The Beatles’ Picks Their Least Favorite Beatles Album

Even the most iconic bands aren’t always thrilled with their own work, and The Beatles are no exception. Each member of the Fab Four had personal favorites—and least favorites—among their legendary albums. Here’s what Paul, John, George, and Ringo had to say about the albums that didn’t quite hit the mark for them.

Ringo Starr: Overlooked and Underwhelmed by Sgt. Pepper

Ringo Starr wasn’t shy about his struggles during the making of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. By then, Paul McCartney and John Lennon had taken the creative reins, leaving Ringo feeling like a bystander.

“It’s my least favorite,” Ringo admitted. “Though it has some amazing stuff, it was more about John and Paul creating sounds and adding violins and all that.” While the album is hailed as groundbreaking, Ringo found it less of a team effort and more about the Lennon-McCartney duo.

Paul McCartney: Frustrated by Changes to Let It Be

Paul McCartney’s least favorite album? Let It Be. His issue wasn’t with the music but with what happened behind the scenes. Phil Spector was brought in by Lennon to rework some tracks, and Paul wasn’t consulted—a major blow to his vision for the project.

“The album was finished a year ago, but then Phil Spector came in to tidy it up without asking me,” Paul once explained. “I couldn’t believe it.” For someone as detail-oriented as McCartney, this was a tough pill to swallow.

George Harrison: Over It During Sgt. Pepper

George Harrison wasn’t a fan of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band either, but his reasons were different from Ringo’s. George was on a spiritual journey and starting to blossom as a songwriter, which made it frustrating to play second fiddle to McCartney and Lennon.

“I was losing interest in being ‘fab’ at that point,” George said, reflecting on his detachment from the band’s direction.

John Lennon: Bored with McCartney’s Sgt. Pepper

Surprisingly, John Lennon also criticized Sgt. Pepper. While Ringo and George took issue with the band dynamics, Lennon’s frustration was aimed squarely at McCartney’s songwriting.

“These stories about boring people doing boring things—postmen and secretaries. I’m not interested in writing third-party songs,” Lennon said, preferring his introspective style over McCartney’s narrative approach.