 | Think for Yourself
06 | The Word
14 | Run for Your Life
12 | Wait

1. In My Life
2. Girl
3. I’m Looking Through You
4. Nowhere Man
5. Michelle
6. If I Needed Someone
7. You Won’t See Me
8. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
9. Drive My Car
10. Wait
11. Run For Your Life
12. The Word
13. Think For Yourself
14. What Goes On

Like everyone else, I love this album. It’s really kind of remarkable how easily 14 songs can go by and the sequencing is almost perfect, with classic tracks sprinkled from top to bottom! “In My Life” (my personal #47 all-time) is particularly well written, and I suspect it’s going to land pretty highly on the AMF top songs poll this month...

1. In my life
2. Girl
3. Drive my car
4. Nowhere man
5. Norwegian wood
6. The word
7. Michelle
8. I'm looking through you
9. If I needed someone
10. Think for yourself
11. Wait
12. Run for your life
13. You won't see me
14. What goes on

02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
11 | In My Life
01 | Drive My Car
10 | I'm Looking Through You
07 | Michelle
04 | Nowhere Man
05 | Think for Yourself
13 | If I Needed Someone
12 | Wait
03 | You Won't See Me
09 | Girl
14 | Run for Your Life
06 | The Word
08 | What Goes On

13| If I Needed Someone
01| Drive My Car
09| Girl
06| The Word
11| In My Life
14| Run for Your Life
02| Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
03| You Won't See Me
05| Think for Yourself
10| I'm Looking Through You
12| Wait
04| Nowhere Man
08| What Goes On
07| Michelle

A truly amazing album, probably the first album by anyone up to that time where you can say that (almost) every song is top-notch. Well, okay, apart from Dylan. Even something as low on my list as Run for Your Life is great – way above what most bands would release as an album track in 1965. As always with the Beatles (and it got worse with each successive album, in my opinion), I just wish they'd reined in the Macca-schmaltzy-ballad thing. Michelle's still a good song, but not for the Beatles, and not for a rock 'n' roll band. I appreciate everyone's got their own opinion, and that's what makes an opportunity to rank-the-tracks so interesting. I read that a Rolling Stone critic (Rob Sheffield, I think) described Rubber Soul as something like "the ultimate singalong Beatles album" – the vocals are so good, the melodies are outstanding, and there's such diversity in musical styles. I'd go along with that.

09| Girl
04| Nowhere Man
01| Drive My Car
05| Think for Yourself
11| In My Life
02| Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
13| If I Needed Someone
06| The Word
12| Wait
10| I'm Looking Through You
14| Run for Your Life
03| You Won't See Me
08| What Goes On
07| Michelle

07| Michelle (189)
02| Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (602)
11| In My Life (1018)
01| Drive My Car (1315)
13| If I Needed Someone (1329)
09| Girl (1333)
04| Nowhere Man (1370)
03| You Won't See Me (1430)
06| The Word (2138)
14| Run for Your Life (2143)
12| Wait (2445)
05| Think for Yourself (2861)
08| What Goes On (5101)
10| I'm Looking Through You (6430)

01 | In My Life
02 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
03 | Nowhere Man
04 | Drive My Car
05 | Girl
06 | Michelle
07 | You Won't See Me
08 | The Word
09 | Run for Your Life
10 | If I Needed Someone
11 | I'm Looking Through You
12 | Think for Yourself
13 | Wait
14 | What Goes On

1. In My Life
2. Nowhere Man
3. Norwegian Wood
4. You Won't See Me
5. Drive My Car
6. If I Needed Someone
7. I'm Looking Through You
8. Wait
9. Girl
10. Think for Yourself
11. Michelle
12. The Word
13. Run for Your Life
14. What Goes On

I'm shrugging off the track-LIST-numbers and numbering them how I rank them... I guess this is a count-Up format starting with the best...

01 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
02 | Think for Yourself
03 | You Won't See Me
04 | If I Needed Someone
05 | In My Life
06 | Wait
07 | Girl
08 | Nowhere Man
09 | The Word
10 | Drive My Car
11 | Michelle
12 | What Goes On
13 | I'm Looking Through You
14 | Run for Your Life

I'll admit, this time / this rank, I dislike "Run for Your Life" actively and find "I'm Looking Through You" partly weak.

I think the other/first 12 are great, though.