The Beatles Worst Songs

It truly is hard to come up with the worst songs from the Beatles. While this topic is subjective, for sure, there are reasons why it is hard. The Beatles are unique. Nearly everything on their LP's was good, in the sense that, even if you did not like a song for whatever reason, you might like a guitar lick, the way harmonies came, how Ringo played the drums. Many of their lesser songs come to mind, but lesser does NOT mean bad. While their LP's always had their hits on them, the other songs were not just fillers like most bands do. These songs were often just as catchy in melody, in musicianship, or harmony, they just were not released on the radio and received no airplay. For example, their Rubber Soul LP (1965) contains the hailed, In My Life and Norwegian Wood, yet numerous other songs are actually as good or better seldom heard: The Word, Run For Your Life, Girl, and others. Nearly every song is very good in their own right.

So, as we know, Lennon-McCartney wrote many lesser songs (in their minds) that other artists did, yet even those reached #1 or the Top 10 on the charts.Even the Rolling Stones had a hit with one of their "throw away" songs. But, they did have some songs that were near bad. Here they are:

• Ain't She Sweet (1960-1) The unknown Beatles as a backup band recorded this very old classic in rock fashion and it's just horrible in execution. They did succeed in executing this song.
• My Bonnie (1960-1) As per above, in the same session, they did this old classic in rock fashion and had the same horrible result.
• Cry For A Shadow (1960-1) Another from the same Tony Sheridan recording session, this was the only Lennon-Harrison song, an instrumental that fits the period when it was popular for bands to do it.
• Hello Little Girl (1962) A Lennon song that was a demo made at Decca Records. A song with sexual undertones and just horrible it most ways. The guitar work is sloppy, the words are stupid.
• Three Cool Cats (1962) Same Decca session, same result.
• Like Dreamers Do (1962) Same Decca session, a Lennon-McCartney song that emulates very well their teen idol, Elvis Presley. Paul sings and you can tell who his idol was. The execution is OK, just not a good song.
• Loved of the Love (1962) Same Decca session, another Lennon-McCartney song that reminds one of Elvis with Paul's execution.
• September in the Rain (1962) Same Decca session, a McCartney song that actually is not bad but it sounds like Gene Pitney or Bobby Darin song in the vocals. What stands out is Paul as the most promising.
• A Taste of Honey and Mr. Moonlight- both are from their LP's and cover songs that Lennon did. These were ones they did long before being famous and should never had done them again. They are just old songs needing retirement.
• Please Please Me (1963)- Even though it was their first #1 song, it just never appealed to me.
• Ask Me Why (1963) - A Lennon song that was on their Early Beatles LP and as John later said, just a filler. How true.
• Octopus's Garden (1969)- Ringo's song on Abbey Road is just silly, stupid, but nicely done.
• Something (1969)- Harrison's epic song that everyone loves, sorry, it never appealed to me.
• Words of Love (1964-5)- a Buddy Holly cover song from their Beatles VI LP, it is just a tribute to John's idol and rather boring.
• Wild Honey Pie, Piggies, Long, Long,Long, Good Night, Revolution 9- All from the 1968 White LP, all just boring and bad songs
• Old Brown Shoe (1968-9)- This Harrison song is uninspiring as it shuffles through a boring melody, but Paul's bass line is catchy.
• Blue Jay Way, Flying- Bad fillers from their Magical Mystery LP, they just do nothing for the listener.
• Only a Northern Song (1968) - Another Harrison dud from the Yellow Submarine LP.
• Dig It, Maggie Mae - Two snippets of songs from the Get Back\Let it Be LP that shows John at his worst.
• Within Without You - From Sgt. Pepper (1967), another dreary, horrible, Harrison song hung up on Indian inspiration and meditation.

For this Beatle fan, that is my list. As I said, they had many lesser songs but for me, these are the bad ones.