39) Please Please Me

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The Beatles recorded ten of the fourteen songs on their British debut album at EMI's Abbey Road studio in just over twelve hours (10 a.m. to 10:45 p.m.) on February 11th, 1963. For productivity alone, it is one of the greatest first albums in rock. But even at this early stage, the Beatles had invented a bracing new sound for a rock band -- an assault of thrumming energy and impeccable vocal harmonies -- and they nailed it here, just by running through the covers and originals in their live repertoire: the Shirelles' "Boys" and Arthur Alexander's "Anna"; the Lennon-McCartney burners "There's a Place" and "I Saw Her Standing There." John Lennon appropriately finished the sessions by shredding what was left of his vocal cords on two takes of "Twist and Shout."

Total album sales: 1 million

Peak chart position: N/A

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