Where would the world be without music? Music unites people, music heals. It makes us feel happy, sad, or comforts us in a time of need. The world of music is one that is ever evolving. With the emergence of new technologies, and the blooming of new artists, music continues to take form in a multitude of new ways. However, music of the past needs to continue to thrive today.
A surplus of older bands and artists’ music is being forgotten as more and more people are listening to today’s music instead. The styles of music have
changed immensely, but we need to preserve the older styles as well. There is a world of incredible music from past decades that deserves more recognition. Music from the past exemplifies the culture, styles, and social matters of that time. If you are interested in getting into older music, but don’t know where do start, The Beatles is the perfect band to start with. It has been over half a century since their debut, and they remain irrefutably influential and still enjoyed by many today.
The Beatles were based in Liverpool, England, and the four members were Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. McCartney and Harrison were school friends who would play guitar together. McCartney saw Lennon playing in a group at a church party, and eventually introduced him to Harrison. The Beatles originally had a different drummer, until they found Starr playing in another group, absolutely loved him, and replaced their drummer. It was then that the “Fab Four” was born, and would change music history forever.
As the biggest band in history, the Beatles are tremendously popular across the entire world, with estimated sales of over 600 million records worldwide. Their highest selling album, “Sgt, Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” sold over 2.5 million copies its first year in the U.S alone. Their albums are true works of art, with magnificent writing and production.
Preservation of old music is exceptionally important because music of the past helps tell the stories of the past. Numerous songs have been made in past decades that represent social events during that time. With just his guitar, and the tapping of his foot, McCartney wrote the breathtaking song “Blackbird.” This song was inspired by the Civil Rights movement in the United States that was happening when he wrote the song. McCartney wanted to express unity and hope with the song, and simple yet powerful lyrics, symbolizing the struggles for equality. Many Beatles songs reference different times in history, including “Back in the U.S.S.R” referencing the Cold War, and “Revolution” talking about the protests and movements going on at the time regarding war.
There’s something so enticing about hearing the styles of music emerge and grow as the band does, which was the case for many bands decades ago. During this time, a plethora of new technologies were being invented, consequently, music was rapidly developing. Due to this, the range of styles throughout albums were often very diverse, and this applies to the Beatles as well. If you need an uplifting, fun, energetic album, “Please Please Me” (1963), “With The Beatles” (1963), “A Hard Day’s Night” (1964), and “Help!”(1965), are the way to go. Those are all early Beatles albums, capturing the excitement of their growing popularity, and fun, young style. The one early album without this feel would be “Beatles for Sale” (1964), that is a bit calmer and darker, displaying their exhaustion from releasing their 4th album in 2 years. Following this, “Rubber Soul” (1965), and “Revolver” (1966) were released, both with a more innovative, diverse style, with deeper lyrics, and hints of folk and soul. In 1967, the Beatles went on to release “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” once again introducing a new style with a fun, whimsical, and sort of psychedelic vibe. Next, “The White Album” was released in 1968, which truly encapsulates the individual styles of the four, instead on the style of the Beatles as a whole. The Beatles bring the sense of true raw emotion in their final two albums, “Abbey Road” (1969), and “Let It Be” (1970), mixing rock and pop to create two deep, beautiful, legendary albums.
The Beatles are a sensational group that unequivocally changed music history. The fact that they are still being listened to today holds a huge level of importance, and we need to do this for more bands and artists of the past.
Styles that have since been lost with the new technology of today should still be listened to, and appreciated. Stories from our history, and the cultures of our past, are still alive in the music of their time, and should be passed for generations to come.
