What was so great about the Beatles?

Question

Help me out. I liked their early stuff, but I've never understood what made them great. I even went to see "Love" (the Cirque de Soleil show in Vegas that was set to their music). So, after all of that, I still wonder what was so great about them, their music, and the influence they had on pop culture?

Answer 1

wow-when I was about 6 I knew what the beatles did for music. These guys changed the way rock and roll as we know it today is. Their lyrics had such significant meaning about politics, love, hate, heaven, and hell---no one ever spoke out against "the system" until they came around. Even if you don't like the Beatles' music, you have to respect what they've done.

Answer 2

The Beatles have to be understood within the concept of the time they became famous. At that stage in music, their sound was unique while still able to be catchy and interesting to the general population. Now they do not seem as fresh and new but back then they were both. Liken it to an artist's painting that when you look at it you think.. "that's easy, anyone can paint that". True.. but the trick half the time is not in the painting but being the first to come up with the idea/concept. That was the Beatles for ya... If there is any doubt, think about how many people still listen to them. The music was/is good!

Answer 3

The Beatles are cool because they were musicians and stood for something. Nowadays, some pop acts can't sing, write music, or play an instrument. They just prance around on stage and look pretty.

The Beatles were pioneers in the rock world. They led the way for others to follow. They had something to say which touches the hearts of many across the world. That's why they are so great. Read their lyrics. There's probably not one song that you couldn't relate to.

Check their lyrics here:
http://fab4lyrics.stonegauge.com/

Answer 4

There are several different levels to answer this question. First, the era in which they came around could not have timed better. The baby boom generation was now in their mid to late teens and looking for something new in their lives. Rock and roll was alive and well but was still pretty clean-cut. The early sixties youth was still under the 50's control. The good girl good boy mentality was imposed even in rock and roll where the ideal activity was driving in a Chevy to the soda shop for a root beer. Then came these four boys from Liverpool who had began letting their hair grow out. They brought with them an energy that would burn out of control. They played loud and heavy for that time period. And as a natural form of rebellion the more kids weren't allowed to listen to these record the more they did. Soon America's youth began growing their hair out, more bands like the Rolling Stones crossed over the pond and American's like Bob Dylan plugged in their instruments.

You still may say, "So What? They were just playing cover tunes of old Britsih and American Blues and R&B tunes," which leads me to the next point.

The Beatles had so much success and earned their record company so much money that they had been given creative control over what they were to record in the future. The Fab Four had gone to India and studied some of the exotic ideas in music, took a few tabs of acid and came back with all sort of new ideas of music form not normally found in rock music, like odd time signatures, exotic modes, instrumentation, sitar, etc. Couple this with George Martin's genious production techniques and you have what the Beatles were to become and ultimately what they finished as: Psychadelic.
We're talking studio techniques never used before: Tape loops, backwards quitar solos, orchestra accompiniment, double-track vocal recording, sound effects, you name it, the Beatles helped pioneer it.

Third, the concept album. Before this time, for the most part albums were just a collection of songs. The record companies wanted what are now called singles as records or 45s the album made up a collection of the single tunes and others to fill two sides of a 33.33 rpm 12-inch gramaphone record. Ditching the idea of one at a time gratification, they decided to produce an album where it was the album itself that was the work and not twelve seperate works that would stand on their own. Therfore the whole album was a journey. Albums like Sgt. Pepper's and Magical Mystery Tour offered much more than a collection of good songs although at the same time individual songs could be accessable on their own as a single tune as well.

Now by this time, America was heavy into the Vietnam War, and the a lot of the messages sent by their music reflected onto the public at large. Notions of peace and love but also rebelion, fear and loss.
As far as relevance today. The legacy of the Beatles can be seen all around. From Radiohead's melodies and studio techniques to Oasis' structures and image, to Tool's timing and meters, Green Day's vocal phrasing to Slash's guitar solos, we would still be at least 15 years behind musically, I say 15 and not 30 because of another band called Pink Floyd, but that's another story.

Answer 5

Their music is original and different from everyone else's. They have their own sound, but it's still good music. Maybe the generation that first started going crazy over them was deprived of music that differed from their parents', and were therefore set on rebeling by listening to the first new music that came along. Either way, their music awesome!

Answer 6

I think that it is the varying syles that their music took throughout their careers
back then, there was not as much technology as there is now, so it was a big surprise when they kept comin out with many different sounds
by Paul and John, they had more pop-y sounding songs
George- totally different, had a lot of sitars and made you relax, or just get annoyed if you hate that instrument,
and Ringo- his voice is totally different, though I know only of Yellow Submarine that he wrote and sang,

Answer 7

All i can say is that they are Great.. . maybe cause they were the ones to start the British Invasion? they have influenced alot of the British Bands now days..

Answer 8

They're one of the first rock bands in history! Even though they don't sound like the rock we listen to today, like AC/DC, Green Day, or Led Zepplin. They're just one of the firsts, you know?

Answer 9

Ask a Baby Boomer, the Beatles were before my time. I'm 41.

Answer 10

I agree. I'm not a big fan of mainstream music. I think in general music for the masses sucks.