[Stu]

I think Lennon's become the fashionable answer for the uneducated or uninitiated in a lot of cases. Honestly I can't decide between Paul and John. They both kept each other in check. Paul was by far the superior musician in terms of worksmanship and composition but arguably John wrote with more soul and clearly valued lyrics over melody. One would not have been the same without the other.

It would be absurd to pick one of the others if you were basing it soley on Beatles contribution but as a whole I'm really warming to George Harrison. He is a much easier man to love and comes with a lot less baggage.

I also think John really came into his own with the solo stuff, whereas Paul's gold was clearly in The Beatles discography.