The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960 and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. From 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon (rhythm guitar, vocals), Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals). Rooted in skiffle and 1950s rock and roll, the group later worked in many genres ranging from folk rock to psychedelic pop, often incorporating classical and other elements in innovative ways. The nature of their enormous popularity, which first emerged as the "Beatlemania" fad, transformed as their songwriting grew in sophistication. The group came to be perceived as the embodiment of progressive ideals, seeing their influence extend into the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s.
With an early five-piece line-up of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe (bass) and Pete Best (drums), The Beatles built their reputation in Liverpool and Hamburg clubs over a three-year period from 1960. Sutcliffe left the group in 1961, and Best was replaced by Starr the following year. Moulded into a professional outfit by music store owner Brian Epstein after he offered to act as the group's manager, and with their musical potential enhanced by the hands-on creativity of producer George Martin, The Beatles achieved UK mainstream success in late 1962 with their first single, "Love Me Do". Gaining international popularity over the course of the next year, they toured extensively until 1966, then retreated to the recording studio until their breakup in 1970. Each then found success in an independent musical career. McCartney and Starr remain active; Lennon was shot and killed in 1980, and Harrison died of cancer in 2001.
During their studio years, The Beatles produced what critics consider some of their finest material, including the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), widely regarded as a masterpiece. Four decades after their breakup, The Beatles' music continues to be popular. The Beatles have had more number one albums on the UK charts, and held down the top spot longer, than any other musical act. According to RIAA certifications, they have sold more albums in the US than any other artist. In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of the all-time top-selling Hot 100 artists to celebrate the US singles chart's fiftieth anniversary, with The Beatles at number one. They have been honoured with 7 Grammy Awards, and they have received 15 Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. The Beatles were collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most important and influential people.
I don't like them because I've never been able to make myself like their music, no matter how hard I tried. I hate Paul McCartney's voice and generally it's just not my type of music at all.
There's nothing prejudiced about that, and even if other people's reasons are down to "prejudice", although I'm not quite sure how that works, then that's down to them. It's just a band, ultimately. It's not a big deal.
I've never met anyone who hated them because they were popular, but I can understand why someone would be put off listening to them after having them rammed down their throat left, right and centre.
yeah but you forget how many people have never even listened to a full album. i know people like that. they hear stawberry fields or some early pop shit and assume the beatles are some cookie cutter british invasion band, and thats just not the case. the white album alone proves that.
I didn't like the White Album. I borrowed a couple of Beatles albums a few years ago to give them one last chance and I still didn't like them.
And I don't think people should have to listen to entire albums to decide whether they dislike a band or not. I mean, you seem to dislike Tokio Hotel quite a lot but I very much doubt you've listened to a whole album.
Not that I like Tokio Hotel or anything. They're shit.
thats a completely different thing, i know tokio hotel are not diverse at all, i can just look at them and know they suck. the beatles are so diverse, each album is like, a completely different sound.
i dont care if you dont like the beatles, especially if youve actually given them a chance. its the people who PREJUDGE that are in the wrong.
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I think a lot of people think of the Beatles in their early period, which admittedly was badass, but I can at least understand why some people would be turned off by it as it could seem "old fashioned" to some.
Anyone who dislikes anything beyond Revolver however is clearly an imbecile and needs to be punished, obviously.
I guess they're just held in such high regard that to see people talking crap about them (and then suggesting the likes of Fallout Boy and Tokio Hotel are better...) just seems criminal. Like saying "Oh The Godfather was a shitty boring film, "Meet the Spartans" was much better LOL"
I know everyone sees them as "overrated", but they definitely earned their success. The Beatles always cheer me up when I'm down. They can always take my mind off things for a while. That's why they're my favourite band. I think they'll be around for a very long time, despite how many people dislike them for being too overrated.
The Beatles were one of the greatest bands ever! I knew some songs of them, but I discoverd their music about 10 years ago at school, where My English teacher had a "beatles game" with a tape recorder..
Sgt. Peppers lonely hearts club band is my favorite album. A day in the life is my favorite Beatle song (I saw Neil Young play this song at the Rock Werchter festival in 2008).
I like that side of their experimentation. I want to hear the earlier Carnival of Light. Avant garde Beatles without Yoko Ono having anything to do with it.
Edited by: Loosifah
at September 21, 2010, 09:57am
All art is quite useless - Oscar Wilde Art sucks huh huh huh huh - Butt-Head Sometimes wisdom echoes through the ages
great band. it's a shame how some people write 'em off quickly as some 60s pop band which wasn't so much the case with their stuff from Revolver and beyond. even then like someone said some of those later albums were pretty different from each other.
in my older years I've found I've got myself back to 'em sorta like before and goin' beyond that checkin' out each member's solo material. while not as good as their Beatles material, there's still soem pretty good material.
I love The Beatles. While they may have been hugely influential on pop/rock music (you can't listen to any band without hearing some Beatles influence), how many mainstream pop acts since were that experimental? Using new technologies and techniques.
Also, Eleanor Rigby is my favorite song by them. So well written and beautiful.
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