Ok you kids might want to sit this one out.. Heck I'm 44 and was just a young lad when the boys from Liverpool were in their heyday. But I've been a huge Beatles fan most of my life. Their impact on our culture and music to this day is amazing. Who could have imagined back in 1962 what would lie ahead for these 4 talented kids.

So, from my least to favorite..



Ya Paul McCartney may be my least favorite Beatle but the guy is still legend. I saw him in concert several years back and he was amazing. Its just that I liked John's songs better, and of all the Beatles post-career, I liked Paul's music the least. Its great seeing him pull hot young girls again tho after being Knighted. He's probably the most significant living musician on the planet right now. The girls all thought he was cute but that didn't do anything for me. I liked his left handed bass playing alot.



Ringo Starr is so downright cool.. He's been loving life from the word go. He's had some great All-Star jam bands and makes guest appearances post-Beatles. While his drumming skills weren't the most expansive, he always laid a great groove that fit in perfectly. Great guy Ringo is.



John Lennon.. I was 16 in 1980 and had only been a Beatles fan for a few years when John was assassinated. It hit me real hard. For the longest time John was my favorite Beatle. His songs really seemed to speak to me, and I loved his attitudes and philosophies. I can only "imagine" what life would be like if he had lived longer. He was writing some of his best songs ever when he was killed. So tragic. Such a brilliant troubled soul John was. His guitar playing was also incredible.



George Harrison. As I've grown older, George's songs and philosophies really take on new meaning. He of all the Beatles seems to be the one who loved life the most, who really cherished the loves and friends we make along the way. I think George's songs are the most soulful and joyful of the four. He died too young of brain cancer, but he was heroic his whole life in promoting peace and helping the poor while writing great music. Oh and I love his guitar playing, I think he was the most talented musician in the group. For these reasons and more George Harrison is now my favorite Beatle.

So anyone else here like the Beatles?

Take care... BB

i've always thought the four of them were greater together than separately. So I can't really choose between them! I liked your post, though.

Thanks appreciated.. Ya I guess I shoulda added a 5th option "All of the Above".. oh well..

They certainly were an amazing group that far exceeded the individual parts. There never will be another music group that has the impact the Beatles had.

John. I was always fascinated by how different he looked in 1963 and 1968, moreso than any of the other Beatles. Just a complete transformation that you rarely see, then or now. He might have been the least talented in terms of instrument-playing, but he had my favorite voice of all of them (or both of them ). He's really hilarious in Help! and A Hard Day's Night as well, though the former is an utterly ******ed movie.

You should read Bob Spitz's book on them if you haven't, it's really good and really gets into the tensions of the Yoko era in great depth.

Good thing you didn't post this in OOT. It would only be a matter of time until someone said "STU SUTCLIFFE LDO."

Lennon is my favorite overall, but Harrison is a spark that has just kept growing and growing with me. Now I think among his songs are some of the best any of the four did. He had a certain maturity in outlook and interests from early on that separated him a bit from the others, but stood him in really good stead as a person and a musician in his adult life.

Ringo has had some fun high spots but seems a minor note. I remember reading someone saying he's quite distant from the public now and a bit royal, not at all the open guy he used to give the impression of being and still sort of does.

Paul can make some fabulous noise, but he's always been extremely happy with simple pop that doesn't go anywhere or even really attempt to. He's a happy craftsman but unambitious as an artist and has spent decades growing less interesting. His albums are very easy to skip.

I can't pick a favorite because all together they were greater than separately. They all seem to be special for different reasons.

Paul had the best voice, John had the deeper ideas, George Harrison was probably the most musically adventurous and Ringo had a lot of personal style.

Its funny how John didn't quite make it without Paul and Paul's songs became quite lightweight without John. They were like a counterbalance to each other.

I agree that together they were much better than alone. I have been a huge Beatles fan my whole life since I was a little kid and they burst on the scene in the early 60's. That said if I have to pick a favorite it would be Paul. He wrote the best songs and had the best voice however it was the harmonies that really made their sound, the combination of those voices. If I had to pick my top 20 Beatle songs probably 15 of them would have been written by Paul.

Have you given some of John's post-Beatles albums a listen? He was still pretty huge after the Beatles and still put out a lot of his best work.

Yeah both Imagine and Plastic Ono Band are terrific, as well as some of his others.

No, no albums just on the radio. Part of my impression might be media based. Lennon got panned alot after the Beatles broke up and I do remember a couple of his post-Beatles songs not seeming to have the panache of the Beatles songs.

"Imagine" is incredibly sophomoric. Rather hear "Baby's in Black" any day of the week.

Okay, now that I've pissed of John Lennon fans . . . .

If Ringo's recent interview on Johnathon Ross (risque British chat show host) is anything to go by, then he is a full-of-himself, distant, arrogant knobhead. His latest album is absolutely terrible - check out Liverpool 8 for proof. I voted McCartney - he is a little less talented than John imo but a lot more likable.

LOL, that sounds so very very bitter. Do you hate puppies too?

I think McCartney is significantly less talented and significantly more likeable. I think that's probably how he's coming even with Paul in the voting so far; likeable is hard to beat, especially when the opposition has been dead for so long.

I just love Harrison's songs (Guitar Gently Weeps, Something, Here Comes the Sun, I Me Mine). I answered the poll with McCartney but I think Harrison is my favorite. I also love Lennon's single career, for a while I loved the songs "Jealous Guy", "Starting Over", "Mind Games" and my absolute favorite is "War is Over (Merry Xmas)".

One thing I love about the Beatles is how much great music they did. I grew up listening to the early Beatles stuff that my dad would listen in the car, but then in college I started listening to their late stuff (White Album, Revolver, ...) and I found out how awesome it was.

The Beatles are my favorite band, fun songs, deep songs, experimental songs, love songs, happy songs, they did it all and they did it better than anyone.

Being dead helps Lennon, not hurts him. McCartney has to overcome the whole martyr angle. And the way Lennon died gives him even more points.

I have no idea what you mean by talented. McCartney was rather clearly the better musician. He also had a better voice. Lennon gets the edge in lyrics obviously. And he held the Beatles together when the rest of the band wanted to call it quits.

Lennon was the "cool" one and was the main contributor to their early success.

I'd rank them John, George, Paul, Ringo.

I like George's songs the most (Here Comes the Sun, While My Guitar Gently Weeps), but John is one of the most interesting musicians ever and I think he had the most to say.

Agreed. Lennon was clearly the least talented musician of the 4.

Nope. Lots of young people have never listened to a Beatles record. Things grow old, including reputations. Also Lennon's social consciousness and take on "the establishment" is hardly the most popular thing out there. For a large part of when he was around, it was a gigantic part of popular culture. Now people are more likely to despise hippies or even liberals or progressives than in any way identify, support, or even understand a thing about them.

Lennon's dying didn't make Paul any less interesting a musician.

Musician is a whole package. McCartney's music was on the whole more disposable than Lennon's and didn't attempt as much. Whether he played an instrument better or not is more interesting to some than others. As to whose voice was better, I'd have to give that to Paul too, but a lot of their most fun stuff depended heavily on Lennon's voice, Twist and Shout being the most obvious example. John's vocal contribution was pretty strong.

You hear different takes on this, but anyway that's about interpersonal politics and doesn't really make someone a better or worse musician.

Lennon was cool, but McCartney was "the cute one." He was more popular for a while.

Some good discussions so far thanks, I've been enjoying them. And good to see Ringo get a few favorite votes too, I was afraid he'd go busto.. Sorry to hear he's a bit difficult these days tho. Ringo has had quite the strange life, what a trip for him.

I kind of expected John to lead the voting. With his incredible songs, sharp wit, humor.. he really was the leader and soul for the group, always pushing them on. I am the Walrus, I Want You (She's So Heavy), Happiness is a Warm Gun, A Day in the Life, I Dig a Pony.., just a few of my favorite John Lennon songs. I also really liked his solo stuff done late in his career. Beautiful Boy, Give Peace a Chance, Watching the Wheels Go Round. He was finding peace at the end.. if only..

Ya Paul was always way too "pop" for me. Some of his solo stuff was downright retched.. Silly Love Song, Ebony & Ivory, Let 'Em In.. eek. But no denying he was a great songwriter and musician. He did a cable TV special recently about going back to Abbey Road and demo'ing all the gear and instruments he has there. It was really amazing, a trip down memory lane. Ya Paul is the survivor, elder statesman, the one who has seen it all and done everything. I hope he lives a long time.

But to me George was the most special. While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Here Comes the Sun, Give Me Love (Give me Peace on Earth), My Sweet Lord, Something.. George was the heart of the band, and his solo career was also the best. He really became an accomplished slide guitar player too..

This version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps is especially nice. Oh, and go see the Beatles Love show at the Mirage if you get the chance.. so very well done.

Take care.. BB

see my location.

How do you guys know whether it was Paul or John that wrote each song? I love the Beatles, but as a younger guy I don't know much about their history. I read somewhere that, generally, whoever was singing, it was usually their song.

Going by that idea, I picked McCartney. Don't know how true that is, though.

Ringo is my favorite, because he must have had one of the biggest luckboxes in the history of mankind.

It's an assumption based on who sings the lead and noticable style differences. I'm sure there were many collaberative efforts especially early on. For example Hey Jude = pure Paul while Revolution = pure John.

The Beatles suck, one step above the Archies. BS pop music.