1. Please Please Me (1963) The major hit that established the classic Beatles sound and launched Beatlemania.
2. A Hard Day’s Night (1964) The opening chord which became iconic and a song which captured their buoyant energy and sharp wit.
3. Yesterday (1965) Paul’s solo and string-accompanied ballad showed their growing sophistication and became one of the most covered songs ever; The Guinness Book of Records claims 1600 times and with efforts from Joan Baez to Liberace.
4. Norwegian Wood (1965) Introduced the sitar to rock music and marked their transition into experimental territory.
5. Tomorrow Never Knows (1966) The revolutionary use of tape loops, backwards recording, and Eastern philosophy created ground-breaking material that influenced psychedelic rock.
6. A Day in the Life (1967) The epic finale that showcased their studio innovation and formulated the concept album.
7. Come Together 1969) The last great collaborative effort, with surreal lyrics and a groove that influenced countless rock songs.

The selection spans their evolution from pop sensations to studio innovators, each representing a different phase of their influence on popular music. The list might-of course-have been cut many different ways; what a catalogue from which to select.