What can I possibly say about the beatles that hasn’t been said already? Not only are they the subject of countless books and documentaries, but there are in-depth doctoral dissertations written about them. Well, writing one thesis was enough for me, so let me tell a story instead.

As a young boy, I would have breakfast with my father, every morning before school. Ritualistically, we would tune in to one of the local radio stations, Vinyl 95.3 FM, that only played hits from the 1950’s and 60’s. This was the music that my parents listened to in their youth (at least whenever it managed to seep through the iron curtain), and incidentally it also became the music that I grew up with. Sam Cooke, Simon and Garfunkel, Aretha Franklin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Van Morrison; the list really is endless. But, of course, no morning was complete without at least one beatles song. Thankfully, their catalogue is so vast that I was never disappointed. In fact, the beatles recorded and released thirteen studio albums in the span of seven years, which was unheard of at the time (or today for that matter). What’s even more impressive is that if we compare the first and the last albums you’d think they were from a completely different artist or genre. The beatles both revolutionized and defined what popular music is and transformed and transcended it; something that would take a lifetime for other artists to achieve. Are all the songs great? No, and unlike some purists I can admit that. But much of it is still just as good as it was then, and it inspires generations of musicians to this day. For me, though, their impact is mostly nostalgia. I don’t eat breakfast anymore, and Vinyl 95.3 FM is long gone, but hearing the beatles reminds me of those moments with my father, and makes me seriously reconsider having breakfast again.

Please enjoy what I would consider to be the perfect setlist for a concert by the beatles. The last three tracks are the encore.