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The songs that slap you in the face rock hard in an unguarded moment

In 2016, I was unexpectedly struck by a Beatles classic. So what are the ingredients of perfect pop music?

It is August 2016. I am standing with my friend at a ticket office in Liverpool, the British port city that is just as much an open-air museum. It is rather rubbed in on us that this city gave birth to The Beatles. In the harbour, tourists spend the night in a yellow submarine, a little further on, the bronze-cast Fab Four look out over the sea and we can't drink a pint without hearing 'She Loves You' with...

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Joost van Beek

Joost van Beek studied History and Journalism. His pieces have appeared in the Volkskrant, the Stimuleringsfonds voor de Journalistiek, NU.nl, NUK, Stampmedia, Reporters Online and 3voor12, among others.View Author posts

In 2016, I was unexpectedly struck by a Beatles classic. So what are the ingredients of perfect pop music?

It is August 2016. I am standing with my friend at a ticket office in Liverpool, the British port city that is just as much an open-air museum. It is rather rubbed in on us that this city gave birth to The Beatles. In the harbour, tourists spend the night in a yellow submarine, a little further on, the bronze-cast Fab Four look out over the sea and we can't drink a pint without hearing 'She Loves You' with...

You can now log in to continue reading!

Welcome to the Culture Press archive! As a member, you have access to all, over 4,000 posts we have made since our inception in 2009!

(Recent posts (under three months old) are available for all to read, thanks to our members!)

Become a member, or log in below:

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