5. The White Album (The Beatles) (1968)
Best Song: While My Guitar Gently Weeps Worst Song: Rocky Raccoon The White album was written while the Beatles were on a trip in India with Maharishi a meditation expert who convinced them to come to his retreat for a break away from their lives to meditate and find inner peace. Many songs were written on the trip, so many so that it became a double album. McCartney wrote "Back in the USSR", a controversial song at the time, due to the Soviet Union and their communist rule not allowing the playing of Beatles music. The sad finger picking "Dear Prudence" was written about Mia Farrows sister Prudence becoming a recluse in India. Harrison was in the process of his songwriting peak and penned "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", a stand out track on the album. Lennon's songwriting had very dark themes on the White Album; he wrote Happiness is a Warm Gun a ballad/gospel styled track, Julia a slow ballad about his love for his deceased mother. McCartney wrote a few dud filler tracks on White Album, which could have been left out. Stand out moments for McCartney include the finger picking hit "Blackbird", and the hard rocking "Helter Skelter". As great of a double album it is, it could have been one really good album with all good songs, instead of a double album with lots of filler tracks.