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1. A Day In The Life
(Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)
The cosmos resounds in Lennon and McCartney’s most perfect collaboration.
 Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz, The Grey Album): “I did a mix tape when I was at college that remixed A Day In The Life. Usually, with mix tapes you've got some hot New York DJ screaming all over it, and he knows a bunch of people so he gets Mobb Deep on the track or gets Nas to do a piece. I didn't know anyone, so I had to think of something completely different to do.
“I was in History Of Rock And Roll class at the time, and they were explaining how McCartney’s string idea in A Day In The Life works: ‘OK, this is where it starts, this is where it ends, it doesn't matter how fast you play until you get there.’ My teacher was breaking that song down, and I was understanding just how much went in to making the music.
“So I remixed A Day And The Life with a song by Jemini The Gifted One, who was one of my favourite rappers at the time. And that was the weird remix I had on my mixtape: Jemini's Funk Soul Sensation instrumental mixed with the Beatles. I love Helter Skelter, I Am The Walrus, Happiness Is A Warm Gun and Strawberry Fields Forever, but this is the one for me. Obviously, I had no idea that a few years later I'd be working with Jemini, and getting known for messing with Beatles samples. I can genuinely say that A Day In The Life changed my life.”
 Win Butler (Arcade Fire): “I love A Day In The Life, although I know that’s almost a cliché. It’s so obviously great. The combination of production and song is unique. Musically it’s amazing because it’s this insane-sounding tune, but Paul’s “straight” piano break is brilliant, too. After hearing this, you may as well stop trying to write piano songs because nothing’s going to top it. I probably first heard it as a kid when my mum played it on the stereo, but it’s never lost its magic for me, however hard I’ve looked at it. It just comes from a different part of the universe.”
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