Beatles members Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison at Top Of The Pops in … [+] 1966.
The Beatles are the bestselling music group of all time, selling 183 million units and setting the all-time mark for Billboard No. 1 hits. The band rose to popularity in the 1960s and was equally beloved on both sides of the pond, both in their native England and in the United States. The Beatles albums in order show the impressive growth and evolution of the band’s sound as they matured. Listening to the Beatles’ discography is like strolling down memory lane. They had so many hits, and you can enjoy them all when you listen to the 12 Beatles albums that make up their live studio work.
Beatles Discography
The Beatles were a British rock group made up of four members: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They got together in 1960, and their distinctive musical style blended rock ‘n roll, pop, beat and even some classical music. The “Fab Four,” as they were called, released 12 studio albums.
Lennon and McCartney began as songwriting partners, and they started playing with Harrison in the 1950s. Pete Best drummed with them briefly before they settled on Starr. Producer George Martin was sometimes referred to as the fifth Beatle. The group heralded the British invasion of rock music to the United States, including an appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” that set off Beatlemania. But they also sparked controversy with their drug use and embrace of counterculture. Tensions between Lennon and McCartney eventually led to the breakup of the band in 1970.
The Beatles pose for a portrait on the roof of the Palace Court Hotel in Bournemouth during their … [+] six-night residency at the Gaumont Theatre, August 1963.
Beatles Albums In Release Order
The Beatles released an incredible 12 albums in just seven years, starting in 1963.
1. Please Please Me (1963)
Including both covers and original songs, the Beatles’ first album included debut single “Love Me Do.” It set a record by remaining in the UK top 10 for more than a year, and it also included singles “Please Please Me,” “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Ask Me Why.”
The album received very good reviews upon its release, and it has grown in stature since. Critics now appreciate the pure joy in the music, and it contains a sunny energy that is less apparent in the Beatles’ later, more reflective albums. The album was certified platinum in the UK and U.S.
2. With The Beatles (1963)
Released mere months after Please Please Me, With the Beatles again mixed original compositions and covers. Singles included “All My Loving,” “Til There Was You” and “I Wanna Be Your Man.” The album hit No. 1 in the UK and earned gold status in the UK and U.S.
Rolling Stone has listed the album among the 500 greatest of all time. The recordings for this album also produced “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” which was released as a non-album single.
3. A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
A Hard Day’s Night served as a film soundtrack for a film of the same name featuring the Fab Four. Beatlemania was soaring, and two singles from the album became massive hits: “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “A Hard Day’s Night.” Critics noted the album had more of a pop sound than their first two.
This became the Beatles’ first album with entirely new songs, and it’s one of just three albums where Starr does not sing any of the lead vocals. Critics loved the album, praising its songwriting. It was named to multiple year-end best lists. The album went platinum in the UK and U.S., topping the charts in both.
4. Beatles For Sale (1964)
The Beatles continued their torrid release pace, doubling up once again in ’64 with Beatles for Sale, the first album to show a departure from the upbeat rock of their previous efforts. The band had gone from unknowns to top musical acts and was coming off several world tours. Its tone was more experimental.
Indeed, some songs like “I’m a Loser” had a darker tone. Other singles included “Eight Days a Week” and a few covers. The album knocked A Hard Day’s Night out of the No. 1 spot in the UK, speaking to the band’s immense popularity. It received great reviews, though a bit less rapturous than for the previous three albums—largely because of the jarring change in tone from the previous, more joyous work.
The Beatles filming “Help” in Salisbury Plain, with Ringo Starr behind the camera in 1965.
5. Help! (1965)
Help! marked the Beatles’ second soundtrack, once again for a zany musical comedy they starred in. It was also a return to the upbeat vibe the band was known for, reflected in singles like “Help!” and “Ticket to Ride.” But it mixed in more introspective songs like “Yesterday.”
The album left quite a legacy. It became the first rock album ever nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards and was certified platinum in the UK.
6. Rubber Soul (1965)
Rubber Soul became one of the Beatles’ most critically beloved albums, and that may reflect the fact that the band recorded the album during a month-long block without any other public commitments. It was their second album with all original songs, incorporating elements of soul and folk.
Rolling Stone put the album fifth on its ranking of the 500 best albums of all time. Singles included “Drive My Car,” “Nowhere Man,” “Michelle” and “In My Life.” It was certified six times platinum in the U.S. and two times platinum in the UK.
7. Revolver (1966)
The Beatles slowed their release pace in the mid-1960s, and they stopped touring live when this album was released. Many hail Revolver as one of the best albums ever due to its innovative musical style and lyrical complexity. It also coincides with the Beatles’ growing fascination with LSD and other psychedelics, seen in the songs.
The album earned a Grammy for its cover art and received a nomination for Album of the Year. The Grammy Hall of Fame later inducted the album. Singles included “Good Day Sunshine,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Taxman,” “Got to Get You Into My Life” and “Yellow Submarine.”
8. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Again, the Beatles changed the game. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was a concept album that knit the songs together and explored new ways to produce and write music. Band members took a few months off before recording, which seemed to spark new creativity and experimentation with technology.
Singles from the hugely successful album included “Strawberry Fields,” “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” “Day in the Life” and “Penny Lane.” It earned four Grammy nominations and became the first rock album ever to win Album of the Year. It went 18 times platinum in the UK and 11 times platinum in the U.S.
Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band on vinyl.
9. The Beatles (White Album) (1968)
The Beatles released Magical Mystery Tour in 1967, but it was a double EP in the UK and an LP in the U.S., not a studio album. Their next studio album was The Beatles, which people referred to as the White Album. It again melds genres and is hailed by critics as an all-time great.
The album went 24 times platinum in the U.S. and topped the charts in 10 countries. Singles included “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Blackbird.” However, while the music was incredible and the album successful, the band experienced tensions while recording, mostly related to the band’s reaction to Yoko Ono, John Lennon’s new partner. She joined them in the studio despite earlier agreements that wives and girlfriends stay out.
10. Yellow Submarine (1969)
Yellow Submarine was the soundtrack to the animated film Yellow Submarine, and it included two previously released songs, “Yellow Submarine” and “All You Need Is Love.” The band actually recorded the album before the White Album, but it was released after. It included orchestral arrangements from the film.
Submarine did not have the same critical success as other Beatles albums. That likely reflected the band’s disinterest in the album, which was required as a contractual obligation to make three movies. Still, it went platinum in the U.S. and gold in the UK.
Members of the Beatles at TVC’s animation studios, participating in “Mod Odyssey,” a film about the … [+] creation of Yellow Submarine, November 6, 1967 in London, United Kingdom.
11. Abbey Road (1969)
With Abbey Road, the Beatles returned to mixing genres, including blues and pop, into rock. The group was in turmoil while it was being recorded, and by the time of its release (which was after Let It Be even though Abbey Road was recorded earlier), Lennon had exited the band.
Still, it was a hugely popular album, which included singles such as “Mean Mr. Mustard,” “Carry That Weight,” “Here Comes the Sun” and “Something.” Its cover, which shows the band members walking in a crosswalk, became iconic. It received more mixed reviews than previous Beatles albums, which likely reflected the continuing tensions within the group. Lennon later said he didn’t care for the album, which was eight times platinum in the UK and 12 times platinum in the U.S.
12. Let It Be (1970)
The Beatles’ final studio album, Let It Be was recorded before Abbey Road and came out about a month after the band announced it had broken up. Let It Be was the soundtrack to a documentary about the Beatles. It signaled a return to focus on rock, with songs like “Get Back” and “Don’t Let Me Down.”
The album was the Beatles’ only one to receive poor reviews, though reassessments of the work have been kinder in recent years. New Music Express and Rolling Stone both ripped the album, though it still went four times platinum in the U.S. and platinum in the UK.
Bottom Line
The Beatles are one of the greatest groups of all time, and their legacy has influenced musicians, including Oasis, The Verve, Harry Styles and more. Their consistently strong albums include many of the greatest singles of all time. You can’t go wrong by listening to any of them.
