"I think critiques don’t want to be mainstream. Why is Sgt. Pepper rated ahead of Abbey Road? I never understood it."
Nary impossible to come up with the definitively best, or who’s ahead of who Beatles album. When your choices are for example, between Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road, both brilliant but not parallel in their style executions, so subjectivity plays a big role in that whole mugwumpery.
Now, throw Revolver, Rubber Soul, The Beatles (White Album) in the mix and you’ll never get a definitive answer. All brilliant in their own right with differing styles, musicianship, song writing maturity, etc...
Personally I don’t think I could pick a favorite.