“1” is a compilation album released on November 13, 2000. The album features many of the Beatles’ number-one hits from various charts around the world. The album contains 27 tracks, each of which reached the number-one position on either the UK singles chart or the US Billboard Hot 100. “1” was released on November 13, 2000, in the United Kingdom, and on November 14, 2000, in the United States.

Upon its release, “1” quickly became a commercial success. It topped the charts in multiple countries and was certified multi-platinum in several regions. Some of the notable tracks featured on “1” include “Hey Jude“, “Let It Be“, “Can’t Buy Me Love“, “A Hard Day’s Night“, “Help!“, “Penny Lane“, and many more. The album received positive reviews from music critics. It was praised for its selection of songs, audio quality, and the impact of the Beatles’ music on popular culture. The album cover features a black-and-white photograph of the Beatles taken by Angus McBean.

“1” further solidified the Beatles’ status as one of the most influential and successful bands in music history. It introduced their music to a new generation and reminded longtime fans of the band’s enduring appeal. The album has been re-issued in various formats over the years, including special editions with bonus materials. “1” has received numerous certifications around the world, indicating its commercial success and popularity. It has been certified diamond in the United States, indicating sales of over 10 million copies. “1” played a significant role in revitalizing interest in the Beatles’ music at the turn of the century. It also contributed to the resurgence of interest in physical CDs at a time when digital downloads were becoming more prevalent.

“1” remains one of the best-selling and most iconic compilation albums in music history. It stands as a testament to the enduring popularity and influence of the Beatles’ music.

• Release date: November 13, 2000
• Genres: Rock, Pop music, Pop rock, Beat music, Psychedelic rock
• Studio: EMI, Apple, Olympic and Trident Studios, London; Pathé Marconi Studios, Paris

The Beatles’ eleventh studio album, Abbey Road, was released in 1966. Although Let It Be was the last album completed by the band before their breakup in April 1970, it was the last album the group started recording. On 26 September 1969, the album was released in the United Kingdom, and on 1 October 1969 in the United States. It reached number one in both countries. Mostly recorded between April, July and August 1969. The US chart-topping single from the album, “Something” / “Come Together“, was released in October.

Rock, pop, blues, singer-songwriter, and progressive rock are among the styles incorporated into Abbey Road, as well as Moog synthesizers and guitars played through a Leslie speaker unit. On side two, there is a long medley of songs that have subsequently been covered by other notable artists. The album was recorded in a more collegial atmosphere than the Get Back / Let It Be sessions earlier in the year, but there still were significant confrontations within the band, especially over Paul McCartney’s song “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer“, and John Lennon didn’t perform on several tracks. McCartney left the group the following year, but Lennon’s resignation wasn’t publicly announced until the album was released.

It was an immediate commercial success, but received mixed reviews. Many critics found the production’s music unauthentic and criticized its artificial effects. In contrast, critics today consider the album one of the Beatles’ best and rank it among the greatest albums of all time. There are two songs on the album by George Harrison (“Something” and “Here Comes The Sun“) that have been regarded as some of the best written by him. In the history of recorded music, the album’s cover, which depicts the group crossing a zebra crossing outside Abbey Road Studios, has become one of the most famous and imitated.

• Release date: September 26, 1969
• Genres: Rock, Pop rock, Rock and roll, Hard rock, Progressive rock, Blues rock, Art rock
• Label: Apple Records
• Awards: Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
• Length: 47:03

Abbey Road tracklist

SIDE A

1. Come Together
   (Lennon-McCartney)
2. Something
   (Harrison)
3. Maxwell’s Silver Hammer
   (Lennon-McCartney)
4. Oh! Darling
   (Lennon-McCartney)
5. Octopus’s Garden
   (Starkey)
6. I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
   (Lennon-McCartney)

SIDE B

1. Here Comes the Sun
   (Harrison)
2. Because
   (Lennon-McCartney)
3. You Never Give Me Your Money
   (Lennon-McCartney)
4. Sun King
   Lennon-McCartney)
5. Mean Mr. Mustard
   (Lennon-McCartney)
6. Polythene Pam
   (Lennon-McCartney)
7. She Came In Through the Bathroom Window
   (Lennon-McCartney)
8. Golden Slumbers
   (Lennon-McCartney)
9. Carry That Weight
   (Lennon-McCartney)
10. The End
    (Lennon-McCartney)
11. Her Majesty
    (Lennon-McCartney)

The Beatles’ ninth studio album, also known as the White Album, was released on 22 November 1968. It is the band’s only double album. There are no graphics or text on the cover other than the band’s name embossed on the white sleeve. Compared to the vivid artwork on the band’s previous album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, this cover artwork was intended as a direct contrast. The Beatles’ music is known for its fragmentary style and diversity of genres, including folk, British blues, ska, music hall, and pre-heavy metal. Some critics have since viewed it as a postmodern masterpiece, as well as one of the greatest albums ever.

A total of 30 songs are included on the album, 19 of which were written at the Transcendental Meditation course in Rishikesh, India, between March and April 1968. In those days, the only western instrument available to the band was the acoustic guitar; many of these songs remained acoustic on The Beatles, recorded solo or by part of the band alone. Because of the production aesthetic, the album’s sound was scaled down and less reliant on studio innovation than most releases since Revolver (1966). By keeping each piece of music faithful to a specific genre, the Beatles broke with the band’s tradition of incorporating several musical styles into one song at the time.

Recording sessions began at EMI Studios in London at the end of May 1968 and lasted until mid-October. It was during these sessions that disagreements broke out between the foursome over creative differences and the presence of Yoko Ono, the Beatles’ new girlfriend, who subverted the Beatles’ rule that wives and girlfriends were not allowed in the studio. A series of problems led to Ringo Starr leaving the band for two weeks in August, including producer George Martin taking a sudden holiday and engineer Geoff Emerick suddenly quitting during a session. Tensions continued throughout the following year, leading to the band’s breakup.

Despite 1968’s turbulent political and social climate, the Beatles’ satirical songs were considered unimportant and apolitical by most music critics. In Britain and the United States, it topped the record charts. In either country, no singles were issued, but “Hey Jude” and “Revolution” were released on a single in August 1968. Platinum certification has been awarded to the album by the RIAA. For the 50th anniversary of the album, a remixed and expanded edition was released in 2018.

• Artist: The Beatles
• Release date: November 22, 1968
• Genres: Rock, Pop music, Pop rock, Country music, Hard rock
• Label: Apple Records

The Beatles (White Album) tracklist

DISC 1 – SIDE A

1. Back in the U.S.S.R.
   (Lennon-McCartney)
2. Dear Prudence
   (Lennon-McCartney)
3. Glass Onion
   (Lennon-McCartney)
4. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
   (Lennon-McCartney)
5. Wild Honey Pie
   (Lennon-McCartney)
6. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
   (Lennon-McCartney)
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
   (Harrison)
8. Happiness Is a Warm Gun
   (Lennon-McCartney)

DISC 1 – SIDE B

1. Martha My Dear
   (Lennon-McCartney)
2. I’m So Tired
   (Lennon-McCartney)
3. Blackbird
   (Lennon-McCartney)
4. Piggies
   (Harrison)
5. Rocky Raccoon
   (Lennon-McCartney)
6. Don’t Pass Me By
   (Starkey)
7. Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?
   (Lennon-McCartney)
8. I Will
   (Lennon-McCartney)
9. Julia
   (Lennon-McCartney)

DISC 2 – SIDE A

1. Birthday
   (Lennon-McCartney)
2. Yer Blues
   (Lennon-McCartney)
3. Mother Nature’s Son
   (Lennon-McCartney)
4. Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
   (Lennon-McCartney)
5. Sexy Sadie
   (Lennon-McCartney)
6. Helter Skelter
   (Lennon-McCartney)
7. Long, Long, Long
   (Harrison)

DISC 2 – SIDE B

1. Revolution 1
   (Lennon-McCartney)
2. Honey Pie
   (Lennon-McCartney)
3. Savoy Truffle
   (Harrison)
4. Cry Baby Cry
   (Lennon-McCartney)
5. Revolution 9
   (Lennon-McCartney)
6. Good Night
   (Lennon-McCartney)

The Beatles released Revolver on 5 August 1966, accompanied by a double A-side single called “Eleanor Rigby” / “Yellow Submarine“. It was the Beatles’ final recording project before they retired as live performers, marking their most overt use of studio technology since their late 1965 album Rubber Soul. Since its release, it has been recognized as one of the greatest and most innovative albums in the history of popular music, featuring a variety of musical styles, sounds, and lyrics.

Revolver was recorded after the Beatles took a three-month break at the beginning of 1966, since London enjoyed a reputation as the world’s cultural capital at that time. It is regarded by some commentators as the start of the group’s psychedelic period, reflecting their interest in LSD, Eastern philosophy, and the avant-garde, while also addressing themes such as death and transcendence. Having no plan to perform the new material live, the band made liberal use of double tracking, varispeed, reversed tapes, close audio miking, and instruments outside of their standard set-up. Among the tracks are “Tomorrow Never Knows“, which incorporates heavy Indian drone and a tape loop collage; “Eleanor Rigby“, which features a string octet as its only accompaniment; and “Love You To“, which incorporates Hindustani classical music. During the sessions, the band also recorded a non-album single, “Paperback Writer,” backed by “Rain“.

The 14 tracks on the album were gradually distributed to radio stations prior to its release in the United Kingdom. Capitol Records reduced Revolver to 11 songs in North America, with the omitted three appearing on Yesterday and Today in June 1966. The release of the album there coincided with the Beatles’ final concert tour and controversy surrounding John Lennon’s remark that the band had become “more popular than Jesus”. For seven weeks, the album topped the UK’s Record Retailer chart, and for six weeks, the US’s Billboard Top LPs chart. Despite the band’s outspokenness on contemporary issues, the UK press reacted highly positively to its music, while the US press was less so.

Psychedelic rock, electronica, progressive rock, and world music were all influenced by Revolver, which expanded the boundaries of pop music and revolutionized studio recording practices. Klaus Voormann’s album cover combines Aubrey Beardsley-inspired line drawing with photo collage and won the 1967 Grammy Award for Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts. The 1987 international CD release of Revolver, which standardised its content to that of the original Parlophone release, contributed to the album’s status as the Beatles’ greatest. According to Colin Larkin’s book All Time Top 1000 Albums, it was rated first in 1998 and 2000, and third in Rolling Stone magazine’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list in 2003 and 2012. RIAA and BPI have both certified it double platinum. In 2022, a remixed and expanded version of the album was released.

• Release date: August 5, 1966
• Genres: Rock, Pop music, Psychedelic rock, Pop rock
• Label: Parlophone
• Nominations: Grammy Award for Album of the Year, Grammy Award for Best Album Cover, Graphic Art
• Awards: Grammy Award for Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts

Revolver tracklist

SIDE A

1. Taxman
   (Harrison)
2. Eleanor Rigby
   (Lennon/McCartrney)
3. I’m Only Sleeping
   (Lennon/McCartrney)
4. Love You To
   (Harrison)
5. Here, There And Everywhere
   (Lennon/McCartrney)
6. Yellow Submarine
   (Lennon/McCartrney)
7. She Said She Said
   (Lennon/McCartrney)

SIDE B

1. Good Day Sunshine
   (Lennon/McCartrney)
2. And Your Bird Can Sing
   (Lennon/McCartrney)
3. For No One
   (Lennon/McCartrney)
4. Doctor Robert
   (Lennon/McCartrney)
5. I Want To Tell You
   (Harrison)
6. Got To Get You Into My Life
   (Lennon/McCartrney)
7. Tomorrow Never Knows
   (Lennon/McCartrney)

Rubber Soul was released on 3 December 1965 in the United Kingdom, on EMI’s Parlophone label, accompanied by the non-album double A-side single “Day Tripper” / “We Can Work It Out“. The original North American release, issued by Capitol Records, contains ten of the fourteen songs and two tracks withheld from the band’s Help! album. Rubber Soul was met with a highly favourable critical response and topped sales charts in Britain and the United States for several weeks.

The recording sessions took place in London over a four-week period beginning in October 1965. For the first time in their career, the Beatles were able to record an album free of concert, radio or film commitments. Often referred to as a folk rock album, particularly in its Capitol configuration, Rubber Soul incorporates a mix of pop, soul and folk musical styles. The title derives from the colloquialism “plastic soul” and was the Beatles’ way of acknowledging their lack of authenticity compared to the African-American soul artists they admired. After A Hard Day’s Night in 1964, it was the second Beatles LP to contain only original material.

The songs demonstrate the Beatles’ increasing maturity as lyricists, and in their incorporation of brighter guitar tones and new instrumentation such as sitar, harmonium and fuzz bass, the group striving for more expressive sounds and arrangements for their music. The project marked a progression in the band’s treatment of the album format as an artistic platform, an approach they continued to develop with Revolver and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The four songs omitted by Capitol, including the February 1966 single “Nowhere Man“, later appeared on the North American release Yesterday and Today.

Rubber Soul was highly influential on the Beatles’ peers, leading to a widespread focus away from singles and onto creating albums of consistently high-quality songs. It has been recognised by music critics as an album that opened up the possibilities of pop music in terms of lyrical and musical scope, and as a key work in the creation of styles such as psychedelia and progressive rock. Among its many appearances on critics’ best-album lists, Rolling Stone ranked it fifth on the magazine’s 2012 list “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. In 2000, it was voted at number 34 in the third edition of Colin Larkin’s book All Time Top 1000 Albums. The album was certified 6× platinum by the RIAA in 1997, indicating shipments of at least six million copies in the US. In 2013, Rubber Soul was certified platinum by the BPI for UK sales since 1994.

• Release date: December 3, 1965
• Label: Capitol Records
• Genres: Rock, Pop music, Rock and roll, Pop rock, Folk rock, Blues rock, Art rock
• Length: 34:59
• Studio: EMI, London

Rubber Soul tracklist

SIDE A

1. Drive My Car
   (Lennon/McCartney)
2. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
   (Lennon/McCartney)
3. You Won’t See Me
   (Lennon/McCartney)
4. Nowhere Man
   (Lennon/McCartney)
5. Think For Yourself
   (Harrison)
6. The Word
   (Lennon/McCartney)
7. Michelle
   (Lennon/McCartney)

SIDE B

1. What Goes On
   (Lennon/McCartney/Starkey)
2. Girl
   (Lennon/McCartney)
3. I’m Looking Through You
   (Lennon/McCartney)
4. In My Life
   (Lennon/McCartney)
5. Wait
   (Lennon/McCartney)
6. If I Needed Someone
   (Harrison)
7. Run For Your Life
   (Lennon/McCartney)

Help! is the fifth studio album by the Beatles and the soundtrack to their film of the same name. It was released on 6 August 1965. Seven of the fourteen songs, including the singles “Help!” and “Ticket to Ride“, appeared in the film and take up the first side of the vinyl album. The second side includes “Yesterday“, the most-covered song ever written. The album was met with good critical reviews and topped the Australian, German, UK and US charts.

During the recording sessions for the album, the Beatles continued to explore the studio’s multitracking capabilities to layer their sound. “Yesterday” features a string quartet, the band’s first use of Baroque sensibilities, and “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” includes a flute section. The North American release is a true soundtrack album, combining the first seven songs with instrumental music from the film. The omitted tracks are instead spread across the Capitol Records LPs Beatles VI, Rubber Soul and Yesterday and Today.

In the US, Help! marked the start of artistic recognition for the Beatles from mainstream critics, including comparisons to the European art music tradition. It was nominated in the category of Album of the Year at the 1966 Grammys Awards, marking the first time that a rock band had been recognised in this category. In 2000, it was voted 119th in the third edition of Colin Larkin’s book All Time Top 1000 Albums. In 2020, it was ranked 266th on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. In September 2013, after the British Phonographic Industry changed its sales award rules, Help! was certified platinum for recorded sales since 1994.

• Release date: August 6, 1965
• Genres: Rock, Pop music, Pop rock, Country rock, Folk rock
• Label: Parlophone
• Nominations: Grammy Award for Album of the Year

Help! tracklist

SIDE A

1. Help!
   (Lennon/McCartney)
2. The Night Before
   (Lennon/McCartney)
3. You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
   (Lennon/McCartney)
4. I Need You
   (Harrison)
5. Another Girl
   (Lennon/McCartney)
6. You’re Going To Lose That Girl
   (Lennon/McCartney)
7. Ticket To Ride
   (Lennon/McCartney)

SIDE B

1. Act Naturally
   (Russell/Morrison)
2. It’s Only Love
   (Lennon/McCartney)
3. You Like Me Too Much
   (Lennon/McCartney)
4. Tell Me What You See
   (Lennon/McCartney)
5. I’ve Just Seen A Face
   (Lennon/McCartney)
6. Yesterday
   (Lennon/McCartney)
7. Dizzy Miss Lizzy
   (Williams)

Beatles for Sale is the fourth studio album by the Beatles. It was released on 4 December 1964 in the United Kingdom on EMI’s Parlophone label. The album marked a departure from the upbeat tone that had characterized the Beatles’ previous work, partly due to the band’s exhaustion after a series of tours that had established them as a worldwide phenomenon in 1964. Beatles for Sale was not widely available in the US until 1987, when the Beatles’ catalogue was standardized for release on CD. Instead, eight of the album’s fourteen tracks appeared on Capitol Records’ concurrent release, Beatles ’65, issued in North America only.

The sessions for Beatles for Sale also produced a non-album single, “I Feel Fine” backed by “She’s a Woman“. During the sessions, the band ventured into studio experimentation, such as employing a fade-in and incorporating guitar feedback, and supplemented the basic recordings with percussion instruments such as timpani, African hand drums and chocalho. The album reflects the twin influences of country music and Bob Dylan, whom the Beatles met in New York in August 1964. Partly as a result of the group’s hectic schedule, only eight of the tracks are original compositions, with cover versions of songs by artists such as Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Little Richard being used to complete the album. The original songs introduced darker musical moods and more introspective lyrics, with John Lennon adopting an autobiographical perspective in “I’m a Loser” and “No Reply“.

Beatles for Sale received good reviews in the UK musical press, where it held the number one spot for 11 of the 46 weeks that it spent in the top 20. The album was similarly successful in Australia, where the band’s cover of Berry’s “Rock and Roll Music” also topped the singles chart. One of the songs omitted from the US version of the album, “Eight Days a Week”, became the Beatles’ seventh number one in the US when issued as a single there in February 1965. In 2000, it was voted number 204 in the third edition of Colin Larkin’s book All Time Top 1000 Albums.

• Release date: December 4, 1964
• Genres: Rock, Pop music, Rock and roll, Pop rock, Country music, Folk rock, Country rock
• Label: Parlophone

Beatles For Sale tracklist

SIDE A

1. No Reply
   (Lennon/McCartney)
2. I’m A Loser
   (Lennon/McCartney)
3. Baby’s in Black
   (Lennon/McCartney)
4. Rock And Roll Music
   (Berry)
5. I’ll Follow The Sun
   (Lennon/McCartney)
6. Mr Moonlight
   (Johnson)
7. Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey!
   (Leiber/Stoller/Penniman)

SIDE B

1. Eight Days A Week
   (Lennon/McCartney)
2. Words Of Love
   (Holly)
3. Honey Don’t
   (Perkins)
4. Every Little Thing
   (Lennon/McCartney)
5. I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party
   (Lennon/McCartney)
6. What You’re Doing
   (Lennon/McCartney)
7. Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby
   (Carl Perkins)

A Hard Day’s Night is the third studio album by the Beatles, released on 10 July 1964 by Parlophone, with side one containing songs from the soundtrack to their film of the same name. The American version of the album was released two weeks earlier, on 26 June 1964 by United Artists Records, with a different track listing that included selections from George Martin’s film score. In contrast to the Beatles’ first two albums, all 13 tracks on A Hard Day’s Night were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, showcasing the development of their songwriting partnership.

The album includes the song “A Hard Day’s Night“, with its distinctive opening chord, and “Can’t Buy Me Love“, both transatlantic number-one singles for the band. Several of the songs feature George Harrison playing a Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar, a sound that was influential on the Byrds and other groups in the folk rock/jangle pop movement.

• Release date: July 10, 1964
• Genres: Rock, Pop music, Pop rock, Beat music
• Label: United Artists Records

A Hard Day’s Night tracklist

SIDE A

1. A Hard Day’s Night
   (Lennon/McCartney)
2. I Should Have Known Better
   (Lennon/McCartney)
3. If I Fell
   (Lennon/McCartney)
4. I’m Happy Just To Dance With You
   (Lennon/McCartney)
5. And I Love Her
   (Lennon/McCartney)
6. Tell Me Why
   (Lennon/McCartney)
7. Can’t Buy Me Love
   (Lennon/McCartney)

SIDE B

1. Any Time At All
   (Lennon/McCartney)
2. I’ll Cry Instead
   (Lennon/McCartney)
3. Things We Said Today
   (Lennon/McCartney)
4. When I Get Home
   (Lennon/McCartney)
5. You Can’t Do That
   (Lennon/McCartney)
6. I’ll Be Back
   (Lennon/McCartney)

With the Beatles is the second studio album by the Fab Four. It was released in the United Kingdom on 22 November 1963 on Parlophone, eight months after the band’s debut Please Please Me. Produced by George Martin, the album features eight original compositions (seven by Lennon–McCartney and “Don’t Bother Me“, George Harrison’s first recorded solo composition and his first released on a Beatles album) and six covers (mostly of rock and roll and Motown R&B hits). The sessions also yielded the non-album single, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” backed by “This Boy“. The cover photograph was taken by the fashion photographer Robert Freeman and has since been mimicked by several music groups over the years. A different cover was used for the Australian release of the album, which the Beatles were displeased with.

In the United States, the album’s tracks were unevenly split over the group’s first two albums released on Capitol Records: Meet the Beatles! and The Beatles’ Second Album. It was also released in Canada under the name Beatlemania! With the Beatles. The album was ranked number 420 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003, and was included in Robert Dimery’s 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2010). It was also voted number 275 in the third edition of English writer Colin Larkin’s All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).

• Release date: November 22, 1963
• Genres: Rock, Pop music, Rock and roll, Pop rock, Rhythm and blues, Beat music, Blues rock
• Label: Odeon Records

With the Beatles tracklist

SIDE A

1. It Won’t Be Long
   (Lennon/McCartney)
2. All I’ve Got to Do
   (Lennon/McCartney)
3. All My Loving
   (Lennon/McCartney)
4. Don’t Bother Me
   (Harrison)
5. Little Child
   (Lennon/McCartney)
6. Till There Was You
   (Wilson)
7. Please Mr. Postman
   (Dobbins/Garrett/Gorman/Holland/Bateman)

SIDE B

1. Roll Over Beethoven
   (C. Berry)
2. Hold Me Tight
   (Lennon/McCartney)
3. You Really Got a Hold on Me
   (Robinson)
4. I Wanna Be Your Man
   (Lennon/McCartney)
5. Devil in Her Heart
   (Drapkin)
6. Not a Second Time
   (Lennon/McCartney)
7. Money (That’s What I Want)
   (Bradford/Gordy)

In 1964, the Beatles released their first studio album, Please Please Me, which was their debut studio album. The record was produced by George Martin and released in the United Kingdom on 22 March 1963 by EMI’s Parlophone label following the success of the band’s first two singles, “Love Me Do“, which reached the number 17 spot on the Record Retailer Chart, and “Please Please Me“, which reached the number 1 position on the NME and Melody Maker charts. At that time, the album was the top selling LP on Record Retailer’s chart for 30 consecutive weeks, an unprecedented achievement for a pop album.

After originally being planned as a live album by Martin in November 1962, the recording was moved to the studio in January 1963, but the album was intended to capture the sound of the Beatles’ live performances, which took place in Liverpool Cavern Club and other venues like that. Please Please Me was recorded at EMI Studios in a long recording session on 11 February 1963, and apart from the singles that were already released, the Beatles recorded most of the album on the same day, though Martin later added overdubs to “Misery” and “Baby It’s You” nine days later.

The album consists of fourteen songs, eight of which were written by the songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney (originally credited “McCartney-Lennon”). Rolling Stone magazine later cited these original compositions as early evidence of the Beatles’ “invention of the idea of the self-contained rock band, writing their own hits and playing their own instruments”.

Please Please Me was voted 39th on Rolling Stone’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” (2012), and number 622 in the third edition of Colin Larkin’s All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).

• Release date: March 22, 1963
• Label: Parlophone
• Genres: Rock, Pop music, Rock and roll, Pop rock, Rhythm and blues, Beat music, Blues rock
• Length: 31:59
• Studio: EMI, London

Please Please Me tracklist

SIDE A

1. I Saw Her Standing There
   (Lennon/McCartney)
2. Misery
   (Lennon/McCartney)
3. Anna (Go To Him)
   (Arthur Alexander)
4. Chains
   (Gerry Goffin/Carole King)
5. Boys
   (Luther Dixon/Wes Farrell)
6. Ask Me Why
   (Lennon/McCartney)
7. Please Please Me
   (Lennon/McCartney)

SIDE B

1. Love Me Do
   (Lennon/McCartney)
2. P.S. I Love You
   (Lennon/McCartney)
3. Baby It’s You
   (David/Williams/Bacharach)
4. Do You Want to Know a Secret
   (Lennon/McCartney)
5. A Taste of Honey
   (Scott/Marlow)
6. There’s A Place
   (Lennon/McCartney)
7. Twist and Shout
   (Medley/Russell)