When The Beatles broke up in 1970, each member wasted no time jumpstarting their solo careers. George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and John Lennon released solo work in the same year. Some had more success than others, but it proved that each member could work without being part of The Beatles. Here is a ranking of the first solo albums released by each member.
4. ‘Sentimental Journey’ – Ringo Starr
Surprisingly, Ringo Starr was the first Beatle to drop a solo album, released a few weeks before The Beatles officially announced they were breaking up. Sentimental Journey is a collection of covers performed by Starr and produced by George Martin. While many of the covers are nicely done, many Beatles fans were confused about Starr emerging with an album that stuck closer to the popular music formula.
Starr was never known as a stellar songwriter, having only written a few songs for The Beatles. It’s also an album that’s aged poorly since many of these songs are pretty old, meaning they will likely not connect with younger audiences. Still, even with a mixed critical reception, the album performed well, reaching No. 7 on the U.K. albums chart and No. 22 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
3. ‘McCartney’ – Paul McCartney
McCartney has an odd reputation. The album debuted a few weeks before The Beatles’ final album, Let It Be, and many believed McCartney used the project to steal attention away from his former band. McCartney also wasn’t in a good place when recording this album as he experienced depression and uncertainty after John Lennon privately announced his departure in 1969.
The album itself feels rushed and underproduced, with many tracks being too short or unfinished. Several highlights still show his songwriting genius, such as “Maybe I’m Amazed”, which is still one of his best solo songs. It’s a beautiful ballad to his then-wife, Linda, who he often wrote about. The album did perform well, reaching No. 2 in the U.K. and No. 1 in the U.S. However, McCartney would have much better projects in the future, especially with Wings.
2. ‘John Lennon/ Plastic Ono Band’ – John Lennon
Before The Beatles broke up, the writing was on the wall that Lennon wanted to move forward creatively with his wife, Yoko Ono. The two were a power couple in the 1970s, and Lennon’s music was influenced by their relationship and the political issues they fought for. John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band is an album where Lennon fully embraces his creative freedom.
He preferred to keep his songwriting introspective, and the album opens with his “Mother”, a somber track where he sings about his complicated relationship with his mother. Other tracks show his expressive voice, like the protest song “Working Class Hero” and “God”, where he throws shots at Paul McCartney. However, McCartney did have the upper hand on the charts, as Lennon’s album only reached No. 6 in the U.S. and No. 8 in the U.K.
1. ‘All Things Must Pass’ – George Harrison
George Harrison once referred to his album All Things Must Pass as “diarrhea” as it contained everything he was saving with The Beatles that kept getting rejected by his fellow bandmates. All Things Must Pass surprised many Beatles fans, who had never been exposed to Harrison’s genius as a songwriter. It catapulted his solo career and made audiences reflect on The Beatles’ work to look more closely at Harrison’s contributions.
The triple album is a lengthy track list that includes plenty of highlights, like “Wah-Wah”, “What is Life?”, and “Isn’t a Pity”. “My Sweet Lord” remains one of Harrison’s greatest songs, and it was his first to reach No. 1 on the charts. The album was a massive success, reaching No. 1 worldwide. Harrison would have plenty of fantastic albums, but All Things Must Pass remains his magnum opus.
