The Beatles World Cup

How do you like your Beatles facts? Exquisitely researched in minute detail?  In one-sided Anthology form? Or 8 hours long and counting? This week, we're looking at the best sources of Beatles information on offer, in any format (semi-weekly antipodean head-to-head podcasts not included) 

We're back... again! This week: The Best Use of Non-Standard Instrument. Forget your guitars and drums and pianos - this is all about the beautiful, the obscure or the downright odd instruments that have turned up in Beatles tracks. And yes, the recorder gets a mention. 

Don't pass this one by! It's all about Ringo this week, as we work out which Ringo-centric Beatles song is the best of all. We'll act naturally as we dive into a strange bouquet of deeply sonorous musical oddities, but which one will we drum up support for?... Yup, that's all we got. 

Our Best of specials continue this week with a deep dive into the best Beatles album cover of all time. From photos to drawings, collages to single shots, psychedelia to..  well... nothing! 12 to choose from,  only one can win... unless of course two do, as let's face it, Jono and Rob's favourites rarely align! 

We're back! After an epic 51 heats, and a wee lie down for a few months, Jono & Rob are back with a special series celebrating the best of the best of the Beatles. This week, the best opening track of a Beatles album.  From I Saw Her Standing There to Two of Us and all the bangers in between, we put our patented ranking system into action to work out the winner. Best start listening! 

64 Beatles tracks are through to the knockout rounds of The Beatles World Cup ... but there's just time for a quick revisit of our choices, and the opportunity to right some wrongs and wrong some rights. Rob & Jono each pick a song to bring back, but also a song currently on the list to consign to the dustbin. And in true Power to the People, listeners get to as well! Do we redeem ourselves and atone for past sins? Find out over 17 minutes! 

It's here - the final heat of The Beatles World Cup, where we find the final of our 64 tracks that will be going through to the next round. And it's a doozy, as Let It Be and Hey Jude go head to head. It gets deep, it gets emotional, but we remember to talk about Please Mr Postman too. Plus all the news about what happens next, and how you can help us pick a winner!

It's our 50th heat and the penultimate one, as we race towards the end of the epic first round of The Beatles World Cup. This week, three very random tracks are on the block: All I've Got to Do, Matchbox and Maggie Mae. And if those don't excite you, just wait till you hear what we draw out at the end...

You go for weeks without many real Beatles classics coming along, and then three turn up at once! It's getting tougher towards the end, as this week I Want To Hold Your Hand, Ticket to Ride and I Saw Her Standing There are put forward. Two must fall, so that one may live. Pray for us. 

The first of our three track heats, as A Taste of Honey, Do You Want to Know a Secret and Not a Second Time compete in this grand charade. One features in Doctor Who, one features in Doctor Sleep, and one doesn't even sound like the Beatles. But which is which, and which one is a winner?

We've come to the last of our 4-track heats, as All Together Now, Anna (Go To Him), Dizzy Miss Lizzy and It Won't Be Long go head to head to compete for supremacy and the chance to continue as a potential GOAT contender. More exciting than Beatles in a pram (which also features). 

A very internally focused but delightful bunch of songs this week, as we round the final straight of heats. We choose from I'm a Loser, I've Just Seen A Face, Octopus's Garden and I'll Follow The Sun. Note: we're not who we appear to be...

Misogyny! Death Threats! The Watusi! Jeff Lynne! This week's songs have it all! Join our wacky lineup of tracks as Run For Your Life, Revolution #9, If I Needed Someone and Free As A Bird take each other on. Right? RIGHT! 

Still reeling from last week's double classic takedown, this week we're back to quirky mix territory, with a ragtag bunch of oddities, curios, covers and harmonicas. Listen with interest as It's All Too Much, Words of Love, I Should Have Known Better, and The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill go up against each other - one goes on, three go down. 

Well f**k... that's pretty much our response when we picked out this week's random Beatles tracks (well, apart from Mr Moonlight). 3 stone cold classics on the block this week: The Long & Winding Road, A Day in the Life and Yesterday. Two of these must fall... but which? Turn that tension knob up to 11. 

It had to happen really... 42 episodes in and we've found the mix of 4 random Beatles songs that will rock our hitherto peaceful and tolerant co-hosting to the core. But which threatens to shatter the peace? Lovely Rita, I Wanna Be Your Man, Ask Me Why or Please Please Me? Or all of them?

We take a moment this week to take stock of our 40 heats thus far - fun stats ahead! Then we crack straight into picking a winner from four more random Beatles tracks. This week, Here Comes The Sun, Honey Pie, All You Need is Love and I'll Be Back are served up on a platter for us to devour. 

Welcome to Weird Seedy Sifty Song Week, as another four random Beatles songs go head to head to win their spot in the next round. To tickle your fancy this week, (breathe in noisily)  I'll Get You, Oh! Darling, We Can Work It Out and Girl. 

We're firmly back in middle of the road territory this week, as four more random tracks make their case. Which will rise like cream to the top of the breakfast bowl? Good Morning Good Morning, I Need You, Mother Nature's Son or Yes It Is? No animal noises were harmed in the recording of this episode. 

It's time for a Soul & Pepper showdown, as Nowhere Man goes up against the title track of SPLHCB... but could Act Naturally or Till There Was You swipe in and take this week's crown? The tension is palpable! 

It had to happen really - we, Rob and Jono, haven't disagreed too widely over 36 heats. But this time around, we're polar opposite when it comes to one of these four songs: Dig A Pony, Wait, Little Child & Any Time at All. But will the split song win, in what can charitably be described as a 'middle of the road' bunch? Press play and see! 

Aaaand we're back on track with some truly viable greats on offer this week. We'll be weighing up the merits of Paperback Writer, Roll Over Beethoven, Revolution (the rockier single version), and There's A Place. Oh and somehow Pizza Hut and Superman 3 make an appearance too. FUN! 

After the big hitters of last week, we reach one of 'those' heats where... well... the cards have fallen in a interesting way, and by interesting we mean 'sigh'. We have to choose a winner to go through though, and it'll be either When I Get Home, Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby, Carry The Weight, or I'll Cry Instead. Place your bets now. 

Some big hitters duke it out this week with Love Me Do, I Want You (She's So Heavy), Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds and She Loves You ready to do battle. Only one will go through, just like only one has a wind machine in the mix, only one has been covered by Miley Cyrus & Moby, and only one has 3 different drummers. Intrigued, much?

We're one step closer to finding out which Beatles song is the GOAT, and this week gives us four fun contenders: I'm Happy Just to Dance with You, Birthday, You've Got to Hide Your Love Away and No Reply. But wait there's more! Anne Murray! Oasis! Dylan! Happy George! Hand Clap Mal! We're gonna have a good time! 

It's hotting up as we get steadily closer to finding out which Beatles song towers above all others, though this week is a bit of a big brown bag of randomness (inside a zoo). Stepping up to the plate are Tell Me What You See, Within You Without You, Baby You're a Rich Man & Honey Don't.... Honey Don't.... Honey Don't.... Honey Don't. Best listened to accompanied by a Hohner Pianet. 

A mad mix of songs have come out of the box, as four more random Beatles tracks contend to become the Greatest of All Time. In play this week are Baby It's You, Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da, Slow Down & Lady Madonna. One of these songs completely divides us, though it might not be the one you think....

It's the battle of the Revolvers this week, as I'm Only Sleeping takes on And Your Bird Can Sing, with Chains and Sexy Sadie in the mix as well. Along the way, we'll identify a hidden yawn,  discuss a blatant lyric ripoff, and ponder whether one of the songs is about Frank Sinatra or a wind-up clock. It's that kind of week. 

Lovers of cowbells, claps, jets and waltzes will be well served this week, as another four Beatles songs go head to head. Will it be I Call Your Name, Eight Days a Week, Back in the USSR or I Me Mine that makes the cut? Free fade in with every episode. 

Melancholy, Acid, financial bitterness and 'Pepper Lite' this week, as Golden Slumbers, She Said She Said, Taxman & Magical Mystery Tour enter on stage and present their cases for going through to the next round. If you hadn't had your fill of John Lewis Christmas ad chat, this is your week. 

This heat has a beginning, a middle and an end, unlike one of the songs this week which just jumps in halfway through. We put The Night Before, For No One, I Feel Fine and Hold Me Tight up against each other, and one will emerge the winner. Comes with half a scoop and two battered cod. 

Get ready for a Revolver + Abbey Road club sandwich as we take 4 more random songs and smash them against each other to find the winner. This week, Michelle meet the Sun King, and we get through Norwegian Wood in The End. Difficult much?

We're taking to the skies this week, as Heat 25 brings another eclectic mix of Beatles tracks together in our quest to find the greatest of all time. Will Flying fly or crash and burn? Do we say 'Thank You' or 'No, Thank You Girl'? Is You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) disconnected? Can we take The Word at its word?? So many questions - only one answer! 

Heat 24We've opened the doorAnd all we have found is a Bible. The songs are quite mixedSome will be 'Deep Six-ed'And who wins won't be much of a rivalSo it's Rocky RaccoonAnd Every Little Thing's tuneReal Love and Bad Boy to decide...alDoot dah doot dah dah dooo dooo Etc. 

Welcome to the heat that includes the second most misogynistic Beatles song ever, according to the internet. This week, Devil in Her Heart, You Can't Do That, Across the Universe and Doctor Robert go head to head. We hope the result doesn't let you down and leave you flat. 

The heats continue on the journey to the Greatest Beatles Song of All Time, and head ups - this week's an odd one. We face the choice of elevating You Really Got a Hold on Me, Think for Yourself, Happiness is a Warm Gun or Yer Blues. Yup...

A burst of optimism, sunshine and capitalism cascades over our heat this week, as Good Day Sunshine, Money (That's What I Want), Got to Get You Into My Life and Julia go up against each other for the win. And sorry Vulture... we're not agreeing with you on 'worst Beatles song ever'

We're now 20 heats in on our pataphysical quest to find the greatest Beatles song of all time, and this heat is a veritable bag of chocolate cake for the ears. We have Fixing A Hole, I've Got A Feeling, Maxwell's Silver Hammer and The Ballad of John and Yoko  to choose from - which will make it through?

Break out your white suit, and descend the staircase to Heat 19, as we put another four random Beatles songs to the test. This week's lineup includes Dear Prudence, I'm So Tired, The Inner Light and Your Mother Should Know.  And you should know that this episode includes Mal Evans, Star Trek: TNG, Paul is Dead, and Rob's song of choice to weird out his friends. 

If you ever thought we had any control over the random song draws, this week should dissuade you of that notion. Piggies, I Don't Want to Spoil the Party, Things We Said Today and For You Blue go head to head and, amazingly, one will triumph and head to the next round. But which one? 

It's the battle we've all been waiting for, as two songs go head to head to attempt to reign supreme, to chase the glory of becoming the champion of the Beatles World Cup. Will it be This Boy or Tell Me Why? Place your bets now. Oh... and Eleanor Rigby and Penny Lane are in the mix too. 

We're at Heat 16 AKA the 'curios and oddballs' heat, as our random selection brings us four very quirky and very different songs to choose from: With A Little Help from My Friends, Boys, Hey Bulldog and Old Brown Shoe. Just to warn you now: Rob's mild distaste for Pepper may rear its head again...

Four more randomly selected Beatles songs go head to head this week, as we attempt to board the Yellow Submarine to take us to Kansas City (Hey Hey Hey Hey) to see if the Sgt Pepper reprise is Getting Better. That sentence may be garbled, but is our final decision? Find out now!

Rubber Soul fans - this is your week, as two tracks go head to head to be this week's champion. I'm Looking Through You and You Won't See Me (erm... so that means they're both invisible right?) take on Because and Cry Baby Cry. Four songs. One winner. Much Moog.

This week's songs are quite the selection... almost like a box of chocolates! The good news is that we get to pick our favourite from Misery, Savoy Truffle, Blackbird and When I'm Sixty Four. Things may get a little sticky with this one...

The search for the greatest Beatles song of all time continues, and this week it's four very different songs that are under the pump. Which will emerge victorious from Can't Buy Me Love, From Me to You, Tomorrow Never Knows and I'm Down? Warning: contains Phil Collins

The world cup to end all world cups continues, with What Goes On, I Want to Tell You, All My Loving, and Hello Goodbye taking to the pitch. Which one is beautifully off-kilter, and which one was hijacked by a random Aussie TV talent show host? Most importantly, which one makes it through to the next round??

Another week, another four Beatles songs vying for the position of 'Greatest of All Time'. This week, we chat through PS, I Love You, Strawberry Fields Forever, She's A Woman, and A Hard Day's Night. Only one wins.... but which? !stib sdrawkcab eht rof evol s'onoJ dna ,hO

We're back with four more randomly selected Beatles songs making their way to the stage. This week, It's Only Love, Get Back (your choice of Muddy, Spectory or Naked), Baby's In Black, and While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Tough choices ahead. 

White Album quiet and sleepy, or White Album manic and crazy - both can be yours this week, as we put another four Beatles songs to the wall, to find out which will continue its journey to become the GOAT! Settle in as we put Good Night, Helter Skelter, Rock and Roll Music & Only a Northern Song through their paces. 

Straddling albums, phases and songwriters this week, as four more Beatles songs go head to head in our quest to find the greatest Beatles song of all time. This week, Don't Let Me Down, You Like Me Too Much, The Fool on the Hill & Revolution #1 duke it out - only one can win!