Rating: 8/10
Okay, before all the music fans out there get mad that I didn’t give this album a 10/10, I just want to clarify that my ratings are based on my personal enjoyment of the album, not how historically and culturally impactful it was (surely if that was the case, Sgt. Pepper would get a 10/10).
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is very often cited as the best album of all time, so for that reason, I’m a little nervous to review it. Nonetheless, I think it would be a crime for me to go through The Beatles’ discography without reviewing this album, so here I am. Just know that I’m not some musical expert, and these are just my opinions. Without further ado, let’s have the ranking begin!
13. Within You Without You (Track 8)
I think I understand what they were going for, and I appreciate this song for how experimental it is (I can’t think of a single Beatles song that sounds similar to it), but it’s not my type of song.
12. Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite! (Track 7)
I like the descriptive lyrics, but sonically, this isn’t the type of song that I would like. However, I could imagine myself listening to it in a certain mood, and I will say that I like musical break between the second and third verses, as well as the musical outro.
11. Good Morning Good Morning (Track 11)
This is a fun song (sonically, not so much lyrically) that I don’t mind within the album, but it’s not something I would want to listen to outside of the album. It’s got some great lyrics in the verses (“Somebody needs to know the time, glad that I’m here. Watching the skirts, you start to flirt, now you’re in gear. Go to a show, you hope she goes. I’ve got nothing to say, but it’s okay.”) and I really like John’s vocals.
10. Lovely Rita (Track 10)
I love the music in this song, it gives me good vibes (especially the opening). It’s a sweet song, and I do like it, it’s just not one of my absolute favorites. It gets a little weird at the end, but I kinda like it.
9. When I’m Sixty-Four (Track 9)
I really like Paul’s voice here, especially at “You’ll be older too…”, and the music has a very happy and playful sound to it, which is nice. Lyrically, it’s a cute song, but it feels a bit out of place on the album. I do like it though.
8. Fixing a Hole (Track 5)
“I’m fixing a hole where the rain gets in, and stops my mind from wandering where it will go.” Sonically, this is one of my favorite songs from Sgt. Pepper, and it’s also pretty lyrically interesting. The topic of the song is intriguing to me, so I found myself paying a lot of attention to the lyrics. Paul’s voice sounds really good here. “Silly people run around, they worry me, and never ask me why they don’t get past my door. I’m taking the time for a number of things that weren’t important yesterday, and I still go.”
7. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Track 1)
Here’s where we get into my favorite songs on the album. This is a great opener, and there’s a fun concept behind the song. This is the song that introduces the fictitious and titular band, and it’s a great introduction. The guitar in the beginning is awesome, and I love the group harmonies in the bridge. I also really like how this song fades seamlessly into With A Little Help From My Friends.
6. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (Track 12)
Really, this song and the first rendition of it are pretty equal in my mind, but I just happen to like this one better, which is odd, considering that it’s barely over a minute long. I really love the drum beat as well as the guitar. I just prefer the quicker tempo of this song.
5. With A Little Help From My Friends (Track 2)
Ladies and gents, it finally happened. I found a song featuring Ringo on lead vocals that I actually like! It makes me happy, because I’ve always liked his voice, I just haven’t liked the songs he’s been lead singer on in the past. This is a really nice and happy song, and it’s a great friendship anthem. My favorite part of the song is when Ringo sings, “I need somebody to love” because I think his voice sounds really good there, and it’s just pleasing to the ear.
4. Getting Better (Track 4)
When I first listened to this song it didn’t stand out to me, but upon relistening, I actually really like it. The chorus is my favorite part, because there’s just something really uplifting about it. This song is great for a self-improvement streak, or when things are finally going right in your life. The bassline is also really cool.
3. Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds (Track 3)
“Picture yourself in a boat on a river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly, a girl with kaleidoscope eyes. Cellophane flowers of yellow and green towering over your head. Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes, and she’s gone.” This song is so trippy in the best way, and it really encapsulates what psychedelic music is. I don’t know what I can say to describe this song, just listen to it if you want to hear some truly strange but fascinating music. The lyrics are so imaginative and descriptive, you can tell that John was very inspired by Lewis Carroll. “Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain, where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies. Everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers that grow so incredibly high. Newspaper taxis appear on the shore, waiting to take you away. Climb in the back with your head in the clouds, and you’re gone.”
2. She’s Leaving Home (Track 6)
“Wednesday morning at five o’clock as the day begins. Silently closing her bedroom door, leaving the note that she hoped would say more, she goes down the stairs to the kitchen, clutching her handkerchief. Quietly turning the backdoor key, stepping outside, she is free.” Fun fact: I wrote a poem inspired by this song. Obviously it is nothing compared to the song itself, so I will not be sharing it. This is a really beautiful and sad song about a girl who abandons her parents, leaving behind nothing but a goodbye note. This song isn’t only gorgeous because of Paul’s wonderful voice (as well as John’s great background vocals) or the touching lyrics. I think the strings really make the song what it is. This doesn’t feel like just any narrative song. When you listen to this song, you really feel the story. “Father snores as his wife gets into her dressing gown. Picks up the letter that’s lying there. Standing alone at the top of the stairs, she breaks down and cries to her husband, ‘Daddy, our baby’s gone. Why would she treat us so thoughtlessly? How could she do this to me?'”
1. A Day in the Life (Track 13)
What else could take the top spot? Among music critics (I’m obviously not a music critic, but whatever) this is the Beatles song. There’s just so much to love about this song. I really love the guitar at the beginning and the bass in the first verse, and John’s voice is hauntingly nonchalant. Ringo’s drumming is also great. Then there’s that terrifying musical section before the second verse which kind of makes you feel like you’re in the middle of an apocalypse, and then it’s over as quick as it started and we’re back to an upbeat verse with Paul on vocals. Then there’s a trumpet section before John’s last verse, which ends with the echoey “I’d love to turn you on”. Then at the end you legitimately feel as if you’re falling down a hole on the way to your death, and it’s terrifying but fascinating. Then the song ends with that last powerful, ominous chord. The song then fades out, and, depending on which version of the song you listen to, there’s silence before this weird and nonsensical repeating outro. In summation, this song makes me feel as if I’m about to die in an apocalypse, but it’s an amazingly crafted song.
Anna's Music World 