Beatlemania:
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
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Introduction
Beatlemania is
an expression that has its origins
in the 1960’s. The term was invented
to describe the frenzy of the fans
of the British rock music band, The Beatles. The Beatles originated in the United Kingdom and had an enormous fan
base. It was
the first kind
of band during the 60’s to feature women.( Tessler,2010)
The
Beatles revolutionized the music industry and
prompted the birth of youth culture.
They transformed the style, attitude,
sound and opened
a new genre of rock music. They
always experimented with a variety of genres including country, folk-rock, baroque pop among others.
John Lennon, a member of the band
in 1960, suggested changing the band name
to Beatles as praise to buddy
holly. They continued gaining popularity over the years although
their popularity has reduced.
(In 1960 the band had four members namely;
John Lennon, who was a
guitarist, Ringo Star band’s
drummer, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison.
George
Harrison
He
was born
on 25th February 1943 in Liverpool England. He was a songwriter, musician, singer, music and film
producer. He played the guitar, sitar and also did
vocals. He released several best selling
singles as a solo performer. He featured as a guest guitarist on
tracks by several artists and did
collaborations on several songs
by various artists. He died at the
age of 58 in 2001
from lung cancer, and he was cremated and
buried according to the Hindu tradition.
Paul
McCartney
He
was born James Paul McCartney
on 18th June 1942 in Liverpool England. He was a songwriter, musician, film producer
and businessman. He played the piano,
the bass guitar, and he also did
vocals. He was recognized as one of the most successful
composers and performers of all time with a sale of over 100 million singles as a solo artist. He has also
taken part in projects to promote international charities.
Ringo
Star
He
was born Richard Starkey
in7th July 1940 in Liverpool England. He was a drummer, singer, songwriter, actor, and producer.
He plays the
drums and does vocals as well. He gained
global fame as the Beatles
drummer. He joined the Beatles in 1962 and was inducted
into the rock and roll hall
of fame as a solo and a member of the
Beatles.
John
Lennon
He
was born
John Winston Lennon on the
9th of October 1940 in Liverpool England. He was a singer, record
producer, a songwriter and an activist. He was the co-founder of the Beatles and also
played the guitar, piano and did
vocals. After the breakup, he
did a number of solo albums and
iconic songs. His songs were used
as anthems by the anti-war movement, and there were several attempts
to deport him in 1971 from Manhattan by Richard
Nixon’s administration. He died in 1980 after being shot by one of his music deranged fan.
The
Beatles Success
They
released their first single in 1963 ‘’I want to hold your hand,’’ and it rose
to number one in the American
charts only a month after its first play on the radio.
They were a great turning point in history. Their image started to change, and they cut
their hair in a style that they came
to be famous for-mop top style.
They
built their reputation by playing their music in Liverpool.
Their music was managed by Brian Epstein and produced by George Martin. Their music was mostly recorded
by Abbey Road Studios in London. They began to be popular in Liverpool but due to the monotony
of playing in the same clubs they
decided to go to the United States. More than 5,000 fans
greeted them at the New York airport,
and they eventually
established themselves when they made an appearance
at the ED Sullivan show in
America.( Tessler,2010)
They
had several albums top the
charts and sold
more singles in the UK than any other band.
They have received
ten Grammy awards, best original song score,
an academy award and fifteen Ivor Novella awards. So far,
they have been
recognized as the
best-selling band in history
with over 600 million records
globally. In 1988, it was installed in the rock
and roll hall
of fame.
In 1965 the Beatles all four members were nominated
by the then prime minister of Britain as members of the
order of the British Empire and were appointed by Queen Elizabeth
II. Although the honor was given
out in protest as it was a reserve of the
military veterans and civic leaders
only.
They
then started making movies, and they hit
a record four movies by
1970.In the Guinness book of records, they
are holding a record as the highest selling
artists ever. They became so
popular that they no longer
could do their performances
in regular concerts, and this led them to play
the first ever
rock concert in a stadium in America.( Ward, 2012) Though
later on, they
stopped playing live music because
they were tired of large
audiences and their music not being heard.
Among other things they were also tired
of fans who could camp outside the hotels they
stayed in making it impossible for
them to go out or lead their lives generally.
The
fall of the Beatles
By 1966, the Beatles were very
popular, and
their popularity seemed to be
getting into their heads. This was
evident when John one of the band members
was quoted saying
‘’we’re more popular than Jesus now’’. At almost the same time, they began to shift
to using drugs like marijuana and LSD. Each band member became more independent musically and in their lives. In 1968, their manager, Brian
Epstein died, and the Beatles never rebounded as a group after his death.( Ward,2012)
In August of 1969 they recorded together for the very
last time and
officially dissolved in 1970
to pursue individual interests. However John was shot
by a deranged fan in 1980
outside his home. To his honor,
part of the central park and
an airport are named after
him while George died in 2001 after a long battle with cancer.Paul McCartney together
with his wife started their own band known as the wings, and his 1977 song
‘’Mull of Kintyre’’ became the best selling in the history of Britain. However,
George Harrison and Ringo star were not so successful in their own.
References
Tessler,
H. (2010). The role and significance of storytelling in the creation of the
'post-Sixties' Beatles, 1970-1980. Popular Music History, 5(2),
169-189. doi:10.1558/pomh.v5i2.169
Ward,
B. (2012). “The ‘C’ is for Christ”: Arthur Unger, Datebook Magazine and the
Beatles. Popular Music & Society, 35(4), 541-560.
doi:10.1080/03007766.2011.608978
GILMORE,
M. (2014). HOW THE BEATLES TOOK AMERICA. Rolling Stone, (1200), 40-69.
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