From 1963 to 1970, The Beatles, regarded as one of the greatest bands of all time, released 13 albums. In this article, I’ll review each Beatles album and how well they are written, performed, and produced. This list will be partly based on my opinion, but also on their popularity, creativity, and the effect they had on music.
- Yellow Submarine (1969)
For me, outside of the title track, this album just isn’t my favorite. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s bad; it only means it’s the “least best” in my mind. Half of the album is more orchestral, which to me just doesn’t fit The Beatles at all.
- With The Beatles (1963)
The second album they ever released, With The Beatles, is a pretty repetitive album with a few good songs on it, such as “I Wanna Be Your Man” and “Till There Was You”. This album marked the beginning of the band’s popularity in the United States, commonly known as Beatlemania. Overall, it’s a solid album, but it’s just too similar for me.
- Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
This album is at the peak of The Beatles’ experimentalism, as can be seen on the cover, where they all dress up as animals. This experimental approach to Psychedelic Rock could be taken either way; the album has some great songs, including the title track, “Strawberry Fields Forever”, and “I Am The Walrus”, but some of the songs just come off as odd.
- Please Please Me (1963)
The Beatles’ debut record, Please Please Me, established what began 7 years of great music being created. The album has some great songs, such as “P.S. I Love You” and “Twist and Shout”, but it doesn’t quite hold up to some of the albums higher on my list.
- Beatles for Sale (1964)
Beatles For Sale was the 4th album The Beatles had recorded in 64’. This album featured a lot of covers from American singers such as Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly. Despite all of the covers, the album didn’t do as well as they expected in the United States.
- A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
The first album to feature only self-written songs and no covers, A Hard Day’s Night represents the band adjusting to global popularity. The title track is my personal favorite off the album. Still seen as innocent and charming, the band filled this album with mostly a pop, feel-good sound.
- Help! (1965)
Help! shows the improving lyricism of the band. This album definitely has some of their biggest hits, like the title track and “Yesterday.” This album established a respect for The Beatles amongst educated music critics and became the first rock album to be nominated for Album of the Year
- Let It Be (1970)
The final album, Let It Be, somewhat represents the chaos that led to the end of The Beatles. It has some excellent songs, such as the title track, “Get Back”, and “The Long and Winding Road”. It’s commonly associated with the “Rooftop Concert”, a now-legendary act. However, by this point, the creative differences between the members had grown too big to fix, and the band was already a thing of the past.
- Rubber Soul (1965)
The band’s first step into psychedelic rock, Rubber Soul, opened a new chapter for The Beatles. They entered a new form of songwriting, creating classics like “Norwegian Wood” and “Drive My Car”. They began using a wider array of instrumentalism in their songs. This album was the stepping point that the band took to leave a legacy on rock forever.
- The White Album (1968)
My personal favorite Beatles album, The White Album (technically called The Beatles), represents the beginning of the end. All four members wrote songs, and a lot of the work was done independently. This album created some classics as well, such as “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, “Dear Prudence”, “Helter Skelter”, and “Happiness Is A Warm Gun”. A wide spectrum of genre and style, this album is one of their best.
- Abbey Road (1969)
George Harrison took the reins for this album, writing songs like “Something” and “Here Comes The Sun”. Despite the rising discontent within the band, which at this point had become too much for the band to remain, Abbey Road showed that the members could put aside their differences, come together (no pun intended), and create a phenomenal product.
- Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Pop and Psychedelia mixed in this conceptual album for The Beatles. They changed music forever with this album, as it was one of the first art rock albums produced. The thought of what could and couldn’t be recorded in a studio changed with this album; it affected the rock genre completely.
- Revolver (1966)
The peak of The Beatles’ psychedelia and experimentalism, Revolver represents the band’s change in personality. New recording styles, in addition to experimentation and interest in Eastern philosophy, showed in this album. Songs like “Tomorrow Never Knows” show the true psychological element of this album. Revolver showed that music goes beyond what’s written down on a page. It changed music forever.
The Beatles changed the trajectory of what music can be and what can be produced. Thanks to them, musicians are given so much more creative freedom to create what music they want, while listeners are also allowed to listen to what they want. The Beatles have changed music forever.
