3 Essential Beatles Albums

Originating from Liverpool, England, The Beatles are arguably one of the most influential rock bands ever. This is due in part to being in the right place at the right time. When The Beatles hit the music scene, the Rock and Roll industry was still in its infancy and the market was wide open. But this is only part of the reason for the Fab Four's explosive impact on rock and popular music of the late 20th century. The other major factor was talent. It was a convergence of timing, talent and personality.

Many detractors point out that Ringo is an average drummer and Lennon and McCartney were not innovative guitarists, but this misses the point. The Beatles weren't about virtuoso showmanship.

They were a band.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison could have found countless other, better drummers but they chose Ringo because that was who they were; John, Paul, George and Ringo.

This identity as a band carried them through a roll coaster ride of success, fame and stardom never before seen, and rarely seen since. Throughout their 8 years of studio recordings they evolved more than some bands do in 28 years. Because of their evolution as artists and experimental approach to their craft, they have influenced countless bands over the 45 years since they released their first single, Love Me Do.

People have made careers examining everything in The Beatles catalogue and analyzing it for influential effects on modern music, but I have distilled this to the cliff notes, if you will. The 3 essential albums:

1) Rubber Soul

2) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

3) Abbey Road

Rubber Soul:

I chose Rubber Soul mainly because it is the first real transitional album. It's a snapshot of The Beatles on the cusp of evolving from essentially a live band into a studio band. The Beatles would never tour again after this album.