ABSTRACT
This chapter explores important elements of the Beatles’ musical compositions in an attempt to understand why their music was immediately popular with both fans and critics and why it has sustained its appeal more than forty years after their break-up. In a course designed for both music majors and those less familiar with the field, I provide keys to unlock the mystery of what made so many Beatles tunes appealing, meaningful, and even magical. This magic, of course, takes on various meanings to individual students. As we endeavour to define the Beatles’ magic, we focus on the group’s collective and individual compositional development by examining each song harmonically, melodically, formally, lyrically, and stylistically. Producer George Martin's innovative and creative use of relatively primitive recording technology helped realise the musical ideas of Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison, and our exploration of his techniques is an important part of the course.
