The Beatles are the greatest band to ever hit this planet.

You may have heard that. But how much do you really know?

What I have found over the years, both in the record store and while conversing with my friends, is that most people recognize the Beatles brilliance, but their actual familiarity with the music itself doesn't go very deep into the catalog.

I don't just mean the young pups... I mean middle-aged cats like me. After all, I'm 48 now. That means I was five when The Beatles disbanded. By the time I started paying more serious attention to music, they were a decade gone. The only way to "go deep" once you are that far down the road.. is to do the aural research. Most people don't.

But you should, because it's worth it. You can start by reading the rest of this column.