How the Beatles Changed Music and Music History

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For the Beatles, it all began in 1960 in Liverpool, England. The rock band consisted of the Fab Four, which included John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Four gentlemen, John Lennon, played rhythm guitar and performed vocals; Paul McCartney, played Bass and vocals; Ringo Starr, played drums and vocals and, lastly, George Harrison, was the lead guitarist and vocals. The Beatles became one of the biggest rock bands in the world. They subjugated the world with Beatlemania and have had uncountable hit singles and several of their albums are considered some of the finest in musical history.

The Beatles' impact on pop culture is immeasurable and one that will undeniably prevail for decades to come. Nobody imagined that the musical world was about take a spin when a fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney encountered a sixteen-year-old John Lennon in 1957. Lennon, in his skiffle band The Quarrymen, asked McCartney to join the band on rhythm guitar, with the group later requesting George Harrison and original bass player Stuart Sutcliffe to join. According to Wikipedia, The Beatles are the best-selling band in history, with projected sales of over 800 million records worldwide. They are the best-selling music artists in the United States, with 178 million certified units. The crew was inaugurated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four main members were inducted individually from 1994 to 2015. They have also had more number-one albums on the British charts and sold more singles in the UK than anyone else. In 2008, the band surpassed Billboard magazine's list of the all-time most successful artists; as of 2017, they own the record for most number-one hits on the Hot 100 chart with twenty. They have been awarded with seven Grammy Awards, an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards.

The Beatles possessed such a distinct style from any other band at the moment, because they operated in numerous diverse genres of music. An additional feature that stands out about their music is how they grew from a profoundly guitar group melody to a more psychedelic and creative sound. None of their albums sound similar to one another. There are not many rock bands that had such a rapid evolution in their sound. Their sound got more complex over time, kind of foreseeing trends and other bands. Every person in The Beatles had different characteristics which was what made them so special. The band developed to be vital to pop music's evolution into an art form and to the development of the counterculture of the 1960s. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles tested with numerous musical styles in the future, varying from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, frequently including classical elements and alternative recording methods in innovative ways. According to The Daily Beast, The Beatles music was the first that acquired two guitar sounds and joint them into a innovative sound that was driven by the interplay between two guitarstwo electric guitars, going along together, playing different parts, both playing at a high volume, driving the sound. Merging blues, country, pop, music hall, and Broadway into a two-guitar sound called rock'n'roll was something The Beatles created.

It is indisputable that The Beatles' effect on rock music and popular culture was, and remains, enormous. One way they impacted the world was simply with their hair style, the mop top. This hairstyle was called the mop top because of the resemblance to a mop, but because The Beatles were so popular, the haircut was imitated by millions of people around the world. Another way they highly impacted society was with their style of dressing. In the initial Beatlemania years, they would frequently wear black, then grey, Edwardian collarless suits. These suits began to be very popular and typical for new bands to wear in 1964. After a few years, during the psychedelic era, the Beatles began to wear bright colors, and wore paisley suits, shirts, and trousers with floral patterns. They also began to spread Indian-influenced styles such as collarless shirts and sandals. Times Reporter stated, The Beatles were the first entertainment act to stage a large stadium concert. The band began their 1965 North American Tour August 15, 1965, in Shea Stadium, which belonged to The New York Mets. The performance, which sold out in just seventeen minutes, drew a record spectators of 55,600. This was the first concert that was held at a big stadium and not just any stadium. The Beatles concert set records for attendance and revenue, which exposed that outdoor concerts on a large scale could become effective and profitable. They were also collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the twentieth century's 100 most influential people. After forty years since their breakup in 1970, The Beatles continued to be a force to be reckoned with. Times Reporter also stated, a compilation album of every British and American Number One Beatles hit, was released November 13, 2000. It became the fastest selling album of all time with 3.6 million sold in its first week and 13 million within a month. This goes to show that The Beatles made a big impact on society for a long time.

The Beatles, the band that reconstructed the landscape of the music industry. The Beatles produced the first music video (Paperback Writer/Rain), developed the concept album (Sgt. Pepper) and created Apple, their own record label. But the Beatles' most significant involvement may be the motivation given to a generation of artists to produce their own music. According to Rock Cellar, Grohl, the drummer for Nirvana who then founded the Foo Fighters told Access Hollywood that McCartney and the Beatles inspired him at an early age. When I was young, that's how I learned how to play music – I had a guitar and a Beatles songbook. I would listen to the records and play along. Of course, it didn't sound like the Beatles, but it got me to understand song structure and melody and harmony and arrangement. So, I never had a teacher – I just had these Beatles records. In 1966, Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys recorded Pet Sounds, looked upon as the surf rockers' masterpiece. Wilson's inspiration arose when he first listened to the Beatles' Rubber Soul. As soon as I started hearing it, I loved it. I mean, loved it! Wilson told The Times of London. I still remember hearing Michelle for the first time, and Girl. What an incredible song! The Beatles influenced many other musicians and in many ways.

The Beatles will never be forgotten for a lot of reasons. The band made amazing music and is known as one of the finest in music history. They were also the best-selling band in history. Their style of music was unique, and they operated with many genres, which is not something you see often. The Beatles have made a huge impact on society, from their music to their exclusive style of attires. Not only did they make a great impact on society, but also on various musicians and their music. The Beatles have left their mark here. Sadly, after their break-up in 1970, they individually enjoyed flourishing musical careers of varying lengths. McCartney and Starr, the persisting members, continue musically active. Lennon was shot and murdered in December 1980, and Harrison deceased of lung cancer in November 2001. They will always be remembered. The Beatles continue to encourage the present generation. Their accomplishments might never be equaled. The Beatles made impact on human history, because their inspiration has been liberating for generations of nowhere men living in sadness. Something in their music and images fascinated everybody who wanted to become free.

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How the Beatles changed music and music history. (2020, Mar 23). Retrieved December 12, 2024 , from
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