This feature was originally published in April 2009.

When my editor asked me to list the top 10 songs recorded by John, Paul, George, and Ringo following their world-changing stint as The Beatles, I knew I was in for a daunting task. Actually, it proved to be downright overwhelming. The Fab Four have put out over 70 albums of material and recorded over 1,000 songs since parting ways. And let me tell you, it hasn’t all been Strawberry Fields and Sgt. Pepper. Cases in point: McCartney’s unfortunate foray into the world of dance music, Ringo’s attempt at a country-western album, and pretty much any song pairing John and Yoko — sorry, just never got hip to it.

It’s kind of interesting, though, to reflect upon the ups and downs of these four post-Beatles careers. As the Beatles, these guys could virtually do no wrong. As solo artists, well, let’s just say they’re fallible. That’s not to suggest that they didn’t produce some exceptional music on their own and as members of other bands. This list is full of songs I wouldn’t want to live without, and there were many others (dozens, really) that nearly snuck into the top 10. It’s just sort of comforting for us mere mortals to know that a song written by a Beatle could be junk rather than genius.

Anyway, here they are…
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