The Beatles Albums ranked - A look back at the Fab Four's revolutionary works

  The Beatles are undoubtedly the biggest band in the world. Ask anybody across any generation now and the odds are that they have at least heard of their names or any one of their songs that have been etched in history. 

  Pioneers of various genres and recording techniques that is still used to this day, as well as throughout the late 20th century, their 7 year career has more than definitely had an impact in both music and in culture. With John, Paul, George and Ringo being a key part of shifting the sociocultural system towards the youth rather than the elders.

  Liverpool's Fab Four have released 12 studio albums between 1963 to 1970. With some being etched and remembered for the past 60 years fondly in music history due to its influence and groundbreaking creativity while some are forgotten and not known to general audiences. 

  Here are my rankings for The Beatles' 12 albums:

  Side note that Yellow Submarine will not be counted, and even if it was you already know where it would be.

12. Beatles For Sale

  Coming out at the height of Beatlemania, Beatles for Sale feels like a throwaway album. A lot of cover songs that can be traced back to their days at Hamburg or the Cavern Club such as Words of Love and Rock And Roll Music which aren't too bad.

  There are some creativity shining through it, with Paul's beautiful I'll Follow The Sun that he wrote at only 17, if you know what I mean, and Eight Days A Week which was a good pop record for the time.

  I'm A Loser and Baby's In Black are also some highlights with the former being a fan favourite.

  Some fun tracks such as Kansas City and What You're Doing which makes the album an ok listen. Though, there are very weak points such as Everybody's Trying to be my Baby and Honey Don't.

  Overall, not really a bad album but compared to the rest of their discography it's easy to pick this out as their worst. The album cover and name represents it best, The Beatles looking tired and it basically seems like they are sellouts at this point of their career.

11. With The Beatles

  From here on out on this list, there are not any bad albums, only ranging from ok to excellent.

  With The Beatles is the Fab Four's sophomore album and after knocking it out of the park with Please Please Me, it was going to be a tough job to follow it up. 

  Although it was weaker than their debut it still has its hits such as All My Loving, which was the last song John Lennon heard before passing away in 1980 in hospital after getting shot.

  There was alot of 1950s harmony-inspired tracks such as You've Really Got a Hold On Me and Money (That's What I Want).

  Some slow and beautiful songs also contrast the generally upbeat vibe of the album such as Till There Was You which was inspired by a musical. 

  Please Mister Postman is a fun cover and outdoes the original while I Wanna Be Your Man was originally perceived to be a cover of The Rolling Stones song of the same title, though it would later be revealed that Lennon and McCartney gave to Mick Jagger.

  Most of the tracks are scrapped singles and it may show, with The Beatles taking a slightly safer and more mainstream friendly approach to their songs.

  Though it's not as strong as their other albums, it's still a fun album with some flaws such as Devil In Her Heart which really showed George Harrison still had a long way to go vocally.

10.  Magical Mystery Tour

  After the unreachable heights of Sgt Pepper's and the sudden death of their beloved manager Brian Epstein, John Paul George and Ringo were left with a mix of emotions and feeling somewhat lost with no management and fixed direction to head to. 

  Their solution was to make an album that just feels like a throwaway album from the Sgt. Pepper sessions. Though, there are iconic songs. The A-side features The Fool on the Hill and I Am The Walrus which were the strongest tracks and Your Mother Should Know is fun. Though songs like Blue Jay Way don't really scratch the brain's itches when it comes to listening.

  The B-side is just filled with singles they released throughout the year so it's debatable if they're considered a part of the album at all, but there are heavy hitters such as the revolutionary Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane that truly sealed the shift in artistic direction that they were heading to in their careers. All You Need is Love is a powerful song that was broadcast live on national television, being the first live tele-broadcast in history and The Beatles capitalized on it by using it to spread a message of peace and love which spear-headed the hippy era of the time.

  All in all, a good and iconic album that, much like the film that accompanies it, is quite unclear in the direction it's heading and it feels like they wanted it to go a certain way but could not really hit the nail on the head and feels more like a playlist of Beatles songs than a true album.

9. Let It Be

  Their last released album, The Beatles used it to tie their discography up neatly by reverting back to their Rock n' Roll roots.

  A documentary accompanying it, this album served as a soundtrack after it was scrapped in 1969 by the band. Labelled the 'Get Back' sessions, they got back to their original style of music that was seen earlier on with a more polished touch to go with their experience since then.

  The album has some big songs such as the iconic Let It Be, which Paul dreamt of, The Long and Winding Road and Across the Universe are acclaimed as some of their most beautiful and tear-jerking songs.

  Their rock tracks also hit with I've Got A Feeling and the waltz-worthy I Me Mine, which is frankly underrated, being some highlights.

  Though, this album has low points as Maggie Mae and Dig It don't really feel like songs, but more of just 4 men jamming out in their studio which arguably could enhance the overall rock and roll vibe of the album.

  A fun throwaway album which was the last of The Beatles, though it doesn't really feel like it but we'll "get back" to it further up later on this list.

8. Help!

  The final album of The Beatles' pop and clean era, Help! was an album which was accompanied by its very own movie, an album that contains hits as well as a blend of some songs that saw Lennon and McCartney's songwriting be taken to a more personal level in some songs.

  Whether it be the iconic title track with the famous video of all 4 Beatles sitting on a plank, or the more joyous You're Going To Lose That Girl which may sound generic in modern times, but back then it was a breath of fresh air for the world. As well as the well-known track Ticket to Ride which serves as a pre-cursor to the riff-driven music that The Beatles would delve into later in 1965 with singles such as I Feel Fine and Day Tripper.

  Help! is also a blend of some genres, with Paul McCartney's I've Just Seen a Face taking a more country and folk approach that would be a foreshadow to the overall theme of their next studio album and has since become one of their more underrated songs, but to those who have heard it, it is a personal favourite to them.

  Songs like You've Got To Hide Your Love Away displays a more personal and in-depth side to their songs and one simply cannot forget Yesterday, a song so iconic that it is factually the most covered song in all of music history. A film about The Beatles was also titled after that song and was famously described by rock legend Chuck Berry as "a song I wish I'd written". Moreover, it is the fourth highest earning song of all time as per the BBC, further cementing it's iconic and timeless epithet. 

  However, not all of the album is as beautiful and tear-jerking as Yesterday, especially when the next song obliterates the solemn and slow ending many would hope for. Dizzy Miss Lizzy is a cover that is just incredibly out of place with the album, and with The Beatles seeming to bloom as their own independent songwriters, was a cover song really necessary in this album?

7. Please Please Me

  When the world was formally introduced to The Beatles, this was the soundtrack that came along with it. The cover is a good showing of what The Beatles had brought to the dark and gloomy, black and white post-war world, with the four of them looking down warmly and gleefully ready to spread happiness and colour to the world which would be something that they would continue to do in their entire 7-year run as a band.

  A exuberant and thrilling experience to listen to, this album also gave the world what modern pop would sound like as something like this had not really been done before and thus made The Beatles all the more unique in the music scene.

  Immediately, you are brought to a rock and roll upbeat tune with I Saw Her Standing There. A song that is just an utter joy to listen to, play to as well as to dance to. The singles of this album, Love Me Do and P.S. I Love You are both stapled songs in their catalogue and the likes of Do You Want To Know A Secret and Boys were George and Ringo's first songs as vocalists which we would later come to see was only a glimpse of what they are capable of.

  The most note-worthy song is Twist and Shout. Although it is a cover, many people know it more for the Beatles' repetition of it. Using up all of John Lennon's raspy vocals which are wonderfully accompanied by McCartney and Harrison's harmonies, it is a joy to listen to and you can feel the energy exhuming through your headphones or speakers or record players or whatever is used to play it. It was just a little breath of fresh air for the world that these four boys from Liverpool have brought to the world and would be what modern pop would and still sounds like to this day.

  Hitting a home run on just their first album, and recorded in just 14 hours, Please Please Me serves as a fun listen as well as the perfect introduction to The Beatles.

6. A Hard Day's Night

  One of the important steps in The Beatles' career, with this album being the first one out of their twelve to only be written by them albeit Lennon-McCartney as Harrison was yet to flourish as a writer. This meant that all songs are originals and allowed them to be more free creatively.

  The hits of this album which are the title track with it's iconic yet complex opening note, and Can't Buy Me Love are the highlights of the album, with the latter being commonly referred to by fans as the "Anthem of Beatlemania", as it was released at the very height of their popularity and influence.

  Some of the not very popular ones are very good aswell, with You Can't Do That and George Harrison's I'm Happy Just to Dance With You being joys to listen to and I'll Cry Instead were one of the more original folky songs from their discography.

  There are some weak points such as I'll Get Home but as this was the earlier part of their careers, it was mainly a stepping stone towards the big and iconic careers that would come to them later.

5.  The Beatles (White Album)

  The top 5 of this list is the pinnacle of Beatles albums and very little separates them as they are all incredibly great and truly displays the true artists the Fab Four were. 

  The Beatles, more commonly referred to as The White Album, is exactly what the album has to show for itself namewise and design-wise. Blank. Named only after the band as this album is meant to just be The Beatles being free. The void of white just makes it so that the listener knows that there are no expectations to this album, there is no overarching themes or genres in this album. You'll never know what you're gonna get and this album is just freedom. Creative freedom is what you will receive when you listen to this album.

  When you click play or put the needle on the record, the first track you will be submerged into is Back In The U.S.S.R., an upbeat rock song that introduces a new voice of Paul, a more deep one which he will use more in the later years of The Beatles. 

  After the fun rock song, you are immediately taken into a slower number with Dear Prudence. Then right after that, you are immediately taken back to the upbeat mood of Glass Onion which is basically a song filled with references to past Beatles works.

  After that, you are in the blend of reggae and pop with Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da. An infamous song in The Beatles' discography, but it is a fun track for what it's worth and even got me into The Beatles when my dad played it in the car radio.

  George Harrison gets his own time to shine, with one of his crowning songs, While My Guitar Gently Weeps which is a beautiful piece that guest performer Eric Clapton absolutely nails with the guitar solo and the piano riff played by Paul at the beginning is just stunning. 

  A masterpiece with a visionary at work which displays just what George Harrison is capable of when he is allowed to step out of the shadows of John Lennon and Paul McCartney and show to them after all the songs by him that they have denied, that he is equally as skillful and creative as them to write his own songs. And While My Guitar Gently Weeps proves that.

  That does not mean Paul or John are completely swept to the side, as John has his chance to display his deep personal prowess with Hey Prudence and Julia. 

  Though, the flowers go to Paul more as I Will and Blackbird are both some of his finest on the acoustic guitar and has lived through many generations of artists as the likes of Billie Eilish and pop powerhouse Beyonce cover both songs respectively.

  Helter Skelter is a powerful and important track in music as it helped to pave the way for hard rock and heavy metal for the years to come and it was definitely the first of its kind.

  As much as The White Album is amazing for its all over the place tone and creative freedom, it is also brought down for the same reason. In some songs, they may get too free and out of their minds that they make some ear sores such as Revolution 9 and Wild Honey Pie which are undoubtedly two of the most hated songs amongst fans and music listeners.

  All in all, an iconic and eccentric piece of The Beatles albums and it definitely is a fun listen if you switch your brain off. Though it is an amazing album, it is not their best.

4. Rubber Soul

  Famously described as John Lennon as "The Pot Album", Rubber Soul was the beginning of The Beatles' shift away from their mainstream clean and poppy image of themselves to a more introspective and creative artistic direction that cemented themselves into music history.

  Drive My Car opens the album on a triumphant note, as most Beatles albums do at this point, but the real show stealer was the song that came next. 

  Expanding on the brilliant You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) blends in folk while introducing an all-new sound to The Beatles which was Indian influence which was prevalent with Sitars. Though George's Sitar instructor told him it was garbage upon hearing the song. In spite of that, this song would not be the last time The Beatles will use this kind of sound as some of their more avant-garde works would include it.

  More introspection is shown in the album with songs like Nowhere Man being a personal one for John, as caught up in all the fame of Beatlemania, he felt lost. Girl and Michelle are also good songs that expand on the folky vibe on the album, with the latter winning the GRAMMY award for song of the year.

  The best song of the album undoubtedly goes to In My Life. One of The Beatles' finest and further proves John Lennon's mastery. A reflective song that can be emotional as well as mixing in the common love theme that The Beatles have in their song makes for an amazing tear-jerking musical masterpiece. One may wonder how a young soul like 25 year-old John Lennon could write a song about looking back on life especially considering how short his life was cut at the age of only 40.

  Though, this album does have forgettable songs. Run For Your Life and What Goes On are instant skips but it doesn't bring the album down a whole lot.

  All in all, Rubber Soul marks the massive tonal shift in The Beatles' discography and may be many fans' favourite out of the bunch and with good reason. The lyrics are more introspective and takes a small step away from their usual ballads and explores more mature topics as seen in some of their songs. 

3. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

  At the height of their careers and recent controversies meaning that they had nothing to lose, with the added bonus of having creative momentum from Rubber Soul and Revolver, The Beatles decided that they would give up touring and spend more time in the studio to truly devote their time into making music. Good music.

  Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is an album that can only be defined as generational. An album that broke all boundaries and forever changed the standard for what an album can be, raising the standards of music forever.

  Being the first concept album of all time, with the band donning imaginary characters that is completely separate from their mop-top clean boy image that they have set for themselves in the past few years, these kind of concept albums can still be seen today with major artists such as Eminem or Tyler, The Creator using personas in their albums and it was thanks to The Beatles for inventing such creative ways to portray their music.

  Enter the album with a bang, a Beatles standard for the opener to be a hard-hitting upbeat rock song named after the album. A song so impressive that the legendary guitar player Jimi Hendrix learnt it and played it at his next performance within days of the album's release, to impress an onlooking Paul McCartney in the audience.

  It then transitions into With A Little Help From My Friends, the first Beatles tracks to connect with each other, and Ringo gives a good vocal performance and the song has since been covered by major artists that give it a more grand feel. Though, the original vibe The Beatles went for is more optimistic and uplifting which makes it more down to earth.

  Up next is the drug-induced Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, or LSD for short. A song that expands on the previous album's psychedelic themes and sets a new standard for the genre, even becoming an anthem for hippies during that time.

  She's Leaving Home is a musical inspired track by Paul and it is wonderfully composed with John and George being used as background vocals and it is a melancholic and stunning track that has amazing strings and harps. An important track as it does not really feature much rock elements and Paul has full control over the direction of the song which truly cements him as one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

  Within You Without You expands on the Indian-style sound that was found earlier on Norwegian Wood on Rubber Soul but this time it is a full blown Indian song. The sitars and the overall trance that the song puts you in can be relaxing, yet unsettling at the same time.

  The song that can be considered the greatest not just of this album, but of all of The Beatles' discography, is A Day In The Life. A song that represents Lennon and McCartney's songwriting duo incredibly well. Both incomplete on it's own, but when put together, it is unstoppable.

 Meant to be two different songs written by the both of them, they opted to combine them into one and what we get is a thrilling ride all round with a climax at the end that can put you on edge and rounds the track, as well as the album, with one grand and monstrous slam on the piano. A very fitting way to end an album that is revolutionary, influential and refreshing.

  The album has stood the test of time, going on to sell many records and topping numerous "Best Albums of All Time" lists. Though to me, I don't think it's The Beatles' best for them.

2. Abbey Road

  The bigger, the better. This album is exactly just that. Abbey Road is revered by many fans, and music listeners worldwide, as it's adventurous, fun and grand. That can't go without mentioning it's enormous impact on music, influencing the likes of Pink Floyd and Marvin Gaye with their sound.

  Each of The Beatles have their own chance to shine creatively. Songwriting wise with the likes of John Lennon with 'Come Together' and I Want You (She's So Heavy) and Paul McCartney with 'Oh! Darling' and 'Golden Slumbers' which was loosely inspired off an old nursery rhyme. Ringo even gets his shot with the fun and nautical Octopuses' Garden.

  However, the real shining star (or sun) of this album is George Harrison. Getting his few songs in previous albums to hone his songwriting skills, he truly peaked by making the calming, emotional, joyous, beautiful and iconic 'Here Comes The Sun' and the ballad 'Something'. With the latter making the great Frank Sinatra hail as the "Greatest Love Song of All Time". So if that doesn't say enough about George's songwriting ability, I don't know what will.

  The album in one listen is spectacular, opening with the groovy 'Come Together' with its iconic bassline, a contrast to the usual Beatles album openers who typically have hard hitting energetic vibes, before going into the slow and waltz-worthy 'Something'. 

  The next song is 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer', an infamous song in The Beatles' catalogue but it's fun and catchy. After the opening three, it seems that there is no specific tone or theme throughout the album which further expands on the creative freedom seen on the White Album a year prior.

  Oh! Darling is a fun song that perfectly describes The Beatles' later years as a whole, the instrumentals are loud and messy, the vocals are being shredded but yet it all balances out well and makes for a good listen.

  The already memorable first half somehow is outdone, with the iconic and well-loved Abbey Road medley taking place in the 2nd side of the album.

  I Want You (She's So Heavy) is a loud collection of noise and chaos but is still revered as one of their best, the noise abruptly ends and when the listener flips the disc to the other side to continue the album expecting the noise to continue, instead they are greeted with the opposite of noise. The slow and calming Here Comes The Sun opens the B-side.

  Here Comes The Sun is The Beatles' most popular song amongst modern listeners, amassing over a billion streams on streaming platform Spotify and is the only song of theirs to do so, and with good reason. A song that is hopeful and optimistic yet reflective along with nostalgia. An uplifting song with an astonishing acoustic guitar riff that can put one in tears.

 The medley officially starts with You Never Give Me Your Money before going into Sun King and then into Mean Mr. Mustard, Polythene Pam and She Came In Through The Bathroom Window. With the latter 3 being connected and intersecting with one another. 

  An already joyous ride takes a step back with the breathtaking Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End. The magical and entrancing Golden Slumbers with Paul's majestic vocals and piano playing segues into the grand and loud Carry That Weight before The End. The End is a song where every single Beatle gets their chance to shine. John, George and Paul take turns playing their guitar solos and you can tell when which one of them is playing. John has a more distorted and loud sound, Paul is more technical while George plays soulfully. Even Ringo has his musical spotlight with a drum solo, after strong persuasion by the rest. 

  The simple message of "The love you take, is equal to the love you make" before George plays the song out is a beautiful and breathtaking way to end what was a fun ride of an album, or so we think.

  Her Majesty, which was initially a hidden track on the vinyls before being revealed in streaming is the official unofficial end to the album with Paul sitting alone with only his guitar and nothing else in a short under 30 second segment to give the listeners a moment to breathe after the disc 2 medley.

  All in all, Abbey Road is The Beatles' best and biggest album in their discography. Musically and creatively each one of them gets to shine and it is abundant that all four of them have reached their peaks in those regards. A mind-blowing ride of an album to sit through, Abbey Road represents The Beatles the best with the tracks and it's influence from the songs all the way to the album cover that brings people to that same crosswalk to recreate the most legendary, influential and iconic band just walking across it. 

  Despite all of that, they somehow have an album that tops it...

1. Revolver

  It was a difficult task to decide if this album or Abbey Road was their best, but I'll have to give it to this one.

  This album can only be described as the pinnacle of The Beatles, fame-wise they were touring around the world with thousands of girls each country wanting to get a piece of them. Music wise, they have just come out of Rubber Soul, a new step towards a more creative direction in their careers. With that, they created what some may consider as their best album.

  The opening track is once again an upbeat rock song with Taxman, this time written by George Harrison and not Paul McCartney. George would also get his chance to shine in songwriting in two more songs later in the album.

  Though, the Beatle who steals the show in this album is Paul. He manages to pull every one of his best aspects as a songwriter and put it into one album. He makes the breathtaking romantic ballad of Here, There and Everywhere, which is a song that John told Paul himself that it was the best track out of the album, and Art Garfunkel of legendary duo Simon and Garfunkel names as his favourite pop song of all time. Which is high praise coming from a man like him.

  Paul then expands his songwriting ability into a more grand and orchestral side with amazing storytelling in Eleanor Rigby. One of The Beatles' finest, George Martin steals the show with his string arrangements and the song is nothing short of thought-provoking yet mellow. A story about the harsh reality of people who are unable to find love which is a stark contrast to The Beatles' usual optimistic songs about finding and being in love that they have so often sung in their early careers which is what makes Revolver all the more stand out from the rest of their albums.

  His solemn tone carries onto For No One, a song about a couple slowly falling out of love and the damning reality and hopelessness of the situation. A reality that can relate to others which just makes the complex yet simple storytelling and lyricism from McCartney in this album all the more brilliant.

  McCartney then proceeds to return to a more energetic and triumphant beat with Got To Get You Into My Life, which is also another fan favourite. Returning back to the optimistic love songs after the sorrowful Eleanor Rigby, the song still sounds very fresh and modern and was even used in the end-credits sequence for the movie 'Minions'. Proving it's mass appeal to this day.

  This does not go without saying John Lennon is completely overshadowed by Paul, as he has his fair share or creativity. Implementing backwards tracks into the song Tomorrow Never Knows to enhance the psychedelic vibe further makes the album more groundbreaking and establishes The Beatles as true avant-garde artists.

  I'm Only Sleeping may seem to be a song about sloth and laziness, but can also be seen as a song that is protesting for peace. A message saying that why can't we all just stay in bed and relax instead of going out and fighting over conflict. One of John's earlier anti-war kind of song which would also be further expanded once he meets his wife Yoko Ono in that same year of 1966. 

  The Beatles manages to balance out their creative and adventurous songs with the pop songs that made them breakthrough into mainstream at the early parts of their careers but with a more polished and mastered feel, And Your Bird Can Sing and Good Day Sunshine are both cheery songs that give a lukewarm feeling to the listener that just makes the album more of a roller coaster and a burst of energy that The Beatles have managed to maintain throughout their career. 

  Even Ringo has his time to shine, with Yellow Submarine easily being the most iconic song that he is the lead vocalist on and is still being performed to by him and his All-Starr Band to this day at the young age of 84.

  All in all, Revolver is a brilliant album that truly shows The Beatles at their best creatively and set the pathway for many artists after that. With the peaks of the songwriting and storytelling, recording techniques and instrumentals. Balancing The Beatles' different sounds from the first and second halves of their career, while also being bold and displaying their wit and edge which is what the likes of Abbey Road lacks despite it being a bigger album musically, it is without a doubt that Revolver is The Beatles' best out of their catalogue.

  In conclusion, the topic of which album is truly The Beatles best is a hot debate for many. But what that proves is simply how great an artist they are. Considered as the greatest artist of all time by nearly everybody, never afraid to go out of their way to create revolutionary and earth-breaking music in only seven illustrious years together that is still being remembered and looked back fondly after nearly six decades after being put out. 

  Though John Lennon and George Harrison have since departed, they along with Paul and Ringo who live to tell the tale, will still be remembered and live on through the music that they themselves could not even replicate in their solo careers after their breakup in 1970 as the four minds put together formed something so immovable at the pinnacle of music and have since yet to be topped by anyone.