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Perhaps the ultimate sign of their fame is that now in the English language, wherever spoken, the small black insect is relegated to the second mage that calls to mind when the word "beetle" is mentioned. (Try this with anyone: white, black, other minorities, the elderly, deaf and hard-of-hearing, foreigners, the blind, and even those born after 1964 and way after 1964 See what happens!) After Winston Churchill, they're the 20th century's greatest standard-bearer for Britain. They are one of the enduring images of the '60s. The Beatles set the gold bar for every American, British, or any rock group since. (The '90s group, The Spice Girls, were often referred to as "the female Beatles" during the height of their fame. They were much bigger stars in Britain and Europe.) These four guys actually changed the course of not just American and British popular culture, but world culture. How many groups can do that? Hairstyles, clothing, lifestyles, perceptions, and music itself forever changed. Even the Beatles themselves were always changing and evolving. They became gurus, and in some cases, "living gods" to many people. No joke. Many based their lives on what the Beatles were doing. If the Beatles ate a certain snack, dressed a certain way, used a certain brand of toilet paper, then by golly, that's what they did, too. When the Beatles stopped doing something, so did they. Remember all the "instant converts" when the Beatles studied with the Marhareshi Mahesh Yogi? When a new Beatles single or album was released, it was usually analyzed by a rock critic (1965 and after) and others for a profound, deeper meaning, because "The Beatles were the key to life". None of the group members ever took themselves that seriously. (Many of John's lyrics, for example, contained references to drugs and sex!) Sometimes a pleasant song is just a pleasant song (Or a reference to drugs and sex!). It's been spectulated that the Beatles may had also inadvertently contributed to the moral decline of American society. Many people looked up to and used the group as a guideline to challenge the system or their own surroundings. Some used this for good, but others didn't. Others sought to create chaos and domestic "mass destruction". (Charles Manson is an extreme example.) Go To Page: 1 2 |
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