Beatles catalog on iTunes: Let's do the '15 Meme' for the Fabs!

The Beatles catalog coming to iTunes may not save anybody real money -- as one astute blogger tweeted, Amazon is selling the beautiful "Beatles Stereo Box Set" for twenty bucks cheaper than Apple's download version -- and whether a rush of Fab fan purchases will knock "Glee" and Taylor off the top of the service's charts remains to be seen. But one thing is for certain: Fab Four fans, from the original Beatlemaniacs to their "Across the Universe"-converted grandkids, can now access Beatles music more quickly than ever before.

Which says to me: Internet meme! Finally, John, Paul, George and Ringo can vie with LOLCats and that kid who went to the dentist as a source of wasted time, lifted spirits and social-media conviviality.

I never do those "15" lists my Facebook friends post -- you know the ones that ask you to not think too hard, and just list the top films-albums-books-china pattern that have shaped your identity? I hate lists! No one can reduce me to a number! And yet ... somehow today such impromptu classifications seem appropriate.

So without further "Love Me Do," you'll find my 15 Beatles songs meme after the jump.

1. "Love You To": Dunno why George's first major dip into raga rock was the one that popped into my head when I heard the iTunes news. Guess I just woke up mystical this morning.

2. "Drive My Car": Then I thought we should have a little fun. Features one of my favorite Beatles-generated imaginary girls.

3. "I Will": I had to sing this one in the waiting room today as my 6-year-old and I waited for her pediatrician. A sentimental Mommy-and-me favorite.

4. "Octopus's Garden": It never takes too long for Ringo to sneak into my thoughts.

5. "She's Leaving Home": Paul says it was based on a true story.  I have a thing for the songwriterly tradition of mythologizing women who disappear.

6: "Strawberry Fields": Hmm, my mystical/trippy mood seems to be lasting into lunchtime.

7. "Norwegian Wood": OK, now this might really be my favorite Beatles song. This one is such a little novel that Haruki Murakami actually turned it into one.

8. "Yesterday": When I was a kid, I couldn't stand to hear anyone but Paul sing this song. My brother would torment me by singing it off-tune during dinner. Now I can just put on my headphones and ignore him.

9. "Money": I admit I fell in love with the Flying Lizards' version first.

10. "Girl": Just for the way John sucks in his breath on the chorus.

11. "Rocky Raccoon": I see Warren Beatty trudging through the snow in "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" when I think of this song. Even though that movie isn't nearly as funny.

12. "For No One": Three-hankie break.

13. "Please Please Me": One of the most honest songs about wanting sex that pop music has given us.

14. "Boys": There isn't enough Ringo on this list.

15. "Something": Sinatra said it was one of the greatest love songs ever written. That's good enough for me!

Now it's your turn: What 15 Beatles songs would make your first iTunes download list?

-- Ann Powers

Comments

[Scott Seatbelt McLean]

1. Two of Us
2. She Loves You
3. All My Loving
4. And Your Bird Can Sing
5. Don’t Bother Me
6. I’m Looking Through You
7. Yer Blues
8. Ballad of John and Yoko
9. Rain
10. Hey Bulldog
11. Ticket to Ride
12. Help!
13. A Hard Day‘s Night
14. Here Comes the Sun
15. Happiness is a Warm Gun

[Randy Lewis]

In response to my colleague Ann's challenge, I'll say that I find it fascinating to note that after the first 6 hours of Beatles on iTunes, the five top-selling tracks are: 1) Let It Be; 2) Here Comes the Sun; 3) Blackbird; 4) With a Little Help From My Friends; and 5) In My Life. Demographically, that's remarkably democratic distribution among Beatle voices: Paul, George, another Paul, Ringo and John. The Top 5 albums out of the gate: 1) Abbey Road; 2) The Beatles (The White Album); 3) The Beatles Box Set; 4) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band; and 5) The Beatles/1967-1970. My first Beatles download? The "Past Masters, Vol. 1 and 2" album. A strictly pragmatic choice so I could sample the audio quality across the breadth of the group's recording career, from "Love Me Do" in 1962 to 1969 tracks such as "Get Back" and "Don't Let Me Down."

[G E Light]

It's funny but The Beatles have been on my iTunes since at least 2003! :-)

My 15

1) She's Leaving Home (top candidate for my first favorite song at age 3)
2) Got to Get You Into My Life (love the "Motowny" brass but also really like the EWF cover)
3) Rain
4) Across the Universe
5) And Your Bird Can Sing
6) Magical Mystery Tour
7) A Hard Day's Night
8) Twist and Shout
9) She Loves You
10) Strawberry Fields Forever
11) Eight Days A Week
12) Ticket to Ride
13) Hey Bulldog
14) Octopus' Garden
15) Yellow Submarine

[Steven Rubio]

I'm Down - Paul's best Little Richard
There's a Place - Exquisite harmonies
Twist and Shout - I like John
Yer Blues - some say it's a joke, but not me
Can't Buy Me Love - first Hard Day's Night song I thought of
I Am the Walrus - an angry vocal
She Loves You - Better than all of Sgt. Pepper
And Your Bird Can Sing - best guitar work in Beatle history
In My Life - I like John
It's All Too Much - George's best
Hey Jude - OK, Paul's not bad, either
Boys - Ringo, too
I Want You (She's So Heavy) - presages Plastic Ono Band
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey - don't know why I thought of this
I've Got a Feeling - Let It Be is an underrated album

[Jeremy]

These are only vaguely in order. Difficult enough to narrow to 15, never mind rank them specifically, but I'll play nicely and give it a try:

1. Rain
2. Eleanor Rigby
3. She Said She Said
4. Ticket to Ride
5. Dear Prudence
6. If I Needed Someone
7. Penny Lane
8. Fixing a Hole
9. Things We Said Today
10. Here Comes the Sun
11. Across the Universe
12. And I Love Her
13. Strawberry Fields Forever
14. It's All Too Much
15. Hey Bulldog

[Chris Morris]

Okay, I'll play:

1. “Rain” (Paul’s finest hour as an instrumentalist)
2. “Strawberry Fields Forever” (What's left to say...)
3. “Can’t Buy Me Love” (Seeing them running around in that field to this in “A Hard Day’s Night” sold me on them forever)
4. “I’m Down” (Can’t beat the rock)
5. “I’m So Tired” (Makes your bones ache listening to it)
6. “I’m Only Sleeping”
7. “A Day in the Life” (Nos. 5-7 feel like a triptych)
8. “What You’re Doing” (Don’t know why more people don’t toast this exquisitely written song)
9. “Golden Slumbers” (I’d take all of side two of “Abbey Road,” but that would be cheating, so… Goes with Nos. 5-7, too – I must be in a dream state)
10. “Helter Skelter” (Morbid connotations aside)
11. “I Need You” (Yes, George)
12. “We Can Work It Out” (Perfect combo of song, performance, and production)
13. “Love Me Do” (The drums, the drums…)
14. “Don’t Let Me Down” (With “Rain,” the best of the B sides)
15. “I Saw Her Standing There” (I always flipped the 45 of “I Want to Hold Your Hand”)

[Randall Roberts]

1. Rain
2. And Your Bird Can Sing
3. Yesterday
4. Julia
5. Revolution
6. I’m So Tired
7. Across the Universe
8. Don’t Let Me Down
9. Mother Nature’s Son
10. Dear Prudence
11. Here Comes the Sun
12. Ticket to Ride
13. Something
14. Sie Lieb Dicht
15. The End

[tex goldface]

this was a fun exercise:

if i fell
you can't do that
you won't see me
i'm only sleeping
walrus
prudence
i'm so tired
blackbird
i will
julia
something
oh darling
dig a pony
we can work it out
lady madonna

[john]

1. A day in the life
2. Yellow submarine (my 3-year-old's favorite song)
3. Hey Jude (the monumental tag)
4. Dear Prudence (what an arrangement)
5. It won't be long (John channels girl-group passivity with fervor)
6. Martha my dear (so sweet, so charming)
7. Good night (can't help it)
8. All together now
9. I want you (She's so heavy) -- (epic minimalism)
10. Everybody's got something to hide 'cept for me and my monkey (crazy groove; crazy vocal)
11. Golden slumbers (screaming a lullaby -- the passion of parenthood)
12. She's leaving home (the pathos of the generation gap, with generosity toward the parents)
13. I am the walrus (I'm crying)
14. Devil in her heart (George a great singer; love the girl group stuff)
15. She loves you

[ben howard]

1. Please Please Me
2. Getting Better
3. Hello Goodbye
4. Drive My Car
5. Help!
6. Day Tripper
7. Can't Buy Me Love
8. Paperback Writer
9. Back In The USSR
10. We Can Work It Out
11. A Hard Days Night
12. Eight Days A Week
13. Polythene Pam
14. I'm Looking Through You
15. Helter Skelter

[Leopoldo Morbin]

-I've Got a Feeling-I Beatles nella loro essenza.
-A Day in the Life-Oh John!Oh Paul!
-Penny Lane-Paul e (a) Liverpool.
-Tell Me What you See-Io ne ho fatto un doveroso adattamento, con rispetto.
-Saxy Sadie-Una ragazza nel 1969 canticchiava per me: saxy Leo...
-Blackbird-Esiste niente di meglio per un chitarrista?
-Here Comes the Sun-Nel 1977 vidi un tizio nel metrò di Parigi: suonava come George, io impazzii.
-You've Got to Hide Your Love Away-Oh quel letto incassato nel pavimento.
-Strawberry Fields Forever-Psichedelia allo stato puro.
-I am the Walrus-Breton, Mirò,Magritte,Ernst=Surrealismo.
-Yer Blues-It's Blues
-Oh darling-Nessuno cantava come Paul.
-You Know my Name-Paul ha dichiarato essere la migliore canzone dei Beatles: concordo.
-Norvegian Wood-Quando John decise di essere un compositore.
-Yesterday-La più conosciuta canzone al mondo, what else!

[Flaco Bahia]

This playlist is for the best song of my life, my love Andrea

1. Oh! Darling
2. I will
3. Why don't we do it in the road? (please darling, why not?)
4. Happiness is a warm gun
5. Come together
6. Don't let me down
7. Here comes the sun
8. Something
9. The long and winding road
10. Strawberry fields forever
11. Golden slumbers
12. Got to get you into my life
13. Blackbird
14. While my guitar gently weeps
15. Dear Prudence

[Jowan Collier]

1. Tomorrow never Knows
2. Rain
3. Please Please me
4. Helter Skelter
5. You're gonna lose that girl
6. If I fell
7. And your bird can sing (demo)
8.The Night Before
9. Real Love
10 Paperback writer
11. Sgt Pepper's reprise (into)
12. A day in the life
13. I am the walrus
14. Across the Universe
15. Boys (live at the Hollywood Bowl)

[Jacopo Rinaldi]

1. A day in the life
2. While my guitar gently weeps
3. She's leaving home
4. Martha my dear
5. The night before
6. I need you
7. You're going to lose that girl
8. I'm the walrus
9. The long and winding road - Naked album
10. Hello Goodbye
11. Norwegian wood
12. Lady Madonna
13. Revolution 1 - White Album
14. Back in USSR
15. Hey Jude

[Lexo]

I agree with pretty much all the comments here, except that I disagree with Ann's characterisation of Strawberry Fields Forever as 'mystical/trippy', or at any rate with the connotation that SFF doing the same sort of thing as Love You To. It has always seemed to me that Strawberry Fields is a very disturbing record indeed, and that the benign mood of mystical reminiscence only lasts for the first sixty seconds. To be precise, until the splice where they edited together two takes that had originally been recorded at different times, in different keys and different tempi.