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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Entertainment
Margaret Sullivan

The Beatles transcend time, geography, demographics and personal taste

Four men in suits stand next to each other.
John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney arrive in Liverpool, England, on 10 July 1964, for the premiere of their movie A Hard Day's Night. Photograph: AP

My friend Michael is a musicologist whose speciality is Johann Sebastian Bach. An author and lecturer, he speaks to erudite groups in many countries about, for example, Bach’s Mass in B minor.

Michael doesn’t think much of most popular music.

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