Rank the Beatles UK albums!

scoutbb · Oct 11, 2016

1. Abbey Road
2. Sgt Pepper
3. Magical Mystery Tour
4. White Album
5. Rubber Soul
6. Revolver
7. Let It Be
8. A Hard Day's Night
9. Help
10. Beatles For Sale
11. Please Please Me
12. Yellow Submarine
13. With The Beatles

Hall Cat · Oct 11, 2016

1. MMT
2. Revolver
3. Sgt. Pepper
4. Beatles
5. Abbey Road
6. Help
7. Beatles For Sale
8. Rubber Soul
9. A Hard Day's Night
10. Let It Be
11. Please Please Me
12. With the Beatles

Al Kuenster · Oct 11, 2016

Revolver
Rubber Soul
Abbey Road
Sgt. Peppers
A Hard Day's Night
White Album
Help
Please Please Me
Beatles For Sale
With the Beatles
MMT
Let It Be
Yellow Submarine

My list FWIW

streetlegal · Jan 31, 2017

skisdlimit said: ↑

1. Revolver
This album was something of a revelation for me, and I think a lot of American listeners, when the '87 CDs were released, because having those three additional Lennon songs ("I'm Only Sleeping", "Dr. Robert", "And Your Bird Can Sing") really makes it a more complete musical statement, and elevates it to greatest album of all time status. While I enjoy the stereo mix, particularly for tracks like "Tomorrow Never Knows" (the psychedelic-ness of this seems more pronounced that way), if I had to choose, I'd probably take the mono mix.

2. Sgt. Pepper
As another post observed, this seems like their most cohesive group effort overall, even if it (and its Magical Mystery Tour follow-up) was largely Paul McCartney's baby, whereas Abbey Road suffers a bit from overly polished professionalism. Despite some obvious flaws, here I would also choose the mono mix.

3. The White Album
This is the set I would point to for anyone who wrongly dismisses the Beatles as "mainstream pop" drivel. There is actually quite a lot of what could be called "alternative rock" here, and the album as a whole never ceases to fascinate in its disjointed, but expert, layering of sound (speaking of which, that would indicate a preference for the mono mix, but both that and the stereo version are essential!).

4. Rubber Soul
I became familiar with this album mostly through The Beatles 1962-1966, which represented it well. As with Revolver, I deem the mono mix to be definitive, and regard this as the last album where John Lennon was the primary creative driving force (I'd say this was true for the four album run from A Hard Day's Night to here).

5. Magical Mystery Tour
Considering that this was an EP to begin with, and that the LP was a U.S. Capitol creation (abomination?), I think the four "new" Yellow Submarine songs could be added to an expanded edition of this, thereby rendering that soundtrack album essentially obsolete.

6. Abbey Road
By the time of this album, and possibly even "The White Album" before it, I would say that George Harrison had actually surpassed both John Lennon and Paul McCartney in the song-writing sweepstakes, and it is his compositions which stand out here (for the record, his All Things Must Pass, which was mostly written around this time, is not only my favorite Beatles solo album, but may well be my absolute "desert island disc" favorite of all time), so on the strength of his two songs alone, this album ranks high in my list of favorites, even if McCartney's Side 2 suite remains the album's highlight; I've been content enough with the '87 disc, though apparently the '83 "black triangle" is even better, but that is hideously overpriced

7. Help!
Hearing this album in mono was a revelation to me despite its "muddiness" as some posters have observed; I never knew the title track was mixed so differently, and frankly better in mono, though I still enjoy the stereo American "James Bond" version of it, and I would welcome a deluxe edition of this which includes all those vintage mixes, along with those cool instrumentals from the film.

8. Please Please Me
A clever, if a bit salacious, double entendre in the title track, and that's not even my favorite here; the "1-2-3-FAH!" countdown of the lead song ("I Saw Her Standing There") is the stuff of legend, bookended by the band's definitive cover of "Twist and Shout" (this really should have been on The Red Album), and the rest of the album is not too shabby either (I've grown more appreciative of "There's A Place" as I've grown older, and would recommend the mono mix of this as being the best way to listen to it; if someone has indeed centered the vocals for a new "true" stereo mix, that might supersede this).

9. A Hard Day's Night
This album is virtually synonymous with Beatlemania. Either the mono or stereo mix communicates the excitement; here, I'd like to see a deluxe edition that collects the unique American mixes of some of the songs, as well as the instrumentals from the film, but I'm not holding my breath.

10. Beatles For Sale
I rate this about on par with A Hard Day's Night, if only because here is where we see the Beatles moving beyond their teeny-bopper image into more serious topical music; that opening Lennon trilogy ranks as one of their finest, and even though this is littered with covers, the overall mood it creates is unique in the Beatles canon. Here, it's a essentially a toss for me between the stereo and mono mixes; both have their merits, but I think the stereo gets a slight edge for its "live" feel, while the mono suffered by comparison for many years due to the original '87 CD being one of the absolute lousiest sounding discs I've ever heard (the 2009 mono box version was a vast improvement!).

11. Let It Be
Yeah, the Beatles were running out of steam by this time, but as the cliche goes, even at their worst, they were better than most bands at their best. At this point, I would probably like to see a release of the original Get Back album with the full versions of the songs in question, or at least a better mastered edition of Let It Be...Naked, which was horribly brick-walled.

12. With the Beatles
This may seem like sacrilege, but I actually prefer the American "Dexter-ized" versions of these songs, as they appeared on "Meet the Beatles" and "The Beatles Second Album"; the original UK mono, by contrast, seems rather limp in comparison (I will add, though, that on these first two albums, Ringo appears to be the steadying, if not driving force, and his "I Wanna Be Your Man" seriously rocks!).

13. Yellow Submarine
While I was glad to see purportedly dedicated mono mixes finally appear in the 2009 box set, I actually do like both the vintage stereo versions and the '99 "song track" remixes, so perhaps a deluxe edition of this containing all of those, in addition to George Martin's instrumentals, might not be beyond the realm of possibility.
Click to expand...

I read this post again today, and still think it deserves a pat on the back--nicely done.

solstice69 · Jan 31, 2017

1. Abbey Road
2. Revolver
3. Sgt Pepper
4. Rubber Soul
5. Magical Mystery Tour
6. White Album
7. Help
8. Beatles For Sale
9. A Hard Day's Night
10. Let It Be
11. Please Please Me
12. Yellow Submarine
13. With The Beatles

Chrome_Head · May 29, 2017

My 1 and 2 are nearly interchangeable at this point, but currently, my top choice is my favorite:

1 The White Album
2 Abbey Road
3 Revolver
4 Sgt Pepper
5 Magical Mystery Tour
6 Rubber Soul
7 Help!
8 A Hard Day's Night
9 Let It Be
10 Beatles For Sale
11 With The Beatles
12 Yellow Submarine
13 Please Please Me

If we were able to cheat, I would add in Past Masters Vol 2 at 6, and Past Masters Vol 1 at 9, bumping everything else down a notch.

Mr. D · May 29, 2017

Rubber Soul
Revolver
Help!
White Album
MMT
Let It Be
A Hard Day's Night
SPLHCB
Abbey Road
Please Please Me
Beatles for Sale
With the Beatles

C6H12O6 · May 29, 2017

1. Revolver
2. Rubber Soul
3. A Hard Day's Night
4. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
5. Abbey Road
6. Please Please Me
7. Help!
8. With the Beatles
9. The White Album
10. Beatles for Sale
11. Let It Be

alexpop · May 29, 2017

Revised list.

White Album ( Anniversary 2018)
A Hard Day's Night
Sgt Pepper
Abbey Road ( anniversary 2019)
Revolver
Rubber Soul
Help!
Beatles For Sale
Please Please Me
With the Beatles
Let It Be

Price.pittsburgh · May 29, 2017

1. Rubber Soul
2. Sgt. Pepper
3. Revolver
4. Help!
5. Beatles For Sale
6. A Hard Days Night
7. Please Please Me
8. With The Beatles
9. Magical Mystery Tour
10. The Beatles (White Album)
11. Abbey Road
12. Let It Be
13. Yellow Submarine

Mr. Grieves · Jun 9, 2017

1.) Abbey Road
2.) Revolver
3.) Rubber Soul
4.) White Album
5.) A Hard Days Night
6.) Sgt Peppers
7.) Help!
8.) With The Beatles
9.) Please Please Me
10.) Beatles For Sale
11.) Let It Be

alexpop · Aug 15, 2017

Rank ?
Ever changing!!!

hurple · Aug 15, 2017

And this begs the question, why are there no other Beatles threads on this forum? Curious this is the only one.

01. Revolver
02. Rubber Soul
03. A Hard Day's Night
04. Abbey Road
05. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
06. Help!
07. White Album
08. Magical Mystery Tour
09. Let it Be
10. Beatles for Sale
11. Please Please Me
12. With the Beatles
13. Yellow Submarine

A well respected man · Aug 16, 2017

Here's mine. Not including MMT since it's not a UK album originally:

1. Rubber Soul

2. Revolver

3. Sgt. Pepper

4. A Hard Day's Night

5. White Album

6. Abbey Road

7. Please Please Me

8. Let It Be

9. Help!

10. Beatles For Sale

11. With the Beatles

12. Yellow Submarine

For sentimental reasons, I also love some old EPs, like "Twist and Shout" or "Please Please Me"

alexpop · Aug 25, 2017

I'd place LET IT BE higher, maybe when the 50th Anniversary comes out, expanded ...in 2020.

Purple Jim · Aug 25, 2017

Never seen this thread before. Here goes then (my preferences only):

1. Revolver
2. Magical Mystery Tour (even if it wasn't an LP back in the day)
3. Rubber Soul
4. Help!
5. A Hard Day's Night
6. Please Please Me
7.With the Beatles
8. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
9. Beatles for Sale
10. Let it Be
11. Yellow Submarine
12. Abbey Road
13. White Album

Hokeyboy · Aug 25, 2017

Revolver

Rubber Soul

The Beatles

Abbey Road

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Help!

A Hard Day's Night

Magical Mystery Tour

Beatles For Sale

Let It Be

Please Please Me

With The Beatles

Yellow Submarine

Pete Puma · Aug 25, 2017

Ranked UK EPs just for some variety:
1. Magical Mystery Tour (mono and /or stereo)
2. The Beatles Hits
3. Long Tall Sally
4. Beatles For Sale #1
5. The Beatles Million Dollar Sellers
6. Beatles For Sale #2
7. Nowhere man
8. The Beatles (1981 bonus EP)
9. Extracts From A Hard Day's Night #2
10. Yesterday
11. Extracts From A Hard Day's Night #1
12. Twist and Shout
13. All My Loving
14. The Beatles (No. 1)

WildHoneyPie9 · Aug 25, 2017

1. White Album
2. Abbey Road
3. Magical Mystery Tour
4. HELP!
5. Revolver
6. Rubber Soul
7. Sgt. Pepper
8. Let It Be
9. With The Beatles
10. A Hard Days Night
11. Beatles For Sale
12. Please Please Me
13. Yellow Submarine

Snow2 · Aug 25, 2017

Sgt. Pepper
Abbey Road
Revolver
Magical Mystery Tour
Rubber Soul
The White Album
A Hard Day's Night
Let it Be

The rest

WildHoneyPie9 · Aug 25, 2017

Purple Jim said: ↑

13. White Album
Click to expand...

What?? The white album is your least favorite album? Why?

nikosvault · Aug 25, 2017

1. Revolver
2. Rubber Soul
3. Abbey Road
4. White Album
5. A Hard Days Night
6. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
7. Help!
8. Let It Be
9. Please Please Me
10. Beatles For Sale
11. With The Beatles
12. Yellow Submarine

And I'm not going to put MMT on the list.

Daniel Plainview · Aug 25, 2017

1. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. Revolver
3. Beatles for Sale
4. White Album
5. Rubber Soul
6. A Hard Day's Night
7. Magical Mystery Tour
8. Please Please Me
9. Abbey Road
10. With the Beatles
11. Let it Be
12.Help!
13. Yellow Submarine

Purple Jim · Aug 25, 2017

WildHoneyPie9 said: ↑

What?? The white album is your least favorite album? Why?
Click to expand...

Because it's a sprawling mess of an album which always bored me to death. After the death of Epstein, their band cohesion was simply gone. The album is like a collection of demos (which is part of its fascination I suppose). There are few tracks that are OK but for me, the magic had simply gone after the spectacular 1967 albums.

Favourite tracks:
Dear prudence
Blackbird

OK tracks:
Back in the USSR
Glass onion
Happiness is a warm gun
While my guitar gently weeps
Martha my dear
I'm so tired
I will
Julia
Everybody's got something to hide except me and my monkey
Sexy sadie
Helter skelter
Cry baby cry
Wild honey Pie
Good night

Tedious tracks:
Ob la di ob la da
Continuing story of bungalow bill
Piggies
Rocky raccoon
Don't pass me by
Birthday
Yer blues
Mother nature's son
Long long long
Revolution I
Honey pie
Savoy truffle

Filler:
Why don't we do it in the road
Revolution 9

So a very poor score for me.

Robber Soul · Aug 25, 2017

01) The White Album
02) Revolver
03) Abbey Road
04) Sgt. Pepper
05) Rubber Soul
06) Let It Be
07) Help!
08) A Hard Days Night
09) Beatles For Sale
10) Please Please Me
10) With The Beatles
12) Yellow Submarine

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