In the fall of 2023, the Beatles released their latest song (well, sort of) called “Now and Then.” What is it about this song that, 53 years after the group broke up, makes it sound so much like the Beatles? This class will explore some of the ways in which the Beatles continuously made musical history throughout the 1960s with one great song after another, while at the same time transforming every aspect of song-writing technique. We will listen to a selection of songs spanning their entire career, from their first album, Please Please Me, to their last, Abbey Road, with a focus on song structure, recording techniques, instrumentation, and lyrics.