There’s an old adage in my family – “The only way to make it through the Dark Ages is to listen to The Beatles.” In this context, the “Dark Ages” is the time of year in the depths of winter when it’s cold and dark outside and there are no holidays to break up the monotony of school or work. This invariably led to annual tradition of going through the discography of The Beatles from the very beginning. Here, I’ve collected all that the best selling band of all time has to offer – from the biggest hits to the most obscure deep cuts.

Over fifty years after their breakup, it’s easy to forget that when The Beatles launched their legendary string of albums consisting of Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966), Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), Magical Mystery Tour (1967), The Beatles [The White Album] (1968), and Abbey Road (1969) they were already the biggest band in the world. It was the unprecedented success of singles like “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” that afforded the group the freedom to take more risks with their songwriting later in their career. When the band’s first two albums Please Please Me and With the Beatles were released in 1963, they locked up the top spot of the album charts for fifty-one consecutive weeks – a record that still stands today!

The entire Beatles discography was produced in less than a decade, with the first recordings with EMI being made in 1962 and the band dissolving in 1970. In that time, the group’s songwriting talents underwent an astounding increase in sophistication. Famously, the early Beatles success was built on the Lennon-McCartney partnership, who would later describe themselves as working “eyeball-to-eyeball” when writing their early hits. It didn’t take long for the group to break new ground when it came to recording: the single “I Feel Fine” claims to have the first intended use of feedback on a rock record, while “Yesterday” includes a string quartet; “Ticket to Ride” is credited as the earliest example of The Beatles incorporating Indian influences, as the guitar chord which is sustained throughout the song has been compared to a raga-like drone.

Of course, later in their career each member found their own voice. McCartney’s compositions often showcased his baroque pop tendencies (“Penny Lane”, “Hey Jude”) and he began writing and recording with increased independence from the other members (“Blackbird”, “Martha My Dear”). He would also experiment with songs that were “loud and dirty” (“Helter Skelter”, “Oh! Darling”), but the raw aesthetic became something of Lennon’s forte in those later years (“I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”, “Don’t Let me Down”). Both Lennon and McCartney were influenced to some degree by Indian music and culture in their songwriting (“Across the Universe” and “Mother Nature’s Son”, respectively) but Harrison embraced Hindu teachings and Hindustani music much more fully. This is evident from his chosen lyrical themes (“While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, “I Me Mine”) and from the use of instruments like sitar and tabla in his earlier compositions (“Norwegian Wood”, “Within You Without You”). Harrison was something of a late bloomer when it came to songwriting for The Beatles, but by the time Abbey Road was recorded he was undoubtedly the equal of Lennon or McCartney – after all, “Here Comes the Sun” is by far the most played Beatles song these days, surpassing a billion streams on Spotify alone.

That being said, it should go without saying that The Beatles reached their creative peaks when all of the members worked together in concert. Rubber Soul notably marks the band shifting their focus towards consistent albums rather than chart-topping singles, as well as taking more initiative in recording decisions. Not only did they become more involved in the mixing process, but they decided to place more emphasis on creating sounds that had not been heard before without being restricted to what could be reproduced onstage. This meant the inclusion of exotic instruments, but also liberal use of new recording techniques – experimenting with reversed tapes in the Revolver sessions (“Rain”, “I’m Only Sleeping”, “Tomorrow Never Knows”), and a slightly slowed tape speed resulting in “Strawberry Fields Forever” landing outside of standard concert pitches. The culmination of this collaborative effort was Sgt. Pepper, which was, at the time of its release, The Beatles’ most lauded and culturally significant achievement. In particular, “A Day in the Life” – often considered one of The Beatles’ best works, and among the most acclaimed songs in history – could not have been possible without the input of each member of the band. About the album’s creation, producer George Martin later noted “There was a very good spirit at that time between all the Beatles and ourselves. We were all conscious that we were doing something that was great.”

Personally, my favorite Beatles album is Revolver, but there’s certainly not one album that stands out as objectively the best. That is what I think is the greatest achievement of the Beatles, more so than any legacy of commercial success or groundbreaking songwriting – whoever you are, there’s something in the Beatles discography you can connect with. From the hordes of fans who appreciated their original run of pop singles, to doom metal fans who point to “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” as an unexpected influence; from transcendental psychedelia to the family friendly cheerfulness of “Octopus’ Garden” and “Good Day Sunshine”; from 1962 until the end of time, The Beatles will always be there to Help!