The Beatles Analysis

The Beatles are one of the most innovative rock bands of all time. They have not only changed the way rock and roll is looked at, but also the way that the music is recorded. They have influenced the artists of the 60s and the 70s, and also many generations later and to come. Originating from Liverpool, England, the Beatles, or the Fab Four, consists of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Topping the charts in ’63 with “Love Me Do,” and bringing in the highest rated viewing in history while performing on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Beatles are definitely a band that broke the sound barrier of rock

Everyone, Americans and Europeans alike, have heard-of, if not grown off of, a generation and culture started by an ensemble of four shaggy-haired Liverpool musicians that the world went mad over; no one can deny that no greater event impacted today's pop culture than "Beatlemania". But not everyone has heard the story behind the Beatles, who were they? How did they become the band and how did they make it big? What's the story of their struggle?

This '65 Beatles album, with U.S. advanced sales of $1 million, was transitional, featuring film songs and other recordings, more introspective lyrics, and the influence of Dylan and Folk Rock. It is...

     From the sounds of Elvis many other important bands of the sixties were inspired, even people a thousand miles away from America. One of these important bands was the Beatles. The Beatles took the rock sound and added more lyrical and musical complexity to the sound. The Beatles were the starters of the “British Invasion” in 1963 when they released “I want to Hold Your Hand” (Kallen, 2012, 31). After their first single they had immense success with other hits such as “She Loves You” and “Woooo!” The Beatles continued to reinvent their music on the various other albums throughout the sixties delving into complex, heavy existential concepts and psychedelic elements, becoming the most relevant influence for modern rock.

1963 proved to be the beginning of the Beatles phenomenon with the release of their hit “Please Please Me”. This hit topped the British charts early in 1963 and remained there for 30 weeks (Unterberger, 2005). The Beatles continued evolving rock by adding a unique style of their own and continuously trying new ideas and adding a new flare to their music. Each of the albums showed a progression of the artists.

On February 9, 1964, Over 45% of America (roughly 73 million people) watched the Beatles’ debut US performance on the Ed Sullivan show. By the next morning, they had become the next big thing in America. Celebrities and schoolchildren alike were wearing Beatles wigs so that they could imitate their new favorite musical act. They had brought a cheeky sense of humor, long recognizable hair, and a new upbeat pop sound that appealed to the general public. By April 6, they owned the top five hits on the billboard hot 100 list. At one point, the Beatles sang 14 of the Billboard top 100 songs in the country. On the Billboard top selling albums list, they owned the top two albums on the billboard charts at the same time. They won two Grammy’s for 1964: one for best new artist and one for best group performance. They toured in Britain, Australia, and a blockbuster North American tour. Women wanted them and men wanted to be like them. Their fame was completely unrivaled. And that was their success simply in the sphere of music. (Kaplan, 2004).

There have been many people, known as artists, who have tried to change the world through their art. “Art” can be paintings, music, dances, sculptures, literature, or photography. There are many ways to communicate and express ones feelings but The Beatles did it through their popular music. Although they didn’t focus on changing the world of politics or try to protest through their music they have songs that focus on those exact two things.

Abbey Road is heralded as one of the greatest rock ‘n roll albums ever. It grinds with hard rock and sways with soft guitar. The variety of the tracks provides something for everyone. It was created in 1969 at the famous Abbey Road studios. George Martin and Geoff Emerick, who had produced many other Beatles’ albums, contributed to this work. This album is one of the more famous albums of the Beatles, who are one of the most popular bands ever. Almost every piece of this album, even the cover, is art works in themselves.

"Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," recorded in 1967, is to date the number one Rock and Roll album ever recorded. Sgt. Pepper's is considered to be the first concept album. There are many things that brought about the creation of The Beatles most influential album. Before The Beatles began the recording process of Sgt. Pepper's they had retired from touring. This gave the group ample time to experiment with different instruments, recording techniques and drugs. The album cover also sparked a revolution in itself. Many bands took notice of the creative elements of Sgt. Pepper's and learned from them.

Perhaps the most celebrated and most known musical group ever known "The Beatles" changed the way the world viewed rock music for generations to come. Comprised of four members; John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, "The Beatles" rose to stardom in England. With hits such as "Love me do" The Beatles quickly grew a fan base in the United Kingdom. By the mid-1960s the Beatles were taking the world by storm and leading the British invasion of the United States ' music industry. Till this day the Beatles ' music is still being played around the world today.

For my final paper, I chose to do “Taxman”, by the Beatles, from the album Revolver. The reason for my selection was because of the background that it had to offer. George Harrison composed this track, as a way to express his anger towards the British government, and their reasoning for taking more than half his profit, in tax. My interpretation of the song, was pretty much what George Harrison explained, I felt that the song was upbeat, but the lyrics expressed a lot of anger, and questioning of Mr. Heath’s, and Mr. Wilson’s actions.

Their second release, Please Please Me, rose to number one in the British singles chart and their commercial success thereafter was continuous. The group’s tours of Britain in 1963 created an unprecedented excitement, known as "Beatlemania", which was reproduced in the USA when, on 9 February 1964, they appeared on national television singing their fifth single I Want To Hold Your Hand to an estimated audience of 70 million, an event unanimously identified by social commentators as a turning-point in postwar American culture. In the months after this breakthrough, the Beatles dominated the American singles charts, at one stage occupying the top five positions, a feat unheard of before and since.

This is a discussion of the Beatles songs, Love Me Do, Can't Buy Me Love, I Am A Walrus and Tomorrow Never Knows. I will discuss how they are produced, what types of instruments I hear, any recording techniques, how they treat the melody and if these songs have a singable tune. I had a hard time knowing what instruments I heard, although I could identify some of them. I did not hear any of these songs that sounded like an audio snapshot, they all sounded like they were recorded in a studio setting with that being the intent.

the Beatles. And they had to go to Germany to do it. In order to

As the Beatles gained momentum throughout Britain, the first hint of ‘merchandising’ was awakened! Epstein agreed to let his cousin who ran Weldons of Peckham produce Beatles' sweaters with embrodered badges (basically to fan club members). This partnership helped this firm sell thousands and thousands of these items. With this success, they established on October 14, 1963 an idea that NEMS Enterprises Ltd. (authorized by their attorneys Jacobs & Sons) would attempt to distribute official merchandising licenses on the band’s behalf.