Donna Trussell

[ed. note: updated August 19, 2011]

Half a century ago The Beatles snagged their first bonafide hit in the United States when “Love Me Do” climbed to the top of the charts. I was just a young girl, but even so, I listened.

The Beatles

Sociologist Malcolm Gladwell believes it wasn’t raw talent that made The Beatles, but rather the daily grind of performing in a Hamburg club from 1960 to 1962. No Hamburg, no Beatles, Gladwell says. What we call talent is just the willingness to practice.

Perhaps it’s just as well that The Beatles disbanded before they became a shadow — or worse, caricature — of their former self. Their legacy is a catalog of songs the world can’t seem to forget, and probably never will.

Next post — Love Them? We Still Do — features the best covers of these songs I can find.

Love Me Do:

I Saw Her Standing There:

Please Please Me (an early version):

From Me to You:

She Loves You (from a European TV show):

It Won’t Be Long:

I Want to Hold Your Hand:

A Hard Day’s Night:

I Should Have Known Better:

Can’t Buy Me Love:

Things We Said Today:

I Feel Fine:

I’m a Loser:

I’ll Follow the Sun:

Eight Days a Week (includes false start):

Help!

You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away:

You’re Going to Lose That Girl:

Ticket to Ride:

I’ve Just Seen a Face:

Day Tripper:

Norwegian Wood:

I’m Looking Through You:

Run for Your Life:

Blackbird 1) demo 2) remastered stereo

I Will (hey, there’s all kinds of love, including fan love):

Here Comes the Sun:

(Continued with great covers of these songs on Love Them? We Still Do.)