Hey Matt, As much as I love your channel and as much as I respect your thoughtful efforts to bring some consistent and measurable standards to this ranking enterprise, it is difficult for me to find much merit in the methodology or in the results of this survey. While this method would probably suit the Beatles’ group releases, it excludes well over 90% of the solo Beatles’ studio albums. Nearly all of the Beatles’ classic albums are career-defining, precedent- and trend-setting artistic statements for the ages. But nearly all of the solo Beatles’ albums are not. As you have already pointed out, there are quite a few solo works which are done extremely well but do not meet your own criteria. Your criteria are so limiting that, out of scores of solo Beatles albums, only six are eligible for the ranking. And only a four-year span out of 55 years of releases is being considered. I’m afraid having only a single write-in selection does little to address these limitations. (Also, as I interpret the rules of the ranking, at least two of the six albums you chose wouldn’t make the cut.) I appreciate the part of your video where you admit the rules are not perfect - after all, nothing is. I’m sure you realize that allowing for the subjectivity of one of your criteria is the same as allowing simple opinions - which you’re trying to avoid - into the process. I expect you will receive the high number of responses you anticipate and I will be very interested in the results, especially people’s write-in choices. I have a feeling “Chaos And Creation In The Backyard” will do very well. But if the criteria weren’t so strict, I also think “Cloud Nine” and “Time Takes Time” would do very well as strong comeback albums (at least artistically). Perhaps in another six months or so you’ll revisit this topic and revise the standards so that 10-15 solo Beatles albums would make the ranking even without the write-in option. Best regards, Alan.
Alan, you spend three long paragraphs saying my “criteria is so limited”, “so strict” and “difficult for you to find merit.” But offer no reasons for why you think this and no alternative options or criteria by which to judge! That is what this comments section is for. The point of this exercise is dialog and discussion. As I stated, the write in section is for more than a single entry if one chooses. I have had over 1,000 entrants so far, yielding some very interesting data. If Time Takes Time overtakes Plastic Ono Band, I would report that. • Why does this survey suit the Beatles group releases but not solo? • You state, “(Also, as I interpret the rules of the ranking, at least two of the six albums you chose wouldn’t make the cut.)” No, that was my own personal opinion. Those albums were judged on the criteria presented, which is why they were included. • Why would you think Chaos, Cloud 9 or Time Takes Time would do well? Obviously you are using some criteria to make this judgement. Why not share it? • You say maybe I will “revise the standards.” Revise them to what? What criteria are you looking for? (careful not to be overly subjective which defeats the purpose). I invited people to add any criteria they felt I missed and some have done so and made additional excellent contributions. You seem to have some ideas. Don’t sell yourself short by not sharing them.
Cloud Nine possibly would have made my list had it not been slathered in Jeff Lynne's shimmery and tinny and frankly awful production. I don't think that man ever did George any favors and I thank Dhanni or George or Olivia for NOT letting that oaf ruin 'Brainwashed' - an album of which I'm very fond. Reminds me of a stripped-down Split Enz of all things.
I don't know Matt, apart from this channel, and I immediately came up with almost the same list! Although Paul in particular did lots of other stuff, his best are in the list, and likewise for George and John. I would add Double Fantasy, but it isn't going to be the winner. The winner is going to be between 'All things Must Pass', Band on the Run, Ram and Imagine. Those are 'The' post Beatles stand out albums to me anyway.
I really like Ringo's Beaucoups of Blues. It stands out in his discography, as quite a remarkable album, cohesive in its excursion into country & western, with some great Nashville musicians on it. A continuation of Ringo's visits to genre in What Goes On, Don't Pass Me By and the Carolina fragment from Get Back.
Unpopular take: "Run Devil Run". Hardly impactful (arguably none of the solo albums was) but a touching, death-defying homage to the music that had the greatest impact on McCartney. (And, by extension, every Beatlemaniac.) Kinda like the song selection, the raw, metallic sound, the Elvis echo, Gilmour's flashy guitar on the title track. And don't you find Paul''s singing on the tear-jerkers uncannily convincing? A striking footnote, no more and no less, that's a hoot to listen to.
Lennon’s songs from Double Fantasy/Milk and Honey are my favorites Another favorite is Wings Over America ( I know it’s a live album and shouldn’t count but it’s my other favorite album 🤩
Not a comment on this particular piece, but a thank you for your series of videos. Well-researched, well-written and produced, they are obviously a labor of love. I love your production room. Your record racks look just like the ones I built for my own store here in Norfolk, THE DISC RECORDS AND TAPES. My store only made it through four years, as it was on the cusp of the CD boom, but hey, after working in records from 1973 to 1998, I would have to say it was more fun than a barrel full of Monkees. Thank you, and keep up the good work!
Apparently it was put together from a pool of 35 songs in various stages of completion. There’s always the possibility of new George Harrison songs when considering his vast trove of demos and unheard gems that were recorded at F.P.S.H.O.T. The only people who can provide a definitive answer to this are his family and that’s unlikely. An Anthology boxset of Georges material similar to the 1998 John Lennon cd boxset format would be a real gift to his dedicated fan base.
It’s a real grower - it took me sometime to ‘get it’, but when it gets under your skin, it’s quite brilliant! Certainly my favourite Macca album, maybe even my all time favourite album for that matter!
There was a book called The Beatles Illustrated Record. Focused on the British releas s. They were very biased in the solo works. John was practically made a saint, and everything Paul did before Band on the Run got condemned. Even later releases like London Town were “more of Macca picking his nose”. Ringo’s albums were even worse. “The Nose does disco”.
I’ll just go ahead and say it. “Ringo” is my favorite Beatles solo album, and has been since 1973. It’s the one that’s closest to an actual Beatles album (for the obvious reason that all four Beatles are on it) and, at least for me, the one that most perfectly captures the Beatles’ spirit. Pretty much every song is terrific, and several were major hits. It’s not deep. It’s not anguished or profound. It’s just straight-up fun. Loved it then, love it now.
I look at that list and I thank my lucky stars that we had these albums to listen to back in the day. Plastic Ono Band had a huge influence on me. I recall the shock I felt when I first played it. My goodness, a no compromise collection of honest/gut wrenching songs. The sheer genius of All Things Must Pass. Band On The Run another work of genius, too. Then there's Ram and Imagine, weren't we spoilt? My son, aged 26, loves the song Band On The Run (independent of me, I might add) and surprisingly, Working Class Hero (again, nothing to do with me). He has never listened to a complete album other than Dark Side of The Moon and Tubular Bells. He chooses songs he likes and creates playlists. He is missing out.
Top five, in order, as of today, but that can change: 1) Plastic Ono Band 2) All Things Must Pass 3) Imagine 4) Band on the Run 5) Ram. After that, it gets hard to say. All four of them had some strong songs scattered across their various albums (especially John and Paul), but I can't think of any other solo Beatles albums that approach the consistency of the five I mentioned. Maybe "Ringo," "Double Fantasy," (John's songs) and Paul's self-titled first? I would also add that I don't think it's fair to include albums released by the other three Beatles after John's death, as they had several more years/attempts to outshine him.
I think 'Cloud Nine' is bubbling under just for the criteria that you mention Matt even tho' there is a cover version on it. I know for George this album was somewhat of a rebirth in musical terms but here in the UK the main two singles did very very well indeed. I, like you do really like the 'George Harrison' album but this one tops it for the criteria.
I have to mention Doubles Fantasy. Look on actual popularity at the moment and its one of the most streamed solo beatles albums.. A criteria he forgot to mention. You have Woman, Just Like Starting Over, Beautiful Boy and Watching The Wheels. Other songs like I‘m Losing You have also double amount of streams like Paul songs like Take It Away
I like the way the audience can be involved with the channel with these polls. I'll think about this for an hour or two before filling it out and probably listen to some tracks. Some of the criteria are tricky. An album can have a big cultural impact upon its release but also date itself not long afterward. Also, there's such a difference between Lennon, who almost always has a very serious intent and McCartney, who essentially wants to create excellent entertainment; and between Lennon, who tended to speak out about broad cultural issues and Harrison, whose serious intent was highly personal. Each of these albums has a weak track and each scores high on these criteria. Yes, this will be interesting.
I’d like to give at least honorable mention to Paul’s _Chaos and Creation…_ and _Memory Almost Full._ I think they’re both excellent works. That said, I know that for some of my fellow first-gen Beatle fans, new songs you first hear when you’re in your 40s can’t have the same emotional impact on you as those you first heard as a kid or teenager. But for me these albums are great in their own right. Ditto George’s final album, _Brainwashed._
I'm with you on this. They say that the music from your formative years are always going to be there...when a person is most open. I've been a musician since 71 and before that , a fan. I've kept up pretty decently all these years but it's only here and there that something strikes me hard enough to really become a classic for me. I caught The Smiths and Teenage Fanclub, and a few others but not all that much has stuck to me like it did when I was 10-20 years old.
@@timmy707707 I too am a musician, and it is indeed a rare treat when something new actually grabs me. Such was the case with those three late era solo Beatle albums. To my ears, the writing, production, and performance are at a high level.
10: Ringo 9: Mind Games 8: Double Fantasy 7: Wings Over America 6: All Things Must Pass 5: Ram 4: Walls And Bridges 3: Imagine 2: Band On The Run 1: Plastic Ono Band
I tilt pretty hard toward McCartney, so I added Tug of War as my write-in. It was a return to form (strings! full baked arrangements! George Martin!), there is minimal filler, the hit is the worst song on the album, and Here Today is about as emotional as Paul gets. I put that one up there with the two McCartney albums you listed.
Best George album: All Things Must Pass Best John album: Plastic Ono Band Best Paul album: Band on the Run Best Ringo album: Ringo Note that the best solo Beatles albums were released in the early Seventies.
Scuse my french,but back in my squatting days i use to have a spoof Mcartney poster,lol,still makes me laugh thinking about it but it was a tad naughty,it went as follows,Paul McCunty and Things with their new album Band With The Runs and their new single Shit.For the record BOTR was an ok album and jet was an ok single,but like yoko i think linda shouldnt have been used as a backing singer,the only song i like yoko on is Walking On Thin Ice
1 Plastic Ono Band 2 All Things Must Pass 3 Imagine 4 Ram 5 Band on the Run 6 Living in the Material World 7 Venus and Mars 8 33 1/3 9 Mind Games 10 George Harrison
6: All Things Must Pass 5: RAM 4: Walls And Bridges 3: Imagine 2: John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band 1: Band On The Run As much as I’m a Lennon guy, Band On The Run is McCartney at his very best.
Okay, I did the survey. My vote is for a really weird one: Ringo's BEAUCOUPS OF BLUES. I dearly love this elpee, and the CD reish adds COOCHY-COOCHY and NASHVILLE JAM. I darn near wore out my BEAUCOUPS OF BLUES picture sleeve 45 flipping over the disc for that coochy-coochy coo!😁😁😁😁
Excellent criteria Matt. George Orwell once quiped that "I am more interested in how you think than what you think. " I have always taken this as his wish that someone can lay out an argument based on well thought out reasoning. I believe many of us are frustrated when someone posts a thought/comment/opinion but without good supporting reasons. I am far from a master at this, and thus I appreciate all the more when I see your call for some rigor in the survey and selection process.
I don't see how Living in the Material World is not considered one of the best. Everybody has their own opinion, but I think this ranks right up there with Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, and Band on the Run. I also prefer Living in the Material World *way over* All Things Must Pass probably because a lot of songs on All Things Must Pass are smothered with some not very imaginative orchestration. When George Martin added strings and horns, they really brought the songs up a notch. But Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" just seemed to drown out the underlying instrumentation, without adding anything positive to the songs. So it's: Plastic Ono Band Imagine Living in the Material World All Things Must Pass McCartney and possibly Mind Games I've never owned the "Ringo" album, but it's probably good.
Thanks Matt - have just completed your survey. Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to co-ordinate these little projects where music fans can participate (and add their 20 cents worth)! All the best, Terry.
Hey man I loved your history of the association video and a few others I think I saw. Can you please make one for the band It's a Beautiful Day? I've always wanted to know exactly why that band didn't make it. That would be a sweet video man especially considering David Laflammes recent passing. Take care! 🤘
Perhaps Song Production/Arrangement Values should be in the criteria? In general, I find McCartney's song production/arrangements to be better than his solo counterparts. And this is one aspect to the listening experience that is essentially vital to musical enjoyment. But maybe this can be considered under "strength of songs." But I'm thinking that strength of songs simply means their the bare-bones chords, lyrics & sung melody BEFORE it is laid down as a recording by a band. And which criteria is more important than another? Because a specific album may have high marks for 4 criteria and be tied with another with 4 criteria, while not sharing the SAME criteria. For example, is artistic/spiritual depth more important than accessibility or cohesion/flow? However one judges these variables is quite subjective. McCartney's "Venus & Mars" album (or McCartney in general) would appear to have lower 'spiritual depth' than a Lennon or Harrison album BUT that is because his art is less obviously dogmatic, autobiographical or in-your-face-making-a-statement. But something like "Picasso's Last Words" or even "Listen To What The Man Says" (I would even say "Magneto & Titanium Man") all have artistic/spiritual 'depth' to them in that these stories are compelling on a human experience & moral level. They are not meant to be Grand Statements on social/political issues or the state of the world, something that Lennon or Harrison might envision. If there were 7 slots instead of 6, 'Venus & Mars" would be my next pick, even surpassing Ringo's album. I find that Ringo album to be on par with his "Goodnight Vienna" one. Both are enjoyable. But they aren't 'Venus & Mars" which is a work of art on par with "Band On The Run" as I see it.
Yes, song arrangement and production could and perhaps should be added. Whether it is Plastic Ono Band or Venus and Mars, the production on each really add to the overall experience. I am tallying the results of the survey and Venus and Mars is trending high!
It’s a difficult one - for me, almost like trying to choose a favourite child! My most played solo albums (surely a decent measure for how much I like them) are - Ram, Living In The Material World, Walls And Bridges, Chaos And Creation In The Backyard, Plastic Ono Band, Back To The Egg…..but that’s just me!
Did the survey. My top three solo Beatles are Plastic Ono Band, All Things Must Pass, Imagine but not in any particular order as I really don't think in those terms. Depending on the day, I might prefer one over the other. I never warmed up to the solo McCartney material although certainly there are some particular songs I do like. But I think the in entire body of Paul's solo work there's probably one good double album.
Ram- shows how unique and quirky rock and roll can be. Displays the theme of family and nature very well. Honorably mention-plastic ono band- the album is very real and works as a good album to listen to "when in your feels".
You could easily make a solid argument for any of 3 or 4 of those albums to take top spot ... all are great in their own way. I cannot overlook 'All Things Must Pass' .. at the time of release it had a particular buzz and excitement about it that the other albums did not. The myth making of being the under represented Beatle ... the quiet one finally letting loose ... it all feed an anticipation and a genuine excitement for the album. And it did not disappoint .... large lavish .. a sprawling album that was a joy to hear on its release and several of the songs achieved saturation play for a time. More than the other albums this one takes me immediately to another time and place :-)
Even when you acknowledge a record has some filler material on it if there is a song or two that rate as the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) you make some allowances. John Lennon's #9 Dream on Walls and Bridges is the most romantic and spiritual song I've ever heard. A true masterpiece! The Band's Music From Big Pink is not as good as their second album, but The Weight is one of those songs. I still agree with the listings in your survey
Plastic Ono Band is my favourite Beatles solo album and Band On The Run is my second favourite. It seems the Beatles work best when they're limited in their pool of musicians (mainly just three for both of those albums), I even prefer listening to George's later albums all the way through like Living In The Material World, Thirty Three 1/3 and George Harrison.
Plastic Ono Band and Imagine by Lennnon, Band on the Run by McCartney, All Thing Must Pass by Harrison. All the rest are irrelevant. Well, probably Flowers in the Dirt also kinda reaches the same level (maybe just because it was a vinyl I listened to so much as a child :D). If you ask for the best album, that would be Imagine. It is a no-filler album which has a cult following and also technically it's much more complete than Plastic Ono Band.
I guess when we really think and analyze it, comparing someone's favorite albums with the actual criteria of what makes any album one of the best is difficult. If someone has a favorite albums there must be reasons for that which might lurk within a person's subconscious in terms of a set of criteria. There are MANY factors that influence someone's favorite albums but it might intertwine with a set of criteria listed here or elsewhere more than we realize. Maybe?? Maybe not?? Matt your great!! Keep up your phenomenal videos!!
My mind and heart are split on this. Lennon’s Imagine would have to be the top. But I like Band on the Run and Paul McCartney better. Lennon had something to say. George was interestingly spiritual. Ringo is a party. McCartney is so musical and generally upbeat. I like his happy eclecticism best because I feel that most succinctly.
I really find Imagine hard to like as a whole album. Walls and Bridges is superior by far, I think, because he has come off his high horse, and is singing and writing songs as well as he ever did. Nobody Loves You, for example, is more relateable than anything on Imagine, and #9 Dream is a welcome return of Cormic Lennon. May Pang seems to have been a far more effective muse than Yoko.
Even if you hobble together the best songs of each solo year and make a "Beatles" album there's no Rubber Soul or Revolver there. You may get a Beatles VI. However, the best solo albums for me are 1. Band on the Run, 2. Plastic Ono Band, 3. All Things.., 4. Venus and Mars. Numbers 1,2,and 3 are interchangeable on a daily basis.
Unpopular opinion, but I consider John’s Plastic Ono Band album to be the best record I’ve ever heard. I think of it as a template of what makes great music. It might not be the most accessible album, but it is certainly the bravest, most honest and challenging of all the Beatles solo work.
I think if Red Rose Speedway had been released in its double-album form, it would be ranked among the best of Paul's or any of the solo Beattle's albums. Even the songs that made it to the single album version benefit from the sequencing of the double version. Plus, the additional songs add so much variety.
What I have just realised is how long it has been since I've listened to an entire solo album by any in full, unless subject to a reissue, and even that has been a couple of years. I don't think I've even heard many of the George albums in full ever, and not even all McCartney's stuff, and Ringo only the hits and collaborations with the others. Thanks for opening me up to a new world. It is easy, with shuffles and just scrolling through stuff to stick to the same stuff, or hear lots out of sequence. An album like London Town, I'l do side one, skip a track or two, get bored and then play a couple of tracks off Walls and Bridges, but look for alternate takes because I know the originals so well, then hit a compilation, then move onto another artist. It's so easy to skip now. And there are just some songs... Band on the Run. Great Album, but Jet, I think is overrated and meaningless. Most fans like it I think and it sold lots and is always a staple on tour. Yet, I still think his first solo album is as good in a different way. Tug of War. But I've owned a copy of Pipes of Peace forever and don't think I've played the whole thing, or Memory Almost Full. There's a lot of gaps in my solo knowledge. Time to fix that hole. Peace.
I'm kinda' where you are at with this. I don't know that I've ever been able to sit all the way through London Town and several others. I just get bored... Good luck getting through them.
Still going with All Things must Pass. As much as I love Plastic Ono Band (except Mother) the criteria of commercial popularity hurts it. I recall the writers of the time calling it too personal which to me isn’t necessarily a bad thing but probably true. JMO but Paul’s albums were the most heavy on filler
Thanks Matt for all your work. For a Beatle geek like me, this is gold. Your rigour and your passion make your channel one of the best, if not the best, when it comes to hear, talk and think about the Beatles. As for the survey, I added Venus and Mars even though I'm not old enough to know how big was Venus and Mars when it came out in 1975. The only filler I find is not from Paul (Spirits of Ancient Egypt) and when you look at the songs, it is really a great collection ! Love in song is a for me a masterpiece, and even after all those years, Listen to what the man said and Magneto and Titanium man still fill my heart with joy ! Letting go is really groovy and one of best live tune in Paul's repertoire I found. As for You gave me the answer, I always loved those pastiche so... , same for Call me back again. In other words, it should be in the top 7 because I still put Venus and Mars in my car and my cd player from times to times, and it fits with most of your criteria I guess. Looking forward for the results ! Thanks again.
Thanks for the scoop Matt ! I also forgot to mention that Old people/Treat her gently is another gem on that album, a gem that can bring me now to tears, something it didn't use to do when I was younger (oh so much younger than today ; ) . I find it has a strong emotional vibe that transcends time. I guess the subject wasn't that popular in the 70's - it is not a theme you expected from a rock band but Paul didn't care - and this is why I guess it got better and better...
To take a pick is not that easy,their all excelent albums.But,in my opinion I will pick"Imagine"by John Lennon,it was very influential in that time and a deep cultural impact in 1971.I can't say is perfect in all aspect,but thats what I think.
By the reason the best Beatles solo albuns (following that criteria), in my humble opinion, are not in those options, I'll write here my list: 1) Paul McCartney - Flowers in the dirt (with that Beatles' air, in "My Brave Face"; the pure rock in "Figure of eight"; the ballad side with "Put it there"; and the pop-rock of "This one"). 2) George Harrison - Cloud nine (with that root rock of "Got my mind sent on you"; the Beatles' air of "When we was fab"; and the pop-rock of "That's what it takes") 3) John Lennon - Double fantasy (with the root rock of "Starting over"; the self vision of "Watching the wheels"; the love ballad of "Woman"; the lullaby of "Beautiful boy"). 4) Ringo Starr - Sentimental journey (after the experience of singing "Good night" in the Beatles' "White album", the opportunity to sing standards, with great arrangements and producers; to songs like "Night and day"; "Love is a many splendored thing" and "Stardust"). These are, in my opinion, the best albuns of each one of the Beatles, in his solo career.
This was a tricky one. I stuck to your criteria and assigned each one a rating from 1-10 for each album and then ranked them according to the overall scores. (There was a tie for third, so I had to use my best judgment there.) As such, it didn't completely reflect how I feel about them on a personal level: for instance, I gave "All Things Must Pass" top honors, but my personal #1 is either "Plastic Ono Band" or "Ram," depending on what day you ask me. It also hurt to omit a few of my favorites from the honorable mentions, such as "George Harrison" and "Memory Almost Full," but I was trying hard to stick to your parameters. I feel like I've got a pretty good knowledge of how these albums were and are perceived by the mainstream, but some of those criteria, like influence, can be hard to gauge accurately. Again, I just used my best judgment.
My personal rankings using your criterias: 1. Plastic Ono Band 2. All Things Must Pass 3. Imagine 4. Band On the Run 5. Ringo 6. Ram 7. Brainwashed 8. Tug of War 9. Venus and Mars 10. George Harrison Personal favorites that didn’t make the list: Cloud 9, Back to the Egg, London Town, Flaming Pie, Time Takes Time.
I always liked Red Rose Speedway. Why, because it’s the one album where the Band is Rocking. There are some great Melodies I listen to it far more than any other solo album 331/3 is pretty good too I have always thought the 4 Beatles needed each other to reach greatness
For the record I think Band On The Run is not as good as everybody seems to think, although I do like 1985 (Let Me Roll It, Jet and Bluebird too. I also prefer the version of the album with Helen Wheels)
The first five you listed would be my top 5, with the order changing on any given day based on my mood. But All Things Must Pass gets the vote from me as George filled two albums with quality material. There’s nothing I skip on those two discs. (The Apple Jam disc is more of a bonus that a legitimate album disc.) Band on the Run and Plastic Ono Band would be my number two and three if I had to commit to ranking them. I also have a personal liking for Venus and Mars and Back to the Egg, even though I realize neither is truly in contention for being “best.” The McCarthy solo album is also up there, but has a little too much filler to keep it from being in the running.
Thanks for yet another catchy topic Matt!...lots to do with the thinking hat on! For now I'll go just for the best one ever (imho) Plastic Ono Band. As for the rest I'll shiverly wait for the results!
Took the survey....and here are four more, one from each Fab: Lennon's Walls and Bridges; Paul's Flowers in the Dirt; George's Cloud Nine and Ringo's Time Takes Time.
Wow. This is really really hard. I chose 5 of those 6. I didn't have Ringo on the list. If I added one, I would add 'Double Fantasy' for all sorts of reasons. I could change my mind on this from week to week......a little. Thanks for your channel Matt!
Johns Double Fantasy songs are fantastic. The album isnt as cohesive because of the Yoko songs, but a theoretical album of just Lennons songs including the Milk and Honey ones would be my favourite
My top 10 list 1) Band on the Run - still listening all the time 2) Imagine - every song was at high level , Harrison did a great job here ! 3) All Things Must Pass - the most ambitious album of ex-beatles 4) Venus & Mars - rock show 5) John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band - twin brother of "Imagine" 6) Wonderwall Music - a prefect combination with Indian music 7) RAM - the whole album was full of joy , You can feel it 8) Double Fantasy - a sad moment of Beatles fans 9) Unplugged ( The Official Bootleg ) - this is the first "unplugged" album , I think so ! anyway it 's great 10) Brainwashed - lots of great guitar playing , just like he did at "Real Love"" Free as a Bird"
Thank you for another thought-provoking video. My views on music are these of "extreme subjectivism", but it is always interesting to see what the other side (the "objective" one) says ;) Out of your criteria I take 1, 3, 6 and 7 and apply them to the albums according to my subjective taste and preferences. I can already sort of predict what the results of the voting will be (ATMP, POB and BOTR will probably end up in Top 3), but I guess there is always room to present an alternative view, just in case. My Top 3: 1) Chaos and Creation In the Backyard 2) Mind Games 3) Ram Criteria 4 and 5 are very interesting to consider and discuss of course, particularly 5. I teach English and sometimes do a class on conspiracy theories, which I open with all the Paul Is Dead nonsense. For a warm up, I ask my students to list all the Beatles band members and name some of their songs. Sometimes I get none, especially from the teenagers. This is a sobering perspective for us Beatle Eds - in some circles none of Beatles solo songs, let alone albums have stood the test of time.
Thanks for the comments. Yes, I hear similar stories regarding young people not knowing who the Beatles are. I think we have to expect that as the natural cycle of things.
Harrisons Cloud 9 was the last social relevant exbeatle soloalbum, reaching a broad audience. The single "I got my mind set on you" was the last No. 1song a Beatle reached in the USA. The album may also the last to be called iconic.
I defy you to find anywhere in print where Cloud 9 was called 'iconic.' You are correct in pointing out it was the last #1, which made it relevant in its time.
- CHAOS AND CREATION IN THE BACKYARD - ALL THINGS MUST PASS - RAM - IMAGINE - PLASTIC ONO BAND - VENUS AND MARS - ELECTRIC ARGUMENTS - BAND ON THE RUN - 33 AND 1/3 - FLAMING PIE
I think a lot depends on which side of the Atlantic you're on or wherever in the world you are. I believe the most "popular" (pre December 1980 amongst the general listening public) album in the UK was Band On The Run - Imagine ran a close second - George's popularity had fallen by the wayside in the UK by that time and consequently so had All Things Must Pass - it took John's murder to bring JLPOB back into the spotlight it deserved and Imagine was elevated for the same reason. In the UK at least Ringo has never been treated as a serious artist and despite a series of hit singles Ringo (the album) would never have been considered alongside those others. It took Flaming Pie for Paul to regain the critical acclaim that had dwindled soon after Tug Of War. I'm writing this from my own point of view as a "second generation" Beatles fan and I'm sure others have their own take.
My personal ranking of those 6 albums (and the write-in) would be 1.) Imagine 2.) Ram 3.) Plastic Ono Band 4.) All Things Must Pass 5.) Band On The Run 6.) Ringo (Write In)-Walls and Bridges because it's probably my favorite album of all time. Surprise Surprise, What You Got, and #9 Dream are my top 3 favorite songs.
My top 25 Solo Beatles LP’s: 1. All Things Must Pass - George Harrison (1970) 2. George Harrison - George Harrison (1979) 3. Ram - Paul McCartney (1971) (Mono mix is best) 4. Walls & Bridges - John Lennon (1974) 5. Ringo - Ringo Starr (1973) 6. Thirty Three & 1/3 - George Harrison (1976) 7. Flaming Pie - Paul McCartney (1997) 8. Back To The Egg - Paul McCartney (1979) 9. Cloud Nine - George Harrison (1987) 10. London Town - Paul McCartney (1978) 11. Venus And Mars - Paul McCartney (1975) 12. Mind Games - John Lennon (1973) 13. Red Rose Speedway - Paul McCartney (1973) 14. Living In The Material World - George Harrison (1973) 15. Tug Of War - Paul McCartney (1982) 16. Imagine - John Lennon (1971) 17. Gone Troppo - George Harrison (1982) 18. Time Takes Time - Ringo Starr (1992) 19. Somewhere In England - George Harrison (1980/81) (both versions) 20. Extra Texture - George Harrison (1975) 21. Chaos And Creation In The Back Yard - Paul McCartney (2005) 22. Brainwashed - George Harrison (2002) 23. Goodnight Vienna - Ringo Starr (1974) 24. Stop And Smell The Roses - Ringo Starr (1981) 25. Beaucoups Of Blues - Ringo Starr (1970)
In your last video on this topic, you made the valid point that after the first couple of years in the 70s, the ex-Fabs were no longer in the driving seat, so the question of "influence" is not one you can argue about. What might be worth considering is the extent to which The Beatles 60s music exerted an influence in the 70s. Apart from obvious ones like ELO and 10cc, can Beatle influences be found in, say, Pink Floyd or Genesis? If so, what?
Yes, anytime there is some kind of retrospective on any band of the 60s-70s, they always mention the influence of the Beatles. I do loads of research and their influence is mentioned so much that I just gloss over it now!
Matt.. There are many great channels and podcast on here and I will champions them.. Your channel, nothing is real podcast, breathless 365, mayo’s Beatles channel.. There’s a lot of garbage also haha Peace and love my man ✌️ 7th place..FLAMING PIE love it!
To me, it’s Plastic Ono Band. Best songs, best sequencing, and the most spiritually interesting. Ringo’s drumming, Klaus’ stellar and bouncy bass playing, and the genius of everything that John brings makes it sound like an actual Beatles album, more so than any of the other solo records.
I missed this video and am so psyched ! I'm a huge George fan and was going to ask you if you were remotely as excited as I am about the upcoming George Harrison box set and to also ask you - do you believe Extra Texture can be raised from the dead by a really good remaster ? Ok here is my Top Ten though they:re not necessarily in order of preference beyond my ultimate favorites. My own personal criteria-by your leave - will be reissue deluxe boxes will be included. And while they won't make my top 10 I also really really like George Harrison (the album). It's not a Major Work of Art by any stretch but they're all very catchy unpretentious songs and I think George's playing is particularly graceful on it. Another one that comes very close - critics be damned - is Dark Horse. It's loose and it's ragged and I dig it. What can I say ? Another very lightweight and forgotten but enjoyable album for me was Gone Troppo (the absolutely ghastly 'Wake Up My Love' excepted).I always imagine George lying back in a hammock when i listen to it. He sounds happy on that album and passes it on I think. While it also won't make the list I only just began listening to 'Something About England' (or do I mean 'Somewhere In...? Sorry if I screwed that up) and I think that's a pretty solid album too. And it's tough for me to weigh in on Paul's post-Tug Of War albums because I kind of gave up on him for a while. Then lo and behold ! In the years I'd given up on him Paul had certainly made some worthwhile music. As an Elvis Costello fan from the beginning (Him I gave up on when he began crooning and flaunting how fond of Cole Porter and Mose Allison he is and how deep and 'tasteful' and un-rock n roll his taste really is. Sorry E. I prefer you as a bitter punk or your FANTASTIC Beatles-sorta homage 'Imperial Bedroom') I was very gratified indeed by the reissue of Flowers In The Dirt' and to hear two of my favorite songwriters working as Costello/McCartney rather than Lennon/McCartney. The demos were an incredible treat. I also enjoyed Chaos and Creation In The Backyard the couple times I heard it and REALLY like 'Memory Almost Full' which I think was almost a complete return to form for Paul. But as I say I will confine myself to pre-Tug Of War Macca. And Ringo The Fourth did not make my list. Without further adoo. 1. Wonderwall Music (George) 2. All Things Must Pass (George) 3. Brainwashed (George) 4. Living In The Material World (George) 5. Plastic Ono Band (John) 6. Imagine (John) 7. Venus and Mars (Paul) 8. McCartney (Ringo) 9. Ram (Paul) 10. Band On The Run (Paul) And a special shout-out to Pussycats by Harry Nilsson and John Lennon. I really love that album. It makes me fondly recall some of Alex Chilton's great drunken 70s garage band albums like "Bach's Bottom'. Can't wait to hear your response so my opinions can meet and confer with your opinions. I know I front loaded this with caveats. 7:15
Hi Matt! Based on your criteria, I think anything post 1975 wouln't qualify. I agree wholeheartedly with four albums you mentioned: Plastic Ono Band, Band Of The Run, All Things Must Pass and Ringo, which are one by each Beatle. My favorite is Ram though. If I had to choose one by each of them going only by the strength of the songs and the ratio good/filler, I'd say Plastic Ono Band, Band On The Run, Cloud Nine and Vertical Man.
In my opinion, ''Plastic Ono Band'' and ''Ram'' are hard to top. I prefer ''Back To The Egg'' over ''Band On The Run'' even though BOTR is a solid album and features ''Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five'' which is phenomenal. I also prefer ''Living In The Material World'' (Even though many consider it ''preachy'') and George Harrison the 1979 self-titled album over ''All Things Must Pass''.
This is a great idea Matt. I like the criteria idea. However based on criteria 2, my number 1, which would be Plastic Ono Band has to drop down a little because I don't believe it was a very popular album at the time.
I can't argue with your top 4, especially given your criteria of sales and cultural impact. I just can't get past the enormous amount of filter on most Lennon and McCartney solo albums. Ringo sometimes is mentioned on these lists out of guilt and wanting to throw him a bone but I will always see him as just a novelty/nostalgia act. I'm an unabashed Harrison fan but he also put out a lot of garbage in the 70s and 80s. I'd say Cloud 9 is the only one that checks your boxes since he did have a one giant hit and a few others that got various amounts of air play. I think all the songs are good but my favs are Just For Today and Someplace Else. I absolutely adore Living in the Material World but I understand most people didn't like it and it only had one minor hit. Those songs just move me, and I don't usually skip any tracks. Brainwashed is a damn fine album that drops off in the 2nd half. His self titled album is better than I remembered, but still has a lot of filler. 33 1/3 is all filler. Wings first album is the only one that is anywhere near great but still has filler.
2 Paul to consider: "Wings Over America" and Chaos Creation. Yes, I know one is a live album. But it's such a fantastic live album. Not including a live album for someone like the Dead, the Who, Frampton, KISS etc, would be like losing a major portion of who they are. For Wings, it's the same. Also for George I'd add Cloud Nine.
This is all pretty fair and reasonable criteria, Matt. I think your assessment is accurate that only those 6 albums would really make the cut under those conditions. Only other albums I could see arguments for are the McCartney Self-Titled series of albums, just because they're so iconic imo. But as much as I love them, they're kinda mixed bags when taken track for track.
Thank you Man of Oil. I do believe the quality drops off significantly after these six. There is only one solo album that I would routinely listen to all the way through. The others I just listen to the songs I like.
I have one qualifier and that would be...how did they affect me personally. Under my Criteria it's Plastic Ono Band, McCartney, and ATMP. I wish Ringo would have created an album in the vein of "It Don't Come Easy" it would be right in there with the other three. I base this on how jazzed I was with Abbey Road and Let It Be and was hungry for what was coming next. Your criteria is very valid and under those criteria I pretty much agree with your picks. Ram was one hell of a record when released and to me...still is to this very day. It just might be the solo album that gets the most spins around here. I'll put it on in the house, out in the field, when painting, when mowing, anytime at all.
Ringo is not a credible songwriter, vocalist or arranger. More a reasonable drummer who got the luckiest gig. His vocal performances on regular Beatles albums are surely skipped by most listeners.
I added 'McCartney II' to the list, not because it's my favourite but because I think in hindsight there is a lot happening on this quite experimental album. Including a hit single, by the way. Also considering your criteria of it being consistent en innovative, it might qualify (but perhaps no top 6). But I could happily live my life if I am the only one feeling this way. :)
I believe that the category “little to no filler” will unnecessarily penalize All Things Must Pass because of Apple Jam. Let’s face it, without Apple Jam, there was still enough for 2 separate and great albums. A better category would be which solo album had the strongest 10 songs…ATMP would win hands down.
I was thinking it might negatively impinge on the rankings of Paul's albums, some of whose songs are considered light or fluffy, even if I personally consider them whimsical and delightful.
I think that is still a vital criteria and I will tell you that the early surveys are still ranking it very high which speaks to the strength of the non-filler or the weakness of the other solo albums.
I think "Double Fantasy" is the only other album that would fit your stated criteria (but only basing it upon John's songs). George Harrison's "Cloud Nine" is also a really good album, but even though it has several charting songs, I think the Beatles weren't very culturally significant by 1986. Another favorite of mine is John's "Rock And Roll" album, though that album certainly meets none of your criteria at all. It's just a fun listen for me. This survey is taking a lot longer to fill out than 30 seconds. It's really hard to rank the top 6!
thats interesting because as much as i like Johns songs on double fantasy, when the album came out Johns songs were seen as trite, too popish and dissapointing, wereas Yokos songs where seen as cutting edge and forward looking. the album was actually seen as somewhat of a flop and was heading down the charts when John was murdered and the album got huge-thats the way i remember it anyway
Matt, I like that you are posting the criteria for choosing the best. For me the emotional impact of hearing the song is key. But that is not really very objective as the the time and place of first hearing a song/album creates an association that always lingers in the background. Also the expectations one has for the first listen will color one's response. And cover versions present an odd problem as the original is usually the greatest. The or original to one's ears that is, no the chronological order in which each cover - or original. (Maybe that is why I and my college friends prefer the bootleg of "Let It Be" to the Spector mix.) I am late to the voting which is just as well as I own no own no solo Beatles albums. But 'Give Peace a Chance' and especially 'Cold Turkey' do get played quite a bit.
Well Matt you've certainly set 'the cat amongst the pigeons' on this one ... 😲 It will be interesting if the survey finds 'the best' solo albums coming from the 1970 - 1974 period. That's where my immediate choices have always come from ... For me it's always the 'Plastic Ono Band album' ... with Lennon IMO at his artistic peak ... Let the debate begin ...✌
Based on your criteria Matt and accepting your 6 as the best, I would have to round out the top ten with Tug of War, Walls & Bridges, Cloud Nine and McCartney.
Very nice choices. Appriciate the choice of McCartney. It's so melodic and kind of not too thought out and makes it interesting that way. Like Paul has said "if you love that album you must like me also."
Hey Matt,
As much as I love your channel and as much as I respect your thoughtful efforts to bring some consistent and measurable standards to this ranking enterprise, it is difficult for me to find much merit in the methodology or in the results of this survey. While this method would probably suit the Beatles’ group releases, it excludes well over 90% of the solo Beatles’ studio albums. Nearly all of the Beatles’ classic albums are career-defining, precedent- and trend-setting artistic statements for the ages. But nearly all of the solo Beatles’ albums are not. As you have already pointed out, there are quite a few solo works which are done extremely well but do not meet your own criteria.
Your criteria are so limiting that, out of scores of solo Beatles albums, only six are eligible for the ranking. And only a four-year span out of 55 years of releases is being considered. I’m afraid having only a single write-in selection does little to address these limitations. (Also, as I interpret the rules of the ranking, at least two of the six albums you chose wouldn’t make the cut.) I appreciate the part of your video where you admit the rules are not perfect - after all, nothing is. I’m sure you realize that allowing for the subjectivity of one of your criteria is the same as allowing simple opinions - which you’re trying to avoid - into the process.
I expect you will receive the high number of responses you anticipate and I will be very interested in the results, especially people’s write-in choices. I have a feeling “Chaos And Creation In The Backyard” will do very well. But if the criteria weren’t so strict, I also think “Cloud Nine” and “Time Takes Time” would do very well as strong comeback albums (at least artistically). Perhaps in another six months or so you’ll revisit this topic and revise the standards so that 10-15 solo Beatles albums would make the ranking even without the write-in option.
Best regards, Alan.
Alan, you spend three long paragraphs saying my “criteria is so limited”, “so strict” and “difficult for you to find merit.” But offer no reasons for why you think this and no alternative options or criteria by which to judge! That is what this comments section is for.
The point of this exercise is dialog and discussion. As I stated, the write in section is for more than a single entry if one chooses. I have had over 1,000 entrants so far, yielding some very interesting data. If Time Takes Time overtakes Plastic Ono Band, I would report that.
• Why does this survey suit the Beatles group releases but not solo?
• You state, “(Also, as I interpret the rules of the ranking, at least two of the six albums you chose wouldn’t make the cut.)” No, that was my own personal opinion. Those albums were judged on the criteria presented, which is why they were included.
• Why would you think Chaos, Cloud 9 or Time Takes Time would do well? Obviously you are using some criteria to make this judgement. Why not share it?
• You say maybe I will “revise the standards.” Revise them to what? What criteria are you looking for? (careful not to be overly subjective which defeats the purpose).
I invited people to add any criteria they felt I missed and some have done so and made additional excellent contributions. You seem to have some ideas. Don’t sell yourself short by not sharing them.
Cloud Nine possibly would have made my list had it not been slathered in Jeff Lynne's shimmery and tinny and frankly awful production. I don't think that man ever did George any favors and I thank Dhanni or George or Olivia for NOT letting that oaf ruin 'Brainwashed' - an album of which I'm very fond. Reminds me of a stripped-down Split Enz of all things.
I don't know Matt, apart from this channel, and I immediately came up with almost the same list! Although Paul in particular did lots of other stuff, his best are in the list, and likewise for George and John. I would add Double Fantasy, but it isn't going to be the winner. The winner is going to be between 'All things Must Pass', Band on the Run, Ram and Imagine. Those are 'The' post Beatles stand out albums to me anyway.
I really like Ringo's Beaucoups of Blues. It stands out in his discography, as quite a remarkable album, cohesive in its excursion into country & western, with some great Nashville musicians on it. A continuation of Ringo's visits to genre in What Goes On, Don't Pass Me By and the Carolina fragment from Get Back.
I am also very fond of George's 33 1/3, and John's "Walls and Bridges".
Same. Both very underrated.
If you look at the personnel on 33 1/3 there’s some fine players on there!
Unpopular take: "Run Devil Run".
Hardly impactful (arguably none of the solo albums was) but a touching, death-defying homage to the music that had the greatest impact on McCartney. (And, by extension, every Beatlemaniac.)
Kinda like the song selection, the raw, metallic sound, the Elvis echo, Gilmour's flashy guitar on the title track. And don't you find Paul''s singing on the tear-jerkers uncannily convincing?
A striking footnote, no more and no less, that's a hoot to listen to.
Lennon’s songs from Double Fantasy/Milk and Honey are my favorites
Another favorite is Wings Over America ( I know it’s a live album and shouldn’t count but it’s my other favorite album 🤩
Not a comment on this particular piece, but a thank you for your series of videos. Well-researched, well-written and produced, they are obviously a labor of love. I love your production room. Your record racks look just like the ones I built for my own store here in Norfolk, THE DISC RECORDS AND TAPES. My store only made it through four years, as it was on the cusp of the CD boom, but hey, after working in records from 1973 to 1998, I would have to say it was more fun than a barrel full of Monkees. Thank you, and keep up the good work!
Thank you for the kind words. Yes, I do love this work and I hope to be able to do it full time someday.
One of my favourite solo Beatle albums is George Harrison's 'Brainwashed'.
Yes, it’s excellent. 😎
It was quite the piece of work...way beyond what I was expecting. I can listen to the whole thing and it feels like an "experience".
Apparently it was put together from a pool of 35 songs in various stages of completion. There’s always the possibility of new George Harrison songs when considering his vast trove of demos and unheard gems that were recorded at F.P.S.H.O.T. The only people who can provide a definitive answer to this are his family and that’s unlikely. An Anthology boxset of Georges material similar to the 1998 John Lennon cd boxset format would be a real gift to his dedicated fan base.
I've spent my time listening their discography and I think Ram is getting more and more valued as time passes
It’s a real grower - it took me sometime to ‘get it’, but when it gets under your skin, it’s quite brilliant! Certainly my favourite Macca album, maybe even my all time favourite album for that matter!
There was a book called The Beatles Illustrated Record. Focused on the British releas s. They were very biased in the solo works. John was practically made a saint, and everything Paul did before Band on the Run got condemned.
Even later releases like London Town were “more of Macca picking his nose”.
Ringo’s albums were even worse. “The Nose does disco”.
I’ll just go ahead and say it. “Ringo” is my favorite Beatles solo album, and has been since 1973. It’s the one that’s closest to an actual Beatles album (for the obvious reason that all four Beatles are on it) and, at least for me, the one that most perfectly captures the Beatles’ spirit. Pretty much every song is terrific, and several were major hits. It’s not deep. It’s not anguished or profound. It’s just straight-up fun. Loved it then, love it now.
Now I feel I've got to familiarise myself with that album.
I look at that list and I thank my lucky stars that we had these albums to listen to back in the day. Plastic Ono Band had a huge influence on me. I recall the shock I felt when I first played it. My goodness, a no compromise collection of honest/gut wrenching songs. The sheer genius of All Things Must Pass. Band On The Run another work of genius, too. Then there's Ram and Imagine, weren't we spoilt? My son, aged 26, loves the song Band On The Run (independent of me, I might add) and surprisingly, Working Class Hero (again, nothing to do with me). He has never listened to a complete album other than Dark Side of The Moon and Tubular Bells. He chooses songs he likes and creates playlists. He is missing out.
Top five, in order, as of today, but that can change: 1) Plastic Ono Band 2) All Things Must Pass 3) Imagine 4) Band on the Run 5) Ram. After that, it gets hard to say. All four of them had some strong songs scattered across their various albums (especially John and Paul), but I can't think of any other solo Beatles albums that approach the consistency of the five I mentioned. Maybe "Ringo," "Double Fantasy," (John's songs) and Paul's self-titled first? I would also add that I don't think it's fair to include albums released by the other three Beatles after John's death, as they had several more years/attempts to outshine him.
I think 'Cloud Nine' is bubbling under just for the criteria that you mention Matt even tho' there is a cover version on it. I know for George this album was somewhat of a rebirth in musical terms but here in the UK the main two singles did very very well indeed. I, like you do really like the 'George Harrison' album but this one tops it for the criteria.
I have to mention Doubles Fantasy. Look on actual popularity at the moment and its one of the most streamed solo beatles albums.. A criteria he forgot to mention. You have Woman, Just Like Starting Over, Beautiful Boy and Watching The Wheels. Other songs like I‘m Losing You have also double amount of streams like Paul songs like Take It Away
I like the way the audience can be involved with the channel with these polls. I'll think about this for an hour or two before filling it out and probably listen to some tracks. Some of the criteria are tricky. An album can have a big cultural impact upon its release but also date itself not long afterward. Also, there's such a difference between Lennon, who almost always has a very serious intent and McCartney, who essentially wants to create excellent entertainment; and between Lennon, who tended to speak out about broad cultural issues and Harrison, whose serious intent was highly personal. Each of these albums has a weak track and each scores high on these criteria. Yes, this will be interesting.
Cloud 9 is also an extremely strong album!
I forgot about Cloud Nine when I took the survey but I totally agree!!!
I’d like to give at least honorable mention to Paul’s _Chaos and Creation…_ and _Memory Almost Full._ I think they’re both excellent works. That said, I know that for some of my fellow first-gen Beatle fans, new songs you first hear when you’re in your 40s can’t have the same emotional impact on you as those you first heard as a kid or teenager. But for me these albums are great in their own right. Ditto George’s final album, _Brainwashed._
I'm with you on this. They say that the music from your formative years are always going to be there...when a person is most open. I've been a musician since 71 and before that , a fan. I've kept up pretty decently all these years but it's only here and there that something strikes me hard enough to really become a classic for me. I caught The Smiths and Teenage Fanclub, and a few others but not all that much has stuck to me like it did when I was 10-20 years old.
@@timmy707707 I too am a musician, and it is indeed a rare treat when something new actually grabs me. Such was the case with those three late era solo Beatle albums. To my ears, the writing, production, and performance are at a high level.
10: Ringo
9: Mind Games
8: Double Fantasy
7: Wings Over America
6: All Things Must Pass
5: Ram
4: Walls And Bridges
3: Imagine
2: Band On The Run
1: Plastic Ono Band
I tilt pretty hard toward McCartney, so I added Tug of War as my write-in. It was a return to form (strings! full baked arrangements! George Martin!), there is minimal filler, the hit is the worst song on the album, and Here Today is about as emotional as Paul gets. I put that one up there with the two McCartney albums you listed.
Best George album: All Things Must Pass
Best John album: Plastic Ono Band
Best Paul album: Band on the Run
Best Ringo album: Ringo
Note that the best solo Beatles albums were released in the early Seventies.
Scuse my french,but back in my squatting days i use to have a spoof Mcartney poster,lol,still makes me laugh thinking about it but it was a tad naughty,it went as follows,Paul McCunty and Things with their new album Band With The Runs and their new single Shit.For the record BOTR was an ok album and jet was an ok single,but like yoko i think linda shouldnt have been used as a backing singer,the only song i like yoko on is Walking On Thin Ice
Brainwashed is an amazing album. Some of Harrison’s best music is on that.
I find some of it a bit too raw though - Stuck Inside A Cloud is heartbreaking! Any Rode on the other hand is an absolute joy!
It’s my favorite of his
1 Plastic Ono Band
2 All Things Must Pass
3 Imagine
4 Ram
5 Band on the Run
6 Living in the Material World
7 Venus and Mars
8 33 1/3
9 Mind Games
10 George Harrison
Cool list.
6: All Things Must Pass
5: RAM
4: Walls And Bridges
3: Imagine
2: John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band
1: Band On The Run
As much as I’m a Lennon guy, Band On The Run is McCartney at his very best.
Of those six I’d pick “Ram” first.
(My personal favorites are “Brainwashed” and “McCartney”).
Okay, I did the survey. My vote is for a really weird one: Ringo's BEAUCOUPS OF BLUES. I dearly love this elpee, and the CD reish adds COOCHY-COOCHY and NASHVILLE JAM. I darn near wore out my BEAUCOUPS OF BLUES picture sleeve 45 flipping over the disc for that coochy-coochy coo!😁😁😁😁
Excellent criteria Matt.
George Orwell once quiped that "I am more interested in how you think than what you think. " I have always taken this as his wish that someone can lay out an argument based on well thought out reasoning.
I believe many of us are frustrated when someone posts a thought/comment/opinion but without good supporting reasons.
I am far from a master at this, and thus I appreciate all the more when I see your call for some rigor in the survey and selection process.
ALL THINGS MUST PASS is the greatest solo Beatle album in my opinion. Simply unassailable.
Flaming Pie (1997) is one of the best!
I always love Band on the Run. It's like home to me.
I don't see how Living in the Material World is not considered one of the best. Everybody has their own opinion, but I think this ranks right up there with Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, and Band on the Run. I also prefer Living in the Material World *way over* All Things Must Pass probably because a lot of songs on All Things Must Pass are smothered with some not very imaginative orchestration. When George Martin added strings and horns, they really brought the songs up a notch. But Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" just seemed to drown out the underlying instrumentation, without adding anything positive to the songs.
So it's:
Plastic Ono Band
Imagine
Living in the Material World
All Things Must Pass
McCartney
and possibly Mind Games
I've never owned the "Ringo" album, but it's probably good.
Thanks Matt - have just completed your survey. Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to co-ordinate these little projects where music fans can participate (and add their 20 cents worth)! All the best, Terry.
Thank you Terry!
Plastic Ono Band. The cover. The emotion. The rawness. It’s perfect without trying to be.
Absolutely👍
"Perfect without trying to be"...probably the best description of this album that I've ever heard.
Yes, if they only would have cut Well, Well, Well and I Found Out out of it.
@@mikahattunen4502 Well Well Well is the first grunge song. It’s well out there.
Agreed.
Hey man I loved your history of the association video and a few others I think I saw. Can you please make one for the band It's a Beautiful Day? I've always wanted to know exactly why that band didn't make it. That would be a sweet video man especially considering David Laflammes recent passing. Take care! 🤘
The Band rules.
Perhaps Song Production/Arrangement Values should be in the criteria?
In general, I find McCartney's song production/arrangements to be better than his solo counterparts. And this is one aspect to the listening experience that is essentially vital to musical enjoyment. But maybe this can be considered under "strength of songs." But I'm thinking that strength of songs simply means their the bare-bones chords, lyrics & sung melody BEFORE it is laid down as a recording by a band.
And which criteria is more important than another? Because a specific album may have high marks for 4 criteria and be tied with another with 4 criteria, while not sharing the SAME criteria. For example, is artistic/spiritual depth more important than accessibility or cohesion/flow? However one judges these variables is quite subjective.
McCartney's "Venus & Mars" album (or McCartney in general) would appear to have lower 'spiritual depth' than a Lennon or Harrison album BUT that is because his art is less obviously dogmatic, autobiographical or in-your-face-making-a-statement. But something like "Picasso's Last Words" or even "Listen To What The Man Says" (I would even say "Magneto & Titanium Man") all have artistic/spiritual 'depth' to them in that these stories are compelling on a human experience & moral level. They are not meant to be Grand Statements on social/political issues or the state of the world, something that Lennon or Harrison might envision.
If there were 7 slots instead of 6, 'Venus & Mars" would be my next pick, even surpassing Ringo's album. I find that Ringo album to be on par with his "Goodnight Vienna" one. Both are enjoyable. But they aren't 'Venus & Mars" which is a work of art on par with "Band On The Run" as I see it.
Yes, song arrangement and production could and perhaps should be added. Whether it is Plastic Ono Band or Venus and Mars, the production on each really add to the overall experience. I am tallying the results of the survey and Venus and Mars is trending high!
It’s a difficult one - for me, almost like trying to choose a favourite child! My most played solo albums (surely a decent measure for how much I like them) are - Ram, Living In The Material World, Walls And Bridges, Chaos And Creation In The Backyard, Plastic Ono Band, Back To The Egg…..but that’s just me!
Did the survey. My top three solo Beatles are Plastic Ono Band, All Things Must Pass, Imagine but not in any particular order as I really don't think in those terms. Depending on the day, I might prefer one over the other. I never warmed up to the solo McCartney material although certainly there are some particular songs I do like. But I think the in entire body of Paul's solo work there's probably one good double album.
yup
Ram- shows how unique and quirky rock and roll can be. Displays the theme of family and nature very well. Honorably mention-plastic ono band- the album is very real and works as a good album to listen to "when in your feels".
You could easily make a solid argument for any of 3 or 4 of those albums to take top spot ... all are great in their own way. I cannot overlook 'All Things Must Pass' .. at the time of release it had a particular buzz and excitement about it that the other albums did not. The myth making of being the under represented Beatle ... the quiet one finally letting loose ... it all feed an anticipation and a genuine excitement for the album. And it did not disappoint .... large lavish .. a sprawling album that was a joy to hear on its release and several of the songs achieved saturation play for a time. More than the other albums this one takes me immediately to another time and place :-)
George. No comparison. Brilliant.
Even when you acknowledge a record has some filler material on it if there is a song or two that rate as the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) you make some allowances. John Lennon's #9 Dream on Walls and Bridges is the most romantic and spiritual song I've ever heard. A true masterpiece! The Band's Music From Big Pink is not as good as their second album, but The Weight is one of those songs. I still agree with the listings in your survey
Plastic Ono Band is my favourite Beatles solo album and Band On The Run is my second favourite. It seems the Beatles work best when they're limited in their pool of musicians (mainly just three for both of those albums), I even prefer listening to George's later albums all the way through like Living In The Material World, Thirty Three 1/3 and George Harrison.
Plastic Ono Band and Imagine by Lennnon, Band on the Run by McCartney, All Thing Must Pass by Harrison. All the rest are irrelevant. Well, probably Flowers in the Dirt also kinda reaches the same level (maybe just because it was a vinyl I listened to so much as a child :D).
If you ask for the best album, that would be Imagine. It is a no-filler album which has a cult following and also technically it's much more complete than Plastic Ono Band.
Can't wait to see the results! Thanks Matt for all you do! 🎉🎉
I guess when we really think and analyze it, comparing someone's favorite albums with the actual criteria of what makes any album one of the best is difficult. If someone has a favorite albums there must be reasons for that which might lurk within a person's subconscious in terms of a set of criteria. There are MANY factors that influence someone's favorite albums but it might intertwine with a set of criteria listed here or elsewhere more than we realize. Maybe?? Maybe not?? Matt your great!! Keep up your phenomenal videos!!
My mind and heart are split on this. Lennon’s Imagine would have to be the top. But I like Band on the Run and Paul McCartney better. Lennon had something to say. George was interestingly spiritual. Ringo is a party. McCartney is so musical and generally upbeat. I like his happy eclecticism best because I feel that most succinctly.
I really find Imagine hard to like as a whole album. Walls and Bridges is superior by far, I think, because he has come off his high horse, and is singing and writing songs as well as he ever did. Nobody Loves You, for example, is more relateable than anything on Imagine, and #9 Dream is a welcome return of Cormic Lennon. May Pang seems to have been a far more effective muse than Yoko.
Even if you hobble together the best songs of each solo year and make a "Beatles" album there's no Rubber Soul or Revolver there. You may get a Beatles VI. However, the best solo albums for me are 1. Band on the Run, 2. Plastic Ono Band, 3. All Things.., 4. Venus and Mars. Numbers 1,2,and 3 are interchangeable on a daily basis.
Unpopular opinion, but I consider John’s Plastic Ono Band album to be the best record I’ve ever heard. I think of it as a template of what makes great music. It might not be the most accessible album, but it is certainly the bravest, most honest and challenging of all the Beatles solo work.
Popular with me. Best album ever
I did the survey. I will say my all time favorite Beatles solo album is Ram, and his Chaos and Creation In The Backyard album is high up there too.
Thank you for voting Larry!
I think if Red Rose Speedway had been released in its double-album form, it would be ranked among the best of Paul's or any of the solo Beattle's albums. Even the songs that made it to the single album version benefit from the sequencing of the double version. Plus, the additional songs add so much variety.
What I have just realised is how long it has been since I've listened to an entire solo album by any in full, unless subject to a reissue, and even that has been a couple of years. I don't think I've even heard many of the George albums in full ever, and not even all McCartney's stuff, and Ringo only the hits and collaborations with the others.
Thanks for opening me up to a new world. It is easy, with shuffles and just scrolling through stuff to stick to the same stuff, or hear lots out of sequence.
An album like London Town, I'l do side one, skip a track or two, get bored and then play a couple of tracks off Walls and Bridges, but look for alternate takes because I know the originals so well, then hit a compilation, then move onto another artist. It's so easy to skip now. And there are just some songs... Band on the Run. Great Album, but Jet, I think is overrated and meaningless. Most fans like it I think and it sold lots and is always a staple on tour. Yet, I still think his first solo album is as good in a different way. Tug of War. But I've owned a copy of Pipes of Peace forever and don't think I've played the whole thing, or Memory Almost Full.
There's a lot of gaps in my solo knowledge. Time to fix that hole.
Peace.
I'm kinda' where you are at with this. I don't know that I've ever been able to sit all the way through London Town and several others. I just get bored... Good luck getting through them.
@@timmy707707 I never get bored. I usually get distracted or inspired. It is a curse.
I couldn't be fair to the Ringo album because I don't know it.
Still going with All Things must Pass. As much as I love Plastic Ono Band (except Mother) the criteria of commercial popularity hurts it. I recall the writers of the time calling it too personal which to me isn’t necessarily a bad thing but probably true. JMO but Paul’s albums were the most heavy on filler
Thanks Matt for all your work. For a Beatle geek like me, this is gold. Your rigour and your passion make your channel one of the best, if not the best, when it comes to hear, talk and think about the Beatles.
As for the survey, I added Venus and Mars even though I'm not old enough to know how big was Venus and Mars when it came out in 1975. The only filler I find is not from Paul (Spirits of Ancient Egypt) and when you look at the songs, it is really a great collection ! Love in song is a for me a masterpiece, and even after all those years, Listen to what the man said and Magneto and Titanium man still fill my heart with joy ! Letting go is really groovy and one of best live tune in Paul's repertoire I found. As for You gave me the answer, I always loved those pastiche so... , same for Call me back again. In other words, it should be in the top 7 because I still put Venus and Mars in my car and my cd player from times to times, and it fits with most of your criteria I guess. Looking forward for the results ! Thanks again.
Thank you, FortYeah! I am tallying the results from the survey and Venus is scoring very high.
Thanks for the scoop Matt ! I also forgot to mention that Old people/Treat her gently is another gem on that album, a gem that can bring me now to tears, something it didn't use to do when I was younger (oh so much younger than today ; ) . I find it has a strong emotional vibe that transcends time. I guess the subject wasn't that popular in the 70's - it is not a theme you expected from a rock band but Paul didn't care - and this is why I guess it got better and better...
To take a pick is not that easy,their all excelent albums.But,in my opinion I will pick"Imagine"by John Lennon,it was very influential in that time and a deep cultural impact in 1971.I can't say is perfect in all aspect,but thats what I think.
and anyway, there's very few 'perfect' albums. But yeah, Imagine comes pretty close. [me thinks]
@@cajunqueen5125I like your coment.Thank you and take care.✌
Awesome, Matt. Grateful for the criteria.
By the reason the best Beatles solo albuns (following that criteria), in my humble opinion, are not in those options, I'll write here my list:
1) Paul McCartney - Flowers in the dirt (with that Beatles' air, in "My Brave Face"; the pure rock in "Figure of eight"; the ballad side with "Put it there"; and the pop-rock of "This one").
2) George Harrison - Cloud nine (with that root rock of "Got my mind sent on you"; the Beatles' air of "When we was fab"; and the pop-rock of "That's what it takes")
3) John Lennon - Double fantasy (with the root rock of "Starting over"; the self vision of "Watching the wheels"; the love ballad of "Woman"; the lullaby of "Beautiful boy").
4) Ringo Starr - Sentimental journey (after the experience of singing "Good night" in the Beatles' "White album", the opportunity to sing standards, with great arrangements and producers; to songs like "Night and day"; "Love is a many splendored thing" and "Stardust").
These are, in my opinion, the best albuns of each one of the Beatles, in his solo career.
I used to think all things must pass was my 1. Lately I've thought ram fits all the criteria you listed.
This was a tricky one. I stuck to your criteria and assigned each one a rating from 1-10 for each album and then ranked them according to the overall scores. (There was a tie for third, so I had to use my best judgment there.) As such, it didn't completely reflect how I feel about them on a personal level: for instance, I gave "All Things Must Pass" top honors, but my personal #1 is either "Plastic Ono Band" or "Ram," depending on what day you ask me. It also hurt to omit a few of my favorites from the honorable mentions, such as "George Harrison" and "Memory Almost Full," but I was trying hard to stick to your parameters. I feel like I've got a pretty good knowledge of how these albums were and are perceived by the mainstream, but some of those criteria, like influence, can be hard to gauge accurately. Again, I just used my best judgment.
I appreciate you sticking to the criteria! It’s not easy for fans to separate their faves from “the best.”
My personal rankings using your criterias:
1. Plastic Ono Band
2. All Things Must Pass
3. Imagine
4. Band On the Run
5. Ringo
6. Ram
7. Brainwashed
8. Tug of War
9. Venus and Mars
10. George Harrison
Personal favorites that didn’t make the list: Cloud 9, Back to the Egg, London Town, Flaming Pie, Time Takes Time.
Great list👍
I always liked Red Rose Speedway.
Why, because it’s the one album where the Band is Rocking. There are some great Melodies
I listen to it far more than any other solo album
331/3 is pretty good too
I have always thought the 4 Beatles needed each other to reach greatness
For the record I think Band On The Run is not as good as everybody seems to think, although I do like 1985 (Let Me Roll It, Jet and Bluebird too. I also prefer the version of the album with Helen Wheels)
yeah, i don't feel BOTR has aged all that well. At least partially saved by including HW.
I definitely prefer the version without Helen Wheels. I'm also not crazy about the title cut or Jet. I love the other songs you mention.
The albums pictured in the thumbnail do it for me.
The first five you listed would be my top 5, with the order changing on any given day based on my mood. But All Things Must Pass gets the vote from me as George filled two albums with quality material. There’s nothing I skip on those two discs. (The Apple Jam disc is more of a bonus that a legitimate album disc.) Band on the Run and Plastic Ono Band would be my number two and three if I had to commit to ranking them.
I also have a personal liking for Venus and Mars and Back to the Egg, even though I realize neither is truly in contention for being “best.” The McCarthy solo album is also up there, but has a little too much filler to keep it from being in the running.
Venus and Mars and Back to the Egg 👍👍
Thanks for yet another catchy topic Matt!...lots to do with the thinking hat on! For now I'll go just for the best one ever (imho) Plastic Ono Band. As for the rest I'll shiverly wait for the results!
Took the survey....and here are four more, one from each Fab: Lennon's Walls and Bridges; Paul's Flowers in the Dirt; George's Cloud Nine and Ringo's Time Takes Time.
Time Takes Time is a most enjoyable romp.
Wow. This is really really hard. I chose 5 of those 6. I didn't have Ringo on the list. If I added one, I would add 'Double Fantasy' for all sorts of reasons.
I could change my mind on this from week to week......a little.
Thanks for your channel Matt!
Johns Double Fantasy songs are fantastic. The album isnt as cohesive because of the Yoko songs, but a theoretical album of just Lennons songs including the Milk and Honey ones would be my favourite
Yes many make an all-Lennon version. Those songs hold up pretty well even if some were unfinished.
I voted, but you already nailed my top 6 in your list. I guess it was worth the vote to arrange it in my personal order though.
My top 10 list
1) Band on the Run - still listening all the time
2) Imagine - every song was at high level , Harrison did a great job here !
3) All Things Must Pass - the most ambitious album of ex-beatles
4) Venus & Mars - rock show
5) John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band - twin brother of "Imagine"
6) Wonderwall Music - a prefect combination with Indian music
7) RAM - the whole album was full of joy , You can feel it
8) Double Fantasy - a sad moment of Beatles fans
9) Unplugged ( The Official Bootleg ) - this is the first "unplugged" album , I think so ! anyway it 's great
10) Brainwashed - lots of great guitar playing , just like he did at "Real Love"" Free as a Bird"
Well, the answer is All Things Must Pass but I already know what you think of that…
Thank you for another thought-provoking video. My views on music are these of "extreme subjectivism", but it is always interesting to see what the other side (the "objective" one) says ;) Out of your criteria I take 1, 3, 6 and 7 and apply them to the albums according to my subjective taste and preferences. I can already sort of predict what the results of the voting will be (ATMP, POB and BOTR will probably end up in Top 3), but I guess there is always room to present an alternative view, just in case. My Top 3: 1) Chaos and Creation In the Backyard 2) Mind Games 3) Ram
Criteria 4 and 5 are very interesting to consider and discuss of course, particularly 5. I teach English and sometimes do a class on conspiracy theories, which I open with all the Paul Is Dead nonsense. For a warm up, I ask my students to list all the Beatles band members and name some of their songs. Sometimes I get none, especially from the teenagers. This is a sobering perspective for us Beatle Eds - in some circles none of Beatles solo songs, let alone albums have stood the test of time.
Thanks for the comments. Yes, I hear similar stories regarding young people not knowing who the Beatles are. I think we have to expect that as the natural cycle of things.
Paul McCartney’s Flaming Pie, George Harrison’s Cloud 9
Harrisons Cloud 9 was the last social relevant exbeatle soloalbum, reaching a broad audience. The single "I got my mind set on you" was the last No. 1song a Beatle reached in the USA. The album may also the last to be called iconic.
I defy you to find anywhere in print where Cloud 9 was called 'iconic.' You are correct in pointing out it was the last #1, which made it relevant in its time.
@@popgoesthe60s52what means "iconic" for you?
@@SH-ud8wd I use the dictionary definition
Am trying to find who said it was iconic
1, Imagine
2, All things Must Pass
3, Band on the Run
4, Plastic Ono Band
5, Double Fantasy
6, Ringo
7, Cloud 9
8, Ram
9, 33 1/3
10. Venus and Mars
- CHAOS AND CREATION IN THE BACKYARD
- ALL THINGS MUST PASS
- RAM
- IMAGINE
- PLASTIC ONO BAND
- VENUS AND MARS
- ELECTRIC ARGUMENTS
- BAND ON THE RUN
- 33 AND 1/3
- FLAMING PIE
I think a lot depends on which side of the Atlantic you're on or wherever in the world you are. I believe the most "popular" (pre December 1980 amongst the general listening public) album in the UK was Band On The Run - Imagine ran a close second - George's popularity had fallen by the wayside in the UK by that time and consequently so had All Things Must Pass - it took John's murder to bring JLPOB back into the spotlight it deserved and Imagine was elevated for the same reason. In the UK at least Ringo has never been treated as a serious artist and despite a series of hit singles Ringo (the album) would never have been considered alongside those others. It took Flaming Pie for Paul to regain the critical acclaim that had dwindled soon after Tug Of War.
I'm writing this from my own point of view as a "second generation" Beatles fan and I'm sure others have their own take.
Paul would be a big star now if Flaming Pie was his debut and he hadn’t been a Beatle. That’s why it was my personal addition.
Does anyone ever talk about _Live Peace in Toronto_ by the Plastic Ono Band?
Side 1 is great. Side 2 not so great.
My personal ranking of those 6 albums (and the write-in) would be
1.) Imagine
2.) Ram
3.) Plastic Ono Band
4.) All Things Must Pass
5.) Band On The Run
6.) Ringo
(Write In)-Walls and Bridges because it's probably my favorite album of all time. Surprise Surprise, What You Got, and #9 Dream are my top 3 favorite songs.
My top 25 Solo Beatles LP’s:
1. All Things Must Pass - George Harrison (1970)
2. George Harrison - George Harrison (1979)
3. Ram - Paul McCartney (1971) (Mono mix is best)
4. Walls & Bridges - John Lennon (1974)
5. Ringo - Ringo Starr (1973)
6. Thirty Three & 1/3 - George Harrison (1976)
7. Flaming Pie - Paul McCartney (1997)
8. Back To The Egg - Paul McCartney (1979)
9. Cloud Nine - George Harrison (1987)
10. London Town - Paul McCartney (1978)
11. Venus And Mars - Paul McCartney (1975)
12. Mind Games - John Lennon (1973)
13. Red Rose Speedway - Paul McCartney (1973)
14. Living In The Material World - George Harrison (1973)
15. Tug Of War - Paul McCartney (1982)
16. Imagine - John Lennon (1971)
17. Gone Troppo - George Harrison (1982)
18. Time Takes Time - Ringo Starr (1992)
19. Somewhere In England - George Harrison (1980/81) (both versions)
20. Extra Texture - George Harrison (1975)
21. Chaos And Creation In The Back Yard - Paul McCartney (2005)
22. Brainwashed - George Harrison (2002)
23. Goodnight Vienna - Ringo Starr (1974)
24. Stop And Smell The Roses - Ringo Starr (1981)
25. Beaucoups Of Blues - Ringo Starr (1970)
In your last video on this topic, you made the valid point that after the first couple of years in the 70s, the ex-Fabs were no longer in the driving seat, so the question of "influence" is not one you can argue about. What might be worth considering is the extent to which The Beatles 60s music exerted an influence in the 70s. Apart from obvious ones like ELO and 10cc, can Beatle influences be found in, say, Pink Floyd or Genesis? If so, what?
Yes, anytime there is some kind of retrospective on any band of the 60s-70s, they always mention the influence of the Beatles. I do loads of research and their influence is mentioned so much that I just gloss over it now!
Matt..
There are many great channels and podcast on here and I will champions them..
Your channel, nothing is real podcast, breathless 365, mayo’s Beatles channel..
There’s a lot of garbage also haha
Peace and love my man ✌️
7th place..FLAMING PIE love it!
Thank you Martin!
To me, it’s Plastic Ono Band. Best songs, best sequencing, and the most spiritually interesting. Ringo’s drumming, Klaus’ stellar and bouncy bass playing, and the genius of everything that John brings makes it sound like an actual Beatles album, more so than any of the other solo records.
I missed this video and am so psyched ! I'm a huge George fan and was going to ask you if you were remotely as excited as I am about the upcoming George Harrison box set and to also ask you - do you believe Extra Texture can be raised from the dead by a really good remaster ? Ok here is my Top Ten though they:re not necessarily in order of preference beyond my ultimate favorites. My own personal criteria-by your leave - will be reissue deluxe boxes will be included. And while they won't make my top 10 I also really really like George Harrison (the album). It's not a Major Work of Art by any stretch but they're all very catchy unpretentious songs and I think George's playing is particularly graceful on it. Another one that comes very close - critics be damned - is Dark Horse. It's loose and it's ragged and I dig it. What can I say ? Another very lightweight and forgotten but enjoyable album for me was Gone Troppo (the absolutely ghastly 'Wake Up My Love' excepted).I always imagine George lying back in a hammock when i listen to it. He sounds happy on that album and passes it on I think. While it also won't make the list I only just began listening to 'Something About England' (or do I mean 'Somewhere In...? Sorry if I screwed that up) and I think that's a pretty solid album too. And it's tough for me to weigh in on Paul's post-Tug Of War albums because I kind of gave up on him for a while. Then lo and behold ! In the years I'd given up on him Paul had certainly made some worthwhile music. As an Elvis Costello fan from the beginning (Him I gave up on when he began crooning and flaunting how fond of Cole Porter and Mose Allison he is and how deep and 'tasteful' and un-rock n roll his taste really is. Sorry E. I prefer you as a bitter punk or your FANTASTIC Beatles-sorta homage 'Imperial Bedroom') I was very gratified indeed by the reissue of Flowers In The Dirt' and to hear two of my favorite songwriters working as Costello/McCartney rather than Lennon/McCartney. The demos were an incredible treat. I also enjoyed Chaos and Creation In The Backyard the couple times I heard it and REALLY like 'Memory Almost Full' which I think was almost a complete return to form for Paul. But as I say I will confine myself to pre-Tug Of War Macca. And Ringo The Fourth did not make my list. Without further adoo.
1. Wonderwall Music (George)
2. All Things Must Pass (George)
3. Brainwashed (George)
4. Living In The Material World (George)
5. Plastic Ono Band (John)
6. Imagine (John)
7. Venus and Mars (Paul)
8. McCartney (Ringo)
9. Ram (Paul)
10. Band On The Run (Paul)
And a special shout-out to Pussycats by Harry Nilsson and John Lennon. I really love that album. It makes me fondly recall some of Alex Chilton's great drunken 70s garage band albums like "Bach's Bottom'. Can't wait to hear your response so my opinions can meet and confer with your opinions. I know I front loaded this with caveats. 7:15
Hi Matt! Based on your criteria, I think anything post 1975 wouln't qualify. I agree wholeheartedly with four albums you mentioned: Plastic Ono Band, Band Of The Run, All Things Must Pass and Ringo, which are one by each Beatle. My favorite is Ram though. If I had to choose one by each of them going only by the strength of the songs and the ratio good/filler, I'd say Plastic Ono Band, Band On The Run, Cloud Nine and Vertical Man.
Vertical Man👍
Yeah, their work as solo artists started to dip post '75.
I’ve not heard them all, but I love Lennon’s first solo album. It’s blood raw - and I love that.
In my opinion, ''Plastic Ono Band'' and ''Ram'' are hard to top. I prefer ''Back To The Egg'' over ''Band On The Run'' even though BOTR is a solid album and features ''Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five'' which is phenomenal. I also prefer ''Living In The Material World'' (Even though many consider it ''preachy'') and George Harrison the 1979 self-titled album over ''All Things Must Pass''.
This is a great idea Matt. I like the criteria idea. However based on criteria 2, my number 1, which would be Plastic Ono Band has to drop down a little because I don't believe it was a very popular album at the time.
Imagine fits all your criteria without fail
I'd say "Oh Yoko" was a fail. Top 5 worst solo Beatles recordings. The rest of the album was great.
I can't argue with your top 4, especially given your criteria of sales and cultural impact. I just can't get past the enormous amount of filter on most Lennon and McCartney solo albums. Ringo sometimes is mentioned on these lists out of guilt and wanting to throw him a bone but I will always see him as just a novelty/nostalgia act. I'm an unabashed Harrison fan but he also put out a lot of garbage in the 70s and 80s. I'd say Cloud 9 is the only one that checks your boxes since he did have a one giant hit and a few others that got various amounts of air play. I think all the songs are good but my favs are Just For Today and Someplace Else. I absolutely adore Living in the Material World but I understand most people didn't like it and it only had one minor hit. Those songs just move me, and I don't usually skip any tracks. Brainwashed is a damn fine album that drops off in the 2nd half. His self titled album is better than I remembered, but still has a lot of filler. 33 1/3 is all filler. Wings first album is the only one that is anywhere near great but still has filler.
2 Paul to consider: "Wings Over America" and Chaos Creation.
Yes, I know one is a live album. But it's such a fantastic live album.
Not including a live album for someone like the Dead, the Who, Frampton, KISS etc, would be like losing a major portion of who they are.
For Wings, it's the same.
Also for George I'd add Cloud Nine.
This is all pretty fair and reasonable criteria, Matt. I think your assessment is accurate that only those 6 albums would really make the cut under those conditions. Only other albums I could see arguments for are the McCartney Self-Titled series of albums, just because they're so iconic imo. But as much as I love them, they're kinda mixed bags when taken track for track.
Thank you Man of Oil. I do believe the quality drops off significantly after these six. There is only one solo album that I would routinely listen to all the way through. The others I just listen to the songs I like.
For me the 74 batch is what I like best. Band (I know it's 1973 actually) Bridges, Vienna and Dark horse. For me they work like a mega white album
If only...
I have one qualifier and that would be...how did they affect me personally. Under my Criteria it's Plastic Ono Band, McCartney, and ATMP. I wish Ringo would have created an album in the vein of "It Don't Come Easy" it would be right in there with the other three. I base this on how jazzed I was with Abbey Road and Let It Be and was hungry for what was coming next. Your criteria is very valid and under those criteria I pretty much agree with your picks. Ram was one hell of a record when released and to me...still is to this very day. It just might be the solo album that gets the most spins around here. I'll put it on in the house, out in the field, when painting, when mowing, anytime at all.
Ringo is not a credible songwriter, vocalist or arranger. More a reasonable drummer who got the luckiest gig. His vocal performances on regular Beatles albums are surely skipped by most listeners.
@@PaIaeoCIive1684 'Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man
Very soft spot for RINGO and Flowers in the Dirt. I put Ringo at #4.
Living in the Material World is the clear choice. Great songs, deeply spiritual
I added 'McCartney II' to the list, not because it's my favourite but because I think in hindsight there is a lot happening on this quite experimental album. Including a hit single, by the way. Also considering your criteria of it being consistent en innovative, it might qualify (but perhaps no top 6). But I could happily live my life if I am the only one feeling this way. :)
I believe that the category “little to no filler” will unnecessarily penalize All Things Must Pass because of Apple Jam. Let’s face it, without Apple Jam, there was still enough for 2 separate and great albums. A better category would be which solo album had the strongest 10 songs…ATMP would win hands down.
I was thinking it might negatively impinge on the rankings of Paul's albums, some of whose songs are considered light or fluffy, even if I personally consider them whimsical and delightful.
I think that is still a vital criteria and I will tell you that the early surveys are still ranking it very high which speaks to the strength of the non-filler or the weakness of the other solo albums.
I think "Double Fantasy" is the only other album that would fit your stated criteria (but only basing it upon John's songs). George Harrison's "Cloud Nine" is also a really good album, but even though it has several charting songs, I think the Beatles weren't very culturally significant by 1986. Another favorite of mine is John's "Rock And Roll" album, though that album certainly meets none of your criteria at all. It's just a fun listen for me. This survey is taking a lot longer to fill out than 30 seconds. It's really hard to rank the top 6!
thats interesting because as much as i like Johns songs on double fantasy, when the album came out Johns songs were seen as trite, too popish and dissapointing, wereas Yokos songs where seen as cutting edge and forward looking. the album was actually seen as somewhat of a flop and was heading down the charts when John was murdered and the album got huge-thats the way i remember it anyway
Matt, I like that you are posting the criteria for choosing the best. For me the emotional impact of hearing the song is key. But that is not really very objective as the the time and place of first hearing a song/album creates an association that always lingers in the background. Also the expectations one has for the first listen will color one's response. And cover versions present an odd problem as the original is usually the greatest. The or original to one's ears that is, no the chronological order in which each cover - or original. (Maybe that is why I and my college friends prefer the bootleg of "Let It Be" to the Spector mix.)
I am late to the voting which is just as well as I own no own no solo Beatles albums. But 'Give Peace a Chance' and especially 'Cold Turkey' do get played quite a bit.
I’m big on criteria which unfortunately is new to a lot of people and makes this job difficult at times.
John's hands down. But we lost him to soon to here more music
Well Matt you've certainly set 'the cat amongst the pigeons' on this one ... 😲
It will be interesting if the survey finds 'the best' solo albums coming from the 1970 - 1974 period. That's where my immediate choices have always come from ...
For me it's always the 'Plastic Ono Band album' ... with Lennon IMO at his artistic peak ...
Let the debate begin ...✌
Based on your criteria Matt and accepting your 6 as the best, I would have to round out the top ten with Tug of War, Walls & Bridges, Cloud Nine and McCartney.
Very nice choices. Appriciate the choice of McCartney. It's so melodic and kind of not too thought out and makes it interesting that way. Like Paul has said "if you love that album you must like me also."