Hi, it's me, "chiming in."
Excuse the wordiness. Writing is easy, editing takes time.
My 5
1. “Revolver.” The most cohesive set when J, P and G each were still engaged as songwriters in context of The Beatles as a group. At the same time, they were beginning to find separate creative identities. Those two diverging qualities are in perfect balance. Bonus: Studio experimentation of the late-period began here.
2. The White Album. My answer when someone asks, “What’s your favorite Beatles album?” It’s a fascinating collection, expansive in style. Is it bloated? Sure. It has a few songs I rarely revisit. But it has large chunks that make me want to return. If “Revolver” was the last true unified effort as an “actual band,” White Album is The Opposite. A beautiful, sprawling mess.
3. “Rubber Soul.” Easy to overlook how much of a departure this was after the wave of Beatlemania’s musical form. It’s more acoustic-based than anything they did before, while still having plenty of rock ’n’ roll. First hint of George Martin’s production influence and the band begins to explore new uses of instrumentation. I’d argue this album has aged better than anything in the catalog. And oh, the vocal harmonies.
4. “Sgt. Pepper.” A common knock on this album is The Beatles abandoned the “concept” of a mythical band after the first two songs. I’d be curious to hear the album if they had stayed focused all the way through, but ironically that runs counter to the spirit of McCartney’s vision, which was to free the group from constraints of “being The Beatles.” The opening track and the cameo by Billy Shears sets a tone, then they go in whatever directions they choose. It also has a claustrophobic sound, mirroring a transition from live performances to studio isolation.
5. “Abbey Road.” The pinnacle of studio-precision and a fitting coda. It’s two albums in one: Side 1 showcases each member’s personal songwriting direction at the time. Side 2 is a pastiche that summarizes the group’s evolution. I’d rank it higher, but songs on side 1, individually, don’t cut it for me. I like “Oh, Darling!” and “I Want You,” but even those don’t seem essential.
Admittedly, this list short-shrifts pre-Rubber Soul albums, and that may be unfair. Without “Please Please Me” and “With The Beatles” (and the advantage of making a lot of money with the breakthrough), the band might have faded before it could create the latter-day works.
Those albums, plus “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Help!” have some killer individual tracks, some among my enduring favorites. But the early albums have a lot of covers, and although they’re well-done for the most part, they don’t resonate, considering Fab Four set a standard for original songwriting.
