It’s a great idea - talking around the music that was charting through the 60s whilst the Beatles were rising. Love the format. You’ll hear songs & artists you won’t have heard before (unless you are very old!). It’s like listening to mates in the pub and you’ll have your own views - that’s kind of the point. Thanks to Gary & Paul for doing this. It’s a real joy and the gentle, often daft approach that complements the quality research & analysis

Think this series (Series 4) might be the best so far. There’s a ton of Beatles podcasts, but not so many that put them in the context of the music of the day, which is a really interesting direction to take. The biographical and production deep dives are great - really enlightening. Though my mum will be furious for the kicking that her favourite Mike Sarne got. For shame. But then she lost interest in the Beatles after Help when the drugs kicked in (theirs not hers) when she thinks they lost the plot, which seems mad in retrospect. But she’s stuck to her guns on that opinion, despite the overwhelming evidence suggesting she may be wrong , so perhaps Sarne’s shellacking is her just desserts.

I really enjoyed the Big Beatles Sort out and reviewed it a couple of years ago. I wondered what would happen when the songs ran out and although I enjoyed the next few series that followed, this one is a very good idea. The context of the Beatle timeline with the other chart toppers of the day is working well in my opinion. I don’t always agree with the scores, or the opinions, but that takes nothing away from the enjoyment of this well put together and researched podcast. In fact I find myself commenting on some of these when I’m listening while out for a walk with Buster my border collie. He agrees with me, naturally!! 😂 I like how there is also some contemporaneous context from Paul and Garry’s Mum and I think I’d be interested in a little more input from her about the context around what are nowadays seen as sensitivities in some of the words and phrases used as well as her views on the acts having heard them at the time. 2024 criticisms or observations of things that were the norm 60 odd years ago can seem a little harsh sometimes - mainly because now they are out of context. This is a very good listen and I look forward to some of the episodes that will coincide with not just Beatle events but also some that happened in my early family life - again to add that all important musical context! Thanks both (and your Mum!) for a well thought out and well presented podcast. 😃👍🏻

Paul and Garry’s new jaunt through UK 60s number 1s is well-researched, fair and so much fun! I’d recommend this to any Beatles and / or pop music fans, whether you’re a devoted 60s freak or new to it. This is brilliant - fingers crossed they’re nice to Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich!

I have followed Paul and Garry since their first podcasts and this new series is excellent- as always. I wasn’t sure at first, as this series is Beatles related rather than directly about them- but it turns out to be an inspired idea to contextualise the Beatles and talk about all the other interesting artists of the 60’s, and how they were interlinked with one another. Beatles facts are worked in between, so you still get that too. Paul and Garry are interesting, knowledgeable and good company. Highly recommended.

A really interesting look at all of the #1s of the 1960s in the UK with added Beatle context. Two well informed (in different ways) hosts who make it entertaining

The whole basis for this podcast is deeply flawed from the outset but this is immediately addressed and frequently referred back to. Garry Abbott attempts to ‘sort’ The Beatles tracks (and later solo Beatles work) into some kind of personal appreciation order by awarding points out of 100 to various aspects of each song’s qualities. It’s a thankless task but luckily just talking about the tracks one by one with brother Paul is more than enough to keep this a thoroughly engaging opportunity to wallow in the band’s catalogue. Throw in a bunch of anniversaries and trivia and it makes for a very palatable and affable listen. The siblings have great chemistry (this isn’t the Cain and Abel Show) and a lot of music knowledge in that they play and understand how music is made beyond the likes of me who just listens to it. Why 5 stars? It ticks all the boxes for an amusing and informative listen with no slack and waffle. Give it a try and you might agree.

The Abbotts (Garry & Paul) have never failed to impress and entertain with their ‘TBBSO’ podcast however in my opinion they’ve upped their game even further in series 3 with the inspired idea of a deep dive into the ‘Beatles’ solo years… Each week a lucky dip(or otherwise) of randomly selected Beatle solo tracks are discussed and rated on their comparative ‘merits’. Being a Beatles fan for 40+ years I can still genuinely say that for me there is so much ‘new ground’ to be explored here and songs I have simply never come across before (some for probably very good reasons ) so thank you Garry and Paul for being the most engaging of hosts and for this fresh exploration of music which veers between timeless classics, the downright dated, under developed ideas (the songs that could have been, the songs that could never have been) , formulaic pop and songs which would never have made it past the Beatles quality control etc etc… This is the show more than any other that proves just how much the Beatles needed each other professionally. It highlights their all too ‘human’ ‘solo output’ musical frailties (alongside the brilliance of course)and makes for fascinating comparison with their collective mythology and perceived ‘otherworldliness’ of ‘Beatledom’

This podcast is a joy. The chemistry between the two hosts is fantastic. Always entertaining, informative and charming, if you’ve not listened to this podcast yet you are in for such a treat. WARNING: Some episodes may contain Rutles.

This is brilliant for Beatle heads like me. The two chaps are personable and clearly know a lot about music – the making of it and many other aspects. It’s wonderfully anoraky and makes you want to go and listen to the Beatles straight away. Highly recommended.