Abbey Road

Abbey Road was the last Beatles album recorded together, though Let It Be reached shops later. Its first side gives individual songs room to stand apart, from the low-slung rhythm of “Come Together” to George Harrison's “Something.” The sound is unusually full without obscuring the players.

The second-side medley joins shorter pieces into a larger shape, letting fragments answer one another across changing moods. Harrison's “Here Comes the Sun” offers another kind of clarity, with its acoustic guitar and synthesizer details making a familiar melody feel freshly lit.