Ranking The Beatles' official studio albums | Page 10 | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

Hi there! I’ve been on this forum for a few months now, yet haven’t been involved at all. I decided that, to get more involved, I’d do a ranking of the albums. The list can and WILL change over time (hell, it may change tomorrow), but this is it currently. I’m ranking the UK studio albums + MMT.

13. Yellow Submarine – What else could be last? Four new songs, one of which is pretty crappy (All Together Now ), two songs we’d heard before, and an entire SIDE of instrumentals from a film. George Martin certainly isn’t bad, it’s merely the result of the film itself being bad and the fact that I want to hear the Beatles instead of the soundtrack to a film that I consider to be borderline unwatchable. Underrated Song – It’s Only A Northern Song . Overrated – All You Need Is Love .

12. Beatles For Sale – This album suffers from premature ejaculation. The first four tracks are phenomenal (Baby’s In Black is my favorite tracks), but the rest (aside from 2 or 3 tracks) shows a tired band that had to pump out another album due to their contract. It’s not a bad album whatsoever, I just get very bored with it. Underrated Song – Words Of Love . Overrated Song – I’ll Follow The Sun .

11. Help ! – Once again, this album has a great first side (although it does get a bit tiring), but side two is completely skip-able. Yes, I know. Yesterday is a masterpiece, but I’ve heard it a trillion times already that I never feel like hearing it again. I’m being very critical, because this is a very good album, but I rarely listen to it. Underrated song – I Need You . Overrated Song – Yesterday . Paul has written better songs, yet why is it that everybody knows THIS ONE!!!

10. Please Please Me – This used to be quite a bit higher, but it’s since fallen down on my estimation. Perhaps I’ve gotten a bit tired of it, but I just don’t enjoy it as much as I used to. A great first album with a lot of 1950’s feeling to it, but it’s got a few tracks that are throwaways and I’m a bit tired of it. Underrated song – Ask Me Why . Overrated Song – Love Me Do .

9. A Hard Day’s Night – Wonderful album, but it feels a bit repetitive on side two. Also, it’s a bit too “happy” for me sometimes… Underrated song – Things We Said Today . Overrated song – And I Love Her .

8. With the Beatles – I love the mo-town influence that this album has, and that’s why it’s my favorite of their first five albums. It’s got more of a punch to it than the other things they were releasing, and the covers they chose were amazing. Underrated song – Devil In Her Heart . Overrated Song – Money (That’s What I Want)

7. Magical Mystery Tour – I have a hard time respecting this as a genuine album instead of a greatest hits of 1967 album, simply because it’s not an album. Or, at least, it shouldn’t be. It’s got some of their best songs on it (and some throwaway material), so the consistency is a bit off, too. Like I said, my list will change over time. Underrated Song – Blue Jay Way . Overrated Song – All You Need Is Love .

6. The Beatles – You know what, a few months ago this would’ve been a lot lower. But then I finally understood it – this is THE album. If you like music in general, you will like at least one song on this album. It’s a guarantee. Yes, it’s got some filler, but that can be ignored because what isn’t filler is absolutely incredible. Underrated song – Rocky Raccoon . Overrated song – BLACKBIRD. 

5. Let it Be – Yes, this album is hated, but I love it for how simple and fun it is. There might also be a bit of nostalgia in there, too… It goes back to their roots and is just so much fun, yet also feels like good closure for me (primarily because Get Back ends with Lennon’s “audition” remark, hence making the Beatles’ entire career feel like one, giant audition in which they blew the judges’ minds). Underrated song – Dig A Pony . Overrated song – Let It Be .

These next four are basically interchangeable

4. Rubber Soul – A glimpse of what is to come is buried underneath this blast of an album. It’s got some of their best songs, yet isn’t very progressive. The songwriting talents of Lennon and McCartney are shown greatly here, because this is the first album in which I truly take them seriously as some of the best song writers of all time. Underrated Song – You Won’t See Me . Overrated song – The one album where I’d say that not a single track is overrated. All lie exactly where they deserve to be IMO.

3. Sgt. Pepper ‘s Lonely Hearts Club Band – What’s there to say. It’s a meticulously crafted masterpiece. Underrated song – None exists. Overrated song – When I’m Sixty Four.

2. Abbey Road – This is the Beatles’ most beautiful sounding creation. It is filled with lush sounds, magnificent harmonies, and breathtakingly amazing songs. Not a single track is boring, and for this being the last effort that the Beatles ever created, it certainly feels like they all gave it 110% of their effort whether that might be true or not. Underrated song – Because . Overrated song – Maxwell’s Silver Hammer .

1. Revolver – You might be wondering why this is first when I say what I’m about to say – I don’t like Good Day Sunshine at all. However, the rest of the album is the definition of perfect for me. It is the transition between old and new Beatles. You don’t believe Me? Look at Taxman , then look at Tomorrow Never Knows . Quite a leap for only 12 songs in between, eh? It’s got rock, psychedelia, ballads, Indian music, happy songs, somber songs, beautiful songs, dreamy songs, and is my favorite Beatles album. Pet Sounds might have come first, but like master and apprentice, the apprentice rises above the master and rightfully slaughters him. Underrated song – none exists. Overrated – Good Day Sunshine .

Thanks! @Saltie 

You’re right about the overrateds, though, there are no John/George songs. I didn’t even notice that until now. Honestly, I much prefer Lennon and Harrison’s song writing styles over McCartney’s, but don’t get me wrong, I still love McCartney. I did have a few Macca songs in the underrated, too (When I Get Home , Rocky Raccoon , You Won’t See Me ). When it comes to overrating and underrating, you can obviously have your own opinion. It was merely meant for my own enjoyment and to get a better feeling of what I enjoy/ don’t enjoy in each album.

@Saltie you’re right, my mistake. “When I Get Home ” is a John song, but in my original post I said “Things We Said Today ” so I meant to name that one instead. Honest mistake! Also, I’ve always been a stickler for rankings things. I like putting things into a wider perspective and highlighting the stronger spots and weaker spots, yet respecting it as a whole and the fact that certain things will appeal to other people more than they do to me. Basically, ranking stuff is fun 🙂

@What Petty Crime All around, it’s not like I don’t like any songs by one band member and then love every song by another band member. For all members, there are songs I love and don’t love. There are very few songs I don’t like throughout their 210+ song career, so even when I say something is overrated that doesn’t mean I don’t like it, yet that I am surprised that it gets so much recognition when I feel that other things surrounding it deserve more. But, obviously, people love what they love, so it was more a way of saying what I enjoy and don’t enjoy about the album and a way to get across the kind of songs I love and don’t love. I do generally like John’s songs the most, but All You Need Is Love doesn’t do it for me as much as most of his songs from this era do.