Beginning with their Ed Sullivan Show appearance, the Beatles brought to a new generation, much more than just a great, new sound and long hair for boys.
John, Paul, George, and Ringo were working-class guys with no formal music education. Yet they were changing the world.
They offered the first real ray of sunshine since the assassination of President Kennedy, and were a much needed distraction to the morose melancholy of the "cold war." Despite the screaming, fainting fans and frenzy for the Fab Four, they were not like the musical heartthrobs who came before them.
The Beatles did not have the suave, aloof sophistication of Frank Sinatra. The "Chairman of the Board" was just that, and seemed to exude an attitude of, "Don't try this at home, kids. I AM Sinatra. You're not."
On the other hand, Elvis Presley's subliminal message (even in his early years), seemed to be: "I'm desperately lonely up here on this Pop throne, just a "hunka, hunka burnin' OUT." But, the Beatles had an exciting, creative energy and momentum about them.
Of course, Sinatra and Elvis did not write their own songs, either. I am sure that was a big part of what was intriguing about the Beatles. Like others before them, the Beatles were vilified and accused of corrupting the youth of America. But that sort of condemnation and associated record banning and burning is practically standard procedure for anything new that is feared or misunderstood by "the establishment."
On the contrary, the Beatles' influence kept millions of bored American adolescents "off the streets." Realizing the guitar was easily self-taught and much cheaper than a piano, garage bands sprang up all over the United States. Suddenly, kids were spending Friday and Saturday nights rehearsing with their "combo", instead of roaming the neighborhood, ringing doorbells, rolling houses, and egging cars.
Sure, many of the guys just picked up guitar and got in bands to "get girls." But for many, making music with friends was exactly the creative outlet we needed. We taught ourselves a few guitar chords and put music to our words. And it no longer mattered that we didn't have the vocal power of Judy Garland or Connie Francis. Thanks to the Beatles, we learned to harmonize.
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