¶ … Bands
The British Invasion: The Beatles v the Rolling Stones
Two of the most influential rock bands of all time emerged from England in the 1960s during the British invasion. Although they came to prominence around the same time, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones each developed a style that was unique to their bands. Though the two bands were opposites in many ways, they helped to establish a new sound, both in England and the United States, which would revolutionize rock and roll.
The Beatles were made up of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. There were many early versions of the band including the Quarreymen, which was formed in 1959, then Johnny and the Moondogs, and then the Silver Beatles, the name that the band adopted before formalizing their line-up and becoming known as The Beatles.[footnoteRef:1] One of the first things that the band's managers targeted was their image. The Beatles had adopted a rocker image, which was reflective of the...
Szatmary. Rockin' In Time: A Social History of Rock-and-Roll. (Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2000),103.] [2: Ibid., 104.]
The image that the Beatles had was changed to make them "more palatable to the general public."[footnoteRef:3] Additionally, the band's manager, Brian Epstein, brought in other professionals within the music industry to get the band signed to a record label and promotes them. While almost every label in England initially rejected them, the Beatles success garnered them international fame and helped to jumpstart Beatlemania. [3: Ibid., 105.]
On the other hand, The Rolling Stones can be considered the antithesis of the Beatles. While the Beatles were greatly influenced by American rockabilly, the Rolling Stones were massively influenced by American blues music. Brian…
