1. Abbey Road (1969)
The last Beatles album they made together. What an album to go out on. Each member gets one genius song. Yes, even Ringo. Lets face it- Octopuss Garden is Ringo Starrs magnum opus. Never again will he create 2:51 of such joy. Its a kids song like Yellow Submarine but far superior. For me, a great album is more than a collection of songs- it should be about a listening experience. Thats something you get with nearly all mid to late Beatles albums, and there are few finer than this. Abbey Road is as eclectic as The White Album, but tighter and more streamlined. The Beatles seemed to learn with each album, making new mistakes, fixing them, trying something else. Abbey Road lets John Lennon comes up with the strong rockers (Come Together) as well as experiment (Shes So Heavy). Paul McCartney gets to put together several little songs into a wonderful medley (Golden Slumbers/Carry The Weight is a particular favourite combination of mine). And for George Harrisons numbers- Something and Here Comes The Sun. Couldnt pick better than that really. This feels like an album that really has a beginning, middle and end. And a final wink at the end with Her Majesty.