The Beatles are the most popular pop band of history, even after more than 55 years from the final acts of their career. As usual, I don’t want to write treaties about their success and impact, especially because several treaties have already been written by music critics, musicologists, journalists, historians, and so on. Despite, even if the books about the Beatles can fill a notable number of libraries, I think to have something else to say, perhaps not completely original, but also not very common, and potentially interesting for my readers. Of course, my most important purposes are being concise, brutally clear, and easy to be read. Previously, I feel the duty to communicate that I’m not a big fan of the Beatles, and that I can equally accept the importance, the durability, and the vastness of their cultural influence. First, let me omit any analysis in the matter of the long series of innovations originated by the band from Liverpool, particularly about the topics of songwriting, and of promoting records sales. Second, a relevant detail, the Beatles were an evolution of a previous band named the Quarrymen, who released in the year 1958 a 10” single at 78 RPM, printed in a single copy, and, for that, recognized as the rarest vinyl record of history. The single contains two songs, evidently inspired by Buddy Holly (a cover, and a new track). The frantic activity of the Beatles started from the year 1960, and lasted until the year 1970.
What were the factors decisive for the career of the Beatles? A short list: the diffusion of transistor radio receivers, and the huge popularity of pirate radio stations; the growth all over the UK of a big consumerism of records imported from the US, at first 45 RPM singles, and successively 33 RPM albums; the commercialization of the earliest Hi-Fi turntables; the birth of juvenile movements bound to commercial music, such as the Mods and the followers of Northern Soul, responsible of popularizing a mentality driven by the will of staying up late; the development of clubbing; American counterculture, including the Beat Generation, the emerging psychedelia, the Black Panthers, and the earliest organizations for LGBT rights; the innovations in the matter of fashion, and personal mobility (Italian scooters, and British small budget cars); and a deep political crisis of British Tories. In summary, I consider crazy those who underline the big innovations “invented” by the Beatles, as they were sorts of aliens coming from outer space. In reality, they were perfect sons of their times, particularly sensible to social changes.
Naturally, I want to say something in the matter of the Beatles’ music. I’m convinced that they were the other side of the coin containing the Rolling Stones, with only a relevant difference. While the Rolling Stones have elaborated and covered chiefly black American music, the Beatles were devoted to white American music, such as certain rock ‘n’ roll and a lot of psychedelic rock. The two bands started the so called “British invasion”, and the reason is simple, American consumers immediately enjoyed the evident similarity of those British tunes to the national and traditional ones. With other words, I know what I like, and I like what I know, the same basic idea that has determined the long-lasting success of house music. In my country, they consider the Rolling Stones as devils, and the Beatles as angels. I suspect that the described opinion is wrong, and perhaps there will be a future page to explain the whys. Going towards the conclusion, I would like to answer to the question whether the Beatles have gained a prestigious place in the global and universal history of music, or not. The answer is a metaphor: a good cook needs a variety of knives, but the who has invented the knife is not important for cooking well. In conclusion, the Beatles were four lucky guys, whose merit has been of being exactly right on time. The mix of the page is entirely made of cover versions of some of the commercial successes of the Beatles. By listening carefully to it, you might get the impression that sometimes cover versions are artistically better than the originals.
File name is “familiar songs might have many parents, by Max Look DJ (July 2026)”, 1 hour 22’ and 35” of the greatest hits of the Beatles, although played by other artists.
Improve the Beatles’ tunes, a playlist:
Phil Collins – tomorrow never knows
Eddie Hazel – I want you (she’s so heavy)
Prince, Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, & More – while my guitar gently weeps
Deep Purple – help
Marvin Gaye – yesterday
Jerry Garcia Band – dear Prudence
David Bowie – across the universe
U2 – Helter Skelter
Aerosmith – come together
Vanilla Fudge – ticket to ride
Candy Flip – strawberry fields forever (Raspberry Ripple remix)
Pixies – wild honey pie
Esther Phillips – and I love him
Stevie Wonder – we can work it out
Bryan Ferry – it’s only love
Al Green – I want to hold your hand
Four Tops – the fool on the hill
PM Dawn – Norwegian wood
Ray Charles – Eleanor Rigby
Bill Withers – let it be
