Today, it is hard to find a person who does not know of The Beatles. Even if a person claims to not know any of their music, everyone has at least heard one or two of their songs. With hits like Hey Jude, Yesterday, and Here Comes the Sun, it is hard to miss The Beatles culture. Most people do not know, however, the true impact The Beatles had on the world, even still to this day. With their musical experimentation, cultural exploration, and political assertion, The Beatles did not go unnoticed. They are arguably one of the biggest bands in history.
First, let’s get to know the band a tad bit better. The Beatles self named album, ‘The Beatles’, more commonly known as the “White Album”, was released on November 22, 1968. It is commonly known as the “White Album” because the cover is simply just a white background with the band’s name written in raised white font. The album was originally going to be named A Doll’s House, but that quickly changed when the British band, Family, released their album entitled, Music in a Doll’s House. That caused the band to decide on their more simplistic approach which has now turned into an iconic staple of the 1960’s. This record displayed 30 of their newest songs (at the time) and was their ninth studio album as The Beatles. The White album debuted at number eleven on the charts and climbed to number two by the second week, and eventually it landed in the number one spot on the Billboard charts where it stayed for eight weeks. After it successfully resided eight weeks at the top of the charts the White Album remained in the Billboard Top 200 for the next 148 weeks. After only one month over 4,000,000 copies of the album were sold and roughly 6.5 million by the year 1970. Before the release of the Beatles White Album, however, they were still recognized as a highly praised musical group.
The Beatles, as we know it during the year of the White Album release, consisted of; George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr. Before the beloved and well known members of The Beatles came together, there were once other people that played a part in the band. The makings of one of the most famous bands arguably in the world started in 1957 when young John Lennon (sixteen) met even younger Paul McCartney (fifteen) and invited him to join his band The Quarrymen which also included George Harrison and the original bass player, Stuart Sutcliff. They eventually transformed into The Beatles with their first manager Allan Williams, who would introduce their original drummer, Pete Best. The year 1961 rolled around and the band said goodbye to Sutcliff, who was replaced by McCartney on the bass. One short year later, Best left the band and The Beatles happily welcomed Ringo Starr into the group as their new drummer. That same year, 1962, their new official manager, Brian Epstein. Epstein quickly got the band working with getting into their first recording session in June of that same year at Abbey Road Studios. (“A Brief History of The Beatles.”)
Not long after, The Beatles first single ‘Love Me Do’ spiked at number seventeen on the Record Retailer chart. In the year 1963 The Beatles recorded their first LP Please Please Me, which was a roaring success in the UK, peaking in the number one spot in the charts. Extensive European tours were followed by the streets outside of venues overflowing with eager fans on a nightly basis. This craze over the band was soon dubbed as ‘Beatlemania’. The United States soon followed suit with the trend of The Beatles in 1964 when the Ed Sullivan Show hosted The Beatles for the first time in U.S. television. There were nearly 73 million viewers in the States. This was known as the ‘British Invasion’. Their rapid success in the United States lead to them holding five places in the Billboard Top 100 charts, which remains a record to this day. The following years brought many changes to The Beatles sound and approach to their music. Around 1966 The Beatles started to experiment more with their musical style, rhythm, and over all feeling. This change brought us some of our favorite Beatles classics, such as, Hey Jude, Eleanor Rigby, and Hello Goodbye.
The Beatles are many things: trendsetters, innovators, icons, but most importantly, They were a group of guys who had a passion for music and were fantastic at it. Among all of those things, The Beatles are also sometimes known as, “the most creative single force to ever hit popular music” (How The Beatles Changed Music). This statement includes their music, their style, and even their political and social stance in their time. It is arguable that The Beatles are one of the most impactful bands of all time.
In their music, they have broken barriers, set new standards, and carried the weight of popular music on their backs into a whole new direction. The Beatles hold a lot of ‘first’ titles due to their constant experimentation with their music, sound, and instruments. They were the first band to incorporate the feedback they got from their instruments into their studio recordings, with their song I Feel Fine. To quote Bob Ross, “It was a happy accident”. They discovered the mystic sound of the feedback when John set down his Gibson guitar against an amplifier, the room quaked with a sound so unique that the men of the band felt inspired to add that to their song. In the final recording, Lennon plucks the A string of his guitar letting the note buzz for a moment before resolving into the ear piercing wail we recognized as the beginning of this popular song. Today, you can still see examples of this stylistic choice popularized by The Beatles. Songs that showcase this technique are, Radio Friendly Unit Shifter by Nirvana, Machine Gun by Jimi Hendrix, and Silver Rocket by Sonic Youth.
Another big trend in the 1960’s were songs with ‘happy endings’. The Beatles followed this trend for a long while, until their album, Revolver, hit the shelves in 1966, showcasing their hit song, Eleanor Rigby. This song is anything but happy, with the inclusion of the topics of alienation and death. What made this song so popular, despite the subject matter, was the uniqueness of the sound. None of the members of the band actually played their instruments for this song. Paul McCartney suggested that instead of their traditional band, they used a double quartet string section. This eight piece string section consisted of two first violins, two second violins, two violas, and two cellos. The instrumentals for this song are driven by the curious cello, sombre viola, and piercing violin. After this song The Beatles started to incorporate this stylistic change into more of their songs. For example, Something, Martha My Dear, and She’s Leaving Home. This different interpretation on popular music has made an impact on music throughout history. Today you can find examples of this style choice in songs like Nine In The Afternoon by Panic! At The Disco, Papa Don’t Preach by Madonna, and Stronger by Kanye West.
The Beatles were also not afraid to ‘get groovy’. In their song Tomorrow Never Knows, from the Revolver 1966 album, they add on yet another twist to their style, psychedelics. In this hit song the lyrics are inspired by a book called, The Psychedelic Experience: Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead. With quotes like, “But listen to the colour of your dreams, it’s not leaving” and “So play the game “Existence” ‘til the end of the beginning”, To get their unforgettable, psychedelic sound, their producer, George Martin, ran John Lennon’s vocals through a Leslie Spinning Speaker. Paul McCartney’s laughter was recorded and played backwards to recreate the sound of a flock of crying seagulls. In addition, Ringo’s intricate drums and symbols were recorded and then placed in the music backwards. The same goes for Harrison’s sitar. (How The Beatles Changed Music)
While The Beatles were great at ‘getting groovy’ with their psychedelics, in their song I Want You (She’s So Heavy) they take a more simplistic approach. In this song they rely less on intricate audio “tricks” and focus more on the feeling and meaning of the song. While recording the song Lennon uses his synthesizer to create a wind like sound that rumbles under all of the other layers in this song. This stylistic choice give the song a nice flow that the listener can’t help but sway along to. While listening to this particular song the listener almost gets put in a trance by the sheer simplicity of the relaxing rhythm mixed with the effects of the synth. To add to the elementary aspect of this tune, there are very minimal lyrics. The lyrics “I want you… I want you so bad… I want you so bad it’s driving me mad”, and “she’s so… heavy”, are the only words found within this musical experience. John Lennon received an immense amount of criticism for his choice of minimal lyrics that are seemingly “dull” or meaningless”. Lennon’s response to these criticisms were simply that this was an urgent love song that required nothing more than these simple lyrics. “Lennon used the example of a drowning man, who doesn’t scream, “Excuse me, but could you please possibly throw me that float and save me?” when “Help! I’m drowning!” is more to the point” (How The Beatles Changed Music).
Songs today that play along with the stylistically simple approach are Drops of Jupiter by Train, Clocks by ColdPlay, and All of Me by John Legend. In addition to the lyrical choices in this song, then ending is quite abrupt to say the least. There is a decent crescendo or build up to the ending of the song which then just stops suddenly. There is no lead out, no resolution of the chord, and no gradual guitar finale. The ending of this song is so sudden that it makes the listener do a double take to see if their music skipped. Other songs that have the same style of ending are Hole in the Sky by Black Sabbath, Sheer Heart Attack by Queen, and Stan by Eminem.
Taking a look back in history, The Beatles were the first british boy band to make a presence in America. When the four men landing at the JFK airport history was made. Before The Beatles made their grand entrance into the United States teen idols were nowhere South of clean cut, sparkling toothed, prim and proper boys. The Beatles were a breath of fresh air to those teens who were tired of this trend. The biggest difference between The Beatles and their teen idol competition is that these four men were very much so in control of their presentation. Thanks to their relaxed management by Brian Epstein, the four men were able to decide their wardrobe, hairstyles, and most importantly, their music. Because of this, the true personalities of the men of The Beatles were open to all. “There was Paul, the cute and adorable one; John, the smart and slightly dangerous one; George, the quiet and shy one; and Ringo, the fun and goofy one” (Biography.com). Today, there are many examples of boy bands in America. Even more specifically, there is a certain british boy band that stands out. One Direction is a british boy band brought to America that shook the nation. Like The Beatles, One Direction stood out as “bad boys” of the teen idols of their generation. Each member of One Direction has their own special characteristics and personality traits, and just like the The Beatles, they show it. Another similarity to The Beatles, One Direction is adamant on having their own say in their music and their style, with many of them join in the writing and producing processes.
In terms of style, The Beatles were unique, to say the least. Before The Beatles made their grand entrance in the United States, long hair on men was seen as just a style choice for artists, classical musicians, and bohemians. Their hair-do’s were initially seen as just a mop on their heads. What was known to society as a “mop-top”, was a staple for The Beatles fashion. People soon started growing out their hair and getting it styled just like the men of The Beatles. Along with people growing out their luscious locks, there were bowl cut wigs names after the band members, and famous comedians who made punch lines in their shows on The Beatles hairstyles. By 1966 The Beatles started to sport the look of facial hair, fully embracing their ‘hippie’ name. Along with their hairy heads, The Beatles fashion made quite an impact on American culture as well.
The Beatles, by no means, followed any set of rules in any aspect. In the sense of fashion, The Beatles style was different than anyone else at the time. Individually they all had their own styles which would typically clash with one another. In an off stage setting, The Beatles obviously did not coordinate outfits with one another. Somehow, then men still looked great while seen out in public with each other. When the four of them did decide to dress like one another, there were no limits. From three piece suits, casual turtlenecks, or psychedelic patterns, The Beatles could pull off any look or style they wanted. Evan when they matched they all still had their signature personal styles showing. For John Lennon, it was his round, thin rimmed glasses, George Harrison’s mustache could be spotted from a mile away, Ringo Starr always had his messy head of hair, and Paul McCartney never ceased to wear his accessories.
When they entered America, The Beatles made a huge impact. So much so that society had to create a new word to just to comprehend the events at hand. Beatlemania, according to dictionary.com, is defined as, “extreme enthusiasm for the Beatles, as manifested in the frenzied behavior of their fans in the 1960s”. The example of this word being used in a sentence is, “the band took to spending weeks on end in the studio as a way of escaping from the mayhem of Beatlemania” (Dictionary.com). When the band appeared in the United States all hell broke loose. After their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show there was no way to stop the effects of beatlemania. Fans of The Beatles were crazed with emotions to finally be able to see their favorite four guys in person. The Beatles could not go anywhere without some form of security with them at all times. Wherever they adventured to there would always be fans there to greet them with screams, tears, and a plethora of things for the men to autograph. Some fans even went as far as sneaking up behind the men of the band and snipping off locks of their hair as souvenirs. Ringo Starr reflects on the situation as being, “totally unreal” (CNN.com).
People of society today often ask, “could a phenomenon like beatlemania happen again?” The short and simple answer is no, it could not. Beatlemania took over society as a whole. Nothing can compare to the overwhelming impact that beatlemania had in America. Even over half of a century later, we are still in awe over The Beatles and the impact that they have had on American culture. This is not meant to discredit other extremely influential artists, such as, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, U2, and many others. While they all have moved mountains in their industries, the stars did not quite align just right, as they did at the time of beatlemania. The Beatles made their appearance in America at just the right time. Americans were in search of peace and happiness after the assassination of the president, John F. Kennedy, the wars between us and other nations, and the inner struggles as a society. The Beatles were there to lighten the mood of the sixties and breathe life back into our dreary society.
In addition to their perfect timing, the sixties were a time of few entertainment outlets. There were only one or two radio stations available with the Top 40, which frequently played The Beatles. Today, there are over fifty FM radio station outlets to reach listeners. Also, if you were not watching The Beatles debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, there were only two other television channels to tune to. When the four men joined Sullivan on his show, there was a peak in affordability of television sets. When Elvis Presley appeared on the show in 1956 only 65% of households owned a television. In 1964, when The Beatles performed on SULLIVAN, 90% of families had a television in their home. This assisted The Beatles to reach 74 million people in just that one television appearance. (huffingtonpost.com) Today, there are so many different media outlets and forms of entertainment that it is impossibly to make as large of an impact as The Beatles did. People today have many more options for entertainment sources, as well as so many popular entertainers, programs, and artists that there is in immense amount of competition in today’s society.
A lot of people view The Beatles as a great band and pop culture reference. However The Beatles made a considerable political impact in the sixties. The Beatles were the first band to legitimize using music as a form of political expression. As expressed earlier, The Beatles entered the States in a time of vulnerability. After the tragic loss of the president, the civil rights movement was at an all time high, and racial tensions were growing, young people were starting to grow confused and started searching for some form of guidance. This presented a great opportunity to musicians to change the course of their music to relate to what society needed at the time, direction. The Beatles took advantage of this and shifted the focus of their music to take a more political, real, and raw approach.
The music of The Beatles was much more than just a nice tune to tap your foot to, or a song you played louder than you should when your mom was at work. “Many of the Beatles political songs (often originating out of the late 60’s) are anti-establishment, eyebrow raising, highly politicized melodies reflecting both John Lennon’s radicalism, and the general culture of resistance the decade become known for” (The Beatles Politics). Examples of these song are; Back In The U.S.S.R, Baby You’re a Rich Man, Piggies, and Get Back. Their popular song, Come Together, was also written as a campaign song for Timothy Leary when he ran for governor in the state of California. Since then, the song has been covered by famous artists, such as, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Guns N’ Roses, and Marilyn Manson. Recently, The Rolling Stones covered this song in October, 2016, at a festival performance in California.
The Beatles first explicitly political song Revolution stresses that it is not a statement of physically overthrowing a regime, rather, “It was a spiritual revolution, one aimed at overthrowing preconceived notions. Thus, before you can effect a lasting change, as John Lennon sings, you have to “free your mind.”” (50 Years After the Beatles). From this Beatles hit you can find impactful quotes like, “But when you talk about destruction, don't you know that you can count me out” and, “You say you want a revolution well, you know, we all want to change the world” (Revolution, The Beatles). Revolution, recorded in July of 1968, was the bands response to the call for uprising in the United States and Europe. “ It was a revision of a version already recorded for the White Album, and became the b-side of the Hey Jude single” (The Beatles Bible).
John Lennon, the activist of the group, realized the power that his voice had, and used it to impact the world. By October 1969, Lennon’s Give Peace a Chance had become a universally known chant for anti-Vietnam War demonstrations. “On November 15, during a peace rally in Washington, DC, the legendary folk singer Pete Seeger led nearly half a million demonstrators in singing “Give Peace a Chance” at the Washington Monument” (huffingtonpost.com). Lennon empowered millions with lyrics like,
“Let me tell you now
Ev'rybody's talking 'bout
Revolution, evolution, masturbation,
Flagellation, regulation, integrations,
Meditations, United Nations, congratulations
All we are saying is give peace a chance” (Give Peace a Chance, John Lennon).
Since then, many famous artists have covered the song. Artists such as, Louis Armstrong, Aerosmith, and even a fellow former Beatle, Paul McCartney.
The Beatles have done many historic things since becoming famous. Things including changing the history of music, providing a fresh face in pop culture, and even offering a voice for those who need it in the world of politics. Through their trials, and through their triumphs, the men of The Beatles have taken the world by storm and even long after their ‘glory days’ they are still impacting the world in a unspeakable manner. Their songs are still played, still being remade by other artists, their records are still yet to be broken, and their political influence is inspiring to the youth today. There is truly no other band that can match how The Beatles influenced the world.