The Beatles Influence On Society

There is absolutely no doubt that The Beatles are the most revolutionary band of all time. Many aspects of The Beatles have shaped the way music works today. It is apparent, over fifty years after the release of their first album, they are just as relevant as they were in the early sixties. One of the most impressive things about the group is their incredible ability to evolve, and I don’t just mean their hair styles. The Beatles started as a clean-cut boy band consisting of teenagers John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr playing catchy, simple tunes with a new-era rock and roll flair. The Beatles’ chameleon like ability to change their style in both music and fashion kept fans clamoring for more. Their unique and unmatched
As they ‘drove along’ they adapted to the ‘driving conditions.’ When The Beatles emerged from the underground Cavern Club in mid 1963, they had a specific image: The never before seen ‘mop top’ haircuts, Naroo suits and ties, and electric guitar. In their early twenties The Beatles brought their novel sound to America. They were one of the first true rock and roll bands to hit the mainstream and Beatlemania hit North America like a hurricane. However, the evolution that took place in just over ten years within this supergroup is astonishing. While their original boy band sound, that lasted until about 1965, was revolutionary and defining enough on its own, it’s the music of the later years that set the standard of rock and roll and was superior to any other band and including their own original
So, in 1968 when Paul McCartney said that he wanted to become more sophisticated musically, he looked to classical music for a little inspiration-- Bach may call it stealing-- but I’m going to call it inspiration. Using the turn around in the first movement of Bach’s Bourree, he crafted the mother of all chordal guitar songs: Blackbird. I will tell you that the day that I learned Blackbird on the guitar was the single greatest moment of my musical career. I use the word moment loosely as it took me nearly a month to master the modulating-fret-jumping-madness of the song. The untrained ear may listen to Blackbird and comment on its beautiful simplicity, which you cannot deny as McCartney’s silky smooth vocals and seamless playing stand alone on the track. But, from a musical standpoint, Blackbird is anything but simple, and is one of the greatest rock ballads of all