Why Are The Beatles So Popular?

[Metal Health]

The Beatles are in my opinion one of the most overrated bands ever. They are commonly called the best rock band ever. Why?

 

[Vader]

From 66 on The Beatles were one of the most innovative groups around, songs like Hey Bulldog, I am The Walrus, Tomorrow Never Knows, the entire Sgt. Peppers album etc were. completely unheard of at the time. They paved the way for bands like Pink Floyd, ELO etc.who realized the sky was the limit on what they could record as artists after hearing them. Its hard to understand without having some living reference to the hum dum mode "pop" was in before they began pushing the envolope. Revolver, Rubber Soul, The White Album, Abbey Road are all classics...
They have influenced more bands and music in general more then can be easily articulated in a short post. A whole book could be written about their impact alone. Like them or not they deserve their status. Greatest band ever is of course subjective.....

 

[stepcousin]

it's always important to know the country of origin and the month and year that a band releases a record. I never take music as it is at face value, I always want to know when it was made and perhaps read up on the history of said band to really understand where they are comin' from. Once you connect the dots and place them in proper perspective, it's easy to enjoy an album or a song from any era.

When I go back through the history of rock to '65, '66, '67 or so, all I can say is what The Beatles were doing was incredible. If you can't place yourself in that period of time, you will never get the music. I don't own any Buddy Holly or Bill Haley or Jerry Lee Lewis but I can place myself in their era (late 50's or so) and enjoy very much it for what it is and how they contributed to the history of rock.

In the end, it's all just entertainment. You can choose to like or not like whatever you want to. Is liking The Beatles mandatory to being a music fan? of course not. But I would agree with many many people by saying you would be missing out on a very special band from the 60's. No biggie, not worth arguing about. The Beatles will always be there for you if you ever decide to take the plunge into Pepperland. Jeremy Hillary Boob Ph.D. will greet you at the door. And bring your headphones.....

 

[Jet]

The Beatles are in my opinion one of the most overrated bands ever. They are commonly called the best rock band ever. Why?

I think it is impossible to encapsulate the impact the Beatles had on music in a post. It would take an unending tome to even begin to explain why there will never be a band like them again. I will add though, that they were very smart, clever, ingenious, and there is no denying that having George Martin working with them helped them a great deal. I did not like them until I was sixteen. But to say they are overrated when you don’t even know why they are popular is unfair.

 

[Soot and Stars]

You can't really overate a band. If a band was lucky to come out at a time where many things weren't tried and took the first step/steps then they get that special spot historically and if the music is good and memorable to boot then there's a reason they still have that many ears on them. Are The Beatles my favorite even in their era? No. Do I get why they are too many? Of course. For me the strokes of genius are in songs like "Eleanor Rigby" where they blend classical with pop and a great group harmony. The stuff I didn't like was the trippier drug inspired stuff but then again that's what I don't like about many 60's/70's giants. The point is it doesn't matter or bother me in the least what people rate anything. The whole band vs. band thing on a grand scale or a personal one has no merit. It doesn't change my musical bubble. I usually can figure out the positives of most any artist and what people could like about them. It helps me to expand my listening even further.

 

[Johnny-Too-Good]

First they changed the face of pop history. Then they got fed up of that and decided to change the face of rock history. Their like will never be seen again.

 

[PapaJacques]

If you ask me, its because of their connection with the era. The Beatles reflected Sixties culture (or should that be vice versa?) in a way that no other band or public figure could. As such, they represent an age that many would like to return to. Their discography is essentially a journey through Sixties perceptions- the early Merseybeat reflecting the pre-Vietnam mood, the disjointed and violent White Album reflecting the beggining of the end of the hippie ideology in 1968, etc. They're popular because they matured with the public in a way no other performer has before or since.
Of course, their music has a lot to do with it too. As mentioned before, they revolutionised the way we listen to music and what should be expected from a pop record.

 

[Speed King]

Pretty much everything stated above, I'd just like to add that 44 years after they broke up, they're still relevant, they're still influencing musicians young and old. They were and still are a phenomenon that has never happened before in the history of the world, and may never happen again. As stated above, it is impossible to overestimate their importance then and even now. They influenced virtually every rock band directly or indirectly that came after them, they even influenced Black Sabbath. They literally changed the course of Rock and Roll forever, if it weren't for them, we might still be listening to surf music.

 

[Vehicle]

Not to take away from their talent, because they were interesting, but I think one of the most important factors in their popularity is this:

Timing.

When Elvis was on Ed Sullivanin 1956, rock was an infant, and the rock and roll population was newborn as well.

How many 8 year olds were now 16 when The Fab Four made their appearance? A million? 5? 10? Who knows.

Televisions were in far more living rooms in 64. There ya go. Mass exposure.

Add in the intangibles that they were personable, happy go lucky youngsters with catchy songs, not to mention photogenic, and viola...lightning in a bottle.

R&R was treading water by then, and they brought another intangible with them... The fledgling 2nd generation of rock fans. The Beatles were something that belonged to those fans, not something handed down, you know?

Anyhow, that's just my opinion.

Oh, and Soot? I also think Eleanor Right is a masterpiece. Here it is with no vocals...

 

[Jet]

What Johnny-Too-Good, and PapaJacques, and Speed King, and Vehicle said.

Sorry Sooty, I can't tango.