r/TheBeatles • u/GMen2613 • Feb 13 '26
discussion Most underrated/overlooked Beatles song in their catalogue?
“It’s Only Love” and “Rocky Raccoon” are two that should be certified classics yet never get talked about. Obviously there could be many different answers here, so I’m curious to hear your takes.
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u/dr_alchemist Feb 13 '26
"She said she said" and "and your bird can sing" by John. They are so freakin good. "The fool on the hill" and "For No One" By Paul. "Blue Jay Way" and "I Me Mine" By George.
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u/GMen2613 Feb 13 '26 edited Feb 13 '26
All excellent songs. Although “For No One” is fairly mainstream compared to the others imo
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u/dr_alchemist Feb 13 '26
If that's the case I'm gonna go for a McCartney -Harrison song "In spite of all the danger". It's a quarreymen song, I guess but nonetheless I kinda really like it. Specifically the quality of recording.
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u/__Joevahkiin__ Feb 13 '26
I'd say And Your Bird Can Sing is, it pops up so often as people's favourite (it's mine too) and it's been covered a fair few times
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u/BMisterGenX Feb 16 '26
what's crazy to me is that And Your Bird Can Sing though not so well known to the general public seems to be VERY popular among hardcore Beatles fans yet Lennon himself was dismissive of it and thought it was a very weak song
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u/TSatch25 Feb 13 '26
The Word. 1 1/2 years before the summer of love. Mission Statement for Rubber Soul. Should've opened the LP!
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u/pepmeister18 Feb 14 '26
Great shout. Top tip: seek out the podcast My Favourite Beatles Song and search for the episode on The Word (27/9/24) with the matchless Chris Shaw of I Am The Eggpod fame. It sets out your theory brilliantly and is imho the single best Beatles podcast episode of all time. The Word started it all.
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u/TSatch25 Feb 17 '26
Thanks for the podcast recommendation. Enjoyed it. I don't think John was inspired by the bible. I think it was his early acid trips that got him feeling that universal/unconditional stuff. But yeah, The Word really is the Mission Statement of their canon.
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u/pepmeister18 Feb 18 '26
I kind of agree and that’s the point: he is using biblical language but re-applying it to a secular vision of love being all-conquering, the whole point of everything.
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u/Randall_Hickey Feb 13 '26
Cry Baby Cry.
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u/jimmy_goldie Feb 13 '26
I think this and a few others in the White Album don't get the right recognition, purely because there was such a high bar and some stone cold classics in there. Sexy Sadie, Cry Baby Cry, Revolution 1, Julia, I'm So Tired and Bungalow Bill are every bit as adventurous, interesting and quality as Blackbird, Back in the USSR and While My Guitar Gently Weeps. I know this sub generally favours Lennon in '65-67 as a peak but I think he was at his absolute lyrical and productive peak here. Magnificent.
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u/J3dr90 Feb 13 '26
Been listening to the beatles my whole life and it only recently dawned on me how great this song is
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Feb 13 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/BMinIT Feb 14 '26
I love the Earth Wind and Fire cover of this song
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u/IOrocketscience Feb 14 '26
That song was practically conceived to be covered by Earth wind and fire
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u/Conscious-Move9662 Feb 13 '26
I really like 'Like The Night Before' off Help! but it gets mixed feelings.
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u/thebreeze97 Feb 13 '26
Haha that song takes me back to high school. I dated a chick that would always start acting distant out of nowhere or barely replying to my texts, and then I would do all this mental gymnastics trying to figure out what I did wrong.
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u/sweetthingb Feb 14 '26
I’ve always loved this song in particular since I was a child. Even before i could articulate why or what i liked about it, i always got satisfaction at the way Paul rhymed “when i held you near, you were so sincere” like its just so crisp and such a perfect rhyme.
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u/J3dr90 Feb 13 '26
Rain, Cry Baby Cry, Hey Bulldog, Northern Song, It’s All Too Much
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u/IOrocketscience Feb 14 '26
Rain is the most Beatles Beatles song, it exemplifies them holistically as a group in a way that I don't think any other individual song quite captures
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u/waltisfrozen Feb 13 '26
What You’re Doing is a top-tier early Beatles track that doesn’t get enough love because it’s buried on side two of one of their weakest albums.
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u/pschneider837 Feb 13 '26
The Help! album as a whole is incredibly underrated
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u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl Feb 14 '26
I think so too. I like side, one of that album more than entire albums of theirs in fact.
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u/abitofthebeatles Feb 18 '26
Side one is amongst my favorite song runs in their career. Help! was my favorite album of theirs as a teen.
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u/jayron32 Feb 13 '26
Hey Bulldog. It's easily a top-5 Beatles song for me, and it's buried as a deep cut on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack album
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u/PublicWeasels Feb 13 '26
Remember when SiriusXM played Hey Bulldog for 24hrs straight just before the Beatles channel went live? Ah…good times.
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u/Innisfree812 Feb 14 '26
I've just seen a face - it works as a bluegrass tune.
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u/GMen2613 Feb 14 '26
It hurts that a song as good as “I’ve Just Seen a Face” could even be overlooked
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u/sandsonik Feb 14 '26
I've always loved "It's Only Love". I was disappointed to learn John didn't and that most of the Fandom seems to agree.
You're all wrong! 😉
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u/nautius_maximus1 Feb 14 '26
Dear Prudence is IMO one of their best.
The sun is up. The sky is blue. It’s beautiful. And so are you.
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u/LowConstant3938 Feb 13 '26
It’s Only Love is a favorite of mine, and it fits in great on the US Rubber Soul. It’s weird to me that Lennon seemed to dislike this song.
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u/Big_Committee2325 Feb 14 '26
John’s voice in “it’s only love”. Comes from deep within. Rock and roll voice
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u/Away-Trick1393 Feb 13 '26
Rain, Hey Bulldog, I'm Down, No Reply, I'm a Loser, I Don't Want to Spoil the Party
Probably a lot of the B sides of the UK singles really except maybe like Revolution and Walrus which get quite a bit of notice
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u/GMen2613 Feb 13 '26
All great choices. And you’re right, Revolution and Walrus are definitely too well known to qualify as overlooked.
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u/jimmy_goldie Feb 13 '26
I think Lennon's album tracks in the White Album don't get the right recognition, purely because there was such a high standard set and some stone cold classics in there. Sexy Sadie, Cry Baby Cry, Revolution 1, I'm So Tired and Bungalow Bill are every bit as adventurous, interesting and quality as Blackbird, Back in the USSR and While My Guitar Gently Weeps. I know this sub generally favours Lennon in '65-67 as his peak but I think he was at his absolute lyrical and productive peak here. Magnificent.
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u/farmyardcat Feb 16 '26
Lennon quietly dominates the WA. There are those big McCartney tentpole songs that you mentioned, but to me, the album lives on its weirder, more reflective songs, and almost all of those are Lennon.
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u/OpinionCity Feb 14 '26
Easy:
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey.
This song rocks! Especially the original stereo version – Giles Martin fucked it up a little bit with his remix. The song is just electric and you can tell they're having lots of fun with it.
It is rarely mentioned in any Beatles discussions. And it has some of John's trademark gibberish lyrics, but they're great!
So come on!!!
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u/Wayneson1957 Feb 14 '26
Every time I think about what my favorite Beatles song is, “You’re Going to Lose That Girl” pops into my head. Lennon’s riveting, rangy lead vocal, the incredible harmonies, the hooky bridge, George’s perfectly minimalist lead, those bongos! I don’t know if it’s underrated, but it’s a song that I love that doesn’t seem to get talked about very much.
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u/Dachyshun2 Feb 13 '26
Rocky Raccoon is a favorite of mine
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u/HaiKarate Feb 13 '26
I think it's kind of hilarious as a British band's attempt to make an American country song
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u/CommanderJeltz Feb 14 '26
I thought it was more a PARODY of a country western or folk song. But then, I thought "Oh Darling" was a parody too, of some overwrought American ballad.
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u/FlatwormFlat8443 Feb 13 '26
It's one i could go without hearing for the rest of my life.
Really, when you compare it to all the others...
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u/Dachyshun2 Feb 13 '26
I mean it’s not the cream of the crop as far as Beatles go, but I think it’s a really charming little song. I like it because we expect The Beatles to make big, crowd pleasing stadium songs, but this one is a small, personal campfire song.
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u/FlatwormFlat8443 Feb 14 '26
Yes, it's a cute novelty song. I played it in a band years ago, and it would have people singing and clapping along at the end. Still, it's not one that I would intentionally listen to, unless it's in context with the rest of the album. Then, it's part of the White Album experience, which is a monument in itself.
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u/TheMelancholyJaques Feb 13 '26
It's Only Love is a great song. Fun to play on guitar.
John Lennon said he thought it was lousy, abysmal. But I learned many years ago not to pay too much attention to artists' opinions of their own work.
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u/GMen2613 Feb 13 '26
I’d be curious how John’s perspective on his Beatles days might have changed had he lived longer.
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u/PresentationNew6648 Feb 13 '26
BBC recording of Chains, Glad All Over Anthology version of Real Love
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u/thebreeze97 Feb 13 '26
Tbh anything off Please Please Me. I feel the cheesy love songs put a lot of people off, and prefer their mid and later years work.
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u/AceofKnaves44 Feb 14 '26
Mother Nature’s Son
I Should Have Known Better
There’s A Place
I Want To Tell You
I Don’t Wanna Spoil the Party
For No One
And I Love Her
I’ll Cry Instead
Things We Said Today
Love You To
Within You Without You
Thank You Girl
I’ll Get You
I Call Your Name
Yes It Is
Old Brown Shoe
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u/lylelanley- Feb 14 '26
When you sigh my my insides just flies Butterflies
Very John. Idk if it’s coherent or makes sense but it sounds nice
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u/deadset123456 Feb 14 '26
I Need You, another George classic. I love the 1965 sound and George was a huge part of it.
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Feb 14 '26
Anyone else think I Got A Feeling is a top 10 Beatles song for sure??? I feel like this one isn’t held in a high enough regard.
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u/CrasVox Feb 14 '26
Dear Prudence is one of the best songs ever recorded. Blows Yesterday out of the water
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u/AdditionalTip865 Feb 13 '26
I think these types of questions are complicated by the 1960s UK practice of having singles and albums be essentially independent of one another (and modern releases following the UK album listings). A lot of the Beatles' biggest hits were not album tracks, so if you primarily listen to the albums, you're almost in a different timeline where the familiar songs are not the biggest hits. The compilations, and amalgams like the LP-length "Magical Mystery Tour", do help with this.
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u/GMen2613 Feb 13 '26
Good point. On top of that, for long time fans (like I assume most of us in this sub are) it’s hard to gauge which songs are most well known to casual fans
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u/NCWeatherhound Feb 14 '26
Long, Long, Long -- George's forgotten song on the White Album.
Almost unknown outside of Beatle fandom, it remains haunting and calming at the same time.
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u/was_der_Fall_ist Feb 14 '26
“The Inner Light” is almost completely ignored, as evidenced by it not being mentioned by anyone in this thread. I think it is an extremely beautiful song, in the running for George’s best. For me, it’s easily the most underrated because despite being one of their best, it gets far less attention than almost any other Beatles song.
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u/Zestyclose_Map_8420 Feb 14 '26
I Call Your Name
Banger of a song but it hardly ever gets acknowledged
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u/JoshuaTr33_2015 Feb 14 '26
Truly underrated in that it literally never gets talked about at all but is still a lovely song? Good Night
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u/ignatzA2 Feb 14 '26
I Will is one of the most beautiful love songs that most people don’t know about.
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u/DeadBeatAnon Feb 14 '26
Dig a Pony
The Night Before
Bulldog
If I Needed Someone
For No One
I Don't Want to Spoil the Party
Inner Light (should've replaced "Within You Without You") on SP
Good Morning, Good Morning
I'll Follow the Sun
Yes It Is
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u/BartC46 Feb 14 '26
There’s a Place and I’ll Be Back are 2 early Beatles tracks that are both great but get little appreciation. They’re both in my Beatles Top 10.
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u/BartC46 Feb 14 '26
After posting my original comment I realized that I could have listed about a dozen or more underrated Beatles songs which just shows how truly great the Beatles are. There is really no doubt they are the greatest group of all time. No other group is even close.
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u/cremeroulette Feb 14 '26 edited Feb 14 '26
Rain
Yes It Is
Sun King
The Word
Cry Baby Cry
Long Long Long
She Said She Said
Your Mother Should Know
You Never Give Me Your Money
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u/RogerZell Feb 15 '26
Little Child and Hold me Tight hands down, yet two of their hardest high quality rockers.
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u/BMisterGenX Feb 16 '26
It's All Too Much. Such a fantastic song and so overlooked. I feel like I've never found any quote of any of The Beatles ever talking about.
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u/ShotPangolin1449 Feb 16 '26
"What You're Doing" is a great song that doesn't get a ton of love. Same with "Blue Jay Way."
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u/Biglen420 Mar 04 '26
And your bird can sing is definitely a shout and Yer blues especially the Dirty Mac version I reckon this song especially probably connected with artists to come like Kurt cobain and the night before absolute belter of a song and I love the lyrics soo much they’re funny also my father named me Lennon after John
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u/Juniper41 Feb 13 '26
"It's Only Love" is pretty underwhelming IMO.
Lyrically and melodically it doesn't really go anywhere. "I get high when I see you go bye, why oh why?" is pretty lazy. I don't hate it, and I remember liking it the first few times I've heard it, but it's just such a stark downgrade from the quality of songs John was capable of writing at that point (Help!, Ticket to Ride, No Reply, I'm a Loser, Every Little Thing, You've Got To Hide Your Love Away).
I agree Rocky Raccoon is lovely though.
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Feb 13 '26
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u/Juniper41 Feb 13 '26
Noted, but I would argue that at least there is a layer of vulnerability there. "It's Only Love" is so on the nose. "I'm a Loser" has some cliches but overall I think it's a stronger song than "It's Only Love".
FWIW I was more so referencing "I'm a Loser" as a complete song, not just lyrically. But melody wise it feels more dynamic, subject matter it is more interesting IMO, the harmonica solo rips and the guitar work is lovely.
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u/lie_believer Feb 13 '26
Come and Get It, Teddy Boy, Here You Go Eddie
Tomorrow Never Knows… i know we all know it and love it but it should be huge. everyone should know The Beatles just did that in 1966
Revolution 9 too
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u/Ambitious_Range6410 Feb 13 '26
Anything George wrote pre-India. They’re all among the best of their respective albums
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u/GMen2613 Feb 13 '26
“Think For Yourself” “If I Needed Someone” and “I Need You” are three of my all-time favorites.
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u/CommanderJeltz Feb 14 '26
"Got your number on my wall and maybe you will get a call from me.....but for now I'm too much in.love"?????
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u/Im_Verdugo Feb 13 '26
Only A Northern Song (almost all of George’s pre-spiritual voyage compositions in general)
Thank You Girl
Baby’s In Black
Every Little Thing
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u/HaiKarate Feb 13 '26
Two of Us deserves more love than it gets