1he 8eaLles:

CulLural lnfluence

Pannah 1homas
A World PlsLory
Aprll 10, 2012
erlod 2

















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ln a generaLlon when socleLles were crawllng wlLh deslre for culLural revoluLlon, Lhe 8eaLles
almosL appeared ouL of nowhere, sparklng one of Lhe mosL groundbreaklng LransformaLlons of culLure
around Lhe world. 1he mld-1900s was already an era of dramaLlc change, Lhe fresh pop culLure scene
LhaL was embraclng Lhe youLh was slowly overshadowlng LradlLlonal Amerlcan values. ln 8rlLaln, a
slmllar scenarlo was also unfoldlng. Plghly lnfluenced by Amerlca's domlnanL global presence, arL,
muslc, and freedom of expresslon were wldely dlscussed ln socleLy. 1echnology and consumerlsm was
Laklng Amerlca, and oLher counLrles, by sLorm. 1elevlslon was commonplace, drlvlng Lhe epldemlc of
globallzaLlon. 8ock and roll muslc became a malnsLream genre, convenLlonal arL was seen as derlvaLlve
and banal, and LradlLlonal soclal pracLlces were belng quesLloned by young people around Lhe world.
8ebelllon was Lhe splrlL of Lhe 1960s, as many renegade members of socleLy parLlclpaLed ln clvll rlghLs
and anLl-war demonsLraLlons. ln such a busLllng Llme of conLroversy and LransformaLlon, a group of
average young men walked ouL of 8rlLaln and Look Lhe world by surprlse. 1helr novelLy sparked
reacLlons ln almosL every group of socleLy, wheLher lL was screamlng young glrls, dlsapprovlng parenLs,
or Lhe Cueen of Lngland. 1he level of fame LhaL Lhe 8eaLles reached was undenlable, however some
may clalm lL was only LranslLory and made no lasLlng lmpacL. noneLheless, socleLy sLlll acknowledges Lhe
8eaLles as one of Lhe mosL lmporLanL bands ln hlsLory. Comlng forLh wlLh freshness and orlglnallLy,
socleLy embraced Lhe 8eaLles and exalLed Lhem Lo a sLaLe of absoluLe godllness, or [usL an unforgeLLable
group of muslclans and socleLal flgures, who, ln addlLlon Lo seLLlng forLh a new generaLlon of muslc, also
lnfluenced pollLlcs, economlcs, rellglon, and mosL lmporLanLly, Lhe pop culLure of many oLher
generaLlons Lo come.

uesplLe Lhe 8eaLles' profound fame, Lhey were once ordlnary members of socleLy. lormed ln
Llverpool, Lngland ln Lhe laLe 1930s, Lhe 8eaLles were sLlll Lhousands of mlles away from Amerlcan fame.
8uL before even graduaLlng hlgh school, !ohn Lennon, commonly known as Lhe leader of Lhe group,
formed whaL would soon become Lhe mosL famous muslcal group ln Lhe world. uesplLe beglnnlng wlLh
numerous less known members, Lhe mosL well-known llne up conslsLed of gulLarlsL and vocallsL !ohn
Lennon, drummer 8lngo SLarr, lead gulLarlsL Ceorge Parrlson, and basslsL aul McCarLney. WlLh help
from manager 8rlan LpsLeln and frlend Ceorge MarLln, Lhe group qulckly began Lo accumulaLe fame ln
8rlLaln, and afLer a few shows and recordlngs, Lhelr flrsL few slngles were aL Lhe Lop of Lhe charLs. AfLer
only Lhelr flrsL Luropean Lour, Lhe band requlred pollce proLecLlon from screamlng fans. 8uL sLlll
unknown ln Amerlca, CaplLol records declded Lo release Lhe slngle l WanL Lo Pold ?our Pand," and
Meet tbe 8eotles, an album ldenLlcal Lo Lhelr second 8rlLlsh album.
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1hey were an lnsLanL success wlLh
Amerlcan socleLy as well. Soon afLer galnlng Lop spoLs on Amerlcan charLs, 1he 8eaLles appeared on 1be
J 5olllvoo 5bow ln fronL of mllllons of vlewers. ln 1964, Can'L 8uy Me Love" Lopped boLh Amerlcan and
8rlLlsh charLs, and Lhe 8eaLles soon galned Lhe Lop flve spoLs on Lhe 8lllbootJ slngles charL.
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8y now,
endemlc 8eaLlemanla, a Lerm used Lo descrlbe Lhe overwhelmlng hysLerla LhaL enveloped Lhe 8eaLles'
fame, was spreadlng rampanLly across Amerlca and 8rlLaln.
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1he 8eaLles also opened up Lhe doorway Lo
Lhe legendary 8rlLlsh lnvaslon, whlch encompassed oLher acLs such as Lhe 8olllng SLones and Lhe klnks. lL
was a new wave of muslc ln Amerlca, anoLher facLor LhaL conLrlbuLed Lo Lhe 8eaLles' culLural lmpacL. ln
comlng years, Lhe 8eaLles would conLlnue Lo make many successful albums, movles, and publlc
appearances. Powever, Lhe band's personal dlfferences evenLually resulLed ln Lhelr break up ln 1970.
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Lach 8eaLle wenL hls separaLe way, leavlng bllllons of fans devasLaLed. AuLhor Mark PersLgaard clalms lL
was Lhe breakup heard 'round Lhe world (.) when lL came, Lhe breakup of Lhe 8eaLles Look Lhe world
by Lerrlble surprlse, llke Lhe sudden deaLh of a beloved young uncle,"
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showlng [usL how much Lhe
8eaLles meanL Lo socleLy. 1helr popularlLy was unmaLched by boLh prevlous and fuLure bands.

Many quesLlon [usL whaL allowed Lhe 8eaLles Lo galn such lncomprehenslble means of fame.
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1he facL LhaL Lhelr popularlLy was deslgnaLed lLs own Lerm shows [usL how asLonlshlng lL really was. 1he
Lhousands of screamlng fans LhaL greeLed Lhe 8eaLles aL every performance creaLed 8eaLlemanla. ?oung
glrls were ofLen ln[ured ln an aLLempL [usL Lo be closer Lo Lhe band. WrlLer Larry Coffey explalns Lhe
exLenL Lo whlch Lhe 8eaLles' fame Look hold of many loyal fans when Lhey arrlved ln Amerlca:
When Lhe 8eaLles Louched down ln new ?ork ln lebruary 1964, Lhey knew Lhey had
come Lo Lhe rlghL place as Len Lhousand screamlng fans foughL Lo see Lhem. uurlng Lhe
8eaLles sLay ln ManhaLLan, aL leasL a dozen glrls were ln[ured Lrylng Lo caLch slghL of Lhe
boys. uurlng Lhelr concerLs, Lhere was so much nolse LhaL Lhe audlence drowned ouL
Lhe performers. Any movemenL by an lndlvldual 8eaLle would cause added screamlng
by rows and rows of young females. 1hls klnd of reacLlon would plague Lhe group aL any
performance Lhey dld.
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?oung Amerlcan fans llke Lhese were mosL llkely lnvlgoraLed by Lhe pure hype of Lhe momenL, buL whaL
really caused such exLreme fasclnaLlon over such seemlngly ordlnary young men? Was lL Lhelr forelgn
accenLs, Lhelr qulrky sLyle, or was lL Lhelr muslc? 1hough many clalm lL was Lhelr orlglnallLy ln muslc, Lhe
momenL ln whlch Lhey arrlved was key Lo Lhelr success. 1he 1930s and '60s were dark Llmes ln Amerlcan
hlsLory, raclsm and gender dlscrlmlnaLlon were slgnlflcanL problems. War was a plague Lo numerous
counLrles. 1he 8eaLles were fresh, a new sensaLlon of Lhelr Llme. 1helr muslc was new, Lhelr lmage was
new, and Lhey spread a sense of hope and deLermlnaLlon LhaL proposed a socleLal LransformaLlon. !usL
as Lhe rebelllous youLh was sLraylng away from Lhe norms of LradlLlonal prlm and proper socleLy, Lhe
8eaLles arrlved wlLh shaggy mop Lops". 8eaLles fans everywhere qulckly adopLed Lhls sLyle, maklng
Lhem fashlon lcons. 1hough some may argue LhaL Lhe 8eaLles were noL Lhe greaLesL band ln hlsLory",
Lhey were undenlably one of Lhe mosL lmporLanL. 1helr lnfluence almosL drove Lhe youLh Lo acL ouL on
Lhelr ldeas, even Lhough lL was agalnsL Lhe norms of socleLy. lL explalns how Lhelr fame reached such
shocklng helghLs. Lven more so, Lhe 8eaLles fame was noL llmlLed Lo Lhe 1960s. 1he legendary band has
mosL deflnlLely lefL lLs mark on hlsLory, and sLlll conLlnues Lo do so.

When one Lhlnks of Lhe 8eaLles' lasLlng lmpacL, Lhelr muslc ls one of Lhe flrsL Lhlngs LhaL comes
Lo mlnd. Pundreds of arLlsLs Loday credlL Lhe 8eaLles as Lhelr source of lnsplraLlon. 1helr muslc has also
been used ln numerous LheaLrlcal producLlons, muslcal covers, and fllms. 1he 8eaLles' muslc was very
orlglnal and fresh for Lhelr Llme. no one had heard of anyLhlng much llke lL. Muslclan Llvls CosLello, a fan
and frlend of aul McCarLney, clalms LhaL's compared Lo rabld 8&8 evangellsLs llke Lhe 8olllng SLones,
Lhe 8eaLles arrlved soundlng llke noLhlng else (.) Lhey were preLLy much Lhe flrsL group Lo mess wlLh
Lhe aural perspecLlve of Lhelr recordlngs and have lL be more Lhan [usL a glmmlck."
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CLher muslclans and
crlLlcs also pralse Lhe 8eaLles' muslc for lLs orlglnallLy. ln 1967, a well-known muslc crlLlc for 1be 1lmes
(London) sald LhaL Any of [Lhe 8eaLles'] songs [were] more genulnely creaLlve Lhan anyLhlng Lo be
heard on pop radlo sLaLlons" aL Lhe Llme.
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noL only were fellow muslclans lmpressed, buL Lhe general
publlc also adopLed Lhe 8eaLles' muslc wlLh open arms. ln 1964, Lhe 8eaLles released seven albums wlLh
all buL Lhree of Lhem Lopplng Lhe charLs.
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Cne reason for Lhe 8eaLles' renowned success was Lhe facL
LhaL Lhelr muslc was so flexlble. AlmosL any secLor of socleLy could en[oy lL, wheLher LhaL be mod,
rocker, lnLellecLual, rebel, permlsslve, or careerlsL. Wllllam Mann clalms, 1he 8eaLles' have held Lhelr
supremacy because Lhey can dlp lnLo all Lhese lnkwells wlLh equally eloquenL resulLs."
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ln addlLlon Lo
Lhe success and creaLlvlLy of Lhelr muslc, lL paved a new paLh for muslc of Lhe fuLure and lefL one of Lhe
blggesL lmpacLs a band has ever made. When asked how Lhe 8eaLles changed popular muslc, blogger
aul 8oberLson clalms LhaL Lhey ralsed Lhe sLandard of pop muslc lnLo a whole new realm of quallLy,
sklll and sophlsLlcaLlon (.) Laklng Leenage dance muslc and maklng lL lnLo muslc Lo be llsLened Lo."
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8oberLson also clalms LhaL Lhe 8eaLles Look many arLlsLlc and muslcal rlsks and experlmenLed wlLh Lhelr
sound, a sklll LhaL many muslclans Lry Lo masLer Loday. Pe says LhaL many arLlsLs Loday may noL even
reallze, buL Lhelr muslc may be lndlrecLly lnfluenced by LhaL of Lhe 8eaLles. Lven afLer many generaLlons
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of new muslc and fresh bands, Lhe 8eaLles sLlll remaln a legend, a legend LhaL some besLow Lhe LlLle of
Lhe greaLesL band of all Llme". ln !anuary of 1988, Lhe 8eaLles were lnducLed Lo Lhe 8ock and 8oll Pall
of lame, a prlvllege LhaL only Lhe besL muslclans are granLed.
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ulLlmaLely, ln addlLlon Lo Lhelr renowned
success, Lhe 8eaLles also lefL a huge lmpacL on Lhe muslcal world, an lmpacL LhaL would lasL for many
generaLlons Lo come.

8ecause of such wlde muslcal success and record sales, Lhe 8eaLles also lmpacLed economlcs.
1hey had Lhelr own huge llne of merchandlslng, and were commonly lncorporaLed lnLo markeLlng and
adverLlsemenLs. Cregory kaLz, a wrlLer for 1be 5eottle 1lmes, clalms 1hree decades afLer Lhe ugly
breakup, Lhe 8eaLles remaln a powerful economlc force so LlghLly woven lnLo 8rlLaln's culLural fabrlc
LhaL lL seems Lhey are as permanenL as Lhe 8lg 8en clock Lower and more popular Lhan Lhe monarchy."
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1hls shows [usL how much Lhe 8eaLles have affecLed culLure, all Lhe way from muslc Lo economlcs. Pe
conLlnues Lo explaln Lhe 8eaLles' lasLlng lmpacL on Lhe economlc lndusLry, ln facL, Lhe 8eaLles lndusLry
ls so wldespread LhaL an esLlmaLed 2,000 people make a full-Llme llvlng off Lhe long-defuncL band,
organlzlng 8eaLles fesLlvals, reLalllng 8eaLles memorabllla and publlshlng - sLlll - Lhe 8eaLles monLhly
magazlne, sald PunLer uavles, auLhor of a 1968 book abouL Lhe band."
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noL only have Lhe 8eaLles
experlenced skyrockeLlng record sales, buL also Lhe band's merchandlse can sLlll be found ln many muslc
sLores and record shops around Lhe world. 1he 8eaLles' memorabllla also brlngs ln large sums of money,
lncludlng !ohn Lennon's resLored Mercedes llmouslne, whlch ls valued aL $200,000.
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1he 8eaLles have
prlmarlly lmpacLed Lhe 8rlLlsh economy Lhrough Lourlsm. Many 8eaLles' fans Lravel Lo Llverpool every
year Lo vlslL slghLs such as Lhe Cavern Club, where Lhe 8eaLles performed 292 Llmes, and Lhe annual
8eaLles fesLlval.
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Many oLher LourlsL aLLracLlons, such as museums, parks, and clLy Lours are belng
developed ln honor of Lhe 8eaLles and Lhelr lasLlng legacy ln boLh Amerlca and 8rlLaln. 1helr albums of
course conLlnue Lo sell, boLh hardcoples and dlglLal downloads. Culnness World 8ecords named Lhe
8eaLles Lhe besL selllng group of all Llme, wlLh over one mllllon dlscs and Lapes sold globally.
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1he
8eaLles fame may acLually Lle back Lo Lhelr economlc sLaLus as well. !ohn, aul, Ceorge, and 8lngo were
all members of Lhe worklng class. 1hey were average people, Lhey were noL from wealLhy famllles. ln
Lhelr early years, Lhe 8eaLles were ln Lhe 94 Lax brackeL.
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1he publlc wanLed a group LhaL Lhey could
connecL wlLh on a personal level, and Lhe 8eaLles were, for Lhe mosL parL, [usL llke Lhem.

1he 8eaLles were also acLlve ln pollLlcs, Lhey were formally recognlzed by Lhe queen and
parLlclpaLed ln anLl-war movemenLs. 1he 1960s was a decade full of pollLlcal conLroversy. 1he unlLed
SLaLes was flghLlng ln vleLnam, and acLs of vlolence were belng commlLLed ln dozens of oLher counLrles.
1he 8eaLles, Lhough Lhey denled havlng much lnLeresL ln pollLlcs, Lhey dld ln facL have an lmpacL on
Lhem. 1hough Lhe 8eaLles had helped brlng class and soclal Lenslons Lo less drasLlc Lerms, 8rlLlsh royals
were soon recognlzlng Lhe 8eaLles. Speclflcally, Lhe band was lnvlLed Lo appear on Lhe blll of koyol
votlety letfotmooce [usL weeks afLer Lhelr appearance on 5ooJoy Nlqbt ot tbe looJoo lolloJlom.
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1hls
klnd of exposure was cruclal ln helplng Lhe 8eaLles succeed. Powever, Lhls was noL Lhe only Llme LhaL
Lhe 8eaLles would be assoclaLed wlLh world leaders. ln 1963, Lhe Cueen of Lngland awarded Lhe 8eaLles
wlLh Member of Lhe Crder of Lhe 8rlLlsh Lmplre medals. 1hough Lhls sparked some conLroversy, Lhe
ceremony Look place ln CcLober aL 8ucklngham alace.
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LaLer, !ohn Lennon reLurned hls medal ln 1969
as an anLl-war proLesL. 1he 8eaLles' fame was also comparable Lo LhaL of oLher world pollLlclans. lan
SmlLh of uolly Moll sald, noL slnce CasLro, khruschev, and 1lLo were all ln Lown LogeLher ln 1960 have
Lhe new ?ork ollce had such a rough Llme." Powever, mosL of Lhe 8eaLles' pollLlcal lnfluence was
concenLraLed ln 8rlLaln. WlLh an elecLlon on Lhe horlzon ln Lhe sprlng of 1964, many pollLlcal candldaLes
were encouraged Lo make alluslons Lo Lhe 8eaLles ln Lhelr speeches.
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1hls was mosL cerLalnly ln an
efforL Lo geL Lhe supporL of younger, more llberal groups of socleLy. !ohn Lennon was also known for
parLlclpaLlng ln peace and anLl-war movemenLs ln hls laLer, non-8eaLle years. Pls solo song Clve eace
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a Chance" reached no. 2 on 8rlLlsh charLs and was ln Lhe 1op 20 ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes.
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ln a Llme full of
consLanL conLroversy, Lhe 8eaLles were no excepLlon Lo Lhe chaos. 1he 8eaLles Apple Corp. endured a
rough legal baLLle wlLh Apple, lnc. over Lhe use of Lhe name. 1hey flnally came Lo an agreemenL ln
2007.
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1he 8eaLles were noL shy Lo conLroversy, one of Lhe reasons Lhey were so wldely recognlzed.

ln addlLlon Lo Laklng parL ln economlcs, pollLlcs, Lhe muslc buslness, and vlrLually Lhe resL of
culLure, Lhe 8eaLles sparked conLroversy rellglously. Cne of Lhe mosL noLable momenLs ln 8eaLles hlsLory
was when !ohn Lennon clalmed Lhey were more popular Lhan !esus, and whaL was even more
asLonlshlng was LhaL lL was probably Lrue. Chaos erupLed ln Amerlca when lL was reporLed LhaL Lennon
Lold a 8rlLlsh newspaper reporLer LhaL ChrlsLlanlLy wlll go. lL wlll vanlsh and shrlnk. l needn'L argue wlLh
LhaL, l'm rlghL and wlll be proved rlghL. We're more popular Lhan !esus now." 8ecause of Lhls, Lhe cover
of 1lM magazlne asked Lhe brave quesLlon ls Cod uead?" 1hus followed a vlclous anLl-8eaLles
backlash ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes. 1hey recelved numerous deaLh LhreaLs, many people desLroyed Lhelr
albums, and many denounced Lennon's commenL. Concerned for Lhe safeLy of hls band members,
Lennon qulckly apologlzed aL a Chlcago press conference for hls conLroverslal remarks.
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CLher 8eaLles
also addressed rellglon when ln publlc. aul McCarLney sald ln a 5ooJoy leople lnLervlew LhaL [Pe] had
never reallzed whaL people were Lalklng abouL when Lhey sald Cod [was] wlLhln you.[he was] noL
devoLlng [hlmself] Lo Lhe church, or anyLhlng llke LhaL." Pe conLlnues Lo say, 1o me, lL ls much more
personal Lhan LhaL. Cod ls a force we are all aparL of. 8uL lL means LhaL l now belleve Lhe answer Lo
everyLhlng ls love."
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1hls lmporLanL quoLe seLs Lhe bar for Lhe ma[orlLy of Lhe 8eaLles lnvolvemenL ln
peace movemenLs and explalns Lhe song All ?ou need ls Love". 1hese lnLeresLlng LhoughLs from Lhe
8eaLles lefL socleLy wlLh someLhlng Lo Lhlnk abouL. Lven lf Lhe reacLlon was noL one of pralse, Lhere was
sLlll a very wldespread reacLlon LhaL conLlnued Lo galn Lhe 8eaLles fame, wheLher lL be lnfamous or noL.

erhaps Lhe mosL lmporLanL lmpacL Lhe 8eaLles lefL on socleLy was culLurally. lans adopLed
everyLhlng from Lhelr halrsLyle Lo Lhelr shoes. 1he 8eaLles played an lmporLanL role ln Lhe personal llves
of many people as well. Cne hears a 8eaLles song on Lhe radlo Loday, and Lhey are Laken back decades
Lo Lhelr youLh. When Lhe culLure of Amerlcan socleLy ln Lhe 1960s ls consldered, Lhe 8eaLles almosL
always come Lo mlnd. ln facL, one auLhor clalms, 1he 8eaLles' hypersuccess deflned a parL of whaL
Amerlcan socleLy had become by Lhe mld-1960s."
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1he 8eaLles' lmage was everywhere. 1hey were on
mllllons of Lelevlslon screens, posLers, cloLhlng, album covers, magazlnes, and oLher merchandlse.
AuLhor !ohn 8laney clalms, ln an age of mass vlsual communlcaLlon, lmage was everyLhlng."
27
1hls was
proved Lrue as Lhe 8eaLles' rose Lo exLreme fame and Lhelr sLyle was mlrrored by mllllons of young
people globally. SLeve !obs, creaLor of Apple, lnc., could have even posslbly named hls compuLer
company afLer Lhe 8eaLles' Apple Corp., a cholce LhaL, as prevlously sLaLed, evenLually resulLed ln a
lawsulL.
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1he 8eaLles lnsplred counLless people, and especlally caLered Lo Lhe youLh. 1helr rebelllous
aLLlLude, careless sLyle, and experlmenLal muslc played a huge role ln many people's llves. urugs ln Lhe
1960s were also belng experlmenLed wlLh by many people, speclflcally arLlsLs, muslclans, young people,
and hlpples". 1he 8eaLles were no excepLlon. ln facL, Lhey were one of Lhe few bands Lo speak abouL
Lhelr drug use publlcly. McCarLney was once asked abouL hls experlences wlLh drugs ln an lnLervlew, and
openly and honesLly dlscussed lL, Lhough he may have faced loads of crlLlclsm.
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numerous 8eaLles
songs were LhoughL Lo be lnfluenced by drugs. Lucy ln Lhe Sky wlLh ulamonds" for example ls supposed
Lo have Lhe lnlLlals LSu, whlch was a very common recreaLlonal drug ln Lhe 1960s, Lhough Lennon clalms
lL Lo noL have anyLhlng Lo do wlLh Lhe acLual drug.
30
Cne 8eaLles fan recalls noLlclng drug alluslons ln Lhe
8eaLles' muslc and arL, and auLhor uavld larber clalms, erhaps Lhe mosL powerful message came from
Lhe 8eaLles, who ln !une 1967 released 5qt. leppets looely neotts clob 8ooJ. 1he drug lmagery on Lhe
album cover and LhroughouL Lhe lyrlcs was lmposslble Lo mlss."
31
Many clalm Lo have been lnfluenced Lo
do drugs by Lhe 8eaLles and oLher slmllar bands of Lhe 1960s. ulLlmaLely, Lhe 8eaLles' lmpacL on culLure
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was roLaLed around fashlon, rebelllon, drugs, and ldeas. Powever, Lhelr lnfluence was noL llmlLed Lo Lhe
unlLed SLaLes and 8rlLaln, Lhe mosL lmporLanL band ln hlsLory also, ln some way, affecLed people around
Lhe world.

1he 8eaLles were noL only recognlzed ln 8rlLaln and Lhe unlLed SLaLes, Lhey were lnvolved wlLh
many oLher counLrles as well. Powever, noL every counLry fell for Lhe 8eaLles rlghL away. 1he lrench, for
example, vlewed Lhe 8eaLles wlLh a mulLlLude of mlxed feellngs. 1hough Lhe 8eaLles were predomlnanL
ln wesLern culLures of norLh Amerlca and Lurope, people as far as SouLh LasL Asla had Lhelr falr share of
8eaLles encounLers as well. AuLhor 1lm Plll says, lrance was a noLorlously dlfflculL markeL Lo crack for
overseas performers, and Lhe male domlnaLed audlences found boLh Lhe muslc and Lhe wlnsome charm
of Lhe muslclans perfecLly reslsLlble."
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AfLer a few Lechnlcal mlshaps durlng one of Lhelr performances,
Lhe audlence Look ln Lhe proceedlngs wlLh pollLe aloofness."
33
1hough Lhls lnlLlally worrled Lhe group
abouL wheLher Lhey would be successful ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes or noL, Lhls noLlon qulckly wenL away when
Lhey reached no. 1 spoLs on popular muslc charLs ln Amerlca. lrance was noL Lhe only counLry Lo noL fall
lnsLanLly for Lhe 8eaLles charm, ln facL, Lhe hlllpplnes welcomed Lhe 8eaLles wlLh much asserLlveness as
well. uurlng Lhelr flrsL vlslL Lo a non-uemocraLlc counLry, Lhe band was greeLed wlLh mlllLary pollcemen,
unusually separaLed from Lhelr luggage, and had a mlsundersLandlng wlLh Lhe counLry's flrsL lady,
lmelda Marcos.
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1he nexL day, uolly Moll reporLed, 1he 8eaLles were [osLled, booed and [eered when
Lhey flew ouL Loday afLer hlllpplnes newspapers accused Lhem of snubblng Lhe resldenL's famlly by
noL Lurnlng up for lunch yesLerday."
33
As a consequence, pollce proLecLlon was dropped, and Lhe band
faced hosLlle crowds alone. SLlll, afLer much conLroversy, oLher forelgn counLrles had more poslLlve
responses Lo Lhelr vlslLs. lor example, on uecember 8, 2000, a bronze sLaLue of !ohn Lennon was
unvelled ln a park ln Pavana, Cuba on Lhe LwenLleLh annlversary of hls deaLh. AuLhor !une Sawyers sald,
1he Cuban governmenL honors Lhe ex-8eaLle as a revoluLlonary" hero who was a consLanL vlcLlm of
u.S. harassmenL."
36
CLher communlsLs counLrles seem Lo appreclaLe Lhe 8eaLles as well, speclflcally
8ussla. A documenLary was shoL when aul McCarLney performed ln Moscow ln 2003, ln whlch several
8usslan personallLles recall whaL Lhe 8eaLles have meanL Lo Lhem, even Lhough Lhey were noL allowed
Lo perform ln Lhe SovleL unlon and Lhelr records were exLremely hard Lo obLaln."
37
8usslan SoclologlsL
ArLemy 1rolLsky sald:
[.] Lhe 8eaLles have sLarLed Lhe whole huge movemenL ln Lhe SovleL unlon. MovemenL, whlch
lnvolved noL Lhousands or even hundreds of Lhousands, whlch lnvolved mllllons of young people
who became, as communlsL publlclsLs have sald, lnner lmmlgranLs. 1hey sLlll llved ln Lhe SovleL
unlon wlLh Lhelr body buL menLally and splrlLually Lhey were somewhere else.
38

1hls only proves LhaL Lhe 8eaLles have noL only lmpacLed soclal movemenLs of Amerlca and 8rlLaln, buL
also Lhe SovleL unlon and many oLher counLrles acknowledged Lhe way Lhe 8eaLles muslc and ldeology
affecLed Lhelr culLure.

uesplLe all of Lhls, Lhere are Lhose ouL Lhere who argue LhaL Lhe 8eaLles' fame was only
LranslLory and lefL no slgnlflcanL, lasLlng lmpacL on Lhe world. Powever, Lhe 8eaLles have clearly lefL
Lhelr mark on Lhe hlsLory of boLh muslc and culLure. 8adlo sLaLlons Loday conLlnue Lo play Lhe 8eaLles
mosL successful songs. Muslcal educaLlon courses always seem Lo lncorporaLe Lhe 8eaLles lnLo Lhelr
currlculum. ln facL, ?oko Cno esLabllshed a scholarshlp ln !ohn Lennon's name LhaL recognlzes young
muslclans beLween Lhe ages of flfLeen and LwenLy-flve.
39
Masslve LheaLrlcal producLlons, museums, and
landmarks have been lnsLalled around Lhe world. ln 2006, Clrque du Solell, a world-renowned mlx of
acrobaLlcs and clrcus arLs, opened a llve LheaLre producLlon called LCvL, ln honor of Lhe 8eaLles.
40
lL ls
cenLered aL Lhe cusLom-bullL Mlrage LheaLre ln Las vegas, nevada. uozens of museums around Lhe
world sLlll exlsL for Lhe 8eaLles. Magazlnes sLlll wrlLe abouL Lhem LhlrLy-Lwo years afLer Lhelr breakup,
and mosL lmporLanLly, mllllons of fans spread across generaLlons of muslc have conLlnued Lo supporL Lhe
7
8eaLles and cannoL help remlnlsce Lhelr youLhfulness every Llme Lhey hear All ?ou need ls Love" on Lhe
radlo. 1he lmpacL Lhe 8eaLles have lefL Lhe world wlLh ls undenlable. Lven lf socleLy's reacLlons Lo Lhelr
conLroverslal ldeas were noL always poslLlve, Lhe amounL of reacLlon Lhey goL was enough Lhe prove Lhe
exLenL of Lhelr fame and lnfluence.

ln such an asLonlshlng way, Lhe 8eaLles have lnfluenced almosL every secLor of culLure. WheLher
lL be muslc, economlcs, pollLlcs, rellglon, fashlon, ldeas, or Lhe personal llves of mllllons and mllllons of
fans, muslclans, acLors, and average people. lL seems as lf everyone has hls or her own sLory Lo Lell
abouL Lhe 8eaLles, one of Lhe mosL legendary bands ln hlsLory. naLlonal boundarles have noL lmpeded
Lhe 8eaLles fame or success. PecLlc conLroversy never sLopped Lhe 8eaLles from remalnlng successful
wlLh crlLlcs and fans desplLe occaslonal proLesL. 1he slmple ldea LhaL such an average young band arose
ouL of an unevenLful Lown ln Lhe unlLed klngdom and proceeded Lo have Lhe global success and pralse
LhaL Lhey dld bewllders many muslc crlLlcs and soclologlsLs Lo Lhls day. erhaps Lhelr fame could have
been conLrlbuLed Lo Lhelr orlglnallLy, charm, or Llme of arrlval. Powever, lL seems nearly lmposslble LhaL
any oLher muslcal group reach such greaL helghLs of fame and success llke Lhe 8eaLles dld. Some people
even clalm LhaL Lhe 8eaLles Lhemselves could noL repeaL Lhelr own level of success. 1helr lmpacL was a
culLural phenomenon, leavlng many puzzled analysLs wlLh hundreds of quesLlons as Lo whaL allowed Lhe
8eaLles Lo become perpeLually legendary, and how Lhlngs so slmple can lnfluence Lhe culLure of mulLlple
generaLlons aL a near global scale. 1oday, Lhe band sLlll leaves counLless people wlLh LhoughLs Lo
conslder, perhaps love ls all one needs Lo succeed ln llfe.




























8
noLes

1 1he 8eaLles," 1be kollloq 5tooe, accessed Aprll 8, 2012,
hLLp://www.rolllngsLone.com/muslc/arLlsLs/Lhe-beaLles/blography
2 lbld.
3 Larry Coffey, 1he LffecL of Lhe 8eaLles on SocleLy" (unpubllshed manuscrlpL, March 26, 1981), ul
llle.
4 uavld WhlLe, 8eaLlemanla 1964-1963," AbouL.com, accessed Aprll 4, 2012,
hLLp://classlcrock.abouL.com/od/beaLles/a/beaLles_hlsLory_3.hLm.
3 Mark PerLsgaard, A uoy lo tbe llfe. 1be Moslc ooJ Attlstty of tbe 8eotles (new ?ork: uelacorLe ress,
1993), 138.
6 Coffey, 1he LffecL of Lhe 8eaLles on SocleLy."
7 Llvls CosLello, 1he 8eaLles," kollloq 5tooe, !uly 21, 2011, 8.
8 Wllllam Mann, 1he 8eaLles 8evlve Popes of rogress ln op Muslc," 1be 1lmes (London), May 29,
1967.
9 uavld WhlLe, 8eaLlemanla 1964-1963," accessed Aprll 4, 2012,
hLLp://classlcrock.abouL.com/od/beaLles/a/beaLles_hlsLory_3.hLm.
10 Wllllam Mann, 1he 8eaLles 8evlve Popes of rogress ln op Muslc."
11 aul 8oberLson, Pow 1hey Changed opular Muslc," lasL modlfled March 28, 2004, accessed !anuary
17, 2012, hLLp://www.pLrob.com/Muslc/8eaLles/lnfluence/lnfluence.hLml.
12 !une Sklnner Sawyers, ed. keoJ tbe 8eotles (new ?ork: enguln 8ooks, 2006), xxxll.
13 Cregory kaLz, 1he lab lormula keeps 8rlLlsh Lconomy Pummlng," 1be 5eottle 1lmes, AugusL 23,
2000, accessed Aprll 3, 2012,
hLLp://communlLy.seaLLleLlmes.nwsource.com/archlve/?daLe=2000.
14 lbld.
13 lbld.
16 lbld.
17 8esL Selllng Croup," Culnness World 8ecords, accessed Aprll 10, 2012,
hLLp://www.gulnnessworldrecords.com/world-records/10000/besL-selllng-group
18 eLer 8rown and SLeven Calnes. 1be love oo Moke. Ao loslJets 5toty of tbe 8eotles. (new ?ork: new
Amerlcan Llbrary, 2003).
19 1lm Plll, Iobo, lool, Ceotqe, & kloqo. 1be uefloltlve lllosttoteJ cbtoolcle of 1be 8eotles, 1960-1970.
(new ?ork: MeLro 8ooks, 2008), 30.
20 1he 8eaLles," 1be kollloq 5tooe.
21 1lm Plll, Iobo, lool, Ceotqe, & kloqo. 1be uefloltlve lllosttoteJ cbtoolcle of 1be 8eotles, 1960-1970,
116.
22 lbld.
23 lbld.
24 lbld.
23 Andy uavls, 1be 8eotles llles (London: Salamander 8ooks, 2000), 122.
26 uavld larber, 1be Aqe of Cteot uteoms. Ametlco lo tbe 1960s (new ?ork: Plll and Wang, 1994), 61.
27 !ohn 8laney, 8eotles lot 5ole. now vetytbloq 1bey 1oocbeJ 1otoeJ 1o ColJ (London: !awbone ress,
2008), 176.
28 lbld., 269.
29 1lm Plll, Iobo, lool, Ceotqe, & kloqo. 1be uefloltlve lllosttoteJ cbtoolcle of 1be 8eotles, 1960-1970,
286.
30 8udolf Pecl, 1he 8eaLles and 1helr lnfluence on CulLure," (8.A. 1hesls, Masaryk unlverslLy, 2006).
31 larber, 173.
9
32 Plll, 71.
33 lbld.
34 lbld., 248-249.
33 lbld.
36 !une Sklnner Sawyers, xxxlll.
37 Pecl, 33.
38 lbld.
39 Sawyers, xxxv.
40 lbld., xxxll.







































10
8lbllography

1he 8eaLles". 1be kollloq 5tooe. Accessed Aprll 8, 2012.
hLLp://www.rolllngsLone.com/muslc/arLlsLs/Lhe-beaLles/blography.

8laney, !ohn. 8eotles lot 5ole. now vetytbloq 1bey 1oocbeJ 1otoeJ 1o ColJ. London: !awbone ress,
2008.
8rown, eLer, and SLeven Calnes. 1be love oo Moke. Ao loslJets 5toty of tbe 8eotles. new ?ork: new
Amerlcan Llbrary, 2003.

Coffey, Larry. 1he LffecL of Lhe 8eaLles on SocleLy." unpubllshed manuscrlpL, lasL modlfled March 26,
1981. ul llle.

CosLello, Llvls. 1he 8eaLles." kollloq 5tooe, !uly 21, 2011, 8

uavles, PunLer. 1be 8eotles. 1be AotbotlzeJ 8loqtopby. new ?ork: McCraw-Plll, 1968.

uavls, Andy. 1be 8eotles llles. London: Salamander 8ooks, 2000.

uecurLls, AnLhony. ?ou Say lL's My 8lrLhday?" AAkl Moqozloe, May-!une 2006.

uu noyer, aul. Across Lhe unlverse." ln uays of 8eaLlemanla: 1he Larly ?ears-Aprll 1, 1962, Lo
uecember 31, 1964," Mojo, Speclal LlmlLed LdlLlon, 2002.

larber, uavld. 1be Aqe of Cteot uteoms. Ametlco lo tbe 1960s. new ?ork: Plll and Wang, 1994.

Culnness World 8ecords. 8esL Selllng Croup." LasL modlfled March 19, 2001. Accessed Aprll 10, 2012.
hLLp://www.gulnnessworldrecords.com/world-records/10000/besL-selllng-group

Parry, 8lll. Metsey 8eot. 1be 8eqlooloqs of tbe 8eotles. London: Cmnlbus ress, 1977.

Pecl, 8udolf. 1he 8eaLles and 1helr lnfluence on CulLure." 8.A. 1hesls, Masaryk unlverslLy, 2006.

PerLsgaard, Mark. A uoy lo tbe llfe. 1be Moslc ooJ Attlstty of tbe 8eotles. new ?ork: uelacorLe ress,
1993.

PlaLL, 8ryan. 1he rlvaLe Llfe of Ceorge Parrlson." kollloq 5tooe, SepLember 13, 2011, 34.

Plll, 1lm. Iobo, lool, Ceotqe, & kloqo. 1be uefloltlve lllosttoteJ cbtoolcle of 1be 8eotles, 1960-1970. new
?ork: MeLro 8ooks, 2008.

kaLz, Cregory. 1he lab lormula keeps 8rlLlsh Lconomy Pummlng." 1be 5eottle 1lmes, AugusL 23, 2000.
Accessed Aprll 3, 2012. hLLp://communlLy.seaLLleLlmes.nwsource.com/archlve/?daLe=2000
0830&slug=4039343.

klrchherr, AsLrld. lnLroducLlon Lo keoJ tbe 8eotles, by !une Sklnner Sawyers, ed, xll-xlvll. new ?ork:
enguln 8ooks, 2006.

11
Mann, Wllllam. 1he 8eaLles 8evlve Popes of rogress ln op Muslc." 1be 1lmes (London), May 29,
1967.

8oberLson, aul. Pow 1hey Changed opular Muslc." LasL modlfled March 28, 2004. Accessed !anuary
17, 2012. hLLp://www.pLrob.com/Muslc/8eaLles/lnfluence/lnfluence.hLml.

Sawyers, !une Sklnner, ed. keoJ tbe 8eotles. new ?ork: enguln 8ooks, 2006.

WhlLe, uavld. 8eaLlemanla 1964-1963." Accessed Aprll 4, 2012.
hLLp://classlcrock.abouL.com/od/beaLles/a/beaLles_hlsLory_3.hLm.