What are your Top 3 Beatles Albums and your least favourite

Revolver, Rubber Soul and Abbey Road.

Like you Steve my least favourite is the original Phil Spector version of Let It Be.

Richard

White, Rubber and Revolver.

Least favourite is probably Let It Be, although to be honest even this is worth owning and listening to (I'd give it three out of five).

Sgt Pepper, Help, Rubber Soul. 

Not keen on Let it Be.

Graham.

White Album, Abbey Road and Help.  An honourable mention must be made for the two original "best ofs", the Red and Blue albums.  These should be automatically given to every child born in the UK.  Hard to pick a duffer, but I guess Let it Be gets the wooden spoon.

By SP I was a teen superfan not having owned anything earlier, loved everything after, they took me places in my imagination no other group could. However, in 70 I moved form east coast to west coast and in the car with my parents news came that the Beatles had broken up. That was like D-I-V-O-R-C-E (dear Tammy) and I just couldn't like Let it Be. It was different, but seemed to be a mash up of individual songs tho some of them were wonderful and even spectacular,Hey Jude and JoJo.  It just didn't jell for me. At the late 60s we certainly needed spiritual which Jude provided and many other songs of reaffirmation. So glad Billy Preston helped them out. George said when he showed up at the sessions everyone was on their best behavior.

3 best: Rubber Soul for early,  Sgt Peppers for ultimate fantasy but MMystery Tour is now a close favorite, and then I'd have to go for White Album, (because it is 2 albums giving me more fantasy).

I think I'm going to have a session now, 2 days ago it was hours of Paul Simon

Wow - this is hard...every time I read someone's list I think, "Yeah, that's one of mine too" and before I know it, my list of 3 is up to 6 or 7.

I guess if I have to limit it to 3, it would be 1.) Abbey Road, 2.) The White Album, and 3.) either Revolver or Rubber Soul (I know, that's cheating....)

I think Rubber Soul/Revolver is when they really started to revolutionize popular music.

Have to agree with the least fave being the "Spectorized" Let It Be, but the stuff he didn't touch on that album is really pretty cool (One After 909, For You Blue, I Me Mine), and the re-release minus his heavy hand is quite enjoyable.

This, but I quite like both versions of Let It Be (prefer the "naked" version). Yellow Submarine doesn't connect with me.

Concerning the least favourite album I guess I have to against the majority. I quite like "Let It Be". Yes I admit, Phil Spector’s production style is not the most suitable one for any of the songs but without him there might not have been any album (at least back then). However, the simple songs (what could be more beautiful than “Two of Us") and the atmosphere that runs through the whole record is so touching (this is the end and we know it attitude – Abbey Road was recorded last but already at this point they must have known). On the other hand I have never understood the point of the original Yellow Submarine (as an album, it includes only four previously un-released songs). The film of course itself is great.  

What comes to the top 3, it varies. If in reality I had to pick only three albums that would be almost impossible task. However, today I would go with “White Album” (which introduced Beatles as a rock band), “Abbey Road” (mainly due to the medley on side two) and “Rubber Soul” (this was the first real album and not just collection of songs and that can be heard).  

Lastly, I am curious what is considered to be the 14^th album (if compilations are excluded, for me e.g. “Past Masters” is one although the songs do not appear on any previously released albums). Since originally 12 studio albums and “Magical Mystery Tour” was released. 

My view of Phil Spector is why - who let him in a recording studio? He ruined Let It Be, but we knew how good it could have been because of the Get Back bootlegs ... and now of course Sir Paul has exorcised him completely and Let It Be ... Naked shows just how good this record is. Phil Spector was not fit to mix one note on a Beatles album in my view ... still rather than let this develop in to a rant about one of the worst record producers in the history of time and space, I'll concentrate on the original question

What are my three favourite Beatles albums - tricky question indeed as if I write down three then I've left one out that should be there ... so not to put to finer point on it and assuming I'm not allowed the posthumous albums like "1" or compilations like the Blue or Red 

A. Magical Mystery Tour 

Side one: Film soundtrack
======================
1. "Magical Mystery Tour" McCartney
2. "The Fool on the Hill" McCartney 
3. "Flying" Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starkey 

4. "Blue Jay Way" Harrison 
5. "Your Mother Should Know" McCartney 
6. "I Am the Walrus" Lennon 
Side two: 1967 singles

==================
1. "Hello, Goodbye" McCartney
2. "Strawberry Fields Forever" Lennon
3. "Penny Lane" McCartney
4. "Baby, You're a Rich Man" Lennon
5. "All You Need Is Love" Lennon

B. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Side One

========
1. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" McCartney 
2. "With a Little Help from My Friends" McCartney
3. "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" Lennon 
4. "Getting Better" McCartney 
5. "Fixing a Hole" McCartney 
6. "She's Leaving Home" Lennon/McCartney
7. "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" Lennon 
Side Two
======== 
1. "Within You Without You" Harrison
2. "When I'm Sixty-Four" McCartney
3. "Lovely Rita" McCartney
4. "Good Morning Good Morning" Lennon
5. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" McCartney
6. "A Day in the Life" Lennon/McCartney

C. Abbey Road

Side One

=============
1. "Come Together" Lennon 
2. "Something" Harrison
3. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" McCartney
4. "Oh! Darling" McCartney
5. "Octopus's Garden" Starkey
6. "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" Lennon
Side two
======
1. "Here Comes the Sun" Harrison
2. "Because" Lennon/McCartney
3. "You Never Give Me Your Money" McCartney
4. "Sun King" Lennon/McCartney
5. "Mean Mr. Mustard" Lennon
6. "Polythene Pam" Lennon
7. "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" McCartney 
8. "Golden Slumbers" McCartney 1:31
9. "Carry That Weight" McCartney

10. "The End" McCartney
11. "Her Majesty" McCartney

 Of course, I could easily of chose Help!, Rubber Soul, Revolver (why didn't I choose Revolver?) and The Beatles (White Album) or Hard Days Night

Winky, I have to agree in general about YS, but on the other hand, it has one big redeeming aspect; I think this song is a top 10 Beatles tune of all time.

I've got a confession to make, until last year I'd never listened to all the Beatles albums, maybe I should have kept that quiet  criminal really especially as I'm married to a scouser and when dating we had a few fun evenings at the Cavern.

Anyway last year I sat down with the 24bit remasters and went through in release order, obviously I knew all the hits but I really enjoyed discovering new, well to me anyway, Beatles tracks, songs like Maxwell's Silver Hammer amongst others. Looking forward to doing it again, hopefully with the Vinyl boxset next time.

My favourite is still Sgt Pepper though, I was bought that for my 18th birthday many moons ago and it is still one of my favourite albums of all time.

So I guess my favourite 3 would be -

Sgt Pepper

Abbey Road

Then I'd have to go with Blue album as I used to listen to that a hell of a lot. 

That place in their discography, Rubber Soul --> Revolver, definitely does IT for me.  The evolution, from the 'I want to hold your hand' pop of 'Baby You Can Drive My Car,' to the drug-and-TM induced intro to the psychedelic rock era with I'm Only Sleeping, She Said, and Tomorrow Never Knows, etc.

To add a third, probably the White Album.

All of this does disservice to Abbey Road, Sgt. Peppers, M.M. Tour, etc.

Actually, until I joined this forum, the only Beatles album that I fully appreciated was the White Album and a close second, Revolver. I have most Mono original copies of their first albums but stil cannot understand what the fuss is all about.

KR

Tony

Tony,

Probably because you are too young to have lived through it.

Steve

I have to say now that I've finally ordered the box set I'm looking forward to sitting down and hearing the Beatles how they were originally heard, on vinyl, and discovering my 3 favourite albums.

I was always more of an Elvis fan to be honest, I really never got into the Stones at all, I still don't get what all the fuss is about, but all these bands really were before my time, now let's talk Springsteen 

No let's not

+1

Paul you were doing so well until...Sproutsteen is a no no.

The White Album, Abbey Road, Beatles for Sale.

With The Beatles.

You're all being a bit hard on I dig a pygmy by Charles Haughtry and the deaf aids. Phase one in which Doris gets her oats

SJB

Not huge fan don't know what all the fuss is about, but favs

White album , Sgt P and Abbey Rd

Worst MMT what a load of toss, well the film was, kind of colours ones view.

I don't get Springsteen at all. Comes across as a nice guy, but never understood his appeal. 

However, I'm with you on Elvis. I don't want to go to Chelsea, Watching the detectives, Oliver's Army, Shipbuilding  ... a catalogue of great songs. 

MMT is an amazing film in my view ... i've watched it about 30 times and am still finding hidden depths. Ivor Cutler is worth the entrance fee alone.