For me, it's definitely Sgt. Peppers.

Hell, the best songs recorded for the album were the first two they recorded, and they didn't even make the record!

Not nearly enough good Lennon stuff (I think he only has four lead vocals on the record), way too much cutesy/ballady McCartney (She's Leaving Home, When I'm Sixty Four, With a Little Help from My Friends), nothing from Harrison (that sitar crap does NOT count)....how is this record so fucking canonized?

honorable mention: White Album...so bloated and overreaching. Trouble is, since you can cull 14 or 15 awesome songs and make a great single album, how can it really be overrated?

all of 'em.

agreed. More for the over-hype than the actual quality of the album. It's not that bad really; its just overly-lauded because of its historical context moreso than its music and there isnt more Lennon stuff because he wasnt capable od doing anymore at that point. But let's not travel down that road again.



disagree; i really only dislike 2 or 3 songs...

George Harrison is the only Beatle to put out music I like(d).

abbey road.....minus 2-3 songs, i think the album is pure shite....

I vote the White Album, with Sgt. Pepper close behind.

The White Album sprawls too damn far. It's all over the place. Once again, I'm against double albums most of the time, and this one is a good example. Give one good hour of your best shit and get out of my face. If you have songs left over, re-evaluate and release another separate album. Editing is tough work, but it does make a big difference.

To put some perspective on my pick, my thoughts on The Beatles:
- Favorite album is Rubber Soul, by a decent margin.
- The band is a very good example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. I haven't ventured much into Lennon's solo work, which gets a fair amount praise around here, mostly due to lack of interest.
- Outside of "Here Comes the Sun" and "Something", George Harrison is near the top of the Overrated Rock Legend list, with Jim Morrison and Eric Clapton--and I like Cream. Before anyone starts throwing genius around, no genius would vomit out "I Got My Mind Set On You", record it and release it not only on an album but as a single.
- Ringo is a cool motherfucker.

Dude that "Mind set on you" video with all the babling animal heads like Chuck E. Cheese of the Damned is AWESOME.

rubber soul here.

Overrated: Sgt. Peppers
Underrated: Let It Be

The best is still The White Album.

"I Want To Tell You" is pretty awesome, as is "While My Guitar..."
agree about everything else, especially Clapton. Fucker hasn't written or played a decent song since 70.

Don't forget the flipping and acrobatics.

The White Album is my favorite. It's an overbloated mess, but that's what makes it great. It's a snapshot of a great band going in a hundred different direction. Also it's not "samey", which is my complaint about alot of canonized albums. Every song is a different direction.

I'll hit the indie sacred cow and say Revolver is overrated. It's great don't get me wrong, but it's not there best by a long shot. Some great songs, and I would probably rate it a nine. But it's far off from the love it gets as the "revisited" best album of the Beatles.

I'm not much of a fan of Revolver as an album.

The two most underrated Beatles albums are Help and Magical Mystery Tour.

I'll agree with Sgt. Pepper's and also with Rubber Soul.

eh? eh?

The only 2 Beatles albums I have are Rubber Soul and Abbey Road and I like 'em both alright.

i don't really count MMT as an album, though.

Y'all are demented and deaf.

Though I understand... when you read Byron or Shelley now they seem full of treacle and bombast. Hemingway doesn't really hold up.. and Lord knows Pop Art artists are kinda silly in today's environment... bright and shiny relics of the 60's.

Hence Sgt. Peppers. Who can listen to it? I can't. But it is a monument of its time. Saying you don't like it is like saying you don't like the pyramids.

It is their most overrated though... mostly because on many lists it is the greatest rock/pop LP (yep, LP) of all time.

I could be wrong, but I've always thought Sgt. Peppers was always more highly regarded in the States than in the UK. Brits have been saying Revolver was their best from way back.

Steve

I can listen to it just fine. I'm not really that big a beatles fan, but I consider it their best and my favorite (for those who see any difference).

I'd say its really come full circle from most overrated to most underrated. I think people are putting too much emphasis on some rolling stone list from years past which had Sgt Peppers at 1 & never mind the bollocks at 2. I rarely see critics praise sgt peppers like they used to and music fans seem to list revolver and rubber soul first these days.

I'll gladly listen to sgt peppers over either of those.

2 of the best Obner quotes i've seen in weeks!

G, I think you nailed it. It's not my favorite but I agree that it has come full circle.