It feels disingenuous to call these my favorites, when I have a feeling the list is such because of volume of listening during my childhood, but I guess it has to start with Rubber Soul. Greatest album ever made, not a bad song on it, not even close to a bad song, also has three or four of the best "ballad-pop" songs ever written.

Second place to Sgt. Pepper's. Incredible album, built off Revolver but didn't get into the White Album territory that turns off casual fans. Revolver is probably a close third; if it was an album of whale noises plus For No One it would still be a close third ...

Help! and A Hard Day's Night get a pass, I guess, because they don't feel like albums -- not too many albums from 1964 sound like albums -- but I probably listen to them more often than I do the above because of their singles. A Hard Day's Night is probably the best easy-pop album ever, unless Help! is.

Now I've got to go outside because it started raining, so Please Please Me and Abbey Road et al. will escape mention, which would really hurt my family if they knew. Luckily I don't talk to them, so they don't.