Which solo Beatles albums are better than actual Beatles albums?

It is an acquired taste, I'd say to be truly top tier, like the Beatles best albums, it needs to be loved by the general public as much the critics.

If it was not for the hype I'm not sure I would have given it as many listens as i have, it is something that I appreciate rather than actually love.

 

Credit to the writer of this for actually listening to all those Ringo albums - I didn't realise he'd done so many!

 

Let's not get carried away, it's undeniably documented many, many times over... The Beatles are the absolute greatest group in the entire history of popular music!

 

If one's favorite Beatle is John I can't see how.
It's everything about Lennon you always knew or sensed.
Had he titled POB just"Lennon" as his debut solo album it would have sold just off the name initially and it would have had the commercial and critical success from jump.
Having the word Ono in the title more than likely deterred millions then and probably a lot over following decades.
Imagine is what many have always thought was his regular debut solo album.
All of my favorite Beatles John material is his melancholy or anger/frustrated or dark tracks.
In My Life, I'm A Loser, Yer Blues, Nowhere Man, Baby's In Black, Hide Your Love Away, Help, Cry Instead, Run For Your Life, Can't Do That, I'm So Tired, Strawberry Fields, Julia...

 

Shaved Fish and Wings Greatest are still not able to top a Beatles album. But they are chock full of killer singles. Singles that sometimes top a Beatles single. Not often but once in a while.

 

So you're saying that Shaved Fish and Wings Greatest have some singles that are better than some Beatles singles but as a whole they aren't as good as some Beatles albums with obvious filler and covers?

 

I think they are on the same level as let it be

 

Yes indeed.

 

Venus and Mars.

 

I wouldn't say that- I think what @quicksrt is getting at is, with an album like Shaved Fish, say, you've got "Instant Karma" on there which is a single easily on par with The Beatles' singles, whereas you've also got stuff like "Woman Is The N-word Of The World" which certainly isn't comparable to an actual Beatles single.

IMO as solo artists they put out quite a few singles that could stand alongside The Beatles' material but not so many albums themselves.

 

I wouldn't give up any Beatles album for a solo but there are a few solo projects with better production and songs throughout than some Beatles.
Just like lots of artists have better albums than some Beatles albums.

 

Yeah Instant Karma and Imagine, maybe Maybe I'm Amazed.

Sure!

 

nope

 

I'm just saying I Wanna Be Your Man and Hold Me Tight for example, aren't as good as plenty of solo songs.
For me, as I've stated already, Plastic Ono Band and Band On The Run are two of the greatest albums by any artist of any genre ever.
They are recognized as such by many a critic and music fan.
It's no different than asking if all Beatles albums are better than Who's Next by The Who or Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin II or IV.

 

I hear Band on the Run as a slightly patchy affair. Not all stunners like those other albums you mention. But if you think so then good.

 

What is Life is a great tune, a fantastic single.

It Don't Come Easy is better than Jet or Juniors Farm, or Mind Games. Ringo really got a great break with this magical hit!

These two are equal to some Fab hits.

 

I'll be in prison soon and can only have 10 albums with me. )I can choose from The Beatles and solo Beatles discography.

The original Beatles albums showed this incredible developement, but perhaps Abbey Road was so much McCartney that I could just as well have one of his solo albums. My choice would be:

Please Please Me
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles for Sale (I'm a looser!)
Help! (could't live without Ticket to Ride)
Rubber Soul
Revolver
Sgt. Pepper
Magical Mystery Tour
The White
Band on the Run (I plan to make a Jailbreak - and when I do, I will certainly listen to Thin Lizzy)

 

Rubber Soul
Revolver
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Beatles
Abbey Road
All Things Must Pass
Plastic Ono Band
Let It Be
Imagine
Help!

 

Beatles For Sale is pretty patchy and so is the White Album.
Songs aren't automatically better just because it's the Beatles.
Not saying you're saying that but a lot of people tend to act that way.

 

All Things Must Pass, Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, Ram, Band on the Run, Mind Games, Venus & Mars, Cloud 9, and Ringo are on par with several Beatles albums but there are none better.

 

I prefer Ringo's self titled solo album (Photograph etc) and Macca's "Ram" to "Beatles for Sale"...

prefer Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band," "Imagine" and "Walls and Bridges" and Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" and S/T (1979) to "Beatles for Sale" and "Let it Be" at the very least.

(FWIW, I'm not counting "Yellow Submarine," which I don't consider to be a "Beatles album")

.

 

All things must pass is better than the first 5 beatles albums, Let it be and Yellow Submarine

Ram is better than YS and BFS.

Imagine beats PPM, WTB, BFS, YS, LIB

 

None of 'em

 

Yes, only Plastic One Band.
John was shellshocked into delivering this masterpiece.
After that all four's work was plagued by their individual indulgences that the band democracy kept in check.
Paul - lightweight nonsense written on pot, inability to judge his material
John - empty sloganeering
George - bitterness, spiritual smugness and musical conservatism
Ringo - well he has a good nose, he should just not sing with it

 

I am not a huge fan of the word 'better' because different albums have different feels and different vibes.
If you look at an 'album' as a collection of 'singles' then that is one thing. If you look at it as a collection of songs
that create a certain feeling/vibe well that is another thing. A certain song might not be the best
song in the world but it might just perfectly fit on the album to make it a better listening
experience...

This is why in my opinion Abbey Road is the best Beatles album. Song for Song Revolver and/or Rubber Soul might
be better but as an 'Album' Abbey Road has the medley on side 2 which rises it way above the 'norm', especially when
compared to the Beatles contemporaries.

My favorite Paul McCartney album is the self titled 'McCartney' as I just love the easy going feel/vibe of it. Does it compare
song for song with the best best Beatles albums (or even other 'McCartney albums)? ..No..... But do I prefer to listen to it
when I am relaxing in the garden on a sunny summers evening? Yes.