[bigshot]

call me mad but I love the first album the MOST
I really dig "Please Please Me"

Early Beatles is great. The BBC collection would be a good starting point too.

 

[NorthStar]

Count me as another vote for Rubber Soul.
 
Has not only the great Norwegian Wood but also Drive My Car, You Won't See Me, Nowhere Man, Michelle, I'm Looking Through You, and what I sometimes think is the greatest Beatles song ever  -  In My Life.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

Abby Road. 
 
Depends on what your favorite music is, and what side of the Beatles you're likely to enjoy the best.  But Abbey Road is pretty amazing, their most psychadelic rocked out album, and probably the one that has aged the best in that it feels the most modern to me still. 
 
But if you are more into the pop songwriting, then The White Album is a great one to start with.

My favourite 2 Beatles' albums (Abbey Rd. and The White Album) too.
 
I would suggest:
 
http://www.amazon.ca/Beatles-1/dp/B00004ZAV3
 
A great starter CD for new Beatles fans...then you can go for the 2009 Remasters!

 

[chnsawBrutality]

I have never listened to the Beatles before.. not sure why that is.
 
So far I'm enjoying Abbey Road from YouTube. 
 
Which is better, the original recordings, or the re-masters?

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

I have never listened to the Beatles before.. not sure why that is.
 
So far I'm enjoying Abbey Road from YouTube. 
 
Which is better, the original recordings, or the re-masters?

The re-masters are a whole lot better than the initial CD releases. Definitely worth the upgrade!

 

[DLeeWebb]

The obvious choice would be one of the "Greatest Hits" packages if you really are unfamiliar and you want the big picture. Otherwise, I would start with "Abbey Road." Why? Because, after listening to Beatles singles as a child it was the first Beatles album that made me stop and really listen. I basically got into their other albums after that...

 

[DavidMahler]

I'd start with Abbey Road and work my way backwards through their catalog.
 
Abbey Road (Their most modern sounding and probably at this point their most beloved release)

The White Album (which is my personal favorite and by far their most personal in terms of songwriting)
 
Magical Mystery Tour (not considered as good as their other psychedelic release, Sgt Pepper, but song for song this happens to be one of their most consistent albums, and perhaps of all their albums it features the most well-known material)

Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (considered by critics to be the seminal record ever released by the band, and probably of the entire rock movement)
 
Revolver (One of the most astonishing records because it cohesively joins so many different styles.  By diehard Beatle-fans, this tends to be the most enjoyed of their albums)
 
Rubber Soul (This is the Beatles first masterpiece of an album.  It features some of their best works and is very serious-minded in comparison to all their other previous works)
 
Help! (Despite the fact that this album is nowhere nearly as good as any of the previous mentioned, it features The Beatles most famous song, Yesterday, and also the title track which is up there in the ranks of their most famous songs.  Other songs on here are great, but there are some lackluster moments here.
 
Beatles For Sale (This is probably the Beatles least known and least successful album of all their original releases, but it's my favorite of their pre-Rubber Soul releases.)
 
A Hard Day's Night (The first and only album to feature all Lennon-McCartney songs. John really begins to shine here as a writer)
 
Let It Be (Ok, here I would get the Beatles' last release.  This takes the purchases out of order.  It was recorded immediately after The White Album and shares a bit of similarities but it is an uneven work.  Half the album is among their best, and half the album is among their worst.)
 
Past Masters (These are The Beatles singles which didn't appear on an album.  As such, this 33 song set contains some of their most well-known material....I Want To Hold Your Hand, Hey Jude, She Loves You, etc.  It also contains some lesser known greats like Yes It Is and Old Brown Shoe.)
 
Please Please Me (This is the Beatles very first album, and in some ways it still remains the most impressive debut by any band in history.  The album contains song after great song and at least half the album gets regular radio airplay......it only pales in comparison to The Beatles later, more serious and artistic endeavors, but as a great pop rock album they never surpassed it for pure fun and spirit.)
 
With The Beatles (Personally, this is the Beatles least enjoyable release.  It feels like a carbon copy of Please Please Me and since it was released immediately afterwards I believe they were probably aiming to create a second Please Please Me.  It's not nearly as good, but it still is worth investing in if you own all the others above.  There are a few standouts here.)
 
Once you won this.....you will probably want Yellow Submarine which includes 4 songs not included anywhere else.

 

[DLeeWebb]

Quote:

I'd start with Abbey Road and work my way backwards through their catalog.
 
Abbey Road (Their most modern sounding and probably at this point their most beloved release)

The White Album (which is my personal favorite and by far their most personal in terms of songwriting)
 
Magical Mystery Tour (not considered as good as their other psychedelic release, Sgt Pepper, but song for song this happens to be one of their most consistent albums, and perhaps of all their albums it features the most well-known material)

Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (considered by critics to be the seminal record ever released by the band, and probably of the entire rock movement)
 
Revolver (One of the most astonishing records because it cohesively joins so many different styles.  By diehard Beatle-fans, this tends to be the most enjoyed of their albums)
 
Rubber Soul (This is the Beatles first masterpiece of an album.  It features some of their best works and is very serious-minded in comparison to all their other previous works)
 
Help! (Despite the fact that this album is nowhere nearly as good as any of the previous mentioned, it features The Beatles most famous song, Yesterday, and also the title track which is up there in the ranks of their most famous songs.  Other songs on here are great, but there are some lackluster moments here.
 
Beatles For Sale (This is probably the Beatles least known and least successful album of all their original releases, but it's my favorite of their pre-Rubber Soul releases.)
 
A Hard Day's Night (The first and only album to feature all Lennon-McCartney songs. John really begins to shine here as a writer)
 
Let It Be (Ok, here I would get the Beatles' last release.  This takes the purchases out of order.  It was recorded immediately after The White Album and shares a bit of similarities but it is an uneven work.  Half the album is among their best, and half the album is among their worst.)
 
Past Masters (These are The Beatles singles which didn't appear on an album.  As such, this 33 song set contains some of their most well-known material....I Want To Hold Your Hand, Hey Jude, She Loves You, etc.  It also contains some lesser known greats like Yes It Is and Old Brown Shoe.)
 
Please Please Me (This is the Beatles very first album, and in some ways it still remains the most impressive debut by any band in history.  The album contains song after great song and at least half the album gets regular radio airplay......it only pales in comparison to The Beatles later, more serious and artistic endeavors, but as a great pop rock album they never surpassed it for pure fun and spirit.)
 
With The Beatles (Personally, this is the Beatles least enjoyable release.  It feels like a carbon copy of Please Please Me and since it was released immediately afterwards I believe they were probably aiming to create a second Please Please Me.  It's not nearly as good, but it still is worth investing in if you own all the others above.  There are a few standouts here.)
 
Once you won this.....you will probably want Yellow Submarine which includes 4 songs not included anywhere else.

 

[size=medium]

Very nice analysis of the work of The Beatles...
​

[/size]

 

[Deep Funk]

Interesting, my first album was "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and as such it is the 2009 digital remaster. It is a nice album but it did not really get to me. But if I would be really be digging the Beatles as a collector I would go for the mono box set. Mono is rather pleasing if you like it 

. 
 
Actually "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is my only Beatles album and as much as the Beatles have been influential and a lot of people say Beatles this, Beatles that I do not find them that interesting. I am still digging for some rootsy music so maybe some early Beatles album will be on the way...
 
Update: I just played the album again, it is a grower and "A Day In The Life" is just... d*mn it is good. 

 

[proedros]

Abbey Road is their best.
 
The White Album comes second , although being double and not having a single style , may tire you.
 
Just get abbey road . Now.

 

[audiophile12]

If you're invested into watching their musical progression, start from Please Please Me and end at Abbey Road, but otherwise the best album to start getting into them is either Help! or Rubber Soul

 

[Calexico]

As not a big Beatles fan, the only Beatles albums I've enjoyed a lot are Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.  Abbey Road was easier to get into than Sgt. Pepper for me, so that's my recommendation.

 

[dedero]

After the excelent analysis of DavidMahler , you just have to choose between them.
 
To do a little summary of his opinion, it depends on which kind of style do you like.
 
- if you like "fast and power" rock and roll, you have to listen please please me, with the beatles, beatles for sale, a hard days night and help
- if you like excelent lyrics with an excelent music composition, you have rubber soul, revolver, abbey road and white album (disc 1)
- if you like a good "mental flash", you have sgt peppers, magical mystery tour, revolver, abbey road and white album (disc 2)
 
have a good beginning!

 

[MacedonianHero]

This might interest you too:
 
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/photos/28431/194023
 
Just some more data points on one of the greatest bands and songwriters the world has ever known.

 

[Calexico]

Did anyone notice how old this thread was?