Strawberry Fields Forever

Thanksgiving is obviously a holiday that doesn't hold much meaning for the British. Which explains why the Beatles were in the studio on Thanksgiving in 1966 -- a day that marked a crucial moment in the band's rapid evolution.

The individual Beatles, working on various solo projects, hadn't seen much of each other since the previous September. But when they entered the studio on this day, the band recorded the first take of "Strawberry Fields Forever."

"And so the Beatles entered a new phase of their career," Mark Lewisohn wrote in his book The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions.

Noted for its use of backward tapes, varied speeds and uncommon instruments, "Strawberry Fields" -- the most complicated Beatles song ever recorded -- was a culmination of everything the band had learned in the studio and a musical game changer.