The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ is undoubtedly one of the most iconic albums ever made. In this article, I’m going to rank every song on the album from worst to best. The ranking is based on personal preference, although cultural importance was also a small ranking factor. Let’s dive into the list!
13. Good Morning Good Morning
In my opinion, “Good Morning Good Morning” is the weakest track on Sgt. Pepper. The song was written – and disliked – by John Lennon. “It’s a throwaway, a piece of garbage, I always thought,” he said of the song. No matter how badly I want to disagree with Lennon, I don’t.
Read more: The 10 Best John Lennon Songs With The Beatles
12. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
The only problem with “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” is that it’s hardly a track. Only 1:18 long, the song is the fictional band’s goodbye to the audience. Of course, you will find the introduction to the audience – which is the opening track of the album – higher on this list.
11 . Within You Without You
During the recording of Sgt. Pepper, George Harrison was more engaged with his interest in Indian culture than McCartney’s concept of being a fictional band. It’s evidently heard in Harrison’s only contribution to the album: “Within You Without You”. Opinions of the song are, and will always be, mixed. But in my opinion, it’s one of the weaker songs on Sgt. Pepper.
10. When I’m Sixty-Four
McCartney wrote the cabaret-like “When I’m Sixty-Four” in his mid-teens, before rock and roll took over the world. It makes the song the oldest track on Sgt. Pepper. “When I’m Sixty-Four” isn’t a bad song – especially not given the fact it was written by a fourteen-year-old – but there are definitely better songs on the album.
9. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite
My number 9 on this list is “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite”. John Lennon wrote the song based on a vintage circus poster he bought in an antique shop. John Lennon instructed George Martin to make the song sound like a carnival, which resulted in one of the most complex and unique arrangements on the entire album.
8. Fixing a Hole
When John Lennon was asked about “Fixing a Hole” in 1980, he replied: “That’s Paul… again writing a good lyric.” The ambiguous lyrics of the song sparked many rumors about the song’s meaning, which was unusual for a McCartney song. McCartney himself gave several different accounts about the song’s meaning, adding more vagueness to the song. Regardless of the song’s meaning, “Fixing a Hole” is a pretty good song.
7. Lovely Rita
The song about meter-maid Rita ranks in the middle of my list. “Lovely Rita” is a catchy tune, has clever lyrics, and has an exceptional intro. The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson told Q magazine that “Lovely Rita” is one of his favorite songs on Sgt. Pepper: “Lovely Rita made me laugh my head of. I love the way it comes floating in. The bassline is great and the lyrics are kind of funny too,” he said.
6. Getting Better
Number 6 on my list is “Getting Better”. The song was musically written by Paul McCartney, with lyrics written by both McCartney and Lennon. Despite addressing some darker themes, McCartney wrote “Getting Better” as a cheer-up song. “It’s an optimistic song. I often try and get on to optimistic subjects in an effort to cheer myself up and also, realizing that other people are going to hear this, to cheer them up too. And this was one of those,” McCartney stated in his biography.
5. With a Little Help from My Friends
John Lennon and Paul McCartney specifically wrote “With a Little Help from My Friends” for Ringo Starr, who generally sang one lead vocal on each Beatles album. In the song, Ringo is introduced as Sgt. Pepper’s band member Billy Shears. It makes “With a Little Help from My Friends” the only song besides its title track (and reprise) that adheres to the concept of the album.
Joe Cocker famously covered the song, but The Beatles’ original version is beautiful in its own right and one of the stronger songs on Sgt. Pepper.
4. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” is the thematical centerpiece of the album. As the opening track of Sgt. Pepper, the song introduces the fictional band to the listener. Aside from its importance as the album’s thematical centerpiece, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” is also just an outstanding song.
Read more: Ranking The Beatles Albums From Worst To Best
3. She’s Leaving Home
“She’s Leaving Home” provides Sgt. Pepper’s prettiest moment. Paul McCartney was inspired to write the song after reading a newspaper story about teenage runaway Melanie Coe. Because George Martin was busy the day McCartney wanted to work on the score, McCartney asked Mike Leander to make a string arrangement for the song, much to the dissatisfaction of Martin. Leander’s arrangement, however, was stunning, just like McCartney and Lennon’s vocals, making “She’s Leaving Home” one of Sgt. Pepper’s highlights.
2. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Number 2 on my list is “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”. The story behind the song’s title is well-debated in popular culture and well-debunked by The Beatles. According to Lennon, he was inspired to write the song after his son Julian came home with a drawing he titled “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”. Whatever the song’s origin is, it’s easily one of the best songs on Sgt. Pepper.
1. A Day In The Life
It’s no surprise that “A Day In The Life” claims the number 1 spot on my list. To many, Sgt. Pepper’s grand finale isn’t only the greatest song on the album, but also the greatest song in The Beatles’ entire repertoire. The song originated with John Lennon, who wrote the verses of the song. Thereafter, Lennon presented the song to McCartney, who contributed the song’s middle section.
“A Day In The Life’ – that was something. I dug it. It was a good piece of work between Paul and me,” John Lennon told Rolling Stone. “I had the ‘I read the news today’ bit, and it turned Paul on. Now and then we really turn each other on with a bit of song, and he just said ‘yeah’ – bang, bang, like that. It just sort of happened beautifully.”
The song ranks as one of the most ambitious and groundbreaking songs ever recorded and is, in my opinion, undoubtedly the best song on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
That wraps up my ranking of every song on Sgt. Pepper. Do you agree with my ranking? What would you change? Feel free to let me know in the comments below!
Read more articles about The Beatles
