The Beatles are the most covered and best-selling band who transformed the world in a way music never had or has since changed–from the cool boy band adored by girls and envied by boys, media globalisation, dual and reverse tracking, and the most diverse genres from rock n’ roll, ballad, sitar, psychedelia and folk; they are brilliant, impressive, even if not good-to-taste. And have, almost something for everyone somewhere in their 229 own songs, plus covers–a core discography of over nine and a half hours. The most of any recording artist after quality control.

They are such an inspiration and model-setters that they, like the sixties itself, can obscure quality music that was their inspiration and set a decadal benchmark more mythic than real. The rock n’ roll and love-dove sentimentality of the fifties are obvious in this music archaeology of the The Beatles Anthologytheir interviews, covers, biographies, and their personal selections.

You can listen and follow the collected songs The Beatles enjoyed here in a Spotify playlist: