It's time to conclude my Top 20 Beatles Songs list with the final part: the Top 10. If you would like to read about the previous 10 slots, the first part can be found by clicking on the word "douchebag." Otherwise, in the first part, I've established "Within You Without You", the Abbey Road Medley, "Come Together", "Lovely Rita", "Because", "She Said She Said", "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", "Love You To", and "Helter Skelter" as slots 20 through 11 respectively, and some of you are wondering what could possibly top that. If so, I present to you, the Top 10 Beatles Songs. Read away.

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10. Eleanor Rigby
Writer: Paul McCartney ----- Album: Revolver ----- Year: 1966

It was between this and "Tomorrow Never Knows" as the claim-all ultimate Revolver track, and I'd have to say both of them are equally deserving of the position. "Eleanor Rigby" has to take at least a slice of the cake as perhaps one of McCartney's best songs. It's full of lyrical intrigue, which we'll get to, but the entire song's instrumentals is carried by a string octet and nothing more. Thankfully, it doesn't need anything more as each of the eight string instruments pull together a dark, sadistic tone while also throwing in some cinematic quirks as well. That fact alone was enough to catch my interest on first listen, but the lyrics knock it even further out of the ball park. The chorus simply asks the listener in a slightly psychedelic way to "look at all the lonely people", and asks "where do they all come from?". The three verses, however, are set up beautifully, with the first introducing main character Eleanor Rigby, who is one of these lonely people. Moving along, the second verse establishes Father McKenzie, who writes sermons for a church apparently no one goes to, making him yet another lonely person. In the final verse, the two characters meet far too late, when Eleanor Rigby has died and Father McKenzie must bury her in the Church cemetery. There's no happy ending or resolve, it's just the unfortunate turn of events that, with the arrangement, makes this a deserving addition to this list. And by being the track preceding both "I'm Only Sleeping" and "Love You To", these three songs are more than enough to strap you in for the fantastic ride that is Revolver!

9. I'm Only Sleeping
Writer: John Lennon ----- Album: Revolver ----- Year: 1966

Speaking of "I'm Only Sleeping", hello there! This song was one of audiences' very first glimpses at the weirdo psychedelic shit that was about to go down from this point in the Beatles' career onward. As the third track on Revolver, and stuffed between two equally amazing songs (the aforementioned "Love You To" and "Eleanor Rigby"), it comes in at just the right moment on the album. "I'm Only Sleeping" is a very dreamy song, as you might imagine, as the lyrics speak about how laziness is bliss in a way. Perhaps the coolest thing about this one, however, is Harrison's backwards guitar solo. Not only is it effectively trippy with its backwards effect, but you appreciate it more when you realize this must've been a bitch to write and record. As the story goes, the finished product is exactly what was written for the solo, and in the recording studio Harrison had to learn to play the whole thing backwards. The hard work pays off, because it's easily one of the highlights of the song that makes Lennon's acid trip one of the highlights of Revolver.

8. I Am the Walrus
Writer: John Lennon ----- Album: Magical Mystery Tour ----- Year: 1967

Where to begin on this one? There's so much going on in "I Am the Walrus" that it's hard to pick where to start. How about the ingenious arrangement carried on by strings and brass here, there, and everywhere. How about the ultimate nonsense lyrics of all time? How about the jarring effects all throughout, and the trippiest fade-out in the Beatles catalog? Or perhaps the stunning compositional skill, especially during the fade-out? There's so much to love about "I Am the Walrus" that it's hard to resist the gushing. People, mostly non-Beatle fans, say they don't understand this song at all, which is essentially the point. Lennon wrote it as a middle finger to lyrical analysis, more specifically Beatles lyrics. However, when I drone on about how interesting the major chord movements of the fade-out coda are, or the musical merit of the verses and the "garden bridge", that usually shuts them up. Because what can they reply with? "I Am the Walrus" is pure Beatles divinity.

7. Tomorrow Never Knows
Writer: John Lennon ----- Album: Revolver ----- Year: 1966

Speaking of backwards guitar solos, there's one on "Tomorrow Never Knows" too. However, here it's not quite as much of a highlight as it is icing on the cake. "Tomorrow Never Knows" is an all out experimental shitfest, with tons of unorthodox sound effects constantly keeping the track alive and well as Lennon invites the listener to turn off their minds and surrender to the void. All of this, by the way, being played strictly on the C7 chord and nothing more. And after a long period of trying to figure out the best song on Revolver, "Tomorrow Never Knows" takes the cake. The odd drum patterns and booming bass keeping this one twirling and spiraling out of control, and the tamboura keeps the Indian influence intentions true. As such, it finds its rightful place as the closing track on Revolver, keeping audiences and critics on edge as to tease what the Beatles were up to on their next album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. "Tomorrow Never Knows" is as dark and twisted as I'd like, filled with all groove of anything else on that record.

6. Hey Bulldog
Writer: John Lennon ----- Album: Yellow Submarine ----- Year: 1969

Yellow Submarine is overlooked by Beatles fans as an album, mostly because it's not really a Beatles album. First of all, only the first half of the album contained Beatles songs, which is all of six of the thirteen tracks. Then there's the fact that two of the songs have already been released (the titular track, "Yellow Submarine" is track six on Revolver and "All You Need is Love" closes Magical Mystery Tour), which leaves only four new Beatles songs. The other seven songs are a film score produced by George Martin, which is fantastic to me but doesn't mean jack shit to the average listener. So what's the point even picking up this one? "Hey Bulldog", that's the point. This track is the definition of a Beatles rocker, with one of the most badass riffs in existence. It's not the most interesting of nonsense Lennon lyrics like "I Am the Walrus" and "Come Together" are, but that doesn't matter when the instrumentals are so powerful here. Hell, the whole track is worth it just for McCartney's holy mother of God baseline. If you ever listen to that isolated, prepare to shit yourself clean. As a result, "Hey Bulldog" is one of those tracks that immediately made my top picks.

5. The Fool on the Hill
Writer: Paul McCartney ----- Album: Magical Mystery Tour ----- Year: 1967

"The Fool on the Hill" is another one of those songs that took a while to end up on my top picks, but in the end, I discovered it was Paul McCartney's best song in the history of anything ever. I've always been fond of the song, but it wasn't until relatively recently that I noticed its whim and genius. Musically, the song is a classic example of how subtlety can work in a track's favor. "The Fool on the Hill" doesn't have any overt studio tricks, but the woodwinds and brass still bring you to the hills and put you into the perspective of the fool. Composition-wise, its key changes from major on the verses to minor in the chorus work rather well in the song's tone, shifting between the two to argue two different points of view: those that criticize the fool and the fool himself's lack of giving two flying fucks. Lyrically, this is one of McCartney's most interesting writings because, in a nutshell, it's about this guy who minds his own business on a hill somewhere, and while everyone thinks he's just insane, he thinks everybody else are asswipes. I've always related to the song's subject matter as a result, which is why I hold "The Fool on the Hill" in the highest regard.

4. Good Morning Good Morning
Writer: John Lennon ----- Album: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ----- Year: 1967

Weren't expecting this one so high on the list, were you? "Good Morning Good Morning" has only a handful of lovers from what I've seen, with some people regarding it as a kickass rocker with others either neglecting it or calling it distasteful. It's like I said before, I find the whole second half of Sgt. Pepper grossly underrated, and this song is absolutely no exception. I'll be honest, when I first heard this track, I didn't like it either. This was for two reasons, the first being that I was still pretty young at the time and wasn't quite into avant-garde shit as I am now, and the second being that I was expecting something far more "Good Day Sunshine"-esque. However, soon afterwards with a couple of re-listens, I came to adore the genius that is this songs eccentric chord progressions and rapid time signature changes. That's got to be the song's strong suit, actually, those rapid time signature changes that occur every time you blink please me very much. Mix that with the chord progressions bouncy movements that are just as jagged as the signature changes and you've already got a very odd piece. Now set that to a shit ton of brass, a roaring guitar solo, and Lennon's contempt for suburban lifestyles, and you've got the delicious breakfast meal that is "Good Morning Good Morning". The icing on the cake is the final section, where an interestingly organized sound collage of animals are let loose on the stereo, closed by a clucking sound that seamlessly merges with the guitar pinch that opens up "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)", which is also a fantastic track. "Good Morning Good Morning" is one of those oddball songs that I gravitate to as one of Sgt. Pepper's surprising highlights.

3. Strawberry Fields Forever
Writer: John Lennon ----- Album: Magical Mystery Tour ----- Year: 1967

This song was an inevitable choice for one of the Beatles' masterpieces. It's practically universally agreed that "Strawberry Fields Forever" is one of their best works, and clearly I agree. The chords on this one work beautifully in the song's favor, and the arrangement of orchestral instruments with Indian and rock sounds are as innovative and fascinating as you'd expect from a Beatles song post-Rubber Soul. But this was initially released as a standalone single with "Penny Lane" several months prior to Sgt. Pepper, which means if you were just a casual radio top of the pops listener, the last Beatles song you probably heard was "Day Tripper" or "Help!". Imagine your surprise when your announcer plays the newest Beatles song, and this fucklord of insanity plays. Witness accounts of the time period confirm that everyone thought the Beatles had lost their bloody marbles by this song's release, but outside of all the weird arrangements and shit, the song's subject matter is actually very poetic. Lennon sets a psychoanalysis of himself to music in this song, which is beautifully portrayed. My favorite is the second verse, which even he agrees is the strongest, which goes "no one I think is in my tree / I mean it must be high or low / that is you can't you know tune in but it's alright / that is I think it's not too bad". What seems like child's babble is actually very powerful, Lennon essentially saying "I can't find anyone who thinks like I do, so I must be a genius or insane." That works very well with the chorus' method of psychedelic escapism, going to a place where nothing is real. It's a song I relate to and absolutely adore on all accounts. Strawberry Fields forever!

2. A Day in the Life
Writer: John Lennon and Paul McCartney ----- Album: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ----- Year: 1967

"A Day in the Life" is the Beatles' best song.

PRYMESTRIKER YOU CHEETOR!!! YOU CAN'T PUT THE BEST SONG IN THE #2 SLOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Screw you, I can.

"A Day in the Life" is the Beatles' best song, but it's not my favorite song. There's a difference. You see, "A Day in the Life" is a compositional, musical, lyrical, collaborational, artsy masterpiece of fuck-all, but there is one song that I like far more than any other Beatles song, and we'll get to that when we get to it. Let's focus on the amazeballs of "A Day in the Life". Initially, it's a very sweet and simple song, clearly as Lennon likely intended. Strumming in G and moving through the pentatonic, it blissfully describes reading the newspapers about events occurring locally. As we learn about a London socialite who died in a car crash, that's when Starr comes in with some eerily responsive drum fills. We continue on to the films for a particularly gross picture that the narrator happens to like, and here's when shit gets interesting. The guitar, drums, bass, piano, and calming lyrics are halted by a drug reference and are overpowered by an orgasmic climax of a 40-piece orchestra just blowing the shit out of their instruments. It climbs up to E major and then boom, it's McCartney's section. With a bouncy piano, we hear a totally different side of living in "the life", with someone who's in the hustle and bustle of the suburban working life. That is, until the dream sequence occurs with Lennon's reverberated vocals complimented by a beautiful chord progression that's made kind of disturbing by the brass. It's here when we return to Lennon's "watching the wheels" point of view of "the life", as the drums keep pounding out those beautiful fills. It's all capped off by the returning orchestra climax and then finally.....the E major chord booms and echoes through your eardrums as you just happen to realize you've finished Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This is the most complete Beatles song because it has all the experimental shit you'd like, all the simplicity you'd want, the ideal compare and contrast to Lennon and McCartney's general writing styles, leading to another example of the Lennon-McCartney collaborative powerhouse, and all as the closing piece to a fantastic album. "A Day in the Life" is the Beatles' best song.

...

But it's not my favorite.

Before I list my #1 slot, here are some honorable mentions that didn't quite make the list, but I still think deserve to be mentioned as some of the Beatles' best:

Honorable Mentions

* Rain John Lennon, Single, 1966
* Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) Paul McCartney, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967
* Blue Jay Way George Harrison, Magical Mystery Tour, 1967
* Penny Lane Paul McCartney, Magical Mystery Tour, 1967
* Lady Madonna Paul McCartney, Single, 1968
* The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill John Lennon, The Beatles (White Album), 1968
* Happiness is a Warm Gun John Lennon, The Beatles (White Album), 1968
* Revolution 9 John Lennon, The Beatles (White Album), 1968
* Octopus's Garden Ringo Starr, Abbey Road, 1969

1. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
Writer: John Lennon ----- Album: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ----- Year: 1967

While "A Day in the Life" is the best Beatles song, "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" has always been my absolute favorite Beatles song for several reasons. First of all, the chord progression. I love it. It's just the kind of chord progression to groove with the song's circus atmosphere, and the most interesting thing about it is gracefully changes key constantly, from Cm to Dm and even Em. For all the key changes in the world, that's one you wouldn't expect. Speaking of the circus atmosphere, I love that as well. It's perfectly orchestrated to make you smell the sawdust, as Lennon put it during production. How else does it project this feeling? Those beautiful, beautiful sound effects. In the instrumental interludes (the middle one changes time signature, which is another point of fangasm), the song swirls you in a circus tent with all those "wooOOOOOohs" and jangling sounds, mixed in with splices of magical sprinkling and twirling and so forth and so on. There's too many epic sounds to describe, and with each listen you can find something new to pick out. I love the combination of the organ and harmonium sounds which also pull the sound together. Then you have the baseline, which is by far my favorite baseline of all time. It's constantly walking and grooving with the song's weirdness, and even McCartney acknowledges today that he loved playing that. On top of that, you have the fact that most of the lyrics were pulled from an 18th century circus poster, which adds even more wonder when you realize how rhythmically the lyrics jive with the chord progression and melody. The whole thing, as a result, has this sort of sinister vibe that sends shivers down my spine, and as a side note that darkness is amplified tenfold on the LOVE remix that combines it with "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" and "Helter Skelter". This song is criminally underrated, and I don't think the critical praise is going to change that, but fuck it I say. Tonight, Mr. Kite is topping the bill!

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Well, there you have it. My top 20 Beatles songs are out there for the world to read and throw up over. I'll post another editorial about something eventually, but in the meantime, if you're a Beatles fan, do you have a top 20? If so, let me know your favorite songs in the comments. Until next time, good night and sleep tight.