The Beatles Help

The Beatles: Albums Ranked from Worst to Best

Miraculously, two of the most talented vocalists and songwriters in the history of popular music ended up in the same band. John Lennon and Paul McCartney met in 1957 when McCartney joined Lennon’s skiffle band The Quarrymen. They enlisted lead guitarist George Harrison, who emerged as a fine songwriter in his own right.

After recruiting drummer Ringo Starr in 1962, the Beatles quickly became the biggest band in the world. They were constantly at the forefront of rock music, which changed markedly during the 1960s. They helped pioneer psychedelia, folk rock, and studio experimentation like tape loops, maintaining mass popularity while innovating. Their harmonies were terrific, and McCartney is among rock’s best bass players. Their preeminence as the world’s best band was only challenged when they ran out of steam at the decade’s end.

Here’s my ranking of The Beatles’ albums. In my opinion, they peaked in the mid-1960s. One acclaimed Beatles album from later in the decade is languishing in the bottom half of the list.

#12 Let It Be

The Beatles Let It Be

1970
By 1969, the Beatles were running out of steam. Let It Be was an attempt to get back to basics, recording as a band after the collection of solo pieces on The White Album. But the group was fragmenting—Harrison and Lennon had already dabbled in solo careers. The album was shelved, and the band released Abbey Road instead. Phil Spector was brought in to refine the results. His grandiose string arrangements contradict the band’s back-to-basics philosophy.

Let It Be has some gems, but it’s weak for a Beatles album. If ‘Dig a Pony’ and ‘For You Blue’ are any indication, Lennon and Harrison held their best material back for solo projects. Meanwhile, McCartney tries hard with ‘Get Back’ and the title track, although his tuneful ballad ‘The Long and Winding Road’ is buried under syrupy strings. An unsatisfied Paul McCartney later reworked the album as Let It Be… Naked.


#11 With the Beatles

The Beatles With The Beatles

1963
In 1963, singles were the dominant format and albums were an afterthought. The Beatles were talented enough that their second album is enjoyable, but it’s weaker than their debut.

McCartney’s ‘All My Loving’ is a step forward, their most sophisticated song yet. And there are some terrific covers. Lennon’s sardonic voice perfectly suits ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’, while Harrison’s lead vocal is effective on ‘Roll Over Beethoven’. But overall, With the Beatles feels like a lesser and less joyous version of Please Please Me.


#10 Beatles for Sale

The Beatles Beatles for Sale

1964
The Beatles’ fourth album was rushed. After writing the entirety of A Hard Day’s Night, the band resorted to covers to fill out Beatles for Sale. The covers don’t add much to the band’s legacy. In particular, the cover of ‘Mr Moonlight’ is one of the weakest moments in The Beatles’ catalogue.

However, influenced by Bob Dylan, the Beatles expanded their stylistic range in their original songs. “I’m a Loser” helped launch the folk-rock boom of the mid-1960s, and Lennon’s “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party” explores country music. Even a weaker Beatles album boasts beloved tracks like ‘I’ll Follow the Sun’ and ‘Eight Days a Week.’


#9 Please Please Me

The Beatles Please Please Me

1963
The Beatles’ debut LP remains an impressive achievement. Ten of its fourteen songs were recorded in a single session on 11 February 1963 and cost £400. Lennon suffered from a bad cold, but his sore throat only added to the album. The day’s recording finished at 10 pm with a throat-shredding cover of The Isley Brothers’ ‘Twist and Shout’.

Although Lennon and McCartney were still developing as songwriters, there are strong originals like ‘Love Me Do’ and ‘I Saw Her Standing There’. Meanwhile, I’ve always been partial to Ringo’s charming take on the Shirelles’ ‘Boys’.


#8 A Hard Day’s Night

The Beatles A Hard Day's Night

1964
A Hard Day’s Night was the soundtrack to the first Beatles movie. It was also the first Beatles album with all the songs written by The Beatles, all coming from the Lennon-McCartney partnership.

It opens with perhaps the famous chord in rock and roll. There’s been much analysis of the opening salvo from Harrison’s 12-string guitar. They’re starting to feel limited by the four-piece band format, and the more diverse material stands out. ‘If I Fell’ is a pretty Lennon song, while McCartney explores acoustic textures with the gentle ‘And I Love Her’ and ‘Things We Said Today’.


#7 Abbey Road

The Beatles Abbey Road

1969
Abbey Road often sits atop Beatles album rankings. After the disappointing sessions for Let It Be, it was a final show of unity from the group, reunited with producer George Martin. Abbey Road benefits from advances in recording technology during the late 1960s, sounding tougher than before.

The suite of songs on the second side is among the Beatles’ best work. And Abbey Road features two superlative George Harrison songs, ‘Here Comes the Sun’ and ‘Something’. But the first side is inconsistent, with throwaways like ‘Oh! Darling’, ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’, and ‘Octopus’s Garden’. The Beatles aren’t tough sounding enough to do justice to Lennon’s experimental ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’.


#6 Help!

The Beatles Help

1965
The movie Help! was less celebrated than its predecessor. But the album Help! was their best yet. It features a generous handful of the group’s best-loved songs, including ‘Yesterday’, ‘Ticket To Ride’, ‘You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away’, and the title track.

The band’s innovation was increasing. Half of these songs feature instruments the Beatles had never before utilised, including electric piano, flutes, a volume/tone pedal, and strings.


#5 The Beatles (The White Album)

The Beatles White Album

1968
Many of the songs for The Beatles were written while the band studied Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Rishikesh, India, in early 1968. Harrison reengaged with the guitar after writing on sitar for the previous two years, and he deserved more than his usual song per LP side here.

The band were pulling in different directions. Only 16 of the album’s 30 tracks feature all four members playing together. Like most double albums, The Beatles arguably needs a trim – Lennon’s experimental ‘Revolution #9’ is a polarising track. But it boasts more good songs than any other Beatles record, with highlights like McCartney’s intense ‘Helter Skelter’, Harrison’s moody ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’, and Lennon’s cryptic ‘Glass Onion’. Even Ringo’s songwriting debut, ‘Don’t Pass Me By’, is enjoyable.


#4 Rubber Soul

The Beatles Rubber Soul

1965
The Beatles’ early albums were recorded quickly, in spare moments between tours. The Beatles dedicated a month to recording Rubber Soul, reflecting their growing sophistication. The lyrics are also more nuanced and sophisticated, influenced by contemporary songwriters like Bob Dylan and Gene Clark.

Rubber Soul is the first Beatles album where every song feels significant. McCartney provides the propulsive opener ‘Drive My Car’ and ‘I’m Looking Through You’. ‘If You Needed Someone’ is an excellent Harrison contribution, while Lennon’s efforts include the ambiguous ‘Norwegian Wood’ and the beautiful ‘In My Life’.


#3 Magical Mystery Tour

The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour

1967
The Magical Mystery Tour album was originally a US release. It combined the Magical Mystery Tour soundtrack, released as an EP in the UK, with the band’s 1967 non-album singles. Originally a compilation, it’s been accepted into their catalogue as an album.

There are a couple of inessential songs on the soundtrack. But my three favourite Fab Four tracks all come from Magical Mystery Tour. ‘I Am the Walrus’ is Lennon’s peak. ‘Penny Lane’ and ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ were originally released together as a non-album single but would have been the best songs on Sgt. Peppers.


#2 Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

1967
Sgt. Peppers was the first rock album to win a Grammy and its initial CD issue in 1987 was a celebrated event. The band had retired from touring and plotted a grand concept album. The album’s reputation was cemented by its rich cover, with The Beatles surrounded by celebrity heroes.

But it’s the strength of the songs that allows Sgt. Pepper’s to stand proud. ‘She’s Leaving Home’ and ‘A Day in the Life’ are among The Beatles’ most ambitious pieces. Meanwhile, it’s also notable for charming, tuneful songs like ‘Lovely Rita’ and ‘Getting Better’.


#1 Revolver

The Beatles Revolver

1966
The Beatles dived even further into the studio on their seventh album. They embraced psychedelia and experimentation, most notably on the terrific tracks that close each side, ‘She Said She Said’ and ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’.

Lennon supplies the most avant-garde moments, but he’s perfectly balanced by McCartney’s tunefulness on ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and ‘Here, There, and Everywhere’. It’s also one of Harrison’s finest Beatles albums, especially the opening ‘Taxman’. In a catalogue of classics, it’s the gem in The Beatles’ crown.

What’s your favourite Beatles album?

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19 Comments

  1. I actually have several favorites: “White Album,” Help (UK version), Rubber Soul (US version), and Beatles VI (US only). I realize the US Capitol albums aren’t exactly legitimate, but they were all we could get back then.

    • I haven’t got my head around the US releases. I like how ‘Yes It Is’ got onto Beatles VI – it’s a pretty undervalued Beatles song.

      • Yes, it is. 😆 I love the 3-part harmony, and that sad, Lennon-esque arrangement. I would add that those mid-period Beatles songs are undervalued in favor of the later albums. The vocal harmonies were representative of group harmony that became increasingly fractured.

        • I only had Rubber Soul onwards on CD or LP, and only checked out the earlier records in the digital era. I was surprised how good records like Help and Please Please Me are.

  2. I would say if “Let It Be” is the worst you’ve done, you’ve done pretty well!

    Other than “Sgt. Pepper” remaining my no. 1, I have a hard time ranking Beatles albums. In no particular order, I would also put “Abbey Road”, “The White Album”, “Magical Mystery Tour” and “Revolver” in my top five.

    I also have to say watching Peter Jackson’s “Get Back” documentary has given me new appreciation of the “Let It Be” album. I almost would have included it in my above top 5. I guess it would be in my top 6! 🙂

    • You’re not the only person who’s written in defense of Let It Be. Part of my Beatles worldview comes from reading Iain McDonald’s Revolution in the Head, before I even heard all of the albums. He was a firm subscriber that The Beatles peaked in 1966 and 1967.

  3. I think the Beatles album I return to the most is the White Album, because there’s always something interesting to discover even after multiple listens (and even if some of the songs are, frankly, rubbish). I’ve never quite gotten the hype around ‘Sgt Peppers’ – I’d rank it somewhere in the middle – and would agree with Revolver at number one.

    • The White Album’s certainly not a double album that would be better as a single – there’s way too much good material. There’s a bit of Paul stuff I’d cut like Road? and Wild Honey Pie, while I don’t want to hear Revolution 9 every time.

  4. I can’t agree with Let It Be being The Beatles worst album. It’s an interesting placing. Like Christian I have a hard time ranking their albums. I return to Abbey Road, Revolver and The White Album the most.

    • I was kind of surprised by the love for Let It Be. I remember buying it on CD and feeling deflated by it. It is a little relative, I wonder if I hold it to higher standards than their early albums.

      • Let It Be was the first Beatles album I bought with my own money as a kid. There is probably a sentiment reason for my appreciation of it. The documentary series Get Back did a lot to make me appreciate it more.

  5. Ugh, sorry about the fat-finger almost comment below!! I’m glad to see “Magical Mystery Tour” placed so highly on your roster, I’m deeply fond of that one too. I feel MUCH kinder about “Let It Be” in its “Naked” version, so would have put it higher than you based on hearing that dramatically improved version. But the Beatles album I listen to the most these days doesn’t appear on your list . . . the first one of theirs I heard and loved to pieces was the US-only “Beatles VI,” and I still love that one dearly. It’s a kluge of material between “Beatles for Sale” and “Help!”, but I think it was so deeply imprinted on me in childhood that it still stands as the quintessential Beatles release for me on some deep plane!

    • You’re the second person to mention Beatles VI. I love how it has Yes It Is on it, close to a top-ten Beatles song for me.

  6. After my third annual viewing of Get Back I’ve grown to appreciate Let It Be a lot more and I’d still take it over a lot of their earlier stuff as the highs on that album are so much stronger. I think, rather than holding material back, Harrison’s songs were getting rejected too much (a lot of those on All Things… had been shot down by Paul or John back to the White album).
    It – and my son’s enjoyment and getting into it as well – has prompted us to go on a deeper dive of their music than I have done in years but Revolver is still my favourite. My (original) Magical Mystery Tour doesn’t have Strawberry Fields or Penny Lane so now feel cheated but as it was the song that played as ‘exit’ music at my wedding, I’m never going to not love it.

    • I’ve never seen Get Back or heard Let It Be Naked, but I don’t know if that would help. I also think a lot of the late-period non-album stuff like ‘Ballad of John and Yoko’ and ‘Old Brown Shoe’ isn’t up to Beatles usual standards. It’s a shame they didn’t embrace Harrison more, he might have really bolstered those late albums if he was allowed?

      So Magical Mystery Tour was your wedding song? That’s a fun choice. We had Van Morrison’s Bright Side of the Road.

  7. It’s a great list. I’m comparing my count down…of course you know my favorite is The White Album so that messes with the order of our lists. I’m beginning to warm up more to Let It Be and I did like Let It Be Naked more. I think Get Back helped that.
    I know you wouldn’t count it…but the first Beatles album I listened to was Meet The Beatles which is far superior to With The Beatles. It’s the one album that Capitol got right. I’m glad you had Help! in the middle anyway…I think it’s a great album and the perfect bridge to their middle period.

    • It’s interesting to hear people writing about the US versions – it obviously would have been tricky to include them in the countdown. It looks like the big 1965 and 1966 singles, ‘We Can Work It Out’ and ‘Paperback Writer’, plus b-sides, never made it onto a US album. Could have been something there.

      Help! seems overlooked. Still a couple of covers, and not much studio trickery, but a lot of great songs.

      • I didn’t include them either…it’s way too much if you do. If you get a chance check out Meet The Beatles and compare it to With The Beatles. For once and the only time…Capitol got it right.
        I agree with Help!

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