Anti-Now Volume 1: A track-by-track review

This compilation album came together for two reasons: 1) I got a CD burner for my 18th birthday and 2) The NOW That’s What I Call Music! compilation albums were a thing, so this was a response to that. Ken and I collaborated on the tracklist. Though I’m sure you’ll be able to guess which songs were suggested by whom, in the end we agreed on all of them. (At the same time, it was my CD burner, so I got the final say.)

Upon listening to this mix for the first time in 20 years, I was struck by the fact that for the most part, the songs still hold up. It is true that some bands and sounds have fallen out of fashion. But radio-friendly rock music is inoffensive and inconsequential at worst. It remains infinitely listenable, at least in part due to the fact that these particular songs came out during our formative years. 

For this track-by-track review, I wanted to do my best to remember what made these songs notable in the first place, and also explain why they do (or don’t) resonate today. I ended up coming to the conclusion after writing this that there was no point in looking at these songs critically; you’re more likely to hear these songs in a Target or grocery store than you are on a radio station or a Spotify playlist. That does not mean songs are bad. It means they just sort of are. 

So put on your Old Navy fleece, or Jncos, or in my case a ratty band t-shirt, turn up the volume on your 3-CD bookshelf system, and play these tracks while reading along. 

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Everclear - “Wonderful”

Songs From An American Movie, Vol. 1 LP

This song probably led off the album because, at the time, it wasn’t exactly easy to edit audio files. The “Hey, ain’t life wonderful?” collage of voices that starts the track didn’t seem to fit anywhere but at the beginning. So at the beginning it went. 

As far as the actual song goes, it’s fine. I love the album it’s from, even though it’s a departure from the slick post-grunge of their first two major-label discs. The skepticism of the lyrics is what drew me in then and still makes sense to me now. “I don’t want to hear you tell me everything is wonderful now” is a pretty apt rebuke to the Republican bullshit nonsense going on in our nation at the moment. Someone get Joe Biden on the phone…

Vertical Horizon - “Everything You Want”

Everything You Want LP

It’s kind of funny that Ken and I got all bent out of shape over a pop music compilation album but then used all singles for our response. This track is the epitome of that mindset. When I said radio rock was inoffensive and inconsequential, this is what I was talking about. I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it. I’m not going to seek it out, but I also will not turn it off if it comes on.

On a side note, Anti-Now Volume 1 was made before Napster was a thing, so each and every song featured here came from an actual CD that was purchased. Yes, even this one. The only other good song on the album is “You’re A God,” and in hindsight it may have been a better choice to be featured here. 

Rage Against The Machine - “Sleep Now In The Fire”

The Battle of Los Angeles LP

Ken is fond of reminding me “Rage Against The Machine are capitalist phonies!”, which is a sentiment stolen from the title of a song by grindcore band Anal Cunt. Yes, they espouse leftist and sometimes straight-up communist politics while still selling their music for profit. That doesn’t mean they don’t know what they’re talking about. “Some of those that work forces / Are the same that burn crosses” from “Killing in the Name” from their debut album is relevant today in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, just as it was back in ‘92. 

“Sleep Now In The Fire,” like the other singles on the album, is a lot slicker than tracks from their previous two albums. The rough edges -- musically and vocally -- are smoothed out; the music fits into a nice little 3 ½ minute shell. It’s still a jolt of righteous energy, but this time around the fury of the lyrics is more abstract. That doesn’t necessarily work against them, though, because you can still rock out to it without being weighed down by politics. (In other words, when former congressman Paul Ryan said RATM was one of his favorite bands, he was probably talking about this album.)

Metallica - “I Disappear”

Mission Impossible 2 soundtrack LP

The actual CD-R of this compilation only played until about track 10. When this song came on, I was certain that this song was a poorly transcoded mp3. But then, while writing this, I listened to it on YouTube Music on my stereo… and it still sounded bad. So, the production was shitty. Maybe it was one of the first victims of the loudness wars. 

But that riff, man. For all that was said about Metallica moving away from thrash metal and selling out and all that other nonsense, Hetfield and Co. could still write a song that was catchy and also fucking rocked. I still get that riff stuck in my head, and the song as a whole still absolutely holds up today.

3 Doors Down - “Kryptonite”

The Better Life LP

 

The Onion AV Club (print edition!) described this single as “primo Kiss” and I didn’t know what that meant beyond “maybe both jocks AND stoners can appreciate this music.” I was on the right path, I think, as it is accessible radio rock. It is also kind of dumb and not particularly deep. That said, it is an expertly crafted hard rock song that I won’t turn off if it comes on. Nickelback made an entire career out of this type of song. (They deserve their scorn because they make no bones about doing just that, over and over again)

Nine Days - “Absolutely (“Story of a Girl”)

The Madding Crowd LP

Pop-rock has always gone in and out of fashion throughout the decades, and “Story of a Girl” came along when bro-y aggro rock like Korn and Limp Bizkit were kings. Perhaps the rise of boy bands and Britney Spears at the dawn of the new millennium helped songs like this attain some mainstream success.

If I have a criticism of this song, it is that it sounds rushed. Like it’s too fast, and not in a good way. Other pop rock contemporaries like Counting Crows, The Wallflowers, or Soul Asylum all were perfectly fine with mid-tempo rockers, but Nine Days sound like they couldn’t wait to get out of the studio. Whatever the case, I think it sounded like a breath of fresh air amongst all the aforementioned bro rock -- a lot of which I liked at the time -- and that is probably why it is here. 

Smashing Pumpkins - “Stand Inside Your Love”

Machina / The Machines of God LP

Musically speaking, this is probably where it all went south between Ken and I. It was 20 years ago, so I don’t actually remember, but I think there is zero chance that he didn’t lobby for the aggressive, angsty single “The Everlasting Gaze.” I went with the somewhat-tender ballad “Stand Inside Your Love.”

They’re both fine songs. ‘Gaze’ is more immediate, so that one probably gets on more playlists today. “Stand Inside Your Love” is more interesting musically, but Billy Corgan’s vocals are kind of annoying, so maybe that’s a wash. Whatever, fuck Ken.

Static-X - “Bled For Days”

Wisconsin Death Trip LP

I won’t beat around the bush - I don’t particularly care for hard rock or nu-metal any more. It would be easy to blame this all on Ken and move on, but I’m the one who bought the CD, so there must have been something I liked about it at the time.

Relistening to it now, “Bled For Days” has an interesting if not particularly good sound. In a way, it was at the forefront of hard rock with its use of electronics in the mix. If the bass and drums weren’t percussive enough on their own, the guitars are tuned all the way down for most of the song, further muddling an already muddled sound. Wayne Static’s aren’t sung nor screamed, but vomited out -- particularly when singing the title line “bled for days.” Despite all that ugliness, the guitar line during the “I don’t believe it, fuck me, read me…” chorus (or is it a bridge?) is kind of pretty in a shoegaze-y sort of way. (For a modern take on that, listen to some Deafheaven.) I don’t think I’ll be queueing up any Static-X anytime soon, but it is a thing that existed and was fine at the time.

Stone Temple Pilots - “Sour Girl”

No. 4 LP

Halfway through the disc, a couple of things have become apparent: 1) If there are two contending singles from an album and one is a rocker and one isn’t, I almost always chose the more ballad-y type song. This definitely applies to “Sour Girl,” and I think it is still the correct choice because Stone Temple Pilots are far better at this type of song than the truly hard rockers. (“Dead and Bloated” is great, but “Interstate Love Song” is better.)  2) My opinion of most of these songs is that they’re “fine” and I’ve got not much more to say then that. I suppose that is bound to happen when we’re talking about radio-friendly rock music. The vast majority of it doesn’t go beyond that, and that is kind of by design.

I will say that single for single, STP can hang with just about any 90s band. “Sour Girl” is a good entry into that canon with its hazy, laid back vibe and interesting guitar tone. 

Blink-182 - “Adam’s Song”

Enema of the State LP

At first glance, you (Okay, Ken, and no one else) may be saying “oh look, another mid-tempo song by a band not really known for them [eye roll emoji]” and you (even those who aren’t Ken) would be correct. However, I have some valid reasons for picking this song. 

One, their most well-known song both then and now, “All The Small Things,” was a giant crossover hit. It reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and much more importantly also was featured on a Now That’s What I Call Music! compilation. This is the Anti-Now Album, see?

Two, I absolutely felt this song in my guts. Those years at the end of high school were not good years. I fantasized about putting a gun to my head and ending it all. So when Mark Hoppus sang “Please tell mom this is not her fault” it hit pretty close to home. I assure you that I had thought a lot about this sort of thing. 

So, maybe “All The Small Things” and “What’s My Age Again?” were superior pop songs (they were and are) but “Adam’s Song” felt like it had true depth at a time when a lot of music on the radio didn’t. I won’t go so far as to say that song saved my life, but listening to it now brings me back to a time that my life needed saving. Which is not an easy thing to admit or to go back to. But Blink-182, of all bands, helped me do it.

Foo Fighters - “Breakout”

There Is Nothing Left to Lose LP

Of all the radio-rock bands on this album, Foo Fighters is the radio-rockingest. I do not say that to denigrate them; they have been a solid band since day one.

But, there’s really nothing to say about them either. They’re just kind of...there? (“Everlong” is in the Top Ten 90’s rock songs, full stop, but everything else is just sort of OK.) Perhaps as a counter to all the slowish songs the hardest-rocking single from the album got the nod here. 

I’ve got nothing more to say on this track, so let’s get on with it.

Buckcherry - “For The Movies”

Buckcherry LP

Ah, yes, Buckcherry. The band that the Onion AV Club said was at the forefront of “the great cock-rock revolution of 1999.” (This was not a compliment. There may have been no other bands in the so-called revolution)

In a way, they were Nickelback before Nickelback: critical punching bags that made simple party rock for meatheads, dullards, leathery wannabe MILFs, and white trash of all sorts. In what should be no surprise, I chose the sappy ballad instead of the single explicitly about cocaine (“Lit Up”) and the single that might as well be about cocaine (“Dead Again”). 

You would be forgiven if you thought they burned out after their debut album. But they did not. In fact, they had another smash hit that gets played on rock radio to this day. Is there a completely ridiculous 13-minute live version of it floating out there? Fuck yeah there is. Did Ken and I witness some trashy, slightly overweight and very intoxicated young women booty dance to the song once upon a time? Did I kind of enjoy it? I am not permitted to confirm nor deny that.

In short, I hate Buckcherry. But I also kind of like them.

Creed - “With Arms Wide Open”

Human Clay LP

It’s easy to shit all over Creed for being awful and histrionic. This song doesn’t really change that. 

I’ll go to bat for Creed’s first album because it’s really not all that bad. It may not be my thing anymore, but it’s not as bad as a lot of folks make it out to be.

But after that success, Scott Stapp got full of himself, and what we got was treacly bullshit like this. I’m not that far removed from being a new father, but I listened to this and was like “really, dude?”

I will admit that when this came out I bought the limited edition CD single. I have no clue what I was thinking then, and I will not attempt to justify that now. 

“Weird Al” Yankovic - “It’s All About The Pentiums”

Running With Scissors LP

“Weird Al” Yankovic is a national treasure. If you disagree, you are wrong. 

His Star Wars themed parody from the same LP is probably more famous, but ‘Pentiums’ had the cooler video, and being a budding computer nerd at the time meant that I actually got all the jokes from the song. In fact, it inspired me to name the message board on a web site that I maintained at the time after a line in the song (Ctrl.Alt.Delete, if you were wondering)

What strikes me now is that Yankovic was a pretty good rapper even then. The jokes are dated now -- though that was also kind of the point -- but the attention to detail and overall ability shine through even today.

Overall, I think if I were to make a Weird Al greatest hits disc, this song would be on it. Make of that what you will.

Nine Inch Nails - “Starfuckers Inc.”

The Fragile LP

The Fragile is an album that I didn’t much appreciate at the time it came out. I remember that teenage me thought it was “thought-provoking” but I also remember teenage me didn’t actually listen to the whole thing all that much.

“Starfuckers Inc.” is both super-accessible and superficial. It is a diss track about Marilyn Manson, and nothing more. I don’t hate it, and I won’t skip it if I’m listening to The Fragile. But if I were to go back and change the tracklisting of Anti-Now Vol. 1, I would probably go with either of the other singles, “The Day The World Went Away,” or “Into The Void.”

A Perfect Circle - “Judith”

Mer de Noms LP

For my money, A Perfect Circle’s debut effort is the last great radio hard rock album. (TOOL, as much as their songs get played on the radio, is not radio rock) To this day, I still enjoy it front to back. Is it Maynard James Keenan’s vocals? Is it because, unlike Keenan’s other band Tool, the songs are over before the five minute mark? I don’t know. It just works. 

“Judith” was the first single, and it still hits hard. Its anti-religious bent -- “Fuck your lord, your God, and your Christ!” -- rings true today just as it did 20 years ago. 

Papa Roach - “Last Resort”

Infest LP

I am honestly trying really hard not to be pithy about any of these songs. “Last Resort” makes that kind of difficult. It is more or less a macho, mookish version of “Adam’s Song” by Blink-182.

I did not abandon that song in 2000, however. During the Green Bay Packers’ run to the Super Bowl in 2010, “Last Resort” was part of a playlist that got me hyped up before their playoff games. The playlist was titled “Songs That Make Me Want To Punch People In The Face.” So there’s that, I guess. 

Stir - “New Beginning”

Holy Dogs LP

I’m not sure where I actually first heard this song. Maybe radio, maybe on a DirecTV music channel. I bought the CD on the strength of this single, and was mostly disappointed. (Upon a second listening a few weeks ago… I was still disappointed.)

But this song… this song is actually still legit good. It somehow manages to sound both of its time (record scratching!) and timeless (quiet-loud dynamics, na-na-na choruses!). I’m sure I put it at the end because I thought it was funny to make the last song one named “New Beginning,” but it ended up being rather fitting.

Despite being from a band that is mostly forgettable and being a song that was probably not that well known to begin with, it is (at least to me) actually the freshest sounding track of the 18 that made it on to the compilation. If I want to listen to a random-ass song from that era, I think I’d be more likely to queue up “New Beginning” than I would, say, “Everything You Want” or “For The Movies.” That may sound like faint praise, and it probably is. But when we’re talking about radio-friendly music from 20 years ago… that’s probably the best you can ask for.

The Top Twelve John Lennon Songs - Solo Edition

I’ll keep the intro to Lennon’s solo work short and sweet. His songs post-Beatles were more simple and direct. I think this is the reason his solo work resonates just as strongly (and sometimes stronger) than the stuff he wrote with his former band.

Each and every one of these tracks is available on the bevy of greatest hits collections released posthumously. This is not to say that the “deep cuts” are somehow inferior; it’s more a reflection of the fact that most of my exposure to Lennon’s solo catalogue have come through the greatest hits collections.

These are my top 12.

Just missing the cut: “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night,” (his only solo #1 single, unbelievably), “Mind Games,” “Jealous Guy,” and many others.

12. “Cold Turkey” - single, b/w “Don’t Worry Kyoko” by Yoko Ono (1969)

For a brief period of time, both John and Yoko were addicted to heroin. “Cold Turkey” is John’s recollection of what it was like to kick smack. The guitar is screechy, his vocals raw (specifically the screaming at the end), but the burbling bass line and plaintive drums keep the song from falling apart. “Cold Turkey” is vital and visceral and a sign of things to come on his solo album to be released the next year.

On a more personal note, “Cold Turkey” is partially responsible for this curse of a hobby I like to call writing. After hearing this song for the first time in 8th grade, I wrote a parody of it... about how much I hated being in 8th grade. Thanks a lot, John.

11. “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” - Double Fantasy LP (1980)

One unfortunate aspect of having memories is that they are fallible. Things happen over the years and our memories change with them; sooner or later what we remember and what actually happen differ. Sometimes it’s because we plain forgot; other times because we want to believe something so much that it commits itself to our subconscious.

“Beautiful Boy” is a song that has that effect on me.

I’m not sure anymore, but I swear my dad said to me once that he used to sing this to me when I was a baby. As you might imagine, it’s not something I want to confirm with him as the memory I have now is much more pleasant than what may be the truth.

It’s a cute song, a slightly Carribean-sounding lullaby written for his son Sean. It’s probably also famous for the line “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” Whatever the cause for its resonance, I think it’ll be safe to say that if I ever have a son, I’ll be singing this to him at bedtime. And I won’t let him forget it.

10. “Mother” - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band LP (1970)

Up until just a few years ago, the only Lennon hits collection I was familiar with was The John Lennon Collection, and this song wasn’t on it. So it was much to my surprise when I bought the Instant Karma compilation that featured artists covering John’s songs, and heard Christina Aguilera sing the hell out of this one. Needless to say, I sought out the original shortly after, and love it.

Fellow Beatles dorks know that John always had issues with his mother. She abandoned him at a young age, then came back into his life when he was a teenager only to get run over by a car. “Mother” is John’s thoughts on the subject: “Mother, you had me / But I never had you.” As the song goes on, his singing turns to screaming (encouraged by Yoko and Arthur Janov of Primal Scream therapy fame), making his feelings that much more poignant.

For me, the song makes me quite thankful that I’ve always had my mom there for me when I needed her. I couldn’t imagine what went through John’s head all those years, but “Mother” brings us all a little closer to understanding it a bit.

9. “Gimme Some Truth” - Imagine LP (1971)

Most of John Lennon’s solo songs are his own personal declarations, his feelings on whatever he happens to be singing about. “Gimme Some Truth” could very well be about life itself as I think John was always looking for it from his early days as Beatle. In this case it’s about his frustration with the Vietnam war and Nixon as well as politicians in general. (Which of course makes the song just as relevant today as it was 40 years ago).

As apathetic as I am -- I don’t think things will ever truly change, nor will I work to change them -- I still think the lyrics speak to me, as, like pretty much everyone, I don’t like being lied to. I’d rather face an uncomfortable truth -- and have other people face them as well -- than telling them little white lies to save face. (This doesn’t happen all the time. I guess I am one of those “hypocritics” he references in the song. Like George Carlin said, if we introduced honesty into this country, there would be a lot more crying. However, I still like the sentiment of truth and I think Lennon nailed it nicely.)

8. “Grow Old With Me” - Milk and Honey LP (1984)

John and Yoko were working on songs for the follow-up to Double Fantasy when John was killed. “Grow Old With Me” was one of them, and a demo of it was featured on Milk and Honey. Like pretty much everything else, it’s a simple, sweet song -- the version on the Working Class Hero compilation features just vocals, piano, light drumming (possibly a tambourine), and an overdubbed string section -- but that’s all you need when you’re singing about spending the rest of your life with someone.

I’m not sure the beat is slow enough for a slow dance at a wedding -- not that it matters, I guess -- but, yeah, I’ve totally thought about it being the first dance at this mythical wedding that I talk about occasionally. I’m sure I’m not the first.

7. (Just Like) Starting Over - Double Fantasy LP (1980)

According to John, this was him playing “Elvis Orbison.” It was an apt description because the song indeed does have a very classic early rock n’ roll vibe, right down to the vocal affectations.

My mom and dad love this song, so therefore I grew to love this song. It’s no wonder as the song has a very easy-going rhythm, and I’ve always liked the verse “Why don’t we take off alone / On a trip somewhere far, far away / We’ll be together all alone again / Just like we used to in the early days”

It was the perfect song to start off Lennon’s comeback record, and it’s classic sound makes it timeless, and a song that I can listen to over and over again.

6. “Love” - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band LP (1970)

When I finally got around to finding a girl who wasn’t totally put off by me liked me at 16, we eventually chose this as our song. I’ve always thought it was pretty awesome that we picked a song that was written 10 years before we were even born.

But sentiments aside, “Love’ is another plain, sweet song that gets right to the heart of the matter: “Love is you / You and me / Love is knowing we can be” and “Love is needing to be loved.” The song doesn’t say much at all, but at the same time I think the song says everything. Pretty much par for the course for John Lennon.

5. “Working Class Hero” - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band LP (1970)

Some Lennon detractors will point out that though Lennon came from a mostly working class town, he was more middle class than anything (He did go to art school instead of working at a mill or something, after all.) That may be true, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t know any actual working class people (giving him some perspective), or that his ideas presented in the song are any less valid.

I think the song goes beyond the notion that a “working class hero is something to be.” I think it’s about how tough it is to grow up, how much it sucks to be a wage slave: “Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV / And you think you’re so clever and classless and free / But you’re still fucking peasants as far as I can see,” he sings passionately, imploring us to open up our eyes to what’s going on in the world. This isn’t a message to the working class; it’s a message to all classes and all people.

My favorite line, though, is “There’s room at the top they are telling you still / But first you must learn to smile as you kill.” Call me a commie if you want, but that’s what it takes to be a successful businessman in this world and thus far I want no part of it. Lennon’s take on it here is brilliant as usual.

4. “Instant Karma!” - single b/w “Who Has Seen the Wind? (by Yoko Ono) (!970)

This song was written and recorded in a day, and available in record stores ten days later. I’m not sure what else to say about it, really. It’s obviously Lennon’s way of telling all of us to think about what we’re doing.

So why is this song ranked so highly? Because it’s so fucking catchy, that’s why. John implored buyers to “Play it loud” on the record itself, and that’s exactly how it should be listened to. And how could you not sing along to the chorus of “We all shine on / Like the moon and the starts and the sun!”? You can’t. It’s an irresistible rock song with a universal message, and so it is my #4 Lennon solo song.

3. “God” - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band LP (1970)

Though it seems like the song is critically acclaimed, I don’t think the song was much of a commercial success. I can’t say I’ve ever heard it on classic rock radio, though because the song is a little too heady to be played along with “More Than A Feeling” and “Wheel in the Sky.” Of course, you’ve probably at least heard of the song. It’s famous for the shocking (at the time) line (referenced in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off): “I don’t believe in Beatles, I just believe in me.”

Basically, it’s John saying what he thinks “God” is (a concept by which we measure our pain) and all the people -- religious figures and ideas (Buddha, the Bible, Jesus), leaders good and bad (Hitler, Kennedy), and musicians (Dylan, the Beatles) -- he doesn’t believe in. He just believes in himself. On some level, it seems kind of selfish but I don’t think he means that he doesn’t respect those things. He’s just saying that first and foremost it is important to believe in one’s self before believing in anything else.

When he says “The dream is over” he could be talking about the hippie movement in the sixties. But again I don’t think he’s disrespecting it, rather saying that maybe it’s time for a new one. I can’t say I disagree with him there; though we can learn from the past, we must stay focused on the present.

2. “Imagine” - Imagine LP (1971)

Though “Imagine” is easily Lennon’s most famous and revered song, there is plenty of divisiveness surrounding the song. Certainly the political right didn’t like this song as the lyrics feature a Communist utopia. Then other people, especially today, like to point out that he was worth 240 million dollars at the time the song came out, not to mention other demons he had such as beating his wife (not Yoko, naturally), being a shitty father to his first son, etc, etc.

They’re all kind of right. John was a contradiction of many things (or if you must, a hypocrite) and the lyrics of “Imagine” are hard to take from such a complicated man.

However, I will take some interpretive license here and look beyond what the lyrics literally say. Yeah, he says “no possessions” and “no religion” and “no country.” Whether or not those would be good things is infinitely debatable. I don’t think that’s the core of what he meant, though.

I’ve read that his reason for writing “Revolution” was because he didn’t believe a violent, bloody revolution was a good way to change things. He thought the answer was to change what was in people’s heads. I think with that in mind, listening to “Imagine” is less of a direction of what people should actually do, but a plea for people to cooperate to make the world a better place. I can’t claim to know John Lennon beyond what I’ve read in books, but I think he would have been thrilled even if people didn’t take his word as gospel, but instead just worked together for the common good.

That’s all he was saying: We can do this, but we need all of you to do this.

1. “Watching the Wheels” - Double Fantasy LP (1980)

If you actually know me, or have read this blog before, you knew I was going to pick this song at the top spot.

But it’s getting late, and I’m lazy and don’t feel the need to explain it further than what I have already written, so here’s the link to that.

It’s been my favorite Lennon solo song for more than 12 years now, and I don’t see that changing in the foreseeable future.

The Top Eleven John Lennon Songs - Beatles Edition

I’m only six days late on this one, but I wanted to write about this -- partially out of my love of all things Beatles and Lennon, partially because I wanted to one-up Ken’s list -- so here are my top eleven (mostly) Lennon-penned Beatles’ songs.

One thing you’ll find just from glancing at the list is that it is mostly dominated by the post-touring period in the Beatles timeline. This isn’t simply because the music from 1966-1970 is better -- though it kinda is -- but because early-period Beatles music was much more collaborative. Even though you could easily tell who wrote the the bulk of the song by who sang the lead vocal, and even though McCartney’s writing voice (confident, upbeat, mostly happy) or Lennon’s writing voice (insecure, angry, and more insecurity), the songs were mostly the same and dealt with the same subjects. There are plenty of great early songs in the Beatles oeuvre, but when they broke free of the shackles put on them by the pop music industry at the time, their works shined -- Lennon’s in particular.

I chose 11 songs because while compiling this list, I decided that I wanted to write about all of them so an extra song was left on.

Much thanks to the book “A Hard Day’s Write” by Steve Turner for tidbits and minutiae for the various songs. It was an invaluable resource.

Without further ado, here are my top 11 John Lennon Beatles songs.

Just missing the cut: "A Day in the Life" (not distinctly Lennon enough, but a great song nonetheless), "Revolution" (I'm an idiot and forgot all about it and didn't want to squeeze it in there), and "Nowhere Man" (not enough to say about it.)

11) “The Ballad of John and Yoko” - single b/w “Old Brown Shoe,” (1969)
(tidbit that might interest only me: Only John and Paul play on this song, with Paul playing drums and bass.)


I used to hate this song. I skipped it every time I listed to the Beatles’ #1 hits CD. Years later I find not only myself but my friends and their friends in long-term relationships and suddenly this song makes a lot more sense.

John wrote the lyrics mostly about how much of a pain in the ass it was to get married to Yoko Ono, and how much the press shit all over his relationship with her (“They’re going to crucify me!”).

I know I’m stretching it here, but in my experience we -- as in the long-term relationship people -- are all kind of like John and Yoko in this case. We all have our reservations about other people’s relationships (and sometimes our own), whether through jealousy or hatred or both. Some are more vocal about it than others, but we all gossip and talk shit about these types of things. In today’s world of endless snark, it’s kind of tough to be in a relationship if you’re self-conscious -- Christ, you know it ain’t easy.

10) "I’m A Loser" - Beatles for Sale LP (1964)

This song is one of the first where John’s personality really shows through, from the title on through the lyrics: “I'm a loser, and I'm not what I appear to be / Although I laugh and I act like a clown / Beneath this mask I am wearing a frown” He’s not just upset over losing a girl here, he’s upset over a lot of other things he’s lost, such as his mother. Not only that, but that “wearing a mask” bit is apt too, because he did cover up a lot of his own insecurities by being funny and sarcastic, and later with drugs.

Personally, I always found “I’m a Loser” to be one of those unhappy Beatles songs that cheered me up, mostly because I identified heavily with it. Early Beatles songs are timeless, and this is a prime example of it. For example, tell me this song wouldn’t fit right in on Weezer’s Pinkerton album. I rest my case.

9) “Across the Universe” - Let it Be LP (1970)

I’ve never read it this way but it makes perfect sense: it’s a song about writing songs, or at least about the creative process. Images and thoughts and sounds wander throughout his mind, and that’s how he comes up with this stuff.

What caught my ear about the song and got it stuck in my head (not just aurally but visually) were the images made by the lyrics themselves: “Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup,” “Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes,” etc. I like plaintive melody and find it pretty; I like the repeated mantra -- Lennon was big on slogans and the like at the time -- of “Nothing’s going to change my world.” Just what a stubborn bastard like me needs to hear, right?

8) “Dear Prudence” - The Beatles LP (1968)

The genesis of this song was on the Beatles’ trip to India to learn from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. One of the people there was Prudence Farrow (sister to Mia), and she was so into her meditation exercise that she would rarely come out of her room, and John (and others) wanted her to “come out and play.”

“Dear Prudence” has such a beautiful melody and the lyrics paint such a wonderful picture that you can’t help but to smile while listening to it: “The sun is up, the sky is blue / It’s beautiful / And so are you!”

If I had to take Lennon’s lyrics on a more personal level, I’d say that the song isn’t just asking you to “come out and play”, but to come out and experience life itself. I can’t say I always (or ever) do that, but it’s nice to know that if I want to, I can turn on the Beatles to cheer me on.

7) “Good Morning Good Morning” - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band LP (1967)

Lennon got the idea for this song from watching a commercial for Corn Flakes and it’s lyrics describe a boring suburban life, which John mostly was living at the time.

I always liked it because it was one of the more rocking tunes on Sgt. Pepper -- not that the other songs were bad, but it was nice to know they still played guitars -- and as a hormonally-challenged 13-year-old listening to it for the first time, the lines “Watching the skirts / You start to flirt / Now you’re in gear” at the very least gave me something to look forward to later in life. It’s still one of my favorite tracks on Sgt. Pepper, and I listen to it regularly.

6) “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” - Help! LP (1965)

By this point Lennon had discovered Bob Dylan and his introspective style of songwriting. I’m sure if he had written this song a few years later there would be much speculation that the song was about Yoko, but alas, he’s just sad over a girl that doesn’t love him back -- or perhaps sad that he’s married and can’t show his love to another girl.

This song -- and this album, maybe the Beatles’ most underrated -- got me through many a lonely night in college, though you could probably substitute “lust” for “love.” No matter, it worked like a charm and I hold in high regard among not just Lennon songs, but Beatles songs as a whole.

5) “Help!” - Help! LP (1965)

Though I’m sure I’d heard it on the radio way before, my first memory of this song is when it was used during a montage on Full House, the episode where Uncle Jessie hurt himself while riding his motorcycle. Even then, I could identify with the song, and would only identify with it more and more through adolescence.

John originally wanted this song to be like a slow dirge, but the Beatles vetoed that one in favor of the album version. Even with it’s jaunty beat, it was literally a cry for help from Lennon -- he was hurting inside and depressed. I identify with that part of the song as well: John wrote the song for that reason, and a lot of the things I write are for those same reasons. It’s catharsis for me.

4) “Come Together” - Abbey Road LP (1969)

It’s been well-documented that as time went on, John became more and more disinterested in the Beatles, and thus his output on the band’s records decreased significantly. Of course, if “Come Together” is evidence of John on auto-pilot, I can’t find any evidence of it.

The verses are mostly nonsense, but the music and chorus are pure sex. He starts out the song by chanting “Shoot me!” (He’s doesn’t mean with a gun, people.) During the chorus he implores us: “Come together, right now, over me.” and then pants and asks us again to “come.” The music itself is sexy, almost seductive even, with a great little lead guitar line... and in the end he finally lets out an orgasmic moan.

On a personal note, I love singing this song at karaoke. It’s classic rock vibe and simple vocal parts make it a good time all around.

3) “I Am the Walrus” - Magical Mystery Tour LP (1966)

What I thought was an urban legend -- and one that totally sounds like something John would make up to amuse himself -- is apparently true as I read in the book that part of the reason this song exists is that a pupil at a school John used to attend wrote him telling him that the teacher was having them analyze Beatles lyrics. “Let the fuckers work that one out,” he reportedly said after he finished the song.

“I Am the Walrus” might be the best example of Lennon’s fascination with words and wordplay, with its vivid images, nonsense words, and internal rhymes. As a still-hormonally-challenged 16-year-old, I was titillated (pun intended) with the lines “Pornographic priestess / Boy you’ve been a naughty girl / You let your knickers down.”

It’s really kind of hard to describe why you’d like a song with nonsense lyrics. It’s just a fun to listen to while closing your eyes and imagining the the things Lennon is singing about. The sad, drooping string section is a great hook. I don’t know what else to say -- go sit in an English garden and wait for the sun.

P.S.: Paul wasn’t the walrus, and the eggman is apparently Eric Burdon of The Animals, who apparently had the kink of cracking eggs over his sexual conquests. You learn something new every day, huh?

2) “Tomorrow Never Knows” - Revolver LP

This song isn’t solely Lennon when the actual composition of the music is considered. Lennon asked to sound like “a thousand Tibetan monks,” so producer George Martin did his best. The tape loops throughout were Paul’s idea, and were something that Paul was into well before John’s “Revolution #9” (It took every bone in my body not to call it an abortion.) (Oops, just did.) The drumming on the track is perhaps Ringo’s finest moment as a Beatle. And the lyrics were taken mostly verbatim from Timothy Leary’s interpretation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

So it wasn’t all Lennon’s, but yet it was pure Lennon nonetheless. The guitars and drums and loops all swirl around the head like an acid trip. It was a sure sign of things to come. The opening line “Turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream” is perfect for the kind of introspection (through psychedelic drugs and otherwise) that Lennon would champion throughout his musical career.

It is the perfect closing track to perhaps the perfect Beatles album. It is an experience not to be missed.

1) “In My Life” - Rubber Soul LP (1965)

Essentially a song about growing up and moving on, “In My Life” was inspired by a poem John wrote about his childhood. It’s a sweet, sentimental song about the nature of love, and for that alone it could make the top of many critics’ lists.

Not for this critic.

I’ve always been intrigued by the verse that goes:

Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more

I’ve always been taught -- by parents, the media, other people, whatever -- that at some point you’ll get married and you’re wife will be your best friend. That now that you’re married, those other relationships and those other friends are mostly meaningless. I call bullshit. Lennon came out and said what I’ve always thought on the matter, that though “I love you more,” those that came before you are pretty damned important; they shaped who I was and who I would become.

The melody, the lyrics, even Lennon’s voice here are absolutely perfect. It’s no surprise that it was voted the best Beatles song by some British survey a few years ago. It might not be my all-time favorite, but it’s definitely my favorite Lennon track.


I know I’m lazy so I won’t say “check back tomorrow,” but check back soon for my top 12 solo Lennon songs.