What's so great about the Beatles?
 

I know, it's a rather provocative thread title, but it's something I have been thinking about a lot lately.

Now, I enjoy the music of the Beatles. According to what I can find thru Google they are quite definatively the most successful recording artists ever with over 1.1 Billion units sold. Furthermore, they are the most "covered" band in history, some estimates say that as many as 6000 cover versions of "Yesterday" have been recorded. So with that being said, there is no denying that the Beatles did something right and deserve a certain level of respect.

But still my question remains: Were they really good, or where they just lucky?

Did they came along at just the right time to ride the burgeoning wave of pop music? Their original manager (who's name I cannot recall at the moment) steered their career so deftly that when he left (died?) they went into a sort of tailspin. At least according to some critics (not me).

Also, do we love the Beatles just because previous generations did? Is it kinda of a self-fulfilling prophecy wherein the older generation speaks of the Beatles with such reverence that we quitely fall into line with giving it too much thought.

Or were they really that good? Were John, Paul, George and Ringo so damned talented that nothing could keep them from massive stardom and success?

I don't know about talent, but they were definitely innovative. In my opinion, the innovation part was a big part of their success.

As far as talent go, well.. I consider myself deaf and blind to art.. I can't recognize a masterpiece from an amateur work in no kind of art whatsoever, may it be visual or auditive.. so were the Beatles talented? Probably.. but I have no idea :lol:

I ask my friend this every day who loves the Beatles to death. I just figure if it wasn't them it would've been someone else. So yeah early bird catches the worm. I kinda oversimplified it but I'm really tired right now, more arguments to come later.

When I was younger I really thought they were overated. As I listen now, they did have some remarkable moments (many) and plenty of nonsense stuff also, but in a good way.

Were they good or lucky? They were good and lucky. Were they virtuosos on their instruments, no, but they wrote some great songs that stuck and have stood the test of time.

I have often wondered myself if they would have retained their popularity over the years had it not been for Sir George Martin and his arrangements. If Nelson Riddle made Frank Sinatra then George Martin certainly made the Beatles, IMO.

This topic has been done to death though.

Asta!!

There are many exceptional things about the Beatles but the most defining thing was the time in which they lived.

It was the real dawn of the commercial electronics age. Television was reaching its stride. Portable radios were becoming available. Record players, particularly 45 RPM's, were highly popular and available.

Add to that, the large group of post-war children that were reaching their teen years. Commercial consumerism was driven by the electronic media. Economic prosperity was at an unprecidented level due to post-war growth in manufacturing.

And of course they were some highly talented, diverse musicians who grew with their audience. The same girls in bobby socks they played to in the 60s, were the same girls with flowers in their hair they played to in the 70s. Listen to the growth and the change in their music from one year to the next. They defined the aging of a generation.

Who would believe the same band that performed Love Me Do would play Revolution or Helter Skelter?

They were marketable to teenage girls of their time.

marketable = success

Three words....

The White Album.

It all comes down to their writing...they had had like 20 albums..and every song was great.

Six more...

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Quite possibly the most innovative studio album ever produced.