Beatles Rock Band and Its Influence - Essay Example

Beatles Rock Band and its Influence Rock and roll was a unique music genre that began in America. The founders of this genre of music were African Americans, who expressed their identity and concerns in an energetic and passionate way. Notably, this genre of music faced resistance among the whites and earned the title ‘ rebellious music for the blacks’, it would later appeal white teenagers. Although rock and roll had its roots in America, its impact was far reached, and after a short while, some young people in Europe adopted rock and roll. Influential African American rocks artists such as Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbinson, and Isley Brothers served as pace setters for artists of rock and roll from other regions. Evidently, rock and roll had immense impact on the globe, and it imparted many young people with a new experience of life. The analysis of one rock and roll band that emanated from Liverpool in London, but grew to exert effects in the global pop culture is one of the significant things that served to redefine rock and roll. This band was the renowned Beatles of the 1960s. The Beatles rock and roll band comprised of four teenagers, namely John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Paul McCartney. The four individuals exhibited exemplary talent in music. Notably, they had personalities that complemented each other, a factor that contributed to the success of the band’s ventures (Campbell, Michael, and Brody 56). The four teenagers began with the release of singles that received recognition in music charts in Europe. Their popularity would soon spread to other regions. John Lennon had an outstanding ability to write the lyrics, and the combination of the voices of the four teenagers yielded music that was appealing. The beatles success was at its peak in the 1960s, a decade that they dominated with their highly influential music. The remarkable success of the beatles band in rock in the 1960s would soon be recognized as a significant benchmark in the history of rock and roll. Although the band registered musical success that served to transform the rock and roll genre, it also exerted a diverse range of effects on the globe. As highlighted above, the emergence of rock and roll music was a venture for African Americans to express their ideologies. After a long time without an identity, African Americans faced the compulsion to develop a form of expression that highlighted their salient need for a new experience. The Beatles were keen to study the style and content of the initial African Americans. In the 1960s, the Beatles would eventually release albums that put on the global front of fame. Although their success placed them on the top list of highest rated music charts, their influence on culture, social change and the political arena was the most critical aspect. In addition to talent, the four teenagers who formed the Beatles had a humorous personality that became evident during their performances. This served to amuse the youth, earning the band a remarkable number of fans in Europe (Edsforth, Ronald, and Bennett 78). After they signed a contract in 1962, a wave of Beatle mania hit Europe. The manic attention they received was because their music had served to transform rock music. The band had succeeded in making rock and roll music favorable for many people, unlike in the previous times when it had faced resistance.’ The band members developed a unique lifestyle defined by an outstanding hairstyle and dress code. The uniqueness of the lifestyle served to augment the fame they had earned, making their new identity become a fashion trend. Many young people would soon adopt the new fashion, and their hairstyle becoming a trending thing for many youths. The fashion trend was not limited to Europe, but would also spread to other region such as the United States (Frontani 45). The music content of the Beatles urged many youths to proudly to pursue their dreams, an aspect that introduced a social change in both Europe and the united states. The band was passionate about their music, and they served as role models for many youths of the time. During a time when most of the youths lacked a voice, the Beatles helped them define a voice in the society. The youngsters related well with the content of the music by the Beatles because it encouraged them to pursue their dreams (Frontani 34). Since the four band members tackled topics that related directly to the youth, they became more relevant. The Beatles had a global impact on the perception of rock and roll music. Many changes that took place within and among the American society influenced the way in which rock and roll music spread all over America and thereafter spread its wings to the cold climates of Manchester, Liverpool, and Stockholm in the UK. At first, parents, ministers, and teachers as well as other authority figures within the society forbade teenagers from listening to rock and roll. Young people had no right to play or listen to the so-called rock and roll music as the white older generation believed it incorporated traits from rhythm and blues which was a “racial” impound type of music. As a result, authority figures in the white society found rock and roll lyrics being unethical to their teenage groups (Pedler 90). Nevertheless, as the society continued acquiring small and portable music devices, it became easier to personalize listening of rock and roll music. As time went by, societal changes, including radio stations’ transformation into the inclusion of rock and roll music aided in the development and growth of this type of music. When the Beatles visited America in 1964, their music helped strengthen the determination of young African Americans to pursue equal rights with the whites. . It is worth noting that the emergence of rock was a motivation of black people to extend their outcry against the institutionalization that slavery had caused. Rock music formed one of the avenues through which African American could convey their quest for equal treatment. In addition, this was the period shortly after the world war and Africans demanded inclusion in all systems as equals to the blacks. The development of rock music during such politically critical times explains why the new genre had immense political impact on the civil struggle in America. In one of the performances, the band members called up all the youth to be more determined in this pursuit (Everett 87). Notably, the Beatles arrived in America during a time when the older generation struggled to survive the aftermath of the war that had affected the globe negatively. The younger generation named baby boomers lacked any interest in issues dealing with the war. Therefore, the Beatles band connected with them. The emergence of the baby boomers generation changed the motivation of Black Americans to fight for equality and fair treatment. An analysis of the roots of rock and roll music reveals a lot about its content. It became obvious that the band music intended to convey a deeper political message because it emerged from a fusion of the inherent black rhythms of blues and aspects of European style. Consequently, the band managed to have immense effects to different groups (Julien 45). The Beatles band would later become an evident obsession for the baby boomers. The band music became an addiction for teenagers, who appreciated it for serving to convey their deeper feelings. This led to a new level of political tension. Rock and roll was a symbol for the new tension. The genre had received rejection and criticism from the whites, but the band received fans from both whites and blacks. The messages delivered in the music were influential in the Vietnam War, because of the evident advocacy by the band in one of their songs for the people to avoid war (Everett 67). The Beatles had a global impact, managing to transform the bad business associated with rock and roll before. Previously, the business was low in profits because of the resistance. . The increasing criticism surrounding the music and that affected its business in the market. Many critics argued that this type of music represented a form of defiance from preceding social values. The race messages coupled with explicit sexual messages increased the criticism and negative attitudes that would follow. At the most critical times, authorities barred rock music from the industry. Several of performances of rock and roll music among white audiences turned violent with the whites resisting the wildness that they associated with the genre. However, the positive reception of the Beatles served to make the genre progress, because of the evident change in attitude that the band brought forth. Conclusion Evidently, the effects of the Beatles band cannot receive any underestimation. Further, rock and roll had a great cultural impact among all people. Rock and roll music came along with some issues and dealt with things like clothing, dating, and cars. In essence, it influenced people’s lifestyles, language, attitudes, and fashion. The fact that people resolved to follow most of its facets pointed out that social inclusion and acceptance of the issues discussed through rock and roll implied that societal change towards such theorems facilitated its growth and appeal. Work Cited Top of Form Bottom of Form Campbell, Michael, and James Brody. Rock and Roll: An Introduction. Belmont, Calif: Thomson Schirmer, 2008. Print. Edsforth, Ronald, and Larry Bennett. Popular Culture and Political Change in Modern America. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2007. Print. Everett, Walter. The Beatles As Musicians: Revolver Through the Anthology. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Internet resource. Frontani, Michael R. The Beatles: Image and the Media. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2007. Internet resource. Julien, Olivier. Sgt. Pepper and the Beatles: It Was Forty Years Ago Today. Aldershot, Hampshire, England: Ashgate, 2008. Print. Pedler, Dominic. The Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles. London: Omnibus, 2003. Internet resource. Read More