Songs like "Let it Be", "Hey Jude", "Yellow Submarine" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" became the anthems of 1960s and 1970s America, keeping their popularity even until today- as the Beatles remain the best selling world-wide music artist. By late 1963, the Beatles were popular in England, but were not popular "across the pond" in the United States. Guitarists John Lennon, George Harrison, drummer Ringo Starr and bassist Paul McCartney were the backbone of the Beatles, and while their first two US singles, "From Me to You" and "Please Please Me" had flopped, and Capitol Records was not interested in promoting this foreign band, Ed Sullivan helped the band get their bring break in the United States. Sullivan, after seeing the crowds that turned out to just catch a glimpse at this group of shaggy haired musicians, believed that they had the "potential to be as big as Elvis Presley". Just a few weeks afterwards, he booked the band to be on the Ed Sullivan Show. Thanks to this, the Beatles "gained traction in the United States". Capitol records decided that they would back their records, and Beatlemania began to explode. When a 15 year old girl from Maryland asked her radio station "Why can't we have music like that here in America?", the DJ tracked down the unreleased "I Want to Hold Your Hand". As a result, the song became a huge hit. Capitol Records struggled to get the record into stores, as it sold around 1 million copies in just a couple days.
When the band arrived on the Ed Sullivan show in February of 1964, the TV ratings for the show were astronomical. 73 million viewers tuned on to watch, which was almost 40% of the United States population at that time. This Ed Sullivan performance was the turning point for the Beatles, and sparked the powder keg that was Beatlemania. Just a couple days later, they performed at Washington Coliseum, and their increasing popularity had reached new heights. Businesses began to sell "novelty Beatles wigs and clothing" and just to allow the band to get to stage, their management had to dress up decoys to distract the hordes. Looking at the political climate of America before Beatlemania exploded, it was just 11 weeks before John, Paul George, and Ringo arrived that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. As Americans struggled to cope with the loss of their beloved president, teenagers turned to music.
Of course, with time, the Beatles changed. Influenced by synthetic drugs and the hippie movement, the change in their music and albums can be seen. With initial releases like "Please Please Me" differing from "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", the change in both message and melodies can be attributed to LSD. Indeed, as George Harrison told Rolling Stone of his experience tripping on LSD, ", "I had such an overwhelming feeling of well-being, that there was a God, and I could see him in every blade of grass. It was like gaining hundreds of years of experience in 12 hours." Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Strawberry Fields Forever, and I am the Walrus are psychedelic rock masterpieces. Ultimately, as American culture changed, so did the Beatles. Through their time as an active band, their music influenced many British and American bands: the Rolling Stones, The Byrds, and even the Beach Boys. The Beatles have remained, throughout the decades, one of the most prominent bands even in the youth culture today. With Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr still active in the rock and roll community today, they are idols for many up and coming musicians. Beatlemania came at a time where the nation had lost a leader after 13 years of Cold War Tension, and in a way, was the perfect vector that provided a relief for a "war" torn United States.
1) The Beatles (1964)
2) The Beatles (1970)
3)Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
4) Strawberry Fields Memorial: Central Park (for John Lennon)
5) Paul McCartney at the 30th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction (2015)
Sources:
http://www.history.com/news/beatlemania-sweeps-the-united-states-50-years-ago
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2014/05/1964-beatlemania/100745/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles_in_the_United_States#Impact_of_Beatlemania
https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/30/showbiz/beatles-ed-sullivan-beatlemania-5-things/index.html
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beatles-revolver-how-lsd-opened-the-door-to-a-masterpiece-w436062
Great post! The Beatles are one of the most iconic bands of all time, and their music is still widely listened to today. I find it interesting how music frequently reflects interests and views of a particular time period. As you mentioned, the Beatles' music was largely influenced by the hippie movement of the 1960s. Going back to the 1940s, we can see that a lot of pop music was made in support of the war. Although music is generally supposed to be a fun way for people to express themselves, it can teach us a lot about history.
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