The Beatles in 3 Songs

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Brad
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The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Brad »

Often, when I'm listening to a band I really love, I try to come up with a three song set that encompasses that band's career - if I encountered an alien from another universe (for example) what three songs would I play by that band to illustrate their appeal/acclaim?

I find this can be a very difficult task with The Beatles, as their scope is so immense in terms of influence in almost every aspect of pop culture.

But I want to throw this question out to the forum -
Out of the 227 songs they recorded together, which three Beatles songs would you choose to best encapsulate their career as a band?
There are some guidelines I want to add, however:
- no two songs should be on the same album
- there should be at least one Lennon song and at least one McCartney song included (obviously, there are several genuinely dual efforts that can count as either - notably "A Day In The Life", for example). And nothing against George (or Ringo) of course (I'm a big George fan myself) - there's room for them as well!
- at least one song should be pre-Rubber Soul (the "Beatlemania" years) and at least one should be Rubber Soul or later
- I'm open to some minor rule stretching, but will leave it to you to determine if it makes sense in the context of what we're trying to accomplish - for example, could the last 4 songs of the Abbey Road medley be counted as one McCartney song?

No right or wrong here - I truly want to know what you guys think. I have ideas myself, but don't want to sway your opinions. This isn't necessarily to choose your favorite songs; rather, I want to see three-song lists that best encapsulate the greatness of the Fab Four!

Thank you!
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Holden
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Holden »

I Want to Hold Your Hand
A Day in the Life
Hey Jude

Early Beatles, the Beatles’ best song, and later Beatles. All three are pretty distinct sounds, and I think encapsulate the different parts of the bands sound.
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Brad
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Brad »

Holden wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 1:37 pm I Want to Hold Your Hand
A Day in the Life
Hey Jude

Early Beatles, the Beatles’ best song, and later Beatles. All three are pretty distinct sounds, and I think encapsulate the different parts of the bands sound.
Yeah, that matches up well with the Acclaimed list too. I think A Day In The Life is a given!
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Holden
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Holden »

Brad wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 2:08 pm
Holden wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 1:37 pm I Want to Hold Your Hand
A Day in the Life
Hey Jude

Early Beatles, the Beatles’ best song, and later Beatles. All three are pretty distinct sounds, and I think encapsulate the different parts of the bands sound.
Yeah, that matches up well with the Acclaimed list too. I think A Day In The Life is a given!
The Acclaimed list wasn’t really my intent, but I suppose that it’s bound to work out like that. These certainly aren’t my favorite Beatles songs either, only A Day in the Life would make my top ten if I made a list like that.
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Brad »

Holden wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 2:19 pm
Brad wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 2:08 pm
Holden wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 1:37 pm I Want to Hold Your Hand
A Day in the Life
Hey Jude

Early Beatles, the Beatles’ best song, and later Beatles. All three are pretty distinct sounds, and I think encapsulate the different parts of the bands sound.
Yeah, that matches up well with the Acclaimed list too. I think A Day In The Life is a given!
The Acclaimed list wasn’t really my intent, but I suppose that it’s bound to work out like that. These certainly aren’t my favorite Beatles songs either, only A Day in the Life would make my top ten if I made a list like that.
My own list is very Lennon-heavy; I'd have trouble excluding Strawberry Fields Forever, given it's ranking on Beatles-centric lists as well. While "I Want To Hold Your Hand" isn't a fave of mine, there's no denying the immense impact of that single when it first appeared - credited as the start of the British Invasion!
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Holden
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Holden »

Brad wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 2:30 pm
Holden wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 2:19 pm
Brad wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 2:08 pm Yeah, that matches up well with the Acclaimed list too. I think A Day In The Life is a given!
The Acclaimed list wasn’t really my intent, but I suppose that it’s bound to work out like that. These certainly aren’t my favorite Beatles songs either, only A Day in the Life would make my top ten if I made a list like that.
My own list is very Lennon-heavy; I'd have trouble excluding Strawberry Fields Forever, given it's ranking on Beatles-centric lists as well. While "I Want To Hold Your Hand" isn't a fave of mine, there's no denying the immense impact of that single when it first appeared - credited as the start of the British Invasion!
I almost put Strawberry Fields Forever, but I felt like both A Day in the Life and Strawberry Fields Forever would do a disservice to post-Pepper Beatles.
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by jamieW »

I agree with Holden from an (attempted) objective standpoint. From a personal standpoint (if I just wanted to force the aliens to listen to what I love the most), it'd probably be: A Day in the Life; Yesterday; While My Guitar Gently Weeps. (Maybe even Tomorrow Never Knows, but that one might sound similar to the music they listen to on their home planet.) :music-guitarred:
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Hymie »

She Loves You
Penny Lane
Come Together

Three is too little for this act, make it 5.

She Loves You
Ticket To Ride
Penny Lane
Come Together
Let It Be
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Brad »

Hymie wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 2:55 pm Three is too little for this act, make it 5.
Nah, see that's cheating... that's the challenge!
... btw love "Ticket To Ride" as early choice
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

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jamieW wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 2:44 pm I agree with Holden from an (attempted) objective standpoint. From a personal standpoint (if I just wanted to force the aliens to listen to what I love the most), it'd probably be: A Day in the Life; Yesterday; While My Guitar Gently Weeps. (Maybe even Tomorrow Never Knows, but that one might sound similar to the music they listen to on their home planet.) :music-guitarred:
Maybe the aliens dig "Revolution 9"! (somebody does - surprised to see it's actually bubbling under on AM!). Love the "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" pick for George!
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Nick »

I Want to Hold Your Hand
A Day in the Life
Let it Be

early Beatles, psychedelic Beatles, "back to basics" rock Beatles
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Fred »

Easy!

Ticket To Ride (we are ready now!)
I'm The Walrus (slightly more complex and logic than "Strawberry Fields and is what "A Day In The Life" aspires on)
You Never Give Me Your Money (takes shit in life and turns it around, artist style)
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Listyguy »

I Want to Hold Your Hand
Help!
A Day in the Life

This may break the rules since there's no song that's only a McCartney. If I had to include one of those, I'd swap out "I Want to Hold Your Hand" with "I Saw Her Standing There"
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Brad »

Nick wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 4:20 pm I Want to Hold Your Hand
A Day in the Life
Let it Be

early Beatles, psychedelic Beatles, "back to basics" rock Beatles
Similar to Holden... Hey Jude and Let It Be are interchangeable for me
Fred wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 4:27 pm Easy!

Ticket To Ride (we are ready now!)
I'm The Walrus (slightly more complex and logic than "Strawberry Fields and is what "A Day In The Life" aspires on)
You Never Give Me Your Money (takes shit in life and turns it around, artist style)
Whoa! "You Never Give Me Your Money" out of left field! Love it.
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Brad »

Listyguy wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 4:41 pm I Want to Hold Your Hand
Help!
A Day in the Life

This may break the rules since there's no song that's only a McCartney. If I had to include one of those, I'd swap out "I Want to Hold Your Hand" with "I Saw Her Standing There"
You're good... two half-McCartney's works! Interesting you're the first to go with two pre-Rubber Soul songs.
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Schüttelbirne »

I Should Have Known Better
Tomorrow Never Knows
Helter Skelter

Aside from the first half of A Hard Day's Night pre-Rubber Soul-Beatles aren't all that interesting. But "I Should Have Known Better" might be their best from this period. Having listened to all of them for the '60s poll again I was very underwhelmed.
Plus two songs from their best albums, with The Beatles of course being their crowning achievement (and "Revolution 9" is definitely more interesting than anything on Beatles for Sale).
This would maybe look different on a different day.

Coincidentally I recently read an article about the Voyager 1's Golden Record and how the selection would be quite different today. I certainly wouldn't choose to put three Beatles songs on it (maybe one). [That would also be an interesting thread by the way]
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Akhenaten »

From Me To You - an actual Lennon & McCartney
Eleanor Rigby - very McCartney
I Am The Walrus - very Lennon
But I was caught, like a fleeting thought,
Stuck inside Leonard Cohen's mind
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Listyguy »

Brad wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 4:44 pm
Listyguy wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 4:41 pm I Want to Hold Your Hand
Help!
A Day in the Life

This may break the rules since there's no song that's only a McCartney. If I had to include one of those, I'd swap out "I Want to Hold Your Hand" with "I Saw Her Standing There"
You're good... two half-McCartney's works! Interesting you're the first to go with two pre-Rubber Soul songs.
I figured I'd include one early track, one transitionary track, and one later track. I consider "Help!" to be part of that same transitionary phase the Rubber Soul perfected. And it's probably more popular than anything on Rubber Soul (though you could convince me that "Help!" should be replaced with "In My Life').
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Henry »

Yesterday
Let It Be
While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Hey Jude
Help!
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Romain »

Eleanor Rigby
Strawberry Fields Forever
Yesterday

but honestly... they made so many masterpieces!
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Hymie »

Fred wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 4:27 pm Easy!

Ticket To Ride (we are ready now!)
I'm The Walrus (slightly more complex and logic than "Strawberry Fields and is what "A Day In The Life" aspires on)
You Never Give Me Your Money (takes shit in life and turns it around, artist style)
Come now, the first pick has got to be something from 1964 or earlier when the songs were very basic. Something has to represent the first wave.
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Wezzo »

I Saw Her Standing There
A Day in the Life
Here Comes the Sun

(Penny Lane was my 4th)
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Fred »

Hymie wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 9:14 pm
Fred wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 4:27 pm Easy!

Ticket To Ride (we are ready now!)
I'm The Walrus (slightly more complex and logic than "Strawberry Fields and is what "A Day In The Life" aspires on)
You Never Give Me Your Money (takes shit in life and turns it around, artist style)
Come now, the first pick has got to be something from 1964 or earlier when the songs were very basic. Something has to represent the first wave.
Yes, a good point. Thought "Ticket" was a good compromise. Their "older" songs is nothing you (I) listen to very much, though. Could be two songs, in my book, "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help". Probably "Help". But that one is '65...

Help - Strawberry Fields - A Day In The Life

But their later work is brutal...
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Hymie »

Fred wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 8:58 am
Help - Strawberry Fields - A Day In The Life
That's no good according to the rules, you have 3 Lennon songs.
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Fred »

Hymie wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 1:25 pm
Fred wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 8:58 am
Help - Strawberry Fields - A Day In The Life
That's no good according to the rules, you have 3 Lennon songs.
Not ADDING them. Just re-imagining three chosen songs in a different universe. I'm still holding fast to my usual three songs. :happy-wavemulticolor: Not completely unlike having three wishes (in front of someone with powers) and one of them being a few wishes more.

Into reading about Steely Dan (Uncut, 2017/11) and they are often described there (by others) as the best songwriting duo since Lennon and McCartney. So, circumstances are having me writing down three songs (here) by them: Reeling In The Years - Riki Don't Lose That Number - Deacon Blues :whistle: Observe I'm not challenging for three Chuck Berry songs here...hehe.
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Honorio »

She Loves You
Strawberry Fields Forever
Helter Skelter
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Toni »

My original three wouldn't include a Paul song. Difficult to exclude some...

Twist and Shout
Strawberry Fields Forever
Let It Be

The first Beatles songs that I became in love were Strawberry and Here Comes the Sun. But Penny Lane could easy be a choice here, too.
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Mushroom Soup »

Holden wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 1:37 pmI Want to Hold Your Hand
A Day in the Life
Hey Jude

Early Beatles, the Beatles’ best song, and later Beatles. All three are pretty distinct sounds, and I think encapsulate the different parts of the bands sound.
I might have picked 1 or 2 different songs if I hadn't seen your list, but your list pretty much says/does it all.

I have to agree.
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Re: The Beatles in 3 Songs

Post by Gillingham »

- Yesterday
- Tomorrow Never Knows
- A Day in the Life

Would be fun to this for other bands too.
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