The Beatles: Revolution
The Beatles were arguably one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed phenomena in popular music history. According to the former Rolling Stone associate editor Robert Greenfield, “In the form of popular music, no one will be more revolutionary, more creative, and more distinctive than the Beatles were” (Whitehead). It is evident that The Beatles have impacted—and continue to impact—society and politics all over the world, especially in the United States during the 1960s. In late 1962, they quickly gained popularity after releasing their first hit, “Love Me Do”, which enkindled the ‘Beatlemania’ frenzy (Charness). Their newfound acclaim allowed them to completely revolutionize the music industry, and with their portraits and album covers appearing everywhere, it wasn’t long before The Beatles revolutionized the fashion industry as well. By the late 1960s, the band had become so world-renowned that they were able to take their influential potential to a new level by inciting movements against societies’ leading issues and promoting recreational drug use and spiritualism.
The Beatles’ changed popular music forever; there are few people who will argue with this statement. Before The Beatles, only solo artists like Elvis Presley were popular. They were the first band to have huge mainstream success, and thus, after Beatlemania, musicians began to preform in groups more often, instead of trying to “make it on their own” (Lulu). The Beatles also changed the conditions that musicians would come to record under. Prior to The Beatles, record companies held great power over musicians; musicians were told when and where to record by their record labels. As The Beatles became megastars, they re...
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...in the 1960’s, there were mass protests and demonstrations occurring throughout Europe. The Beatles became the most significant and influential rock band during this period; the majority of their songs catalyzed anti-war movements. According to Harrison, “We obviously felt that Vietnam was wrong – and in some of our lyrics we expressed those feeling and tried to be the counterculture, to try and wake up as many people as we could to the fact that you don"t have to fight” (Hertsgaard). Songs like “Give Peace a Chance”, “Revolution”, and “All You Need is Love” reflected their social and political beliefs, and ignited a social revolution based upon “peace, love, and happiness”. The lyrics from The Beatles’ song Revolution, “We all want to change the world/But when you talk about destruction/Don’t you know that you can count me out,” say that they want a revolution to
“He helped shape the agenda of the sixties – socially and politically, no less than musically” (“John Lennon”). John Lennon was extremely influential to the world during his lifetime, and mainly during the sixties. He fueled many movements with his strong willed beliefs in peace and happiness. The actions and music of John Lennon drastically altered how many people viewed the world around them during the sixties and throughout his entire life.
The Beatles are known, respectively, as the fathers of modern pop music. After their first #1 hit “Please Please Me” was released in 1963 the Beatles were set in motion to become one of the most influential groups of musicians to ever rock our world. With over forty-nine records, 37 #1’s, and thirty- four number one albums (the highest amount of any band in history), there is no denying that they made a monumental ripple in the musical world. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr surprisingly all come from humble beginnings in a town that, until their superstardom, was barely noticed on the map. Liverpool, being kn...
The ‘60s were the age of youth, as millions of children’s from post World War II became teenagers and rebelled against the conservative fifties. Denying civil rights to African-Americans and liberation to teenagers in previous decades and Vietnam War, created a vortexes which lead to massive rebellion against the status qua. Music of the 1960s was characteristic of the revolution that was going on during the decade. It was a time of rebellion and counter-culture in which the teenagers and college students were critical of government, business, religious institution and other various aspects of life. Era marked by civil rights movement, Vietnam War, environment of drug abuse and sexual freedom formed new music like: folk rock, soul and psychedelic rock. These genres starkly contrast the teen idol music of ‘50s pop mainstream. Writes John Covach; “World was exploding, and rock musicians were listening more closely than ever.”(Covach, 152) Such stark contrast in pop music directly relay to changing social culture in America, which further echo’s the relationship between music and culture.
America’s defenses were breached and hysteria gripped the nation. The invasion had begun. However, the sounds of sirens did not fill the streets to warn against nuclear attacks, nor were there warnings to stay indoors. Instead the youth of America rushed into the streets of New York and welcomed the invaders with loud screams and insane fanaticism. The invaders were The Beatles and the members were Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. One of the biggest and influential bands to change the face of music as we know it took the world by storm by introducing new sound, new fashion, and a new way of approaching music. The Beatles have etched a name for themselves and stand in history as one of the greatest bands of all time. However there is a reason why they are regarded so highly and have become the big name that they are today. I never once listened to The Beatles and I didn’t get into music until I was twelve years old, yet at the age of nine I knew who they were. The Beatles are almost a household name in western cultures and that is because of the profound effect they brought upon society at the time. With help from their musical influences, experiences, and being present at the right place at the right time, The Beatles ascended into fame. It is because of factors like their influences, their experiences as a band, their management, and their arrival at the right time that made their takeover that much more successful and influential.
Culturally, I was taught that bands like the Beatles stole songs and style from African American artists of their time. In response to these accusations, John Lennon wrote, “We didn’t sing our own songs in the early days – they weren’t good enough; the one thing we always did was to make it known that there were black originals, we loved the music and wanted to spread it in any way we could.” In what I learned, he was right, because at the time they couldn’t spread their own music very far. Besides this, my experience with the Beatles before studying abroad was with some of their songs featured in movies and store soundtracks. When I worked at WAWA, I’d love to hear “The Yellow Submarine."
The Beatles are a band that has made a huge impact into our world. The impact of the Beatles influenced many things. Such things would be types of music, the people, and a world movement.
During the turbulent era of the 1960s, youth excelled boundaries and expectations to adequately improve the world. Throughout this time, many individuals were trying to juggle the conflicts between racism, sexism, and the turning point in the Vietnam War, the Tet Offensive. This battle occurred in 1968, and was a watershed moment in the Vietnam War that ultimately turned many Americans against bloodshed. “The total casualties – dead, wounded, and missing in action – had grown from 2,500 in 1965 and would top 80,000 by the end of 1967” (Willbanks 6). Destruction from the poignant fighting convinced rising numbers of Americans that the expense of United States’ commitment was too immense. The Anti-War movement gained momentum as student protesters and countercultural hippies condemned this kind of violence. As a result, many American citizens attended a three-day concert, Woodstock, because they desperately needed a place to be rescued from the brutality and turmoil. A young member of “The Beatles,” John Lennon, created music that was essential for the success of antiwar uprisings, as well as Woodstock attendees who justify the purpose of attending. Woodstock abruptly became a compelling icon; a turn of events where even all of the world’s calamities could not conquer the notions of peace, harmony, and cultural expression driven by young Americans to assert their voices as a generation, by genuine music and proclaims made by Woodstock celebrators.
The Beatles made it okay to be different and to not conform was encouraged, it wasn't about being the same anymore it was about being yourself. Another change that had come about due to the influence of a musician was the United States search for social justice and equality which was mainly brought about by the musician Bob Dylan and many others. Spirituality was a very strong and recurring aspect in the late 60’s and was called to attention by many musicians, although the prominent one happened to be The Beatles, who openly accepted different methods of spiritual achievement and turned spirituality into quite a trend that made many people think differently and accept different possibilities spiritually speaking. It’s very easy to see that if it had happened any differently, or if it hadn't happened at all, that the U.S. would be entirely different than it is at this moment.
The rise of the Flower Child movement began as a direct result of the American intervention the the Vietnam Conflict. Flower childs were against the war in Vietnam and often demonstrated for peace and American withdrawal from the conflict. Flower Child's or better known as hippies influenced the 1960s to become anti-war which can be widely seen by the many musicians who sang for peace and love such as John Lennon and his song “Give Peace a Chance”. John Lennon held international renown for being a member of the Beatles and John himself can be portrayed as one of the most prominent hippies.The 1960s will forever be remembered as the decade of the counterculture movement but the most prominent moment of the counterculture movement is Woodstock.
John Lennon’s effect on the world was brilliant and his legacy still lives on. All throughout his time he accomplished many things, and definitely made the world a better place. With the music, the peaceful things he did, and everything in between. His message was peace, love, and happiness. Lennon was brilliant and deserves more credit than what he gets. He left an impact that changed the world.
In the 1960s, the anti-war movement grew rapidly in America. The party reached the summit in 1968 by collecting members of various age ranges throughout the country 6. The song "Revolution," produced by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, expresses the irony of the political group. Although the party is against...
The Beatles have been noted as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, and most persuasive bands of all time. They were both musical and lyrical masterminds whom interpreted their opinions through their music. Of those many opinions their main message they wanted to send was the idea of peace. The Beatles opposed the war in Vietnam and were avid participants in the anti-war movement; by trend setting, not being afraid to speak their mind, and writing songs including: “Give Peace A Chance,” “Revolution,” “All You Need Is Love,” and many more. These songs insinuated and instilled their views on world peace, and back their opinions on the war.
The Grateful Dead, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jefferson Airplane to name a few all exemplified various counterculture ideals through their music in the 1960s. Whether it was the sexual liberation present in Janis Joplin’s piercing voice, the peace and love that the Grateful Dead symbolized, or the anti-war sentiments found in Bob Dylan’s lyrics, music was an undisputable symbol of the counterculture. Moreover, large music festivals such as Woodstock, where almost half a million people joined together for the sake peace and love, proved to be a uniting force in the history of the counterculture. Topics that were previously considered taboo, such as sex, were first introduced through the rock industry and eventually resulted in the “sexual revolution” of the 1960s. This revolution challenged the traditional heterosexual, monogamous characteristics of sex and was founded on the counterculture’s insistence on free love and the freedom to do whatever they want with their body.
In the late 1960s and the early 1970s, women, African American, Native American, gay, and lesbian people fight for equality was being pursued tremendously, and many Americans were joining the protest against the catastrophic war in Vietnam. The world was very divided and hope was hard to find, but, eventually, optimism came to the people in various ways. One way optimism was shared was through music. John Lennon and Marvin Gaye were made very popular in these times due to their talented music abilities. There’s no doubt that The Beatles contributed to John Lennon’s success or that Marvin Gaye is successful because of Motown, but, instead, because of the genres they chose to go along with their vexed and controversial lyrics and it is no coincidence
By the end of the 60’s, The Beatles had acquired a worldwide fan base and legendary iconic status among the youth of the world. John Lennon, the most prolific and famous of the Beatles, wasn’t averse to making political statements through his music. He knew that he had the power t...