Editing Hello, Goodbye (section)

==Critical reception==
Writing in December 1967, [[Richard Goldstein (writer born 1944)|Richard Goldstein]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' said that "Hello, Goodbye" "sounds like a B-side" and described it as "interesting but subordinate".<ref name="aretheywaning nyt">{{cite news|last1=Goldstein|first1=Richard|title=Are the Beatles Waning?|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|page=62|date=31 December 1967}}</ref> In his single review for ''[[Melody Maker]]'', Nick Jones wrote: "Superficially it's a very 'ordinary' Beatles record without cascading sitars, and the involved, weaving hallucinogenic sounds that we've grown to love so much. However, all the Beatles soul and feeling is shining through&nbsp;..."<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Jones|first=Nick|title=Still the Beatles Old Soul and Feeling|date=18 November 1967|magazine=[[Melody Maker]]|page=10}} Available at [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/new-singles-including-the-beatles-pink-floyd-and-buffalo-springfield Rock's Backpages] (subscription required).</ref> Derek Johnson of the ''[[NME]]'' welcomed the simplicity of "Hello, Goodbye", describing it as "Supremely commercial, and the answer to those who feel The Beatles are going too way out".<ref>{{cite book|editor=Sutherland, Steve|title=[[NME|NME Originals]]: Lennon|year=2003|publisher=IPC Ignite!|location=London|page=50}}</ref> ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]''{{'}}s reviewer said that the song's closing section was "brilliant" and wrote: "Minimum of words, minimum of melody and practically no subject at all, yet the Beatles have a new side that packs a panchromatic rainbow of sound into the narrow limits that Lennon & McCartney have chosen to work with …"<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Cash Box Record Reviews|magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]|date=25 November 1967|page=30}}</ref>

In his book ''[[Revolution in the Head]]'', Ian MacDonald views the track as "blandly catchy" and comments that its long stay at number 1 in Britain "says more about the sudden decline of the singles chart than the quality of the song itself".{{sfn|MacDonald|1998|pp=238, 239}} [[Rob Sheffield]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' considers that, at this stage in their career, "the Beatles didn't need to push – they could have hit #1 with a tape of themselves blowing their noses", which, he suggests, "would have been catchier" than both "Hello, Goodbye" and the band's next single, "[[Lady Madonna]]".{{sfn|Brackett|Hoard|2004|p=53}} Writing for [[Rough Guides]], Chris Ingham describes "Hello, Goodbye" as a "harmless, facile word and chord-play that kept the far more challenging 'Walrus' from being the A-side of the [Beatles'] first post-Epstein single".{{sfn|Ingham|2006|p=48}} In the opinion of cultural commentator [[Steven D. Stark]], the song has "the catchiest of tunes" but "insipid" lyrics, which, had the Beatles' two principal songwriters been collaborating in the manner of previous years, Lennon would have insisted that McCartney rework.{{sfn|Stark|2005|pp=219–20}} [[Peter Doggett]] labels it "commercial but rather inconsequential&nbsp;... three minutes of contradictions and meaningless juxtapositions, with a tune that was impossible to forget".{{sfn|Doggett|Humphries|2010|p=127}}

In a 2005 review of the ''Magical Mystery Tour'' album, Sputnikmusic lauded the song for "encapsulating everything that made the Beatles such a great pop band", and praised its piano line, Starr's drumming, and the coda.<ref name=sputnik>{{cite web|last1=Med57|title=The Beatles ''Magical Mystery Tour''|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/2108/The-Beatles-Magical-Mystery-Tour/|date=14 April 2005|publisher=Sputnikmusic|access-date=22 June 2015}}</ref> Writing for [[AllMusic]], Richie Unterberger names "Hello, Goodbye" as one of the "huge, glorious, and innovative singles" on ''Magical Mystery Tour'',<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web|last1=Unterberger|first1=Richie|title=The Beatles ''Magical Mystery Tour''|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/magical-mystery-tour-mw0000651227|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=22 June 2015}}</ref> while ''Billboard''{{'}}s Chris Payne rates the track among the band's "most perfect pop songs".<ref name="cure hello goodbye billboard">{{cite web|last1=Payne|first1=Chris|title=Watch The Cure Cover 'Hello, Goodbye' for Star-Studded Paul McCartney Tribute Album|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6244094/cure-cover-beatles-hello-goodbye-video-robert-smith-paul-james-mccartney|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|billboard.com]]|access-date=22 June 2015}}</ref> Scott Plagenhoef of ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' cites it as an example of how McCartney "excelled at selling simplistic lyrics that risk seeming cloying", although he adds: "the kaleidoscopic, carnival-ride melody and interplay between lead and backing vocals ensure it's a much better record than it is a song."<ref name=pitchfork>{{cite web|last1=Plagenhoef|first1=Scott|title=The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13436-magical-mystery-tour/|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=9 September 2009|access-date=22 June 2015}}</ref>

In the ''NME''{{'}}s 2015 list of the "100 Greatest Beatles Songs" as selected by other musicians, "Hello, Goodbye" was chosen by [[the Cure]] and ranked 91st.<ref name="nme 100">{{cite web|title=100 Greatest Beatles Songs As Chosen By Music's A-Listers: 100–51|url=https://www.nme.com/photos/100-greatest-beatles-songs-as-chosen-by-music-s-a-listers-100-51-1418774|date=17 March 2015|publisher=[[NME|nme.com]]|access-date=22 June 2015}}</ref> ''[[Townsquare Media|Ultimate Classic Rock]]'' website places the track at number 45 on its list of the "Top 50 Beatles Songs",<ref name="ucr top 50">{{cite web|last1=Gallucci|first1=Michael|title=Top 50 Beatles Songs 50–31|url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/beatles-top-50/|website=[[Ultimate Classic Rock]]|date=7 February 2014 |access-date=22 June 2015}}</ref> while ''Rolling Stone'' ranks it last on the magazine's "100 Greatest Beatles Songs" list, with the editor remarking: "McCartney never claimed that the irresistibly bouncy 'Hello, Goodbye' was his most profound songwriting moment."<ref name="RS 100 Greatest">{{cite web|title=100 Greatest Beatles Songs: 100 – 'Hello, Goodbye'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-beatles-songs-20110919/hello-goodbye-19691231|publisher=[[Rolling Stone|rollingstone.com]]|date=19 September 2011|access-date=25 June 2015}}</ref> In 2006, the track appeared at number 36 in a similar list compiled by ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', accompanied by commentary from [[Alan McGee]], who described it as "the greatest-ever pop song, bar none".<ref name="MojoList">{{cite news|last=Alexander|first=Phil|title=The 101 Greatest Beatles Songs|work=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]|date=July 2006|page=83|display-authors=etal}}</ref> "Hello, Goodbye" is ranked 76th by Stephen Spignesi and Michael Lewis in their book ''100 Best Beatles Songs'', where the authors call it a "classic" and a "fine, fresh, fun piece of pop".{{sfn|Spignesi|Lewis|2009|p=234}}