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PODCAST

Ranking The Beatles

Jonathan and Julia Pretus

Musician and self-described Beatles fanatic Jonathan Pretus ranked the entire recorded catalog of the Beatles, because he"s a big, big nerd. Then he decided to make a podcast to talk with other people and learn about their connection with The Beatles" music. Tune in as Jonathan and his guests, joined by his co-host/wife Julia (a more level-headed, casual fan) discuss the rankings, what they think makes each song so great (or not-so-great), and see if it really is a fool"s errand to try and rank

music music history

All Episodes

01:19:16

#90 - The Inner Light with Caitlin Larkin (DJ, Sirius...

Ranking The Beatles ·

2024/05/30

There seems to be somewhat of a misconception of The Beatles having a really big "Indian period." In reality, there's only 3 songs that really fit that bill, and the 3rd a final one, "The Inner Light," may be the most open hearted and enlightened one. After being inspired/challenged by a scholar he met on the David Frost show, George took lyrics from the Tao Te Ching and created a gorgous song that found it's home on the b-side of the Lady Madonna single. Recorded in

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01:47:57

#91 - Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and...

Ranking The Beatles ·

2024/05/24

The longest titled song in the Beatles' catalogue is also one that maybe flies a bit below the radar. Buried on side 3 of the White album, "Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey" is one of the heaviest rockers in the back half of their career. Inspired by the Maharishi, and also possibly by a growing drug issue, John leads the band through a frantic and hard tune with lyrics that maybe don't quite make sense. George's playing is at his heaviest and most

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01:53:58

BONUS! A Let It Be Podcast Roundtable Chat

Ranking The Beatles ·

2024/05/16

After decades of hiding in the Apple vaults, the Beatles' 1970 film Let It Be is finally out! Lovingly restored thanks to Peter Jackson's team, the documentary directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg finally gets it place in the sun. What better way to celebrate than with Beatle pals!?!?We were thrilled as could be to join our pals from the Blotto Beatles, Paul or Nothing, BC The Beatles, and Fans on the Run podcasts to talk all things Let it Be. First thoughts, long time thoughts, expectations,

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01:13:53

#92 - If I Needed Someone with Ethan Alexanian (host,...

Ranking The Beatles ·

2024/05/09

Imagine the feeling you'd get when the band that was the inspiration for YOUR band put out a song and told everyone YOUR band inspired that song? Probably a pretty amazing feeling. That's exactly what happened when The Beatles released the George Harrison-penned "If I Needed Someone" on Rubber Soul in December 1965. George was quick to give credit to Roger McGuinn and The Byrds for the 12 string riff that propels the song, as it's a pretty direct descendant of The Byrds'

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01:09:54

#93 - Honey Pie with Dr. Christine Feldman-Barrett,...

Ranking The Beatles ·

2024/05/02

Much has been discussed of Paul McCartney's love of what John Lennon called "granny music." The music of his parents' generation, British Music Hall, Vaudeville, Tin Pan Alley...you know the genre...the stuff Lennon loved to complain about when it came from Paul, but seemingly had no problem with his favorite group, Nilsson, whos stock and trade was the song tradition rooted in that era. Paul, however, loved, and still loves, music and art from that time. It gives him a chance to

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01:24:43

#94 - Free As A Bird with Skylar Moody (Beatles...

Ranking The Beatles ·

2024/04/25

Some 25 years after the Beatles' break up, new music from the band emerged via a cosmic combination of technology and enduring love...and the career-spanning Anthology project. Using a solo John piano demo, the remaining Threetles completed "Free As A Bird," a stately and beautiful track, complete with the still gorgeous Beatle harmony, brilliant lead guitar, some new lyrics by Paul and George, a bit of that trademark Beatle cheekiness...it was them, all over again. In my opinon, the

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01:16:06

#95 - Savoy Truffle with Chris Carter (host,...

Ranking The Beatles ·

2023/12/28

After a few years of producing some fairly heady and serious musical output, George found himself wanting to lighten the load a bit in 1968. Not everything needed to be Within You Without You, inspiration didn't always have to be divine. It could come from anywhere, even your friends gross teeth. Thanks to his friend Eric (you know who)'s love of chocolates and disregard of dental hygiene, George came up with Savoy Truffle, an under-rated (imo) tune in which Paul and Ringo provide some of

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01:20:44

#96 - It Won't Be Long with Ken Womack (author,...

Ranking The Beatles ·

2023/12/21

Riding high on the success of a chart topping debut album and #1 singles, the Beatles were searching for what the next big hit would be. While "It Won't Be Long" didn't turn out to be that hit, it did provide a brilliantly urgent shot with which to start their sophomore album. It absolutely fires out of the speakers, grabbing the listener immediately with a passionate lead vocal from John that volleys back and forth "yeah!" "yeah!" "yeah!"s with Paul

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01:00:36

#97 - Good Morning, Good Morning with Red Rockers

Ranking The Beatles ·

2023/12/14

It can be tough to write songs when you're not out living real life experiences. After the Beatles stopped touring, John often found himself at home, bored and isolated from the social scenes he'd been in while on the road. But John could find inspiration in anything...posters, newspapers, even commercials. That's where he found inspiration for this rocking ode to everyday malaise that would find a home towards the end of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Driven by some gnarly

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01:23:58

#98 Hello Goodbye with Debbie Davis (singer, musician)

Ranking The Beatles ·

2023/12/07

1967 was arguably the top of the mountain for the Beatles. With the Sgt. Pepper album, they provided the soundtrack that encapsulated global consciousness, while also elevating themselves beyond just a mere pop band; they were artists of the highest order.It was also the beginning of the end, with the death of Brian Epstein kicking off a long series of events that would eventually unravel the band. But by the year's end, they were just too big to fail. As such, "Hello, Goodbye" made

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01:14:13

#99 I Will with guest Mike Viola (singer, songwriter,...

Ranking The Beatles ·

2023/11/30

We're into the top 100 songs in our rankings! We can't turn back now!! Paul McCartney seems to have a knack for making sure he finishes things. "Now and Then" is a good example; he saw something there worthwhile and though it took a couple of decades, he saw it through to completion. The same can be said for "I Will," a song for which he had a melody kicking around a long time before he was able to complete a lyric for. After tossing lyrics he worked on in India with

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00:52:48

#100 I Should Have Known Better with Laurie Kaye

Ranking The Beatles ·

2023/11/29

As Paul noted in the Get Back series, The Beatles seemed to excel when their backs were against a wall. They were certainly feeling the time crunch during a several week residency in Paris in early 64. They hadn't yet conquered America, but they were due to be there in a couple of weeks. They also had their first movie on the horizon, and they had to finish writing most of the songs for the film and it's accompanying album. All while playing a bunch of shows, and trying to enjoy the fact

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01:16:50

#101 - Every Little Thing with Joe Adragna, singer,...

Ranking The Beatles ·

2023/11/16

While the exact time and place of this song seems to have been lost to the fog of 80+ years of memories, Paul does remember that he wrote this song with the thought it might end up as the Beatles next single in 1964. It seemed to lack that certain Beatle magic singles required, but it found a home on the back half of Beatles For Sale, albeit a home that maybe doesn't do it the justice it deserves. It's sneaky in a few different ways. It's got melodies and hooks for days, from the verse

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01:32:07

#103 You're Going to Lose That Girl & #102 Sgt....

Ranking The Beatles ·

2023/11/09

Been a long time since we did a two-fer episode! Here we go! The Beatles often seemed to turn in some of their best work when up against a deadline. A handful of songs that would make up most the Help! album seemed to come about in short order, as the band had to write and record a big majority of the album before leaving to film. "You're Going to Lose That Girl" is one John knocked out in short order that really shows the band's growth as a unit, and represents them at maybe the

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01:30:11

Now & Then - a round table discussion from Ranking...

Ranking The Beatles ·

2023/11/06

IT'S HERE!! New Beatles music in...2023!?!?! What a time to be a Beatles fan. After blowing our collective minds with the Get Back documentary in 2021, Peter Jackson and co. have again used their MAL software to allow separation of John's vocal and piano from his original demo, solving the issue that seemed to have stalled the completion of this song in the 95 Anthology sessions. With the help of Giles Martin, Paul and Ringo have finally seen this one over the finish line, the last new

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01:23:39

#104 - You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) with Sam...

Ranking The Beatles ·

2023/11/01

After what must have been a creatively exhausting few months creating Sgt. Pepper, The Beatles blew off steam by recording a track that was more in line with the Goon Show humor they grew up loving, filled with weird voices and sound effects, creating comedic environments and asides, purely for the enjoyment of doing something that appeased them. It took them several sessions over a couple years to finish it, with Paul and John working in on it together even during some of their most tumultuous

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01:23:36

#105 - Across The Universe with Dan Wilson (guitarist)

Ranking The Beatles ·

2023/10/25

Lots of songwriters point to the idea that the best songs are the ones that tend to find the you, letting the writer be the vessel or medium. Much like "Yesterday" did for Paul, "Across The Universe" seemed to come to John from within a dreamstate, appearing in his subconscious while lying in bed, almost pushing him to get up and go write down the words and find the melody that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. An absolutely gorgeous lyric no doubt influenced by the band's

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01:03:09

#106 - Baby, It's You with Chuck Gunderson, author...

Ranking The Beatles ·

2023/10/19

It almost seems a shame that the Beatles only ever recorded one Burt Bacharach song. There are arguably no finer melodicists in modern popular music than Bacharach and Lennon/McCartney. But "Baby, It's You" is the only song from his catalogue they ever laid to tape. Recorded for their first album and a product of their well documented love of girl-group R&B, it's a chance for John to show his fantastic, soulful voice. His voice really carries the track with an impassioned

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01:18:42

#107 - I Feel Fine with Laurence Juber (guitarist,...

Ranking The Beatles ·

2023/10/10

At the end of what was probably the busiest year they'd ever have, the Beatles needed a single for the Christmas market in 1964. They needed to churn it out while also wrapping up work on their 4th album. John picked up a riff from a Bobby Parker song and wrote what he thought was "a lousy song" around it, but nevertheless, brought it to the band. Thankfully, his fellow Beatles all had deep bags of tricks to pull from. Ringo added a latin groove straight out of "Tequila,"

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01:01:05

#108 - I've Got A Feeling with Julian Fulco Perron...

Ranking The Beatles ·

2023/10/03

Though the Lennon/McCartney partnership really only existed in name by 1969, the two songwriters still knew who the best person was to help complete a half-written tune. As they'd done before on songs like "We Can Work It Out" and "A Day in the Life," each brought an unfinished piece they were able to stick together to make a whole with "I've Got A Feeling," combining Paul's verse idea and John's bridge. It's a song they worked on constantly during

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