The Beatles' debut album, Please Please Me (1963), is another one that's high on the all-time list. It was recorded quickly (apparently ten of the fourteen tracks were done in one ten-hour session), but that's irrelevant in music. The amount of time and practice that are done before a recording is what makes the difference. As one of my teachers once said, "You can hear how much someone has practiced with every note they play". This album is a case in point.

Another aspect of the record that always amazes me is the assured manner in which the band handles differing tempos and feels. Listen to "Do You Want to Know a Secret?" back-to-back with "Twist and Shout", or "Baby, It's You" right after "Boys". Seven of the album's tracks are originals, and they provide a glimpse of what was to come over the next seven years. I would even argue that "There's a Place" should be considered among the very greatest of their compositions, and also one of the most beautiful singing performances in rock history. Hear for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4lGuxEWn3c&feature=related