The Beatles' influence

The Beatles' influence on rock music and world culture was -- and remains -- profound. Before their emergence as pop superstars, it was common for rock bands to rely on professional songwriters for their material (the Brill Building in New York City was a source of many hit singles in the early 1960s) and to rely heavily on studio musicians for their recordings.

Related Topics:
The Beatles - Rock music - Brill Building - New York City - 1960s

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It has been said that after the Beatles' initial appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, many who saw them perform were inspired to quickly form rock groups. The Byrds are one of innumerable groups of that era who cite seeing A Hard Day's Night as one of their major sources of inspiration.

Related Topics:
The Ed Sullivan Show - The Byrds

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Like The Shadows before them, The Beatles created a new paradigm for performers in popular music. Their multiple talents enabled them to combine the instrumental abilities of groups like The Shadows, the vocal harmony singing of acts such as The Everly Brothers and a songwriting strength of writer-performers like Buddy Holly and Bob Dylan.

Related Topics:
The Shadows - The Everly Brothers - Buddy Holly - Bob Dylan

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Their concert performances in the mid 1960s electrified audiences and provided a huge burst of inspiration for local musicians in the countries they visited. Within a few months of their June 1964 visit to Australia, The Beatles' influence had transformed the local pop scene and saw the creation of hundreds of Beatle-style bands around the country. A similar scene was enacted, albeit on a smaller scale, in New Zealand.

Related Topics:
Australia - New Zealand

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But, despite their vast importance, the longterm cultural impact of The Beatles, especially in comparison with other recording artists of the 20th century, is still in debate. Many would say that The Beatles' influence and importance has been over-estimated - in 1998, for example, electronica magazine 'Muzik' cited Tomorrow Never Knows as the most important dance record ever released: many would claim this to be a fanciful assertion on reflection, despite the single's forays into the technological.

Related Topics:
20th century - Tomorrow Never Knows

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Others would argue that The Beatles' influence, although great, is little or no greater than that of many other artists (see Robert Johnson and Miles Davis) and that The Beatles' influence has simply been stated more often, and with greater enthusiasm, than that of arguably equally important artists.

Related Topics:
Robert Johnson - Miles Davis

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It should at least, they say, be noted that many of The Beatles' influences on culture have been distinct from their actual talents as musicians of course - witness the oft-emulated moptop haircuts and Rickenbacker guitars for examples. And it has been said also that much of their musical innovations were merely popularising old practices.

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All this aside, The Beatles' legacy is of course tremendous, and they are popularly conceived to be one of the most influential artists of the last century.

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