The Vanguard Of The British Invasion: The Beatles

The Beatles should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because of the history of the band, the popularity and history of their music, and The Magical Mystery Tour and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

In 1960, Paul McCarthy, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, created a rock band in Liverpool named The Beatles, which without them knowing, would become the most successful and popular rock band in the 20th century. Popular enough that the group was the first group ever to perform at a sports arena because they needed a large enough space for all the people that bought the tickets. The Beatles became so powerful that contributed to a movement called “the British invasion”. Before The Beatles, all the musicians that made it

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

In the early 60s, Britain was known in America for essentially the Queen and tea. However, that all changed in February of 1964 when the Beatles touched down on American soil for the first time. Their first hop across the pond was no ordinary endeavor, as most British boy bands or performers had a hard time making it in the states. However, their venture to visit The Ed Sullivan Show ultimately changed America’s future. From that point forward, Americans began on their journey to find hope and expression through the Beatles’ music and their influence. In present day America, it is hard to imagine a day that passes by without the media mentioning the British Royal Family, the famous British supermodel, Cara Delavigne, or the British pop band, One Direction. However, most of these British obsessions wouldn’t be as prevalent in America today if it weren’t for the Beatles appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show or the pop culture phenomenon that ensued thereafter. If one thing is for certain, the Beatles invasion into the U.S. masked ambivalent socioeconomic affairs in the early ‘60s and accelerated the change in American pop culture.

The Beatles and the Rolling Stones first number one hit songs in the United States, I Want To Hold Your Hand and (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction were major players in the British Invasion, a musical revolution which saw a massive spike in the popularity of British artists and culture in America. Both songs hold some similarities, most notably in the composition of the instruments, along with some conventions seen in the genre. Yet, strong differences can be found in the vocals, lyrics and general tone of the songs, showing the separation between two rising subcultures in England. Although very similar in composition, the two bands display the growing rift between the “mods” and the “rockers” - those who preferred the clean cut look and music inspired by the blues, and those who preferred the rebellious nature of a harder rock and roll.

would feel left out by the topics that they sung about or the style in

     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.

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.

I found it interesting to learn how the Beatles had gone by many different names before they officially became the Beatles. That was something I never was aware of, but it makes sense as they were constantly evolving to become the successful musicians they are today. The Beatles’ success allowed for The Rolling Stones to make an easy transition into the British invasion. Even though they were quite the opposite, they were known to be friends. It was very interesting to learn how George Harrison, one of the Beatles, helped The Rolling Stones be signed by Dick Rowe, who is known for turning down the Beatles, by actually recommending them.

Many see the Beatles as the light at the end of a dark tunnel in American history – they arrived here months after the November 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the Cuban Missile Crisis and global tensions over the Berlin Wall – but their American debut was actually interrupted by JFK's death, which happened on the same day as the release of their second U.K. album, "With The Beatles." American television networks had planned to broadcast the news of the record release on their evening programs, only to postpone the segments in favor of the marathon coverage that followed Kennedy's assassination.

The Beatles are one of the most recognizable names in the music industry. Anyone can easily recognize songs that have been performed by The Beatles. The band’s popularity hasn't always been by its side boosting them to the top. The Beatles lack of popularity is what caused Dick Rowe, Decca Record executive, to make one of the most regrettable decisions of his life. To really look at whether Rowe had made the wrong choice at the time based on what he knew, it is important to look at the time period during which he made his decision and to look at who The Beatles were at that time, more specifically January 1, 1962.

The 1960s was a big decade for The Beatles, but they started out as a band a few years before that. In the years 1956/1957 John Lennon turned his gang into his group, the “Quarry Men”, and went through the skiffle craze singing alongside his friends on stage (Lewisohn). John and his friends grew more known and were seen as ‘popular’, with this new reputation they had John asked the 15 year old Paul McCartney to join the group, he gladly did (Lewisohn). This was the start of the formation of the group that soon to be taking on the world. After John had joined the group he started recommending a friend of his to John, but he wouldn’t let the boy even audition because of his young age (14), but after awhile he finally decided to

Though the band had a few obstacles in trying to reach stardom outside of the UK, through clever marketing and frequent radio play it was not long until the track “I Want to Hold Your Hand” sold a million copies in the United States. The band traveled to the States for a series of performances and interviews which is still known as the British Invasion. Their music was much tamer and less sexually driven than those of other bands of the time making their brand much more consumer friendly. The group looked the boys next door with a unique, humble charm. Their teenaged love stories appealed to the young while other tracks had messages that catered to the older fans. Truly they were a band for mass consumption and the World was eating them up. Their popularity in the 60s had them traveling the World with a sound that was unique and sometimes due to

An entire generation in Cold War Soviet Russia was born to a nuclear bomb, raised under the constant threat of war, and seemed doomed to suffocate by their own government, until they were emancipated by a life force that was as formidable as unlikely a savior. This paper discusses the role of the Beatles and their music in the cultural, political and social revolutions that took place Cold War Russia. Drawing upon various conversations and anecdotes that Leslie Woodhead discusses in his 2013 book ‘How The Beatles Rocked the Kremlin’, this paper attempts to also understand how contemporary Russia has evolved to carry with herself the revolutionary spirit of the Beatles.

Believe it or not, on January 1st of 1962, the group known as The Beatles flunked their audition at Decca Records in London, England. The label’s executive, Dick Rowe, brushed them off like they were nothing. He simply stated that “guitar groups are on the way out.” Little did Rowe know, The Beatles would soon conquer modern society and alter the course of pop and rock music. There have been no other entertainers in the history of music that has been so popular, influential, or as groundbreaking as The Beatles. In the early 1960’s, their popularity was often called “Beatlemania,” as thousands of screaming fans would crowd their concerts and sing-along with the Fab Four. They sold over 600 million albums internationally and had 20 Number One hit singles – a Billboard record that has yet to be broken. The band took over the entertainment media with music videos and films, but also influenced sociocultural, political, and fashion movements throughout the sixties and seventies. From experimenting with several different genres to incorporating classical elements into their melodies, The Beatles still reigns as one of the most creative and successful bands several decades later. Today, fifty years later, The Beatles and their music are still engraved in the hearts of many.