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The Beatles are still the most successful musical act of all time. Measuring success in the streaming era is a bit harder, but when people were forced to buy records from a store, The Beatles were the most dominant force in the industry. Many of their albums were so prosperous that they set Guinness World Records and continue to hold them today. Here are three Beatles albums that hold Guinness World Records. 

‘Abbey Road’ returned to the No. 1 spot after almost 50 years

The Beatles attend the launch party for their album 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'
The Beatles (George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney) | John Downing/Getty Images

Abbey Road is the final album The Beatles recorded together. It’s regarded as one of their best work and hit No. 1 on charts worldwide upon its release in 1969. In 2019, the album celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special anniversary edition. The special edition included the 17 tracks from the original, such as “Come Together” and “Something”, newly mixed by producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell, along with 23 unreleased recording sessions and demos. 

When the anniversary edition was released, Abbey Road returned to the No. 1 spot on the U.K. Official Charts. It set a Guinness World Record for the longest time for an album to return to No. 1 in the U.K. after a period of 49 years and 252 days. The Beatles defeated their own record that Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. That album had a gap of 49 years and 125 days. 

The Beatles’ ‘1’ is the fastest-selling album of all time

In Nov. 2000, the compilation album, 1, hit shelves and featured every No. 1 hit from The Beatles’ discography. Upon its release, the album sold a record 13.5 million copies worldwide in its first month, 3.6 million of which were sold on its first day. While it’s hard to tell how many total copies have been sold, Apple Corps. announced in 2009 that the album had surpassed 31 million copies worldwide. 

1 also dominated the charts when it was released. It peaked at No. 1 in both the U.S. and the U.K. It remained on the Billboard charts for 275 weeks and remained on the Official Charts for 390 weeks. While it’s not an original album by the band, the compilation record remains their most successful album to date and holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest-selling album ever.

‘Please Please Me’ spent the most consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the U.K. charts

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The Beatles were a hit from the very beginning. Please Please Me is their debut album and hit the U.K. charts in 1963. It peaked at No. 1 and held that spot for 30 weeks. It currently holds the record for the most consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the U.K. Official Charts. 

Only one artist has been No. 1 for more weeks. Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water did hold the No. 1 spot for 33 weeks, but those were not consecutive, meaning the Guinness World Record belongs to the fab four. Sgt. Pepper’s is close behind the two with 28 weeks. 

The Beatles hold many records in music’s history, and these albums remain remarkable success stories for an incredible band.

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