“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 released Magical Mystery Tour as a double EP in the United Kingdom and as an LP in the United States. This album includes the soundtrack to the 1967 television film of the same name. In the UK, the EP was released on 8 December 1967, while the Capitol Records LP was released on 27 November and includes five additional songs originally released as singles that year. The eleven-track LP was released by Parlophone in the UK in 1976.

The Beatles continued the experiments that typified Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) and the psychedelic sound they had pursued since Revolver (1966) when recording their new songs. The project was initiated by Paul McCartney in April 1967, but after the band recorded the song “Magical Mystery Tour“, it lay dormant until the death of their manager, Brian Epstein, in late August. As the Beatles furthered their association with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, they recorded alongside filming and editing.

According to some biographers, the sessions were aimless and unfocused, with the band members overindulging in sound experimentation and exerting greater control over production. McCartney contributed three songs to the soundtrack, including “The Fool on the Hill“, while Lennon and Harrison contributed “I Am the Walrus” and “Blue Jay Way“, respectively. As well as “Hello, Goodbye“, issued as a single with the soundtrack record, and incidental music for the film, “Flying” was also produced during the sessions. As part of their desire to experiment with record formats and packaging, the EP and LP included a 24-page booklet containing song lyrics, colour photos from film production, and cartoonist Bob Gibson’s colour illustrations.

Although the Magical Mystery Tour film was widely criticized in the media, the soundtrack was a critical and commercial success. As a result, it topped the EPs chart compiled by Record Retailer and reached number 2 on the magazine’s singles chart (later the UK Singles Chart). In 1969, the album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and topped Billboard’s Top LPs chart for eight weeks. When the Beatles’ catalog was standardized internationally in 1987, Magical Mystery Tour became the only Capitol-produced LP to replace the band’s intended format.

• Release date: November 27, 1967
• Genre: Psychedelic rock, Progressive rock
• Label: Parlophone

Magical Mystery Tour tracklist

SIDE A

1. Magical Mystery Tour
   (Lennon/McCartney)
2. The Fool on the Hill
   (Lennon/McCartney)
3. Flying (instrumental)
   (Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starkey)
4. Blue Jay Way
   (Harrison)
5. Your Mother Should Know
   (Lennon/McCartney)
6. I Am the Walrus
   (Lennon/McCartney)

SIDE B

1. Hello, Goodbye
   (Lennon/McCartney)
2. Strawberry Fields Forever
   (Lennon/McCartney)
3. Penny Lane
   (Lennon/McCartney)
4. Baby You’re a Rich Man
   (Lennon/McCartney)
5. All You Need Is Love
   (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)