Is The Apple Years 1968–75 a good place to start with George Harrison?

Yes, The Apple Years 1968–75 is recommended as a starting point for new George Harrison listeners. Indian classical textures and devotional chants give way to towering rock arrangements and Harrison’s unmistakably singing slide guitar. Released in 2014, thirteen years after Harrison’s death, this box set collects his six solo albums for Apple Records. It follows his path from the experimental Wonderwall Music and Electronic Sound, made while he was still a Beatle, through his final Apple studio album, Extra Texture, in 1975.

Who is The Apple Years 1968–75 for?

The Apple Years 1968–75 works well if you're into dynamic exploration with peaks, thoughtful reflections on life and meditative moments for introspection.

How many songs are on The Apple Years 1968–75?

The Apple Years 1968–75 has 88 tracks, running approximately 375 minutes.

The Apple Years 1968–75

George Harrison · 2014

375 min · 88 tracks · folk rock

Indian classical textures and devotional chants give way to towering rock arrangements and Harrison’s unmistakably singing slide guitar.

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Top tracks — play these first

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Ski‐ing — This brief Wonderwall Music cue puts distorted rock guitar beside the Indian-influenced palette of Harrison’s first solo album.
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Under the Mersey Wall — An extended Moog synthesizer piece from Electronic Sound, it shows Harrison experimenting with electronic texture rather than conventional songwriting.
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My Sweet Lord Start here — Slide guitar and layered backing voices turn a devotional song into an expansive pop single, bridging gospel-inflected singing and Hindu chant.
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All Things Must Pass — Its measured melody and spacious arrangement give Harrison’s meditation on impermanence a calm center amid the album’s larger productions.
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Dark Horse — Harrison’s strained vocal and the track’s loose groove document a rougher sound than the grand productions of his early post-Beatles work.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

65 /100

Treeline

Higher than 39% of albums we've rated

The album presents a varied collection of Harrison's work but lacks a strong cohesive narrative.

What we noticed

Several tracks incorporate unconventional instrumentation, such as tablas and sitars, reflecting his interest in Eastern music.
The sequencing includes both upbeat songs and more meditative pieces, creating a dynamic flow throughout the collection.

Composition 25% of the score: 6/10
Craft 20% of the score: 7/10
Durability 25% of the score: 6/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 7/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 5/10

Influence 6/10

Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

dynamic exploration with peaks
thoughtful reflections on life
meditative moments for introspection
rich melodic tapestry throughout
for long listening sessions

Maybe skip if you

seeking quick, catchy tracks
prefer straightforward song structures

Where this album fits

In the catalog: Deep Cut — A compilation reflecting Harrison's solo evolution, not a primary entry point or breakthrough.
Themes: spiritual exploration· Indian musical influence· post-Beatles introspection
Career context: Released in 2014, thirteen years after Harrison’s death, this box set collects his six solo albums for Apple Records. It follows his path from the experimental Wonderwall Music and Electronic Sound, made while he was still a Beatle, through his final Apple studio album, Extra Texture, in 1975.
Stylistic neighbors: Jeff Lynne· David Crosby· Nick Drake