The Beatles are a bit like the Star Wars of pop music: It's hard to believe anyone, regardless of birth date or place, just doesn't get it. But, as we learned this week -- that there are people out there who haven't explored a galaxy far, far away -- so too are the few who have let The Beatles be without much consideration.
If you're intrigued by the news that The Beatles' sizable catalog will for the first time be available for streaming beginning Dec. 24, here are some reliable tracks to start with. Chances are, you'll recognize many by name or within a few seconds through your ear buds. You can also give the movie Across the Universe a spin; check out our review from 2007.
Hey Jude (1968)
Its slow build, theme of encouragement and ever-infectious na na na make this an accessible track for pretty much anyone. Hey, it spent nine weeks at number one in the U.S. -- the longest of of any Beatles song.
Blackbird (1968)
It's poetic and delicate with a deep sense of purpose -- McCartney told KCRW's Chris Douridas in 2002 he wrote it while reflecting on racial tension in the United States during the 1960s. Clocking in at just 2 minutes 19 seconds, it's short, sweet and soulful.
Let It Be (1970)
Another piano forward ballad by Paul McCarthy, "Let It Be" was The Beatles' final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band. And, though Lennon had a few choice words about it in an interview with Playboy in 1980, there's no evidence of tension in the studio recording, and it went on to tie Elvis Presley's record for a number one during each of seven consecutive years.
Strawberry Fields Forever (1967)
The Beatles are often lauded for being ahead of the pop cultural curve, and "Strawberry Fields Forever" may be one of the best examples of this. It's a psychedelic rock archetype, mixing impressionistic lyrics with experimental instrumentals -- seriously, it features cymbals recorded backwards, a Mellotron, and swarmandel -- plus, it's filled with intrigue, further fueling the "Paul is Dead" urban legend. Not to mention, it inspired this rad, weird early music video long before the "I Want My MTV" days.
Something (1969)
Lennon and McCartney get most of the love, but it's the reluctant Beatle, George Harrison, who is responsible for writing one of the band's most enduring ballads. According to Time, the dreamy melody been covered more than 150 times, the second most of any Beatles single. Perhaps a downer: It was written for Harrison's then-wife Patti Boyd, Muse of all Muses who around the same time also inspired "Layla" by her future second husband Eric Clapton.
I Want to Hold Your Hand (1964)
While a number of Beatles tracks have a timeless quality, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" is certainly a product of the '60s. Despite -- or perhaps because of -- its simplicity, this ear worm kicked off the British Invasion when a rogue DJ in Washington D.C. blasted it the day after Christmas in '63, titillating listeners and forcing Capitol Records to move up its release date.
Help! (1965)
Like "I Want to Hold Your Hand," this one sounds a bit specific to the period, but that doesn't mean it doesn't rock. From the signature opening cry for ... you know, help, to the last note, this jaunty ditty's pure fun with a little falsetto thrown in for good measure.
All You Need is Love (1967)
Before it was the title of innumerable Pinterest boards, "All You Need Is Love" was The Beatles answer to "a song with a message understood by everyone." They were charged with that assignment as the U.K.'s contribution to Our World, the first live global satellite television production, which was viewed by more than 400 million people from over 25 countries on June 25, 1967.
Come Together (1969)
Weird. This one starts weird and builds to something even weirder, fist-pumpingly wonderful. Which is kind of the purpose: It was reportedly an attempt at a campaign song for famed LSD enthusiast Timothy Leary's run for governor against Ronald Reagan. Leary wound up in prison for marijuana possession, Lennon called it "gobbledygook" and, ironically, it became the last song that all four Beatles came together to record.
In My Life (1965)
Need a good wedding song? There are few better. Lyrically, "In My Life" is a mature meditation on love by someone who has fallen more than once with people, places and life itself. Lennon said his earliest days of songwriting were "just for the meat market," jokes with "no depth at all." "In My Life" differs, and it's evident. He told Rolling Stone in 1970 he considered it his "first real, major piece of work."
Think we missed something?
Tweet us @GuideLive which song you'd first introduce to a budding Beatles fan. After all, it's rare that any band warrants its own top 100 list from Rolling Stone. Narrowing down a perfect ten is a heady assignment for anyone.