Can there be anything new to say about The Beatles? They’re one of the greatest bands of all time, if not the greatest then at least in the top three. Opinions are subjective and different people like different things, but it’s hard to argue with the overwhelming consensus. With that in mind, let’s rank some albums!
Where did we come up with the rankings? From intense research online and some personal preference. The list might be contentious if you’re one of those “early Beatles are the best Beatles” people, and that’s fine. I’m not sure if you can make an argument that Beatles for Sale is a better album than Revolver, but everyone is allowed to have an opinion on anything.
‘Yellow Submarine’ – 1969
This repurposed album is best known for one song and an animated movie that the band didn’t even provide the voices for. It looks really cool and psychedelic but it only had two songs that were previously unreleased and one side of instrumental music. Look, no Beatles album is bad but this one is pretty sparse in terms of bangers and pretty heavy with filler. Good for what it is though.
‘Beatles for Sale’ – 1964
This album came out when bands were expected to have a new album out every few months. In fact, Beatles For Sale was their fourth album in just over a year. Couple that with an impressive worldwide touring schedule and it’s incredible the Liverpool lads were able to get anything done at all. The album was also never officially released in the U.S., but all the songs made their way stateside one way or another.
‘Help!’ – 1965
Help! is like Yellow Submarine in the sense that it was a movie album, but it also showed some real musical growth. George Harrison started writing more for the band and landed two songs on this album, foreshadowing what was to come with his work. Also like Yellow Submarine, the U.S. version had a side of instrumentals. No matter, it cruised to the top of the charts and stayed there for two months.
‘Magical Mystery Tour’ – 1967
One of the more underrated Beatles albums, and more unconventional. The title track had a loop that played at two different speeds, and the song Your Mother Would Know was an impossibly catchy tribute to the music of yore. It had some filler but it also had a lot of heart. Certainly not the best Beatles album but not by any means a bad one.
‘Please Please Me’ – 1963
The album that got the whole thing started. It was an absolute monster album in the U.K. and the title track was the band’s first number one before the album even came out. This was never officially released in the U.S., but all of the songs were featured on other albums in the sSates. Even more remarkable: it was recorded all in one 13-hour session. The way John Lennon sings “Twist and Shout” will never not be revelatory.
‘With the Beatles’ – 1963
If Please Please Me exploded the band in Europe, With The Beatles was an introduction to the rest of the world. It has songs we can all hear along with the screaming of hundreds of teenage girls, like “All My Loving” and the incredible cover of “Please Mister Postman.” It’s hard to quantify just how popular this album turned out to be. It’s an early Beatles masterpiece.
‘Let It Be’ – 1970
This was a different Beatles than the ones that wore matching skinny suits on the Ed Sullivan show. This more mature, fractious group was trying hard to stay together, but it wasn’t meant to be. It featured the band’s last live concert, with the addition of “fifth” Beatle Billy Preston on the keys. It was recorded before Abbey Road, but production delays meant that it would be the band’s final album. It’s raw, powerful and a bit melancholy.
‘A Hard Day’s Night’ – 1964
More classic Beatles material here. This was where John Lennon and Paul McCartney decided they were done playing other people’s songs and wrote the whole album on their own, something pretty remarkable at the time. It’s 30 minutes of pure joy.
‘Rubber Soul’ – 1965
The prescient Rubber Soul is another one of those albums that doesn’t quite get the recognition it deserves. It lurched popular music forward with its unconventional instrumentation and pushed the Beatles aesthetic forward. “Drive my Car” is a satirical take on materialism and fame and “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” deftly describes an affair in 12/8 time. “Michelle” has one of the most beautiful melodies from a discography that’s packed with them, and “In My Life” is a sobering meditation on the limits of existence and nostalgia.
‘Abbey Road’ – 1969
We’re getting into the masterpiece-only section of albums. There’s not much wrong with this album. What are arguably George Harrison’s best two songs appeared on this one: “Something” and “Here Comes the Sun.” “Come Together” is a driving locomotive like no other, and the album’s second side is a medley of sunshine, gold, and magic. Truly one of the greatest records of all time.
‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ – 1967
It can be hard to tell if Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is popular because of what it means to the ’60s or because it’s just that good, and the answer is both. Melodic, psychedelic, indelible, and beautiful, it displays a band at the forefront of its creative existence.
‘The White Album’ – 1968
With ideas coming from every direction, the creative heights reached on this album may never be replicated. Everything about this raw, powerful piece of art screams with creative energy. Even listening now, it sounds ponderous and current. It had all kinds of different genres and styles packed into it and featured a healthy 30-song tracklist.
‘Revolver’ – 1966
This was the follow-up to the groundbreaking Rubber Soul, and it took that direction and hit the warp speed button. The band was done touring and decided they were going to be a studio band now. They spent three whole months in the studio perfecting Revolver and it shows with every note. Not just the best Beatles album, it’s one of the best albums by any artist ever.
