A lot of great music comes out every year. But I think most people are partial to the music that they listened to growing up. And for me that was The Beatles. I was still playing with Legos when I got my first Beatles album. They are still the group I listen to more than any other. Well, maybe I hear more of The Wiggles, but that’s to be expected with two young kids. My son heard “Octopus’s Garden” and wanted to know if it was The Wiggles. I think he’s ready to make the transition.
Many people have a Beatles album in their collection. But I think everyone should have more than that, so I decided to share my thoughts on their top 10 albums.
10. “Hey Jude”: Many fans will argue that this is not really a Beatles album but just a group of songs slapped together by others. And they’re right. But it’s impossible not to make a place on this list for the record with all of these great songs. The album is perhaps most notable for the inclusion of The Ballad of John and Yoko, the last real Lennon-McCartney song.
Other standout tracks: Rain, Lady Madonna, Hey Jude, Revolution, Old Brown Shoe
9. “Magical Mystery Tour”: This one ranks near the bottom only because it has songs tacked on that the band already released, even before their previous album, as singles. But when dealing with a group as prolific as The Beatles, that’s grounds for demerits. But the music is fantastic. If it’s possible, this is both more psychedelic and more pop oriented than “Sgt. Pepper”.
Standout tracks: Fool on the Hill, I am the Walrus, Strawberry Fields Forever, All You Need is Love
8. “A Hard Day’s Night”: This may not have as many hits as other Beatle albums, but that they were able to come up with such upbeat songs during the height of Beatlemania, touring and making their first movie is nothing short of remarkable. The title track and Can’t Buy Me Love are perhaps the two best songs from the three-minute pop song era.
Other standout tracks: I Should Have Known Better, If I Fell, And I Love Her, You Can’t Do That
7. “Let it Be”: Many fans don’t like this album, but it features some of Paul McCartney’s best work. In addition to the title track, McCartney chimed in with Get Back, Long and Winding Road, and the underrated Two of Us. And the 2003 updated version of the album gets rid of the Phil Spector overdubs and includes John Lennon’s terrific Don’t Let Me Down/
Other standout tracks: Across the Universe, For You Blue, I’ve Got a Feeling
6. “Help!”: A stronger set of songs than on “A Hard Day’s Night” this album contains some of Lennon’s best early work. Along with the title track, Lennon added You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away and Ticket to Ride. McCartney contributed his famous ballad Yesterday.
Other standout tracks: I’ve Just Seen a Face, You’re Gonna Lose That Girl, It’s Only Love, Dizzy Miss Lizzie
5. “Rubber Soul”: If asked to name 20 Beatles songs, one might not pick any from this album. But Nowhere Man and Michelle are easily-identified Beatles tunes and the rest of the album has strong songs throughout. Continuing the theme from “Help!” these are songs that move away from traditional boy-girl themes. Norwegian Wood must have caused quite a stir at the time with lyrics that talked about burning someone’s furniture after a night spent sleeping in the tub.
Other standout tracks: Drive My Car, The Word, In My Life
4. “The Beatles” (White Album): Talk about a win-win situation – if this was a single LP rather than a double album, it would probably be at the top of the list. But I am certainly not going to complain about the inclusion of extra material, especially when it’s this good. Most of the songs were written in the time during and just after that The Beatles were in India studying meditation, which probably explains how Lennon was able to make his wide-ranging, non-psychedelic contribution.
Standout tracks: Back in the U.S.S.R., Dear Prudence, Glass Onion, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Why Don’t We Do It in the Road, Birthday, Yer Blues, Sexy Sadie, Helter Skelter
3. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”: Many rank this as The Beatles’ best album and it’s difficult to argue against that position. It’s hard to beat the combination of master pop musicians, marijuana and LSD, Indian music and nostalgia. But I believe that once you strip away the ground-breaking album art, the tremendous production of each track and just the overall hype of the record, then the songs on the other two albums are just a hair better. It may be the most important album in rock history; it’s just not the best by The Beatles.
Standout tracks: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, With a Little Help From My Friends, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Getting Better, Lovely Rita, A Day in the Life
2. “Revolver”: The album that laid the groundwork for “Sgt. Pepper”, Revolver was a triumph on so many different levels. The first album released by The Beatles after they retired from touring, it brought sophisticated recording techniques to the masses. Experimentation is the theme of the record and drug references are everywhere. Even the seemingly innocuous Got to Get You into My Life was about tripping. But the beauty of the record is in its inclusiveness. Yes, it’s a drug record, but you don’t have to be eight miles high to appreciate Taxman or Good Day Sunshine. The album is great pop music, with thoughtful lyrics on non-traditional subjects.
Other standout tracks: Eleanor Rigby, Here, There and Everywhere, And Your Bird Can Sing, Doctor Robert, Tomorrow Never Knows
1. “Abbey Road”: When deciding which album to rank first, I used a simple criterion: which Beatles album do I listen to the most? And this is it. After years of pushing the boundaries of what could be done on record, The Beatles decided here just to make an album. Of course it included new wrinkles, including the blend of songs on side two in which one track flows into the next, but it’s notable for its first-rate tunes. George Harrison makes the record, as he steps up with his finest songs for the group, giving the album three successful voices.
Standout tracks: Come Together, Something, Oh! Darling, Here Comes the Sun, Because, You Never Give Me Your Money, Polythene Pam, She Came in Through the Bathroom Window, Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight
If you’re a rock fan, any of these albums would be a fine addition to your collection.
