Were The Beatles Really That Big Of A Deal? 

Can’t believe you left out the fifth (and best) Beatle, Yoko Ono.

If you had listened to their discography, the number of songs and the quality of their music, that they released in just 8 years, you would never ask whether they were really a big of a deal. I still listen to Beethoven, Mozart, Debussy, Grieg and so many others despite the fact that they composed their music 250 years ago. That's because their music has quality and the same holds true for The Beatles, they started releasing their music 60 years ago and the young people still listen to them and appreciate them. I don't think people will listen Justin Bieber 50 years from now.

53 years after they put out their last Record and Millions of people are still listening to them. Yes that's what you call a BIG DEAL.

I was 20 in 1964, which is when the Beatles really took off in the US. Rock music was stuck in the doldrums, and they lifted us out of it. They will be my boys forever.

"At least for me, on that first listen, they don't live up to the hype!". NOW, imagine that your first listen occurred at a time when all the huge artists that followed them had not appeared yet, and you had not had the luxury of listening to them either. IE. No peak .. Byrds, Rolling Stones, Who, Hendrix, Clapton, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Aerosmith, no Disco, no big Punk Rock bands, no big New Wave bands, no big New Romantic bands, no Synth Pop, no Big Hair Rock, no Alternative, no Indie, no Prince, no Radiohead, no Nirvana, no Rap, no Hip Hop, etc. etc. The Beatles biggest album release is arguably Sgt Pepper ... there was no hype, there was little else to compare it to - perhaps some of Brian Wilson's work. If you are a young person listenting to Sgt Pepper for the first time in May 1967, you know that the world has just changed forever. But The Beatles was so much more than just the music. This is what is lost on those that didn't experience it first hand. And THAT was the big deal.

They are the best band in history. I had similar views when I was a teen, early twenties. Then I actually listened from start to finish and realised they were as amazing as their legendary status. You’ll get there young fella 😂

I've not seen the video so ain't gon judge for sure but the fact that it's almost 2024 and you are still talking about the Beatles kinda answers the question, right?

The Beatles not only changed music, they changed the world. They were the first ones to do a world tour. They were the first ones to do music videos, studio as an instrument and so much more.

I can sum it up for you quite easily: I was in the sixth grade when I Want to Hold Your Hand was released. You had to BE THERE to fully understand and appreciate the Beatles. You never grow out of the Beatles...you grow into them. Jack

When I was growing up during the 60s, there were the Beatles, and then there was everyone else. So, yeah, they were a really big deal.

They don't live up to the hype? You then go on to describe who they are? We'll, when classical artists, jazz artists, pop, rock artists praise them, it means the opinion of someone who doesn't know who they are doesn't really matter. Follow their bass lines, the melodies, the arrangements, the depth of their creativity. They matter, they always did. They always will. They aren't tame by todays standards, they were brilliant by today's standards.

As someone who was there at the height of the Beatles, they deserve the hype. Even in their boy-band days they we innovating. It seemed like every album was a massive leap into the unknown, they just had to experiment. It drove Brian Wilson, of the Beach Boys, mad... literally. I understand that kids today have all this massive history of innovation compressed and built on so that it seems passé but this was groundbreaking stuff. and the Beatles were pioneers. Today creators really are standing on the shoulders of giants. Think about this, the technology they had then was steam-driven compared to what musicians have today.

Completely agree. 1. They were incredibly versatile - their songbook spanned so many different styles 2. This took them on a musical journey unlike any other band at the time or since. 3. They were highly experimental both musically and technically (recording etc). 4. Their cultural and musical influence far surpasses most other artists 5. Their songs have been covered by a wide range of artists and are popular all over the world/across generations 6. Their musicianship both individually and collectively was extraordinary 7. If anyone disputes any of this they need to do exactly what you recommend - take the proper time to listen and learn :)

You focused so much on their cultural impact, and so little on their music. Listen to them chronologically. To this day, no other artist comes remotely close to their range. They were inventing genres every other song, and quickly moving on, where another artist would create an entire career from. Overall good video, but you missed their biggest impact.... which is why they're the biggest deal still.

Absolutely. They were exceptional. Unlike anything else 💛

The greatist rock band of all time. Period

It’s actually hard to describe to the current generation just how significant The Beatles were at the time, there’s just nothing since to refer to, they were that unique. They took an entire generation of kids on a seven year ride that seemed to last forever. That’s all kids, all across the planet, all on the same ride, all at the same time. No one who was alive at that time was unaffected, it’s not hype it’s hyper, so yes, they were that big and in fact even bigger. ✌️

I was really young when they broke up. Became a big fan later. Their songs are just really good, sound that reflects human emotion and experience the best, at least to me. Better than the disco of my youth.

Nothing like the 1960's, when a decade packed in more change than most centuries. 1963 to 1973 or so, simply had the most amazing songs I have ever heard. Beatles were pure energy, and you would race to the record store after hearing of a new release. Tapping into this powerhouse made you feel on top of the world. Rubber Soul was a shock to the ears, and took about three plays to take it all in. The Beatles had reinvented themselves. It worked. The fifth Beatles, I still consider to be George Martin, though we had engineering genius as well, in the mix. It is a pity most of what we hear today is just rubbish, boring, and thumpity-thump rehashed noise. The lyrics? Once again, same ol'-same ol' . When the top ten struggles to find one, something is wrong.

The Beatles closed one door and opened another. There were the Beatles and then there was everyone else.

In short; Yes, they were a BIG DEAL, period.

I just wanted to add Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are in their 80s and still performing. Even after they split up they continued to have influence as solo artist

Another great video! I've always loved The Beatles' music, but it's their cultural significance that makes them such a big deal to me.

Yep, they were. Of course along with the ability, timing is so often everything. Beatlemania, psychadelia, counter-culture, album rock and so on all happened at exactly the right time for them to be either groundbreakers or at least take something that was growing into the mainstream. Had they done the exact same things just ten years earlier, wouldn't have worked.

Yes. In their era, they were innovative in almost every song… leaders in their class.

Yes they were and yes they are! 👍👍👍

I'm glad there are so many young people who "get" The Beatles. This was a well thought out and poignant video.

You cant just grab any Album that you have very little interest in & expect to be blown away. You'd be best off starting on their early stuff. 62-64 & get to understand the dynamic of John/Paul & George & a feeling for their personalities....this will make the journey even better as u watch them evolve.

Beatles is my favorite band and I am a metal-head born in 1972. So yes, Beatles is a big deal.

I remember when they landed in the US in 1964. Not only did they reinvent how music could be made, but their impact on culture (real culture, not just pop culture) is incalculable. They literally changed history. They turned the world into a new direction. Music, politics, spirituality, appearance, race, drugs, sexuality, expression, attitude. Everything changed because of them. This is not hype. I witnessed and remember it all and I've never seen anything like it since. You had to be there to really understand. It was truly life changing and I'm eternally grateful for having experienced it.

There are only a few bands/artists who can actually changed the world. The Beatles were on of them. There was culture before the Beatles and culture after which was never the same. They changed everything. Not just music, but the way we live and think about ideas and social norms. If you are young you can't fully understand the gravity of their impact. Talk to someone who was there and you'll get an idea.

Not only sales but market share was incredible. Also during the first tour there was a medical assessment that over 40% of girls between 14 and 18 years old had forms of fainting episodes during their 25 minute concerts.

The impact and influence of the Beatles can never be overestimated.

I've lost count of how many times I have heard a new band say that they are going to be bigger than the Beatles. Yet here we are, still using the Beatles as the bench mark for all you should aspire to achieve. I don't hear new bands saying that they are going to be more massive than the Bay City Rollers, Bros or New kids on the block, and all were massive in their time. I also note that wherever the name of the 'Beatles' is used, on youtube or social media, the responses and views are always above average. I'm nearly 60 and would be surprised to see anyone emulate or surpass the Beatles in my time, and I think I would make that same comment if I was only a child of 10.

No Beatles?...that means No Stones...No DC5...No Kinks...No Who...No Elton John...No Monkees...NO Electric Dylan...No Byrds...No Yardbirds...No Animals...No Peter & Gordon...No Led Zepplein...NO NOTHING without The Beatles and their MASSIVE influence! They were on the front page of EVERY newspaper from 1964...'65'''..66''',,,67....you get the idea! TV...radio specials...MASSIVE concert tours...24 hours a day...riots...going to Australia in June of 1964...a police escort into Melbourne greeted by OVER 250,000 fans...in Adelaide by OVER 350,000 fans...Shea Stadium NYC...1965...56,000 screaming fans....the biggest concert up to that time...live TV coverage when they came to play in your city from 1964 to 1966. Every album and record release was a HUGE deal...20 #1 hits on Billboard...they estimate now that they have sold over 2.6 BILLION records worldwide...and they still sell MILLIONS every year! When The Beatles released their greatest hits album called "1" in November of 2000...it was #1 in the charts in 24 countries at the same time...and it's the best selling album of the 2000's with over 35 million sold...Billboard Magazine called them the greatest artists of all time...How many people and bands today picked up a guitar or drums after watching them on the Ed Sullivan Show on Feb.9, 1964 with a TV audience of OVER 73,000,000 people! At that point in time it was the most watched watched tv show ever! GREAT songs...great style...guys stated to grow long hair....humor...personalities...they changed fashion...they changed music...production...the way people made records...they were funny..."A Hard Days Night' from 1964...the best rock 'n' roll movie of all time! They went from "Love Me Do" in 1962 to "Let It Be" in 1970...In 8 years of recording they changed everything! On April 4, 1964...they had the #1...#2...#3,,,#4,,,& #5 records on the Billboard charts...and also had 7 other records in the "Hot 100"...AND the #1 and #2 album...all at the same time! When they split up in April 1970...all thru the 1970's...there was front page news stories..."Are The Beatles Getting Back Together?" Some promoter would offer them MILLIONS to reunite to give one concert...they always said no! If you weren't around then...you can't even imagine what it was like...the excitement...just being glad that you were alive when The Beatles were with us. The Beatles stand alone at the top...and then...there's everybody else...Paul & Ringo tour with their bands to sold out concerts all over the world....and when they do meet at a restaurant or happen play on stage together...it's online...in the newspapers...and on the TV news...Yeah...they are STILL a BIG DEAL!

Do 'Boy Bands' write their own Songs? Just curious.

amazing video mate, learned a lot I didn't previously know!

I have heard it put this way, the Beatles didn't fit into a genre, they were a genre. Yes, they were a big deal, always have been, always will be.

I was born the Sunday when the Beatles played their second show on Sullivan: February 16, 1964. By the early 70s, they were elevator music as I started playing with the stereo in the basement and spinning my older sibling’s records. In the late 70s early 80s lots of sixties bands reinvented themselves and toured a lot like the Who and Stones and Floyd and they really tried to connect with us kids. The 60s loomed large in the culture and we drank in the Doors and Hendrix who were lost but not forgotten. But those teen years were also shaped by KISS and Van Halen and then the Police and Cars and B52s and Teenage Head and Ramones and Stranglers and the Clash. I knew all about the Beatles and all their music but it seemed old. I played magical mystery tour 1 million times as a 10-year-old. It wasn’t until decades later but I gave their music a new ear. And appreciation…

you had to have been there. incredible.

They were never just a boy band. Even in the early songs, they move between major and minor keys, change time signatures mid song and reject he classic R&R song structures. Pauls walking bass was already evident and Ringo was using fills, rather than a laying down a basic beat. Most ofall they bought us joyand proved to the record industry that guitar bands were not on the way out, so bands like The Kinks, The Animals and The Stones were able to get recording contracts that ad proved elusive and they bought us more joy. PS Who are these exciting musicians about today who make the Beatles seem tame? They are eluding me.

Referring to them as a 'boy band' is silly and takes away from your commentary. They were musicians/singers/songwriters all in one. As time progressed they became even better. They didn't prance about miming/lip-synching someone else's lame songs as boy bands do today. Musically, many of their songs are quite complex. I.e 'Eleanor Rigby' for one.

Great presentation. Thanks.

Good take. However, I will say that at some point in your life, you will realize how good their songs really are on their own. Aside from their cultural impact.

You gotta start from rubber soul onwards, you can’t judge the early albums on the same page as the later ones.

fantastic review, It's refreshingly honest and kept interested from beginning to end.

It was the breadth of writing not only over time but within an album. In short of a decade. Complex harmony, rhythm, subject. Marvelously immediate but carefully considered. Influential.

You weren't there in the 60's so you can't just listen to records and make judgements. I'm 74 and still listen to only the Beatles and Chet Atkins. I don't ever listen to radia today. We millions looked forward to their next album. I remember how good Rubber Soul and the White Albums were.

Also they were just 21/23 years old when they were informed that their show in Alabama was going to be segregated. They said in this case WE WILL NOT PERFORM, CANCEL THE SHOW. Very strong personalities for young boys. This is part of the history of the US, the first time that blacks and whites enjoyed music together. It was not my music, your music it was OUR MUSIC.Thanks The Beatles

At the time, The Beatles were a manifestation of youth culture, but some of the then-older crowd liked the tunefulness of many of their songs too. In general, kids during the 1960s DIDN'T like their parents' generation's music which, of course, seemed a lot TAMER and old-fashioned ("Sing Sing Sing" excepted.) Their instrumentation, musical style, writing of their own songs, moptop haircuts, Epstein-polished theatricality, street-smart Liverpudlian banter and comebacks, and even their accents were new and original to Americans. They reflected American rhythm and blues back to Americans but drank cups of tea like other Brits during a period in America when 'teatime' was an old lady social activity. We're lucky they came along when they did, since recording technology at the time was still rather limited and still-evolving. The digital revolution has so far made it possible to preserve a legacy which, because it exists on friable magnetic tape, will one day crumble to dust. The Beatles' decade-long evolution benefitted from the right breaks and the right people entering their orbit at the right times. In that sense, they were a 'perfect storm' of success overall. They would not have achieved what they did without Ringo, television, film, Brian Epstein, George Martin, and all that performing practice and experience they got in Hamburg. The best single word I can think of for their remarkable success is 'synergy'-i.e., their sum being greater than their (already very strong) individual parts. Their best group assets were Paul's and John's voices, Ringo's 'arranging drummer' contributions, all-around capable and inventive instrument playing, their reasonably good looks, their originality and novelty, their interesting personalities, and of course their songwiting chops.

Is air really that big of a deal?

The Beatles will live forever. the variety of styles of music and songs - there's something for everyone

First, why the Ringo cartoon images? Just curious. Second, never underestimate the profound emotional connection a generation can have with its musical icons. There is such a strong bond that is built in the formative years with whatever is playing on the radio (or record player or Air Pods or whatever). I feel the passion in the comments from the original fans in these comments. I became a Beatles fan during the "Big Chill" film era of the 80s, when the Fab Four's debut was at its 20th anniversary. As a teen myself, 20 years after the fact, I could appreciate the structure of the music and the catchiness of the lyrics. They predate me but their power reached me years later and continues to impact listeners. The original impact must have been immense.

Also, arguably, they created the first true music videos, videos that not only showcased the song (others had done that previously) but also videos that were conceptually and visually interesting.

I felt the same way in the early nineties about The Beatles. Listening to Depeche Mode and Roxette and Tears For Fears, I couldn't wrap my mind around how everybody praised them as this super influencial band. Until I realized how much their song Tomorrow Never Knows inspired The Chemical Brothers' "Setting Sun". It's bonkers! I still don't really listen to most of their material but I fully understand now why SO many bands (including Tears For Fears ironically (Sowing The Seeds Of Love *caugh*) refer to them as a major influence. Their status in music history cannot possibly be overstated!

You forgot to mention their solo careers. Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison created some timeless songs post-Beatles. Who never heard of or appreciated Imagine, for example? Maybe I'm Amazed, My Sweet Lord, etc are still playing on the radio til this day.

1. Listen to an Elvis record 2. Listen to "I am the Walrus" through a good set of headphones. See if you then understand progress

When it comes to song writting. music arrangement and production in the era. Yes, they really are that big of a deal.

Just go listen to everything and see their interviews

The Beatles, without doubt the greatest ever and they will be listened to forever.

Being a child of the 80s, i only have Sgt Peppers in my collection. It was a nice concept album.

The Beatles were revolutionaries. Everyone else in that industry are artists. The Beatles were that too. But with more talent. They may seem tame by todays standards. The dfference is... They had standards. And wrote them.

And, of course, They were not Choreographed. Except for the Bow at the end.

The Beatles are worth the hype!! Thank you for detailing that.

Yep!! The Beatles in my opinion deserve all the adulation, their influence can be heard in so much music... Even if not directly by them, somewhere down the line by somebody else that was... Of course the Beatles are only a part of the puzzle but a part they it they deserve to be...

You've misused the pejorative term "boy band". They were not artificially manufactured by a record co. They had the talent to make a strong go of it without outside writers. Even if helped out in recording/arranging at the beginning, this was done as to songs for which they'd created the basic framework and they grew incredibly fast. The fact that girls loved them doesn't make them a boy band. They can have that going on and have independently driven, true talent at the same time. Calling the early Beatles a "boy band" just seems a distortion.

Bob Dylan was the first "modern" artist that made albums important.

What’s today’s standards? The Beatles still sell more records today than many present artists.

Plus 600 million records sold. I think you can say that a big of a deal.

They had influence with new generations and new artists world-wide for years, and to this day. What more could you not see? Ah, yes... it makes one feel big to belittle something that was huge... I hope you feel big... now get real.

There's a channel on RU-vid that plays Beatle records BACKWARDS. That's a whole lot of interest in a group that split up fifty years ago.

Well, actually, Sinatra ushered in the album era in the 1950s with his Capitol concept albums. The Beatles embraced his idea of a unified album "theme" or sound with Rubber Soul, but only in the U.K.; rather ironically, Capitol undermined those concepts in the U.S. by creating additional albums, reducing the total tracks per album from 14 in the U.K., to 12 in the U.S., by including singles on the albums, and then rearranging original track listings between albums. Sgt. Pepper's was the first Beatles album to have the same track list for both the U.S. and U.K. releases.

I think it's really important to note that the only reason they got their first hit was because their manager used personal money to buy the minimum amount of albums necessary for it to chart 😄

If you lived then, you would know they were.

The eternal question that will receive yes'es and no's. So many more yes'es though.

I think you have covered it well, and the comments here give more reasons why this band is indeed a big deal --- whether one likes The Beatles or not. By the way, the mid 2000s have not happened yet; they will be the 2030s, 40s, 50s, and the 2060s. ~

It was more John Lennon who was outspoken and controversial on political and religious issues rather than the band as a whole.

Just a note, I would argue that you've got to include The Beach Boys (whom the Beatles admired) in the mix for kicking off the album era. People dismiss the Beach Boys as a light hearted pop band, but they inspired the Beatles to create their concept albums of the late 60s. Rubber Soul inspired the Beach Boys to create their masterpiece Pet Sounds (which I would argue actually kicked off the Album Era). Then, in an interesting twist, Pet Sounds inspired the Beatles in the creation of Sgt Pepper. Both albums really kicked off the Album Era, but I don't think people give the Beach Boys enough credit. The Beatles are good and all, but I just think so many other bands around that time contributed more to Rock, and deserve some of the credit. The Beatles are still the most over-mythologized band of all time. Just my 2 cents.

I appreciate that the Beatles were important. Very important. With brilliant songs, lyrics, ideas and musicality . But I have never been able to listen to their music. From someone who grew up in the 80s I perceived their music was too british,too victorian and too vaudeville. They were just very dated even in the 1980s. I have no time for John Lennon but Paul Mccarthy is a musical genius and he is the only thing that's worthwhile that came from the Beatles. 😊

Listening to Rubber Soul, Revolver w Eleanor Rigby and Sgt Pepper with a Day In The Life, She's Leaving Home, I'd say music is way tamer now. I don't listen very to them much but I don't listen to current music either which sounds bland to my ear. But I agree their early stuff was ordinary.

I accept your apology

Why are all the comments below @ something? I don't use or understand twitter and can't make an ordinary comment.

Man you all that agree with this guy have such a simpleton way of understanding...

Yeah they were that big a deal!!!! Name another artist who pounded out writing that many songs??? You can't. Adele, Taylor Swift or any other song writer, tell them they have to write 150 songs and good luck. What made them great was they branched out to older audiences quickly, knowing they couldn't keep singing She Loves You etc.

Beatles' lyrics are underrated. If you pay close attention to them, you will find some masterpiece of literature…

No artists have gotten close to their body of work. Enough said.

Rick Rubin says The Beatles are the single best argument for the existence of God. 🤩

The Beatles changed how music was produced, how artists took more control of their career, changed societal norms, gave a voice and power to youth, made the first music video, impacted fashion, and introduced the concept of stadium friendly songs. There’s a thousand other things. There’s no way to quantify their impact on music and pop culture.

I only like them up until about 1965, after that I ignore them.

TAME ? Compared to who ?

So, who in your opinion is a big deal?

Prior to the Beatles, the national conversation was always class-conscious, whether it was the patrician voices that dominated the airwaves and the broadsheets, the sensationalist tabloids representing the lower middle class, or bolshy plays at the National and 'kitchen sink' theatre speaking up for disaffected, male working class baby boomers. The Beatles, a more or less working class group of lads who quickly impressed the nation with their surprising adeptness as both pop and media performers, opened a window and let some fresh air in on a stale and stuffy atmosphere, easing some of the uptightness and seething class resentment of post-war austerity by providing an alternative discourse exemplified by infectious levity, charm, earnestness and confidence. Luckily for everyone, they had a similar effect on an America subdued not by class barriers but by a recent Deep State atrocity!

Repeat after me: Keith Richards, Cliff Richard. Keith Richards, Cliff Richard.

Elvis's alpha male heat he wore makeup. The beatles didn't. 😅

You forgot Brian Wilson

not even a question..

The Beatles are the most under-rated band of all time. They don't get nearly the credit they deserve.

Were they that big of a deal, Heh.

12:17 y'all gotta remember the Beatles were so versatile and everyone has conflicting ideas and feelings. My tranny friend hates She's Leaving Home , Yellow Submarine and The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Biill but loves and admires the sonic complexity and story of Penny Lane ! Go figure ? 🤡

If not for the Beatles who the hell knows where music would have went. Doubt if we would have had no more than a lot of Elvis impersonators. Jim