The Beatles are a band renowned across the universe. A small portion of that eminence comes from their changing sound throughout their active years. The sound from their albums Please Please Me, Help!, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Abbey Road all have very different styles. Typically, when someone mentions The Beatles, many people think of their earlier albums, such as A Hard Day’s Night. However, a defining album of theirs is arguably the “White Album” (1968). While the name of this album is The Beatles, its all-white sleeve cover earned The White Album nickname to easier differentiate between the band and the album.
“The White Album” is complete with fan favorites and timeless classics that anyone can recognize. Side One opens with Back in the U.S.S.R., a fun and upbeat radio classic. Following is the saccharine melody of Dear Prudence, written about Mia Farrow’s sister. Glass Onion is an interesting piece which references several of the Beatles’ earlier tracks, such as I Am the Walrus, Strawberry Fields Forever, and Lady Madonna. Lennon, who wrote the song, admitted that Glass Onion was written to confuse people who over-analyze songs, as the song has no specific meaning. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da is another upbeat sing-along favorite, followed by the short and peculiar Wild Honey Pie. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill is a catchy tale inspired by a boy Lennon came across while in India, whom would leave meditation sessions to hunt tigers. While My Guitar Gently Weeps is another melancholy piece that is pleasing to the ear. Side One also includes the prominent Blackbird and Why Don’t We Do It in the Road? Side Two opens with Birthday, a track nearly everyone has heard at at least one birthday party. Included is the raw and heavy Helter Skelter, which was a huge change from their usual sound. Concluding the album is the infamous and controversial Revolution 9, and Ringo Starr’s Good Night.
As this is one of the band’s last studio albums before their breakup in 1970, a lot happened behind the scenes during the recording of this album. Ringo Starr, the drummer for the band, temporarily quit the band while the recording of this album was in session. Due to this, several songs either have no percussion on them, or percussion was played by another band member. In the first track of the album, Back in the U.S.S.R., the band’s guitarist/vocalist Paul McCartney played the drums because Starr wasn’t there to. When Starr returned, the band welcomed him back with open arms, and was gifted the first printed copy of the finished album. Also, during this time, the band’s rhythm guitarist John Lennon began seeing Yoko Ono, who would soon be his next wife. This was just the beginning of the band’s falling out. Lennon took Ono to nearly every recording session, and even had her featured in a few songs.
The White Album is arguably one of the band’s most wide-ranging albums, although perhaps not their most unconventional. Many Beatles fans can acknowledge that their transition to nonconformity from the popular trends of the 1960s began with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. However, The White Album was the first of the band’s albums that peaked #1 in the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and Norway. The only other album of the band’s to do this was Abbey Road, which was released the following year. The White Album also is recognized as the fourth top-certified album of all time, achieving 24 Platinum certifications.
