Beatles Official Albums Ranked Best To Not So Best
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2022 1:09 am
I am frequently intrigued, and a bit head-scratchy, when I see Sgt. Pepper at the top of many lists of the Beatles' best work. I'd argue that it is not their best effort. Not even in the top three. I'm interested to know how people rank the Beatles albums. What are the automatic go-to's? What are the ones least loved?
At the top of my list is Revolver, with Rubber Soul a close second. Both of these albums show a tremendous amount of growth as songwriters. And they push the envelope in terms of stretching the boundaries of popular music.
Third is Abbey Road. A top-notch effort. Culling material from the Get Back sessions, along with newer compositions. This shows The Beatles were excellent craftsmen and still fully capable of honing their material into a wondrous work of art. George Harrison really comes into his own as a songwriter equal to Lennon & McCartney.
And that blockbuster, game-changer of game-changers, Sgt. Pepper, is fourth on my list. It certainly showcases the Beatles' ability to utilize all the tools available to them in the studio. And it is undoubtedy innovative; it's a great album. But my first three, IMO, are greater.
After Pepper, the fifth is Help! followed by A Hard Day's Night at sixth. Both are full of cheer and exuberance. AHDN showcasing the pre-pot Beatles. And Help! the post-pot Beatles.
Seventh is With The Beatles. Still one of my favorites in that, to me it captures the excitement of late '63 and early '64 as I can only imagine since I hadn't been born yet.
And the rest....
The Beatles - An awesome work by the individual Beatles with their bandmates as the backing band for each of their tracks. Very little collaboration evident on this record. Interestingly, one of my least favorite tunes on this album, Back In The USSR, has grown on me. However, I like the track a lot more when played at the original recording speed.
Magical Mystery Tour - A tantalizing piece of late-'67 psychedelia. Not really an album except in the USA. More like a movie soundtrack combined with a handful of singles.
Please Please Me - Full of potential (and covers). But not quite capturing the excitement the Beatles had to offer.
Yellow Submarine - Mostly a crap album. Except for Hey Bulldog, Only A Northern Song, and It's All Too Much. I don't count Yellow Submarine or All You Need Is Love as they had been previously released. And a whole side of musical score. That's what was all too much!
Beatles For Sale - Sophomoric. Mediocre. Yeah, The Beatles in their mediocrity still outshone most other groups. But there's very little on this album which is groundbreaking. Eight Days A Week fades in. What You're Doing rocks. However the covers seem to upstage the originals here.
And last, but not least, Let It Be. To me, this is a downer of an album. A let down on so many levels. The songwriting is still stellar, as compared to many of their contemporaries. But the overall mood is sad, gloomy, and bereft of happy energy.
Thoughts? Criticisms (dare I ask?) Comparisons. Which is the best? Which is the not so best?
At the top of my list is Revolver, with Rubber Soul a close second. Both of these albums show a tremendous amount of growth as songwriters. And they push the envelope in terms of stretching the boundaries of popular music.
Third is Abbey Road. A top-notch effort. Culling material from the Get Back sessions, along with newer compositions. This shows The Beatles were excellent craftsmen and still fully capable of honing their material into a wondrous work of art. George Harrison really comes into his own as a songwriter equal to Lennon & McCartney.
And that blockbuster, game-changer of game-changers, Sgt. Pepper, is fourth on my list. It certainly showcases the Beatles' ability to utilize all the tools available to them in the studio. And it is undoubtedy innovative; it's a great album. But my first three, IMO, are greater.
After Pepper, the fifth is Help! followed by A Hard Day's Night at sixth. Both are full of cheer and exuberance. AHDN showcasing the pre-pot Beatles. And Help! the post-pot Beatles.
Seventh is With The Beatles. Still one of my favorites in that, to me it captures the excitement of late '63 and early '64 as I can only imagine since I hadn't been born yet.
And the rest....
The Beatles - An awesome work by the individual Beatles with their bandmates as the backing band for each of their tracks. Very little collaboration evident on this record. Interestingly, one of my least favorite tunes on this album, Back In The USSR, has grown on me. However, I like the track a lot more when played at the original recording speed.
Magical Mystery Tour - A tantalizing piece of late-'67 psychedelia. Not really an album except in the USA. More like a movie soundtrack combined with a handful of singles.
Please Please Me - Full of potential (and covers). But not quite capturing the excitement the Beatles had to offer.
Yellow Submarine - Mostly a crap album. Except for Hey Bulldog, Only A Northern Song, and It's All Too Much. I don't count Yellow Submarine or All You Need Is Love as they had been previously released. And a whole side of musical score. That's what was all too much!
Beatles For Sale - Sophomoric. Mediocre. Yeah, The Beatles in their mediocrity still outshone most other groups. But there's very little on this album which is groundbreaking. Eight Days A Week fades in. What You're Doing rocks. However the covers seem to upstage the originals here.
And last, but not least, Let It Be. To me, this is a downer of an album. A let down on so many levels. The songwriting is still stellar, as compared to many of their contemporaries. But the overall mood is sad, gloomy, and bereft of happy energy.
Thoughts? Criticisms (dare I ask?) Comparisons. Which is the best? Which is the not so best?