The Favorite Beatle: Taking an Eternal Question to the Next Level

“Who’s your favorite Beatle?” It’s something I am fond of asking – especially during discussions I feel are escalating towards unpleasantness.

Two reactions are most common: laughter, at the incongruity of the question. Or irritation, because I am not taking the issue at hand seriously. Either way, the conversation is derailed and the tension broken.

But I really do want to know the answer. I think the choice of a favorite Beatle is a very telling signal of a person’s mental and emotional make-up. If someone has no answer — that too is telling.

Some day (not soon, I hope), this is a question I want to ask Jesus. Who is His favorite Beatle? I’d love to know. I assume Christ will profess to liking them all equally, but this is not an answer. So, if I don’t run the risk of being turned into a burning bush or pillar of salt, I will press Him to name one.

Let’s look at the options:

JOHN LENNON
A natural choice. It was Lennon’s band, after all. Jesus would probably admire the strong rhythm guitar that was John’s forte on hard-driving early songs like “I’m Happy Just to Dance with You.” Christ might also be taken by some of Lennon’s stabs at playing lead, like at the Hollywood Bowl shows.

On the other hand, Christ would undoubtedly remember the famous quote of John Lennon’s: The Beatles are “more popular than Jesus.” But He has probably forgiven that; after all, the Pope got over it years ago.

Christ’s problem with John might have to do with the gratuitous lyric taking His name in vain during “The Ballad of John and Yoko.” That, and the repeated reference to Lennon’s crucifixion in this song could keep John from being Jesus’ Favorite Beatle.

PAUL McCARTNEY
Always eager to please an audience, Paul would jump at the opportunity to be the favorite. Christ likely appreciates McCartney’s genius for melody. Not only has Paul composed remarkable songs, he also brings this melodic sense to his instrument.

“Blackbird,” “For No One” and “Yesterday” are just three examples of Paul McCartney’s ability as a songwriter, while each note he plays on Sgt. Pepper speaks to McCartney’s gift as a melodic bassist. By judging his Beatles years, the Cute One seems a shoe-in for Christ’s choice as favorite.

Unfortunately for Paul, Jesus has also heard McCartney’s solo work. He admires much of what He hears, particularly overlooked works like London Town. Christ probably tries to ignore some of the weaker tracks often found on Paul’s records – songs like “Cook of the House” or the Wild Life album.

“Biker Like an Icon,” however, may have single-handedly tipped the scales against McCartney. Paul forgets that he is not required to release every song he writes. And rumor has it that Jesus fell asleep during a private screening of Paul’s Give My Regards to Broad Street.

GEORGE HARRISON
Jesus likes George. It was Harrison who introduced spirituality to his fans. George’s intense interest in religious matters made his audience ponder the topic—at least for a while.

This was during the brief era when Harrison composed quality songs reflecting his beliefs. By the time of the Extra Texture album, the joy of Harrison’s message had become more ponderous than uplifting. Christ probably noticed. He had always been a bit put-off by the specific path that Harrison trod.

That, and George’s insistence on releasing three-record sets. Think of how great All Things Must Pass could be if trimmed to a single LP. Two versions of “Isn’t It a Pity”? I ask you. It’s hard to compete with John and Paul, to be sure, but it’s George who knocked himself out of the running for Jesus’ Favorite Beatle.

RINGO STARR
Ah, Ringo. Who doesn’t like Ringo Starr? I’m sure Christ admires Ringo’s backbeat and his first solo album, 1970’s Sentimental Journey. It’s said that the Beatles’ drummer recorded these songs for his mother, so Jesus must know his heart was in the right place.

In retrospect, Starr was way ahead of the pop music curve with these old favorites. Sentimental Journey arrived some eight years before Willie Nelson’s Stardust, the template for many artists’ similar projects, and it even predates Harry Nilsson’s 1973 collection of torch songs.

But Christ’s Favorite Beatle? If Ringo Starr were chosen, I fear it would be victory by default. Not much of a bragging right. No, a clear winner is needed.

We seem to have run out of Beatle candidates. But wait, what about former drummer Pete Best? And wasn’t there a guy who subbed for Ringo at a few shows? And somebody played bass for a while.

Sullen and silent, Pete Best was the Beatles’ drummer before Ringo. Best irritated producer George Martin and never shared much camaraderie with the other Beatles, preferring his own company. George Harrison was the impetus for getting Best sacked, replacing him with Ringo.

Jimmie Nicol was a Beatle for a handful of concerts in the spring of 1964. Ringo was hospitalized with tonsillitis, and Nicol was recruited for a few dates. They can each accurately claim to be former Beatles, but neither Best nor Nicol has a chance. If Ringo isn’t chosen as Christ’s Favorite Beatle, another drummer will? Doubtful.

A candidate easy to overlook is Pete Shotton. He played with the band in their very early days, until John Lennon decided that the Beatles didn’t need a full-time washboard player. Shotton left the group after John broke the washboard over his bandmate’s head. The two remained friends.

STUART SUTCLIFFE
Enter Stuart Sutcliffe, the lost Beatle. By all accounts, Sutcliffe was a thoughtful young man gifted in the visual arts. He became a Beatle when John and Paul learned that Stu had enough money to purchase a bass guitar — something the band needed. Eager to please John, Sutcliffe bought the bass and tried to play it during early Beatle gigs. Stu’s lack of musical ability frustrated Paul, but perhaps not as much as his competition for John’s attention.

Sutcliffe suffered a brain hemorrhage in April 1962, before the Beatles’ career took off in Europe – and nearly two years before their conquest of America. He died at age 21, not living to see what the Beatles would become.

A sensitive youth with a life cut short, who sacrificed personal desires for the benefit of others. A friend willing to spend his time and money to further the group, knowing it could never help him reach his own goals as an artist.

Stu Sutcliffe — former Beatle. I think we have a winner.

Tom Wilmeth is a freelance writer who lives in Grafton, Wisconsin — former home of the Paramount Records label. He is the author of ‘Sound Bites: A Lifetime of Listening’ (Muleshoe Press, 2016). Available at Amazon.