I telling you, if you don't have the White Album as #1, no wait....if you don't have Rubber Soul as, damn it, hang on, what i mean is it HAS TO BE Revolver...NOOOOO, what about Pepper...and i love A Hard Days Night....errr and then there's that Abbey one.....oh forget it!!
I just listened to Rubber Soul in the car driving to work the other day, I'm surprised how not overwhelmed by its brilliance I was. Sure, it has recognizable songs as all Beatle albums do, but it's now down on my list to "MID".
Yeah, I was a bit confused when he started at #11. It made me think, "OK, so he hasn't included "Magical Mystery Tour", which can be justified as it wasn't an original UK album", but that still meant one album would be missing, so... Anyway, the ranking I don't disagree a lot with, although I would put "Beatles For Sale" as # 12 due to the number of covers, some of which aren't the best, either. Oh, and "Revolver" is probably my #2. Yeah, it's a tricky list. 😄
As an American from the southern states, the Beatles have long been my favorite band. There was a summer in my youth where I listened to nothing in my car but an 8 track of Beatles' music. Their influence is almost beyond description....
Great rundown, Andy. You convey a very palpable sense of the full centrality of the group’s art: the music, the album art, the films, the first rock Grammy nomination, the jazz connections, etc. Good stuff.
That must have been amazing, buying an album by a new band, putting it on and hearing the Beatles for the first time! Don't forget though, Andy's doing the British albums so it will be a bit different from the US albums...
@@nickvickers3486 Even as a little kid I could tell that it was a sound like nothing else I've heard. Oddly enough, when I heard "Saw Her Standing There" I thought THAT sounded somewhat familiar. It was Chuck Berry-ish. But, She LovesYou and I Want To Hold Your Hand were from another planet. As was the way they looked. That could never happen again.
Wow - when I got home from work I decided that I'd like to have a listen to those Beatles albums I was not too familiar with - and here you are Andy ranking their albums..!
Well done, Andy! I love your music theory insights and expertise. Referencing Beach Boys was of course expected. Referencing Zappa and other prog rock masters brilliant and SPOT ON!
Ballsy of you to put "Magical Mystery Tour" up there. I always thought it was better than "Sergeant Peppers." You know, of course, that it wasn't really recorded as an album, but was cobbled together from singles.
I just figured out what number one is going to be and I have to say this is the most accurate list ranking you've done. I think I would have come out exactly the same if I had done it before watching yours.
Rubber Soul …. ‘In My Life’… does it get any better for ‘songs’. Underrated however,( and rarely mentioned), is ‘You won’t See Me’. James Jamerson style playing from Paul, and that Rhodes thing preempts ‘Captain And Tenille songs’ and all those Rhodes driven tracks from the seventies…. ‘I’m not In Love’ even … all that 70’s vibe stuff … 65 The Beatles
The world really needed this video. 38,000,000 people have already shared their own opinions about these albums, and thanks to you we now have 38,000,001.
Im from Liverpool, and I was fed up of hearing about the Beatles, but never really listened to there LPS, I was a music snob, into prog, rock and jazz rock etc, then on a school trip, I needed a cassette for my walkman for the coach trip, we stopped at a service station, and I bought St Pepper, from the opening guitar riffs and bass, till the end, it was 40 mins of bliss, this is when I realised they weren't just the pop band you hear all the singles in every pub, but a LP band, my mind was blown, I spend next few weeks buying everything from Rubber Soul onwards, all classics, the fact Strawberry fields and Penny Lane were kept off St Pepper for single and b side is all you need to know..
This is a well thought out ranking of the Beatles albums. Personally I would have put A Hard Days Night a bit higher, because it portrays the Beatles at their most energetic. They are full of confidence and are not yet tired of Beatlemania. It may not be their most sophisticated album, but it is their most joyful one, and that is worth something.
The first of a whole pile of additional posts.... In them days, the world was different in ways we cannot imagine First, you would play church halls and pubs, then when you started to make it you would do national tours on the variety circuit. A lot bands would fracture at this point due to the misreable existence of B&B living. The more talented members of a band could go onto be the backing musicians of name acts and finally shangri la, if you are good enough, you make a reliable, easy living being a session man for a record label or maybe the BBC. Some people went to Tin Pan Alley, Denmark St or the Brill building As you said, having a band that could do it all was a complete game changer, as it it made the bands a lot richer
The lead guitar work on "Beatles for Sale" is tribute to Harrison idol Carl Perkins". And Buddy Holly began in Texas country music, until rhythm & blues, and he writes "Not Fade Away". "Beatles for Sale shows where they came from, where they were in the moment, and where they were going. Those facts elevate the LP to among their top 4.
Excellent list! Almost the same as mine. One bone of contention is you skipped right over “Something” which is George Harrison’s greatest song. Cheers!
Bravo Andy👏 Perhaps the best ranking so far ... except maybe Pepper deserved a #2 and Let it Be a little higher,, but I realize, ranking the Beatles' albums could never be done in all-in-agreement way. We're talking about once in century geniuses here
A very enjoyable ranking of their albums . I think that when you came into listening to the Beatles' music, plays a large part in how you would rank their albums . I was 10 years old when I saw them on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964 , so I was in on their music from the start . I love the early part of their catalog quite a bit , as that's what I grew up to as a kid . Here's a disclaimer before I give you my ranking : Growing up in Toronto , we actually had Canadian versions of the Beatles' Capitol records albums , that differed slightly from the US versions , usually by a track or two , which in themselves differed from the UK versions . All of my choices will be the UK versions unless otherwise noted . Anyway , here is my ranking. ( as of today , anyway ) , starting with my favourite : Rubber Soul. ( US version , which was at this point , the same as the Canadian version ) Abbey Road A Hard Day's Night White Album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Clubs Band Revolver Help ! Magical Mystery tour Let It Be With the Beatles Please Please Me Beatles For Sale Yellow Submarine Many thanks !
Great video Andy. Great aesthetic presentation too. Of course Dylan raised the bar for everyone - I think Country was already present in the Beatles before their encounter with him. One of George’s biggest influences was Chet Atkins. Ringo too, was a huge Country fan. When space opens for George’s songwriting, so it does for the Country in his guitar playing. The slide playing on his solo work is second to none. He’s there before Keef latches on to Gram Parsons and Ry Cooder. I’d argue that it was George’s Country chops that was the glue for the TWs. I can’t see any other Beatle really gelling with the rest of that band the way that George did. How about a video on George Harrison’s contribution to Fusion/Prog? PS. George was also the preeminent ukulele player and George Formby aficionado in the band.
A Hard Days Night had ATTITUDE and possibly more impact when it was released than any of their other albums. Those rankings always dismiss their fiirst 5 albums. you at least gave it a wee bit of respect.
Great list Andy. The only qualm I have with Magical Mystery Tour being so high (pun intended), is that it really is just half an album, having been originally released as an EP (remember those?). The B side is a collection of singles that were released throughout 1967. In my Beatles Universe, Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane belong on Sgt. Peppers (Sir George Martin apparently felt the same way), and I include them on my own mix of that album. Also, I would have A Hard Day Night higher on my list, as it really is the most complete and perfect album the Beatles ever recorded, with not one throwaway track on it (also, Lennon really shines vocally).
Brilliant analysis. I've been a Beatles maniac since age 8 and they remain my favorite band. I plan to share this video with friends of mine who seem to have forgotten the sheer greatness of this band. Personally, I'd say that Maxwell's Silver Hammer knocks Abbey Road from the top spot, but for me the top 4 albums are largely interchangeable. Well done!
I feel like I read someone that Astrid had an influence on the With The Beatles album cover as well. Aren’t there some early ‘60’s shots of the Beatles taken by Astrid in Hamburg in half shadows?
The Indian Element, the British Invasion and the James Browns Brand New Bag are very Important for the Jazz-Rock Fusion from 1965 on. Giving George Harrison Credit for the „Sound Aspect“ of many early Jazz Rock Fusion is an interesting Touch. John Mayer and Joe Harriot brought in the Fusion and Jazz, the Beatles the Rock. Teo Macero had a Composition from the 50ties called Fusion. But the Sound of a Hard hitting Rhythm Section with Horns came from the funky Side of Soul. The British Revolution turned Jimmy Smith unto Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon (Got my Mojo Workin‘) but also many Jazzers to Cover Donovan and Wannabe Brits like Mamas & Papas and Sonny & Cher. The Vibraphon as a Lead Instrument in Jazz Rock Fusion goes back to Lionel Hampton. Violin and Cello as Sound Definer might come from John Handy and Chico Hamilton. Chico the Mod Jazzer for sure had an Influence on Georgie Fame, who definitely tried to fuse Jazz with the Beatles in his own Way. It is a long and winding Road. But Jazz Rock Fusion after 1965 without the Beatles would definitely Sound totally different if it had ever emerged. Besides of my Early Buys „The Red and Blue Double Albums“ my favorite Beatles Album has always been Abbey Road.
"Alexander's Ragtime Band" was the first pop song. I can't believe it took me this long to learn that. I never even thought to ask the question. Thanks for the answer.
I don't agree with your list- of course I don't - but I'm so glad you gave Magical Mystery Tour its due. It's about time it was seen for the work of genius it is.
I’m mostly with you on this impossible, even Magical Mystery Tour which I wouldn’t have thought of as among their tippy top best, but you make a good case for it. But I do take exception to you crapping on Rocky Raccoon. I think it’s a nice old timey tune and it paints such a vivid picture.
Thing about Magical Mystery Tour was, when it came out, it played like a one-sided album, reason being that the singles that filled out side 2 had been played to death on the radio that year, great as they were and are.
You know that lead guitar part at the very start of Sgt Pepper? George Harrison spent 7 hours working in that. Then Paul McCartney came in, listened to it and said it wasn't good enough. McCartney then re-recorded the part in 10 minutes. Poor George, what a slap in the face 🫣
Today, my top five are: Revolver Magical Mystery Tour Abbey Road Rubber Soul The White Album But it would be Magical Mystery Tour I’d take onto my desert island. Its diversity and its invention captivates me. Great vid, Andy.
Hi, I'm not a great fan of the early Beatles, it's quite difficult to rank the top 5, at the moment i would put the white album as a number 1, followed by Revolver and Abbey Road neck in neck, Rubber Soul within easy reach. Sgt. Pepper could be number 1/2 or 3/4, it depends on my mood, it is a great album though, Let it be is fighting it out with Magical Mistery Tour
Another Beatles ranking, but it’s Andy so I GOTTA hear what he has to Say- always makes Great connections. I love that you kind of slag off Rocky Raccoon but think yellow Submarine is Groundbreaking which it was,( if you were a kid like me and heard it seeping out of the car speakers while you rode to the market with your mom in the family station wagon.) Like Strawberry Fields and Yesterday, totally left field aberrations that challenged what was accepted on top 40 radio, essentially laying the groundwork for FM radio and the beginning demise of the Dominance of am pop radio. People tend to think of yellow submarine as simply a Corny children’s song but it’s lysergic surreality can’t be denied. It’s by turns whimsical, and culturally subversive.
Pretty much there. Not quite on The Magical Mystery Tour Bus. But , yup, A couple there. There's a fog upon L.A. "i'll be back" still gets me. Probable Sue Marshall's fault.
We're nearly a quarter the way through this century & it's become apparent that the Beatles will be the greatest, most important Band in music all the way to the end ( whatever that is ) . So far , I wasted over half a century waiting, searching , hoping some young band would take what the Beatles done & match,advance , push beyond their achievements , ........it never happened
The Help album cover is VERY spiritual and occult, if you know your Golden Dawn. You have the L.V.X formula of Golden Dawn Magick here in the signs that they are giving. George is giving the sign of X, or the Crossing of Osiris. John is giving the sign of V, Set and Typhon the Destroyer, Paul giving the L, the sign of Isis the giver of Life. John is giving the Baphomet sign with one hand to the heavens and the other to the earth - As Above So Below. These are signs of opening of The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. As is the custom of Hebrew it is read from read to left. So Baphomet - as above so Below - , then L.V.X. - LUX the Divine Light; From Beginning Osiris birth, then comes Isis (Spring), then Set and Typhon (Autumn and Winter), then Osiris rebirth (Spring again). So yeah this is the album where during that time they were introduced to Magick and Spiritual Energies and the Brotherhood.
I can't disagree with your ranking, Andy, and on a different day that might be my order as well. But for now, this is my own ranked list: 1. Abbey Road 2. Rubber Soul 3. Revolver 4. White Album 5. Help! 6. Sgt. Pepper 7. Magical Mystery Tour 8. Let It Be 9. A Hard Day's Night 10. Beatles for Sale 11. Please Please Me 12. With the Beatles 13. Yellow Submarine
Not far off my own list - an honourable mention for the Past Masters, put together so long ago they are almost original albums. To have that many classic singles not included on those classic albums really hammers home the level we are talking about.
My life from the age of 4 to 12 like many was book ended by The Beatles. Abbey Rd has always been my favourite. I think it was the template for Dark Side of the Moon. Showed Floyd how to make an album which could crack America & the world.
Magical Mystery tour came out around the same year as consumer stereo headphones in USA ... a very thrilling new level of art ingestion...Far out, man.
Well done .. hard to separate the musicality of these albums from my personal experience as we were all besotted and gladly jumped on the Beatles train - ( was 10 in 1963 ). Having said that it was A Hard Days Night which just exploded into our world ( the movie !! just seemed to be made for us ) .. and Revolver. Every track on Revolver is epic .. even Ol' Yellow. And took us into Hendrix, prog rock and everything. Most disappointing was For Sale - as you say country music and covers. And The Who took my attention.
19:13 - For the recording of LET IT BE, I believe that George Martin combined two 4 track machines to get 8. I assume it was a priority because they had just finished recording the White Album a couple months prior where they had been spoiled with all that space and luxury of 8 tracks for the first time. 31:20 - John Lennon lifted that specific line mentioned from Elvis’ version of Arthur Gunter’s “Baby, Let’s Play House”.
White album for number 1!!!! Then abbey road then revolver. Also really wanted you to mention within you without you and that it should take its rightful place in the public consciousness as one of the best beatles songs
All you have to do is switch Revolver with Sgt. Peppers and we'd have the same list. I still think She Said, She Said is such a banger I just wish (like I do with a lot of Beatles songs) it were longer.
Love the Video ! It's interesting that you have M.M.T. as an "album" as its not really an official album (?) But if you bend the rules a wee bit I'd say . Beatles Past Masters vol 2 is the greatest Beatles album 😊 As a life long Beatles fan it's always going to be Pepper for me .
I would say Magical Mystery Tour is best, but I never know if it counts since I think it was more of a Britain release/collection of singles. Otherwise Revolver.
I don't think Glass Onion reflects tensions within the band, nor do any other tracks. The Beatles broke up because Lennon left and he did to get away from the whole Beatlemania thing. Glass Onion, like I Am The Walrus, is him mocking the futile over-analysis of lyrics and of everything else that whatever the band did was subjected to.
Which album was really #6 on your list, Andy? "A Hard Day's Night"? Or "Rubber Soul"? And at which position was "Help!"? And did you *really* place "Yellow Submarine" at #11? Or #13? Oh, won't you please, please help me? I'm so tired.
And...Pete had the bass drum taken from him on the Sheridan sessions because the priducer Burt Kaempfort found his work on the bass drum too erratic ( to put it mildly)...So, it's really just the snare drum and cymbals....
The Beatles were still in the singles era, so Hey Jude is not even represented on the usual 13. We all considered The Beatles Again/Hey Jude album a new Beatles album when it came out after Let It Be and the announcement of the breakup. Most (all?) of the songs were never released on any of the previous albums with big hits like Paperback Writer and Lady Madonna, besides Hey Jude. And it had new photography from The Beatles last photo session. Also had a song as old as Can't Buy Me Love. Abbey Road as 1 would be my pick also. But I would have The Beatles/White Album at #2. Their separation as a band at the time created one of the most interesting and diverse albums they ever made. Funny thing about Revolution 9, is that Paul was single and living in London while the others were married and living in the country. Paul is extremely active in the art scene in London. Was one of the founders of the art gallery, Indica Bookshop, where John met Yoko. Paul was also experimenting with tape loops ala John Cage. John (Lennon not Cage) got the idea for Revolution 9 partly from experiments Paul was already doing. Radiohead credited I Am The Walrus as a main influence for Karma Police and you can hear it at the end.
Hey Jude was the first Beatles album I owned. Got if for Christmas one year. You bring up an interesting point in that it contained songs which were never released on another album except Can't Buy Me Love and Should have Known Better . That I suppose makes it almost as legit as MMT. Therefore I rank it 6th.
I’m a curmudgeon. MMT is a US release of a double EP and A and B sides of singles from 1967. It was retrofitted as canon for compilation box sets. The Capitol label is a giveaway. Similarly, an album where the Beatles don’t feature on half of it doesn’t make it a Beatles album.
@@colinbaker3916 This is the one US Capitol release where that the Beatles admitted they got right. That is why it is the only US release that it's included on their official discography.
One of your best, of many interesting thoughtful videos. I do not say this because I always agree with you (my God your take on the Grateful Dead is so oblivious IMHO just like you would no doubt feel the same of me not liking your favorite Prog Music, that while I do not despise it, like I did Glam Rock (T-Rex the new Beatles? KISS the new Zeppelin?? HELLO?), just mostly left me bored stiff. While everyone else I knew listened to Yes, Genesis or Rainbow (pre punk mid 70's) I was into Eno, Pink Floyd (the one Prog band I DO love), Led Zeppelin; the Grateful Dead, Television, David Bowie from Station to Station onwards. I was even tired of metal and preferred Birds of Fire or Hot Rats as I was into jazz style rock before punk and New Wave. You just gave the most eloquent argument for why Sgt Peppers is their best ALBUM. I am very tired of 'Abbey Road' (I agree with Lennon's mostly negative comment; 'the sound of a band DYING', that, along with 'Let it be' and the 'Yellow Submarine sound track, are the two LPs I listen to least. Still even YS had 'Hey Bulldog and 'It's all too much' that are top songs for them. I also prefer 'With The Beatles' over the other pre 'Help' LPs even though I agree that the film is EPIC and their best film IMHO. Every Beatles LP is great more or less! The most important musical act of the 20the century in my eyes.
The "White" album is properly #1. "Back in the U.S.S.R." CRUSHES "The Beach Boys," especially the harmonies, is a tribute to Chuck Berry's "Back in the USA," and to Ray Charles' "Georgia On My Mind".
I never understood why the Beach boys never got credit prior to the Beatles for writing their own material. The Beach boys were a national act before the Beatles and Brian Wilson was writing their songs.
A nearly impossible list to put together. However, realistically speaking, MMT is a compilation and should not be considered for this ranking exercise in my humble opinion. Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields are from the Sgt. Pepper sessions and should have been included on that album. To leave them off was an unfortunate misstep.
Not too fussed about the White album. You referenced the Beach Boys via Back in the USSR but there was a nod to other genres in Yer Blues and Rocky Raccoon. I thought they were 'dissing' them, but I doubt they would have done that to Brian Wilson.
I couldn’t possibly argue your #1 pick. For most any great band, by the time they reach their 10th or 11th album release, they’re toast. They’ve run out of steam and creativity. But the Beatles proved differently with the release of the remarkable Abbey Road. It’s just an everlasting treasure.
I telling you, if you don't have the White Album as #1, no wait....if you don't have Rubber Soul as, damn it, hang on, what i mean is it HAS TO BE Revolver...NOOOOO, what about Pepper...and i love A Hard Days Night....errr and then there's that Abbey one.....oh forget it!!
Yep...this was a hard one to do, But I think I have done the best I could
I just listened to Rubber Soul in the car driving to work the other day, I'm surprised how not overwhelmed by its brilliance I was. Sure, it has recognizable songs as all Beatle albums do, but it's now down on my list to "MID".
Obviously number one is Beatles for Sale with Mister Moonlight as the stand out.
At no 6 now Rubber Soul. I reckon (flavour if the year) will be Revolver 🤔
@@daicullinane7746 Irony?
Fitting all 13 albums into a top 11 is the kind of magic only possible in England.
Love the Beatles and you too Andy!
What we do is that we need that extra push over the cliff, you know?
Andy's not good at maths I'm afraid
Yeah, I was a bit confused when he started at #11. It made me think, "OK, so he hasn't included "Magical Mystery Tour", which can be justified as it wasn't an original UK album", but that still meant one album would be missing, so... Anyway, the ranking I don't disagree a lot with, although I would put "Beatles For Sale" as # 12 due to the number of covers, some of which aren't the best, either. Oh, and "Revolver" is probably my #2. Yeah, it's a tricky list. 😄
@@slaydesaid8741 He pulled it off by going: "A Hard Day's Night" #6, "Help!" (no number), then "Rubber Soul" #6 (again?!)
@@dcfan2020 Let's just say those were three sixes and a homage to the Number of the Beast album.
Rubber Soul was the first Beatles album I ever bought when I was 15 and I was totally hooked.
Same with me. I saw the light at the moment of exactly those words in the first song, No reply.
As an American from the southern states, the Beatles have long been my favorite band. There was a summer in my youth where I listened to nothing in my car but an 8 track of Beatles' music. Their influence is almost beyond description....
Fantastic video. And you've finally settled the Bernard Purdie mystery. Keep it up.
Great rundown, Andy. You convey a very palpable sense of the full centrality of the group’s art: the music, the album art, the films, the first rock Grammy nomination, the jazz connections, etc. Good stuff.
I'm 70 and remember when the Beatles hit in the states, and MEET THE BEATLES was the first one that was available.
It was Meet the Beatles!
That must have been amazing, buying an album by a new band, putting it on and hearing the Beatles for the first time! Don't forget though, Andy's doing the British albums so it will be a bit different from the US albums...
@@nickvickers3486 Even as a little kid I could tell that it was a sound like nothing else I've heard. Oddly enough, when I heard "Saw Her Standing There" I thought THAT sounded somewhat familiar. It was Chuck Berry-ish. But, She LovesYou and I Want To Hold Your Hand were from another planet. As was the way they looked. That could never happen again.
That Paperback Writer intro is phenomenal.
Everything is !!
Very enjoyable video, Andy.Well done
One of Zappa’s favourite Beatle songs.
Wow - when I got home from work I decided that I'd like to have a listen to those Beatles albums I was not too familiar with - and here you are Andy ranking their albums..!
A Scottish session drummer called Andy White actually played drums on Love Me Do.
Yes on the album version. Ringo played tambourine. Ringo played on the single version recorded a week earlier.
Well done, Andy! I love your music theory insights and expertise. Referencing Beach Boys was of course expected. Referencing Zappa and other prog rock masters brilliant and SPOT ON!
Ballsy of you to put "Magical Mystery Tour" up there. I always thought it was better than "Sergeant Peppers." You know, of course, that it wasn't really recorded as an album, but was cobbled together from singles.
Completely agree. So much better than Sgt Pepper’s.
Superb commentary, Andy. Loved it!
I just figured out what number one is going to be and I have to say this is the most accurate list ranking you've done. I think I would have come out exactly the same if I had done it before watching yours.
Great analysis of the Beatles. Would love to hear you dedicate a full video to Ringo.
I have
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer Great. I'll check it out.
bringing in 'let it be' early was perfect. a really fine list in general
Rubber Soul …. ‘In My Life’… does it get any better for ‘songs’.
Underrated however,( and rarely mentioned), is ‘You won’t See Me’.
James Jamerson style playing from Paul, and that Rhodes thing preempts ‘Captain And Tenille songs’ and all those Rhodes driven tracks from the seventies…. ‘I’m not In Love’ even … all that 70’s vibe stuff … 65 The Beatles
Spot on with your top three. Rubber Soul number 4
The world really needed this video. 38,000,000 people have already shared their own opinions about these albums, and thanks to you we now have 38,000,001.
But they weren't me
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer The subject has been done to death.
Im from Liverpool, and I was fed up of hearing about the Beatles, but never really listened to there LPS, I was a music snob, into prog, rock and jazz rock etc, then on a school trip, I needed a cassette for my walkman for the coach trip, we stopped at a service station, and I bought St Pepper, from the opening guitar riffs and bass, till the end, it was 40 mins of bliss, this is when I realised they weren't just the pop band you hear all the singles in every pub, but a LP band, my mind was blown, I spend next few weeks buying everything from Rubber Soul onwards, all classics, the fact Strawberry fields and Penny Lane were kept off St Pepper for single and b side is all you need to know..
This is a well thought out ranking of the Beatles albums. Personally I would have put A Hard Days Night a bit higher, because it portrays the Beatles at their most energetic. They are full of confidence and are not yet tired of Beatlemania. It may not be their most sophisticated album, but it is their most joyful one, and that is worth something.
Tell Me Why is one of my all time favorite Beatles songs.
Another great episode!.....thanks Andy!
The first of a whole pile of additional posts....
In them days, the world was different in ways we cannot imagine
First, you would play church halls and pubs, then when you started to make it you would do national tours on the variety circuit. A lot bands would fracture at this point due to the misreable existence of B&B living. The more talented members of a band could go onto be the backing musicians of name acts and finally shangri la, if you are good enough, you make a reliable, easy living being a session man for a record label or maybe the BBC.
Some people went to Tin Pan Alley, Denmark St or the Brill building
As you said, having a band that could do it all was a complete game changer, as it it made the bands a lot richer
The lead guitar work on "Beatles for Sale" is tribute to Harrison idol Carl Perkins".
And Buddy Holly began in Texas country music, until rhythm & blues, and he writes "Not Fade Away".
"Beatles for Sale shows where they came from, where they were in the moment, and where they were going. Those facts elevate the LP to among their top 4.
Love that you gave us all the elbow at the end Andy!
Excellent list! Almost the same as mine. One bone of contention is you skipped right over “Something” which is George Harrison’s greatest song. Cheers!
I like the slip of 'But in the End' into the Abbey Road part.
Bravo Andy👏
Perhaps the best ranking so far ... except maybe Pepper deserved a #2 and Let it Be a little higher,, but I realize, ranking the Beatles' albums could never be done in all-in-agreement way.
We're talking about once in century geniuses here
Agree with Magical Mystery over Sgt. Pepper. I would rank White Album higher. Great list, Andy.
Cool, thanks!
A very enjoyable ranking of their albums .
I think that when you came into listening to the Beatles' music, plays a large part in how you would rank their albums .
I was 10 years old when I saw them on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964 , so I was in on their music from the start .
I love the early part of their catalog quite a bit , as that's what I grew up to as a kid .
Here's a disclaimer before I give you my ranking :
Growing up in Toronto , we actually had Canadian versions of the Beatles' Capitol records albums , that differed slightly from the US versions , usually by a track or two , which in themselves differed from the UK versions . All of my choices will be the UK versions unless otherwise noted .
Anyway , here is my ranking. ( as of today , anyway ) , starting with my favourite :
Rubber Soul. ( US version , which was at this point , the same as the Canadian version )
Abbey Road
A Hard Day's Night
White Album
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Clubs Band
Revolver
Help !
Magical Mystery tour
Let It Be
With the Beatles
Please Please Me
Beatles For Sale
Yellow Submarine
Many thanks !
Great video Andy. Great aesthetic presentation too.
Of course Dylan raised the bar for everyone - I think Country was already present in the Beatles before their encounter with him. One of George’s biggest influences was Chet Atkins. Ringo too, was a huge Country fan. When space opens for George’s songwriting, so it does for the Country in his guitar playing. The slide playing on his solo work is second to none. He’s there before Keef latches on to Gram Parsons and Ry Cooder. I’d argue that it was George’s Country chops that was the glue for the TWs. I can’t see any other Beatle really gelling with the rest of that band the way that George did.
How about a video on George Harrison’s contribution to Fusion/Prog?
PS. George was also the preeminent ukulele player and George Formby aficionado in the band.
I always loved shes so heavy but noone talks about it, its great to hear you give it some love
A Hard Days Night had ATTITUDE and possibly more impact when it was released than any of their other albums. Those rankings always dismiss their fiirst 5 albums. you at least gave it a wee bit of respect.
Totally agreed.its live the police s outlandos d amour. If youre honest.. THATS the best
Great list Andy. The only qualm I have with Magical Mystery Tour being so high (pun intended), is that it really is just half an album, having been originally released as an EP (remember those?). The B side is a collection of singles that were released throughout 1967. In my Beatles Universe, Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane belong on Sgt. Peppers (Sir George Martin apparently felt the same way), and I include them on my own mix of that album. Also, I would have A Hard Day Night higher on my list, as it really is the most complete and perfect album the Beatles ever recorded, with not one throwaway track on it (also, Lennon really shines vocally).
Brilliant analysis. I've been a Beatles maniac since age 8 and they remain my favorite band. I plan to share this video with friends of mine who seem to have forgotten the sheer greatness of this band. Personally, I'd say that Maxwell's Silver Hammer knocks Abbey Road from the top spot, but for me the top 4 albums are largely interchangeable. Well done!
Agree !
I feel like I read someone that Astrid had an influence on the With The Beatles album cover as well. Aren’t there some early ‘60’s shots of the Beatles taken by Astrid in Hamburg in half shadows?
The Indian Element, the British Invasion and the James Browns Brand New Bag are very Important for the Jazz-Rock Fusion from 1965 on.
Giving George Harrison Credit for the „Sound Aspect“ of many early Jazz Rock Fusion is an interesting Touch. John Mayer and Joe Harriot brought in the Fusion and Jazz, the Beatles the Rock.
Teo Macero had a Composition from the 50ties called Fusion. But the Sound of a Hard hitting Rhythm Section with Horns came from the funky Side of Soul. The British Revolution turned Jimmy Smith unto Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon (Got my Mojo Workin‘) but also many Jazzers to Cover Donovan and Wannabe Brits like Mamas & Papas and Sonny & Cher.
The Vibraphon as a Lead Instrument in Jazz Rock Fusion goes back to Lionel Hampton. Violin and Cello as Sound Definer might come from John Handy and Chico Hamilton.
Chico the Mod Jazzer for sure had an Influence on Georgie Fame, who definitely tried to fuse Jazz with the Beatles in his own Way. It is a long and winding Road.
But Jazz Rock Fusion after 1965 without the Beatles would definitely Sound totally different if it had ever emerged.
Besides of my Early Buys „The Red and Blue Double Albums“ my favorite Beatles Album has always been Abbey Road.
Once again I feel compelled to go listen to the subject in hand....they really were/are that good!!!
"Alexander's Ragtime Band" was the first pop song. I can't believe it took me this long to learn that. I never even thought to ask the question. Thanks for the answer.
The part that makes the mistake humorous and ironic is that one understands what the speakers had in mind.
🌠Alright Andy ...
I don't agree with your list- of course I don't - but I'm so glad you gave Magical Mystery Tour its due. It's about time it was seen for the work of genius it is.
I’m mostly with you on this impossible, even Magical Mystery Tour which I wouldn’t have thought of as among their tippy top best, but you make a good case for it. But I do take exception to you crapping on Rocky Raccoon. I think it’s a nice old timey tune and it paints such a vivid picture.
Thing about Magical Mystery Tour was, when it came out, it played like a one-sided album, reason being that the singles that filled out side 2 had been played to death on the radio that year, great as they were and are.
My favourite band of all time and White Album is my favourite album of all time shortly followed by Dylan's Blonde on Blonde.
Never heard em but curious to check them out
You should. They're even more influential than Gerry and the Pacemakers.If you can imagine such a thing.
You know that lead guitar part at the very start of Sgt Pepper? George Harrison spent 7 hours working in that. Then Paul McCartney came in, listened to it and said it wasn't good enough. McCartney then re-recorded the part in 10 minutes. Poor George, what a slap in the face 🫣
Today, my top five are:
Revolver
Magical Mystery Tour
Abbey Road
Rubber Soul
The White Album
But it would be Magical Mystery Tour I’d take onto my desert island. Its diversity and its invention captivates me.
Great vid, Andy.
The Pet Shop Boys! I like that one album they did; Beach Sounds
The best Ringo song is Don't Pass me By. It foreshadows his future with Thomas. Taxman or Start! by The Jam?
Hi, I'm not a great fan of the early Beatles, it's quite difficult to rank the top 5, at the moment i would put the white album as a number 1, followed by Revolver and Abbey Road neck in neck, Rubber Soul within easy reach. Sgt. Pepper could be number 1/2 or 3/4, it depends on my mood, it is a great album though, Let it be is fighting it out with Magical Mistery Tour
Great one again Andy,
In September 1970 I bought my first lp, Abbey Road.
Same here except it was October 1972 for me. I'm not sure if it was a blessing or a curse to start with such a majestic album.
Another Beatles ranking, but it’s Andy so I GOTTA hear what he has to
Say- always makes
Great connections. I love that you kind of slag off Rocky Raccoon but think
yellow Submarine is
Groundbreaking which it was,( if you were a kid like me and heard it seeping out of the car speakers while you rode to the market with your mom in the family station wagon.) Like Strawberry Fields and Yesterday, totally left field aberrations that challenged what was accepted on top 40 radio, essentially laying the groundwork for FM radio and the beginning demise of the Dominance of am pop radio. People tend to think of yellow submarine as simply a
Corny children’s song but it’s lysergic surreality can’t be denied. It’s by turns whimsical, and culturally subversive.
Pretty much there. Not quite on The Magical Mystery Tour Bus. But , yup, A couple there. There's a fog upon L.A. "i'll be back" still gets me. Probable Sue Marshall's fault.
Ringo had already stepped in for Pete in Hamburg, Rory Storm was working the same clubs, so they knew him prior to Pete being replaced.
We're nearly a quarter the way through this century & it's become apparent that the Beatles will be the greatest, most important Band in music all the way to the end ( whatever that is ) . So far , I wasted over half a century waiting, searching , hoping some young band would take what the Beatles done & match,advance , push beyond their achievements , ........it never happened
Drive My Car = Crosstown Traffic
Do you know what the lyrics of crosstown traffic is about?
That's ridiculous
@@klapsigaarenbasgitaar1931 very simlar riff
amazing vid!
The Help album cover is VERY spiritual and occult, if you know your Golden Dawn. You have the L.V.X formula of Golden Dawn Magick here in the signs that they are giving. George is giving the sign of X, or the Crossing of Osiris. John is giving the sign of V, Set and Typhon the Destroyer, Paul giving the L, the sign of Isis the giver of Life. John is giving the Baphomet sign with one hand to the heavens and the other to the earth - As Above So Below. These are signs of opening of The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. As is the custom of Hebrew it is read from read to left. So Baphomet - as above so Below - , then L.V.X. - LUX the Divine Light; From Beginning Osiris birth, then comes Isis (Spring), then Set and Typhon (Autumn and Winter), then Osiris rebirth (Spring again).
So yeah this is the album where during that time they were introduced to Magick and Spiritual Energies and the Brotherhood.
I can't disagree with your ranking, Andy, and on a different day that might be my order as well. But for now, this is my own ranked list:
1. Abbey Road
2. Rubber Soul
3. Revolver
4. White Album
5. Help!
6. Sgt. Pepper
7. Magical Mystery Tour
8. Let It Be
9. A Hard Day's Night
10. Beatles for Sale
11. Please Please Me
12. With the Beatles
13. Yellow Submarine
Not far off my own list - an honourable mention for the Past Masters, put together so long ago they are almost original albums. To have that many classic singles not included on those classic albums really hammers home the level we are talking about.
My life from the age of 4 to 12 like many was book ended by The Beatles. Abbey Rd has always been my favourite. I think it was the template for Dark Side of the Moon. Showed Floyd how to make an album which could crack America & the world.
Magical Mystery tour came out around the same year as consumer stereo headphones in USA ... a very thrilling new level of art ingestion...Far out, man.
Well done .. hard to separate the musicality of these albums from my personal experience as we were all besotted and gladly jumped on the Beatles train - ( was 10 in 1963 ). Having said that it was A Hard Days Night which just exploded into our world ( the movie !! just seemed to be made for us ) .. and Revolver. Every track on Revolver is epic .. even Ol' Yellow. And took us into Hendrix, prog rock and everything. Most disappointing was For Sale - as you say country music and covers. And The Who took my attention.
19:13 - For the recording of LET IT BE, I believe that George Martin combined two 4 track machines to get 8.
I assume it was a priority because they had just finished recording the White Album a couple months prior where they had been spoiled with all that space and luxury of 8 tracks for the first time.
31:20 - John Lennon lifted that specific line mentioned from Elvis’ version of Arthur Gunter’s “Baby, Let’s Play House”.
_Helter Skelter_ is worth mentioning.
White album for number 1!!!! Then abbey road then revolver.
Also really wanted you to mention within you without you and that it should take its rightful place in the public consciousness as one of the best beatles songs
All you have to do is switch Revolver with Sgt. Peppers and we'd have the same list. I still think She Said, She Said is such a banger I just wish (like I do with a lot of Beatles songs) it were longer.
Love the Video !
It's interesting that you have M.M.T. as an "album" as its not really an official album (?)
But if you bend the rules a wee bit I'd say .
Beatles Past Masters vol 2 is the greatest Beatles album 😊
As a life long Beatles fan it's always going to be Pepper for me .
I would say Magical Mystery Tour is best, but I never know if it counts since I think it was more of a Britain release/collection of singles. Otherwise Revolver.
1 Pepper
2 Revolver
3 Rubber Soul
4. Abbey Road
5. Whitd Album
Easy 1st album is last,
Last album is 1st.
A complete progression and innovation on clockwork proper time throughout!
Wow, what an original, creative idea!
I agree with what you say about strawberry fields forever..its the Beatles greatest song 🍓
I don't think Glass Onion reflects tensions within the band, nor do any other tracks. The Beatles broke up because Lennon left and he did to get away from the whole Beatlemania thing. Glass Onion, like I Am The Walrus, is him mocking the futile over-analysis of lyrics and of everything else that whatever the band did was subjected to.
Which album was really #6 on your list, Andy? "A Hard Day's Night"? Or "Rubber Soul"?
And at which position was "Help!"? And did you *really* place "Yellow Submarine" at #11? Or #13?
Oh, won't you please, please help me? I'm so tired.
And...Pete had the bass drum taken from him on the Sheridan sessions because the priducer Burt Kaempfort found his work on the bass drum too erratic ( to put it mildly)...So, it's really just the snare drum and cymbals....
The Beatles were still in the singles era, so Hey Jude is not even represented on the usual 13. We all considered The Beatles Again/Hey Jude album a new Beatles album when it came out after Let It Be and the announcement of the breakup. Most (all?) of the songs were never released on any of the previous albums with big hits like Paperback Writer and Lady Madonna, besides Hey Jude. And it had new photography from The Beatles last photo session. Also had a song as old as Can't Buy Me Love.
Abbey Road as 1 would be my pick also. But I would have The Beatles/White Album at #2. Their separation as a band at the time created one of the most interesting and diverse albums they ever made.
Funny thing about Revolution 9, is that Paul was single and living in London while the others were married and living in the country. Paul is extremely active in the art scene in London. Was one of the founders of the art gallery, Indica Bookshop, where John met Yoko. Paul was also experimenting with tape loops ala John Cage. John (Lennon not Cage) got the idea for Revolution 9 partly from experiments Paul was already doing.
Radiohead credited I Am The Walrus as a main influence for Karma Police and you can hear it at the end.
Hey Jude was the first Beatles album I owned. Got if for Christmas one year. You bring up an interesting point in that it contained songs which were never released on another album except Can't Buy Me Love and Should have Known Better . That I suppose makes it almost as legit as MMT. Therefore I rank it 6th.
Pop Quiz - which album did John call the most Beatleese? Short, sharp and some military thing. Brits. It's on Dark Side. brb. Shock.
So glad you did not slot Revolver as the obligatory no. 1 👍
Who played their instruments for them when they played live concerts?
THE KINKS are underrated
I’m a curmudgeon. MMT is a US release of a double EP and A and B sides of singles from 1967. It was retrofitted as canon for compilation box sets. The Capitol label is a giveaway. Similarly, an album where the Beatles don’t feature on half of it doesn’t make it a Beatles album.
MMT is the one time were Capitol records got it right.
@@Osvie01-uc8go Doesn’t matter. EMI in the UK didn’t, and the Beatles were pretty hostile to having singles included on albums.
@@colinbaker3916 This is the one US Capitol release where that the Beatles admitted they got right. That is why it is the only US release that it's included on their official discography.
One of your best, of many interesting thoughtful videos. I do not say this because I always agree with you (my God your take on the Grateful Dead is so oblivious IMHO just like you would no doubt feel the same of me not liking your favorite Prog Music, that while I do not despise it, like I did Glam Rock (T-Rex the new Beatles? KISS the new Zeppelin?? HELLO?), just mostly left me bored stiff. While everyone else I knew listened to Yes, Genesis or Rainbow (pre punk mid 70's) I was into Eno, Pink Floyd (the one Prog band I DO love), Led Zeppelin; the Grateful Dead, Television, David Bowie from Station to Station onwards. I was even tired of metal and preferred Birds of Fire or Hot Rats as I was into jazz style rock before punk and New Wave. You just gave the most eloquent argument for why Sgt Peppers is their best ALBUM. I am very tired of 'Abbey Road' (I agree with Lennon's mostly negative comment; 'the sound of a band DYING', that, along with 'Let it be' and the 'Yellow Submarine sound track, are the two LPs I listen to least. Still even YS had 'Hey Bulldog and 'It's all too much' that are top songs for them. I also prefer 'With The Beatles' over the other pre 'Help' LPs even though I agree that the film is EPIC and their best film IMHO. Every Beatles LP is great more or less! The most important musical act of the 20the century in my eyes.
A Hard Day's Night 100% agree with Andy. 100% original songs, Fabulous album for 1964.
The "White" album is properly #1. "Back in the U.S.S.R." CRUSHES "The Beach Boys," especially the harmonies, is a tribute to Chuck Berry's "Back in the USA," and to Ray Charles' "Georgia On My Mind".
I never understood why the Beach boys never got credit prior to the Beatles for writing their own material. The Beach boys were a national act before the Beatles and Brian Wilson was writing their songs.
1. white album
2. abbey road
3. sgt. peppers
4. revolver
5. rubber soul
6. magical mystery tour
7. let it be
the rest
Hard days night was an album they chucked together...on their own
Andy hardest thinker in musicland.
A nearly impossible list to put together. However, realistically speaking, MMT is a compilation and should not be considered for this ranking exercise in my humble opinion. Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields are from the Sgt. Pepper sessions and should have been included on that album. To leave them off was an unfortunate misstep.
Not too fussed about the White album. You referenced the Beach Boys via Back in the USSR but there was a nod to other genres in Yer Blues and Rocky Raccoon. I thought they were 'dissing' them, but I doubt they would have done that to Brian Wilson.
I couldn’t possibly argue your #1 pick. For most any great band, by the time they reach their 10th or 11th album release, they’re toast. They’ve run out of steam and creativity. But the Beatles proved differently with the release of the remarkable Abbey Road. It’s just an everlasting treasure.
I love Abbey Road. The best album of leftovers ever, I can't think of a better one?
Got to admit I prefer Pink Fairies version of 'I Saw Her Standing There'
The thing with selecting a best Beatles album is, you can disagree with others, but you can never claim they're wrong.
Imagine had the Beatles gone beyond the 70's and made a proper Prog album.
If you look at my comments, I half suspected it may pan out like this.
I could disagree on little bits but generally …. I get it.
Brilliant ❤
Thank...I worked hard on this one, trying to my personal bias out of it
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer take it as achieved.
(From a fellow philosophy nerd).
'Abbey Road' and 'let it be' are my 2 favourite. I would include anthology 3 but it's not a proper studio album!