86) Let It Be

Buy the album at Rhino.com

"Let It Be" is the sound of the world's biggest pop group at war with itself. John Lennon is at his most acidic; George Harrison's "I Me Mine" is about the sin of pride, sung with plaintive exhaustion. Only Paul McCartney sounds focused, as if the title song were his personal survival mantra. The original concept was a bad idea -- a live-in-the-studio album and film, begun in January 1969 - that left the Beatles so weary they abandoned the project to make Abbey Road. But despite later oversweetening by Phil Spector, the Beatles' final studio release features some of the strongest rockers ("Get Back") and most poignant ballads ("Across the Universe") in their entire canon.

Total album sales: 4 million

Peak chart position: 1

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