Beatles There Is Little Doubt

¶ … Beatles

There is little doubt that the four musicians known as The Beatles had a profound and lasting effect not only on modern music but on contemporary culture as well. In terms of record sales there have been few artists or groups that have come close to their worldwide popularity.

The Beatles have become part of world culture and their name conjures up different ideas and images for everyone. Not only were they musical innovators but they also have become icons and symbols of creativity, rebellion against established order and innovation. They became in many senses the voice of a generation searching for a new and better society.

A great rock group is the voice of a generation. What sets a great rock group apart from all the others is that they go beyond the music and produce music that is more than just a catchy tune. Great rock bands influence society, are role models, and are never forgotten. They become gods of their time, and legends forever. The Beatles are the only rock band that has achieved this. (Duer, B. 2003)

One of the most amazing aspects of their influence is that they succeeded in appealing to a wide range of ages, cultures and tastes. It is as if their music tapped into a universal appeal or a need within society. "Beatlemania was once called a phenomenon transcending social classes, age groups, intellectual levels and geographical areas" (The Beatles) They also broke down barriers between people and affected tastes and styles. Their influence on culture and ideas was far-reaching and went beyond popular music and even had an effect on politics, speech and other media like film. Their music revolutionized the music industry and their lyrics spoke to an entire generation.

There are many reasons for the influence of The Beatles on culture. They created their particular brand of music in a period when the youth of Britain and the world were searching for new ways of experiencing life and reacting against the established and conventional thinking of their elders. The Beatles, though their music and lyrics, articulated the needs and frustrations of the youth and became an integral part of a new cultural movement. Their music reflected the rebellion of the youth of the 1960's against the governments and leaders and the type of thinking that had plunged the world into two world wars. The titles and lyrics of their songs reflected the desire for change and for peace in the world. Songs such as the ironic and grim Helter Skelter reflects this view of society; while compositions like Imagine envisaged a world without war and ideology.

One of the most creative members of the group, John Lennon, was born on October 9, 1940 in Liverpool. He had a disruptive but stable youth. After his parents' divorce, he went to live with his aunt. Both his mother and aunt encouraged his musical expression. From an early age he achieved a reputation as a rebel and carried this image though during his years with the band. His artistic bent led him to the Liverpool Art College and in 1955 he started a band called The Blackjacks. A short while later he started a group called The Quarrymen and it was during a performance of this group that he met Paul McCartney. He was continually looking for new ideas and forms of musical expression and his lyrics were often caustically anti-establishment. John was later to meet and marry Yoko Ono and during these years he expanded his artistic and musical talents until his tragic murder in 1980.

Paul McCartney is also credited with writing many of the Beatles' songs with Lennon and together they formed one of the most creative and popular song-writing teams in musical history. Paul came from a musical family and differed from John in that he was not rebellious at school and was a diligent student. He joined the Quarrymen in 1957. After the Beatles broke up Paul went on to develop his solo career and has become an enormously popular musician in his own right.

George Harrison, although much younger, was friends with both Paul and John at school. He was the reserved member of the group and more introspective. He was deeply involved in Eastern thought and philosophy and wrote some of the most haunting and beautiful Beatle songs, including While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Something, and Here Comes the Sun.