What's NSC's favourite studio album by The Beatles?

[Beach Hut]

Abbey Road for me however Strawberry Fields Forever as an individual track transcends time to probably the greatest song in the world.

It is over 50 years old now of if someone ever recorded that now it would beggar belief, an outstanding individual track.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

A Day in the Life is a bona fide titan of a song but that's like saying The Who's 'My Generation' is their greatest album for having the titular track on it.

I voted for Sgt Pepper, which I had the day it was released At the age of 13. A day in the Life is awesome, but there isn't a bad track on it. But being around at the time, they were just so far ahead of just about everyone else it was amazing.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Agreed, with Hard Day's Night just behind.

I tried boiling the White Album down to a single album, and it was effing amazing.

I was disappointed how many people liked Sgt Pepper. Have you listened to it recently? I mean, She's Leaving Home? When I'm 64? Really?

Knock those two off and replace them with with the more-or-less contemporary Strawberry Fields and All You Need Is Love and get rid of Within You, Without You in favour of either of George's songs from Yellow Submarine (It's All Too Much or Only A Northern Song) and you might have something ...
.

Yes, I have listened to it recently, quite a lot. One of the reasons I would rate it so highly is because of the variety of music on it.

And many of the lyrics are top quality. She's Leaving Home is a top quality song. "She's Leaving Home after Living Alone For So Many Years" says a great deal in just 10 words.

 

[Don Quixote]

Rubber Soul for me. I think with Help just behind.

 

[kc1]

I've gone for revolver, all amazing tracks finished off with probably their greatest song, Tomorrow Never Knows.
Where do we stand on the Magical Mystery Tour? Only released here as an EP sadly. That would be my second choice if included- Strawberry Fields, Walrus, Penny Lane and Baby your a Rich Man - simply brilliant music.

 

[skipper734]

Revolver or Rubber Soul? I went for Rubber Soul. I gave them all, and a whole big box of others to Skipper Jnr. for his 18th six months ago.
Now I'll never be a millionaire.

 

[Mr Putdown]

I really love A Hard Day's Night - it's pretty much the definitive Beatlemania album, if you don't count the singles, obviously.

I simply have to vote for this, it was the first album I ever bought after bieng given record tokens as a four year old.

Every track is etched in my childhood memories, there was a McCartney retrospect on R4 over Christmas and I was shocked to realise that I was word perfect on songs I haven't listened to for probably 40 years.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Diversity and innovation don't necessarily mean quality.

Yes, there are classics. While my Guitar, Back in the USSR, Helter Skelter, Revolution One are fantastic and there are other good tracks but Wild Honey Pie? I'm So Tired? Why don't we do it in the Road? Piggies and of course, the God-awful Revolution 9? Those alone take it down significantly in my estimation.

The White Album gets my vote. Yes, Honey Pie, Revolution 9... These are not masterpieces, shall we say. But there is enough on the album to make this less relevant.

And 'I'm so Tired' is brilliant, Including this in your list of duds is bizarre.

But having said this, all of their albums were in with a shout of my vote.

 

[Mowgli37]

I voted for Sgt Pepper, which I had the day it was released At the age of 13. A day in the Life is awesome, but there isn't a bad track on it. But being around at the time, they were just so far ahead of just about everyone else it was amazing.

Oh I totally agree, it's without question a seminal work with a fantastic array of songs. I think my preference for Revolver stems from simply me liking the 'lesser' tracks on Revolver e.g. For No One, Doctor Robert, more than the 'lesser' (by lesser read: still pretty damn good!) pieces on Pepper: Fixing a Hole, Mr Kite.

There's always a special bond with the music you grew up. For example, I know I shouldn't but I consider both Bring it all Back by S Club 7 and 5,6,7,8 by Steps to be songs of great quality and defining songs of their era despite the enormous weight of opinion to the contrary!

 

[Mowgli37]

The White Album gets my vote. Yes, Honey Pie, Revolution 9... These are not masterpieces, shall we say. But there is enough on the album to make this less relevant.

And 'I'm so Tired' is brilliant, Including this in your list of duds is bizarre.

But having said this, all of their albums were in with a shout of my vote.

I just never particularly warmed to that track. Find it a bit dreary in all honesty. It's testament to the Beatles (in this case John Lennon's) brilliant songwriting that although I dislike it as a piece of music I still think the lyrics are excellent.

Agreed, there's not a Beatles album that you could say was anything less than very good. On a track by track basis, of the two hundred something songs they made their hit to miss ratio (in my opinion) is vastly superior to that of pretty much every band I can think of. If anything, they found it harder to write a bad song than a good one!

 

[Mowgli37]

She's Leaving Home? When I'm 64? Really?

Knock those two off and replace them with with the more-or-less contemporary Strawberry Fields and All You Need Is Love and get rid of Within You, Without You in favour of either of George's songs from Yellow Submarine (It's All Too Much or Only A Northern Song) and you might have something ...
.

Woah there! Are you out of your mind?! Within You, Without You has got to be one of the best things on Pepper.

 

[Ravids]

There are some fantastic tracks on The White Album (dear prudence, USSR, rocky raccoon, guitar weeps, birthday etc) but some absolutely dire ones too (rev 9, honey yie, do it in the road ect) therefore Abbey Road takes my number one spot, closely followed by Robber Soul and Revolver. Didn't get on with Sgt Pepper, although I have only listened to it once or twice.

Another poll worth doing would be for best Beatles song, you never give me your money would get my vote!

 

[Nitram]

Between three. Help mainly because I associate it with the film and it has my favourite Beatles track 'You've got to hide your love away'. The White album, weird and ground breaking, Helter Skelter and Revolution still stand out. Winner though has to be Sgt. Pepper the Beatles repost to Brian Wilson's Pet Sounds which is a sublime album in itself.
Wilson on listening to it was supposed to have wept at the brilliance of it. The influence that single album had on so many future artists attests to its importance and is the Beatles crowning glory.

 

[Biscuit]

Diversity and innovation don't necessarily mean quality.

Yes, there are classics. While my Guitar, Back in the USSR, Helter Skelter, Revolution One are fantastic and there are other good tracks but Wild Honey Pie? I'm So Tired? Why don't we do it in the Road? Piggies and of course, the God-awful Revolution 9? Those alone take it down significantly in my estimation.

I never argued it did, but it did demonstrate that the Beatles were constantly looking for new sounds and techniques. And of the lesser songs you mention I happen to like Why don't we do it in the Road and Revolution 9 very much! Perhaps a left of field choice but I think Rocky Racoon is bloody brilliant - so it's all very subjective.

Personally, I think it's a staggeringly brave album, and with gems like While My Guitar Gently Weeps and the like waiting to catch you unawares,

 

[Bold Seagull]

It is frightening the breadth of their output over 7 years recording those 12 wonderful studio albums. Whether you thought they were at times derivative or guilty of plagiarism, it's still dwarfed by such a varied creative mix by 4 blokes in their 20's. Incredible. Truly incredible.

 

[1234andcounting]

Bit like asking to choose your favourite Wardy or Bobby Z goal. I think it is Abbey Road as that is the one I listen to most - the extended segue at the end of side 2 is genius but as others have written, all of them are great.

 

[Jam The Man]

Abbey Road for me, and while I would suggest there is no such thing as a bad Beatles album, I have always thought Beatles For Sale was somewhat a filler in between projects.
Over the years The White Album has grown on me, but still feel it would have been better focussed as a single album.
I'm something of a Beatles nut, and will undoubtedly listen to Beatles tracks to some degree every week. In fact on the way home from work i gave my Beatles acapella cd a whirl.

I recently gave my 11 year old my first batch of the studio albums on CD - as I purchased the stereo remasters a few years ago - as he is just getting into them, which is great.

 

[GT49er]

Sergeant Pepper. Can still remember the electrifying buzz that was everywhere the day it came out - blaring out at the fairground and all the kids (like me) listening to it, walking round the streets hearing it coming through dozens of open windows. Can't remember anything like it before or since, so Pepper it has to be.

I love all the earlier albums, but I think they peaked at Pepper. There's some nice stuff on Abbey Road, some OK songs on the White album (I bought mine from NEMS in Liverpool the day before it was released. The early issues were numbered - mine was no.78. I sold it to buy a guitar a couple of years later - bad move!) Didn't like Let it Be much at all.

 

[brakespear]

'Abbey Road', especially 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)' which is my favourite Lennon composition and the closing medley.
Like 'The White Album' a lot too but apart from them I'm not such a big Beatles fan as I used to be. Never liked 'Let It Be' though

 

[Anchorman]

I've been in the Revolver 'Camp' pretty much since I first got into all the Beatles albums. For me, this is the perfect transition album from the early raw pop love songs to the experimental stuff, drawing the best from both eras. Side 2 is as good as it gets for me and agree with Mowgli37 about And Your Bird Can Sing. And Tomorrow Never Knows is always my standout example of 'this is how far ahead of their time they were!'