Dark hair, iconic tunes, multi-platinum records. Without a doubt, the Beatles were, and still are, one of the most iconic music groups of all times.
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| The Beatles in early years |
They toured around Hamberg, Germany for a bit before they caught the eye of Brian Epstein, whose family owned the record store NEMS. After seeing that their first record, My Bonnie, was selling phenomenally, Epstein traveled to Liverpool, England to see them for himself. Impressed by their charisma, Epstein became their manager by 1962.
After their debut single, Love Me Do, the Beatles were signed on with music producer Dick James. Soon after in early 1963, they performed their next single Please Please Me on UK television and immediately topped the charts. Almost every single after that would dominate the country and sell millions of copies. The Beatles had officially conquered Great Britain.
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| The Beatles in 1965 |
It wasn't long before the Beatlemania spread to the US. By late 1963, I Want To Hold Your Hand became the number 1 single in America. In fact, they became so big that when the appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show (which was the highest rated television show up till then), no crimes across the nation were reportedly committed.
The Beatles continued their fame with 13 albums in 7 straight years- way more than a typical band would release in such a short period of time. They became the best selling band of all time, with 177 million units sold worldwide. They toured globally non-stop for a while before finally deciding to end the run in 1966.
In years after that, they continued to release music and their style evolved to become more mature, and less pop boy band-esque. For example, in 1967, the same year their manager Brian Epstein had passed away, they recorded their album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and starred in the film Magical Mystery Tour.
By 1969, the Beatles had definitely risen to the top of the music industry. However, Paul McCartney decided that he wanted to quit the band, and they all publicly disbanded in 1970, breaking the hearts of millions of fans across the world.The Beatles marked a significant change in the music business. They eclipsed 1950s iconic artist Elvis Presley with their own style of rock, and became the single greatest creative force to ever hit the music industry. Because of their unique style and constant chart toppers, a lot of music after that was modeled after the Beatles' own hits. Their new innovative sound and worldwide fame revolutionized music in the 1960s, and is still loved by many today.
Sources:
http://www.beatles-tribute-band-uk.co.uk/history.htm
http://consequenceofsound.net/2013/09/the-beatles-were-just-awarded-13-more-platinum-albums-because-why-not/
https://news.digitalmediaacademy.org/2016/01/21/how-the-beatles-changed-music-2/
Wow! Excellent and informative post. I find it interesting that the Beatles rose to fame rather quickly, and find it interesting that even during the 50's they were more famous than Elvis. Do you believe that the Beatles had a profound impact on the British music industry as well?
ReplyDeleteFor more information on music in the 1960s:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960s_in_music
This is a great post on the Beatles rise to fame and spread throughout the world. You can tell that the Beatles had a huge impact in America when you talked about how no crime was reported during there appearance on a TV show which shows how much the American people cared for celebrities. If the group stayed together, do you think they would have enough influence in the world to make a difference when it came to topics about politics?
ReplyDeleteNice post! I had no idea that the band was originally composed of different people and that they were so young when they came together. It is so impressive that they were able to release so much popular music in such a short amount of time. The Beatles were able to transform pop music and did so with subtle anti-establishment messages. Similar to Elvis, the Beatles were viewed as "rebellious" which made them even more appealing to teenagers, but they were able to go beyond that and spread counter culture messages through their music. Do you think if an American group today had this kind of fame and influence, would young people listen to and follow their messages to the same extent they did in the 1960s?
ReplyDeletefor more information on the counter culture of the Beatles:
http://www.biography.com/news/we-love-them-yeah-yeah-yeah-7-ways-the-beatles-changed-american-culture
Nice job giving us an overview of the Beatles! It is really amazing how a band that started in the 50's could remain so popular today. You mentioned that when the band appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, that there were no crimes reported in the US. This really speaks to the power that popular influencers wield over the public. What other effects did the Beatles have on the American public?
ReplyDeleteThis is a great timeline/overview of the Beatles. Their rise to fame and iconic stature is less than no other. You mentioned that their style had begun to evolve after their initial fame and introduced an innovative style of music. Of course, this time period in America was one filled with tension and a collective disheartening atmosphere. How do you think the Beatles impacted this and helped somewhat alter that, if they did?
ReplyDeleteFor more info: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/when-the-beatles-changed-everything/