Why Did Groups Like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones Have Such Great Impact?
Summary:
During the 1960s groups such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones had such great impacts in many ways. For example, the Beatles had 27 number one hits in total and consequently dominated music charts on both sides of the Atlantic. The Rolling Stones were also flourishing worldwide, but why did these musicians have such prominent impacts?
Why did groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones have such great impacts during the 1960s?
During the 1960s groups such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones had such great impacts in many ways. For example, the Beatles had 27 number one hits in total and consequently dominated music charts on both sides of the Atlantic. By April 1964, the four Merseysiders had 'conquered the UK' whilst occupying the top five slots on the British charts. Meanwhile, the Beatles thrived in America, where 14 of their songs were in the Billboard top 100 at one time. The Rolling Stones were also flourishing worldwide, but why did these musicians have such prominent impacts?
These two particular groups achieved so much due to many factors. To begin with, both groups had revolutionary music. The Beatles were gradually incorporating aspects of American music arriving to the port city of Liverpool, known as the 'Mersey Sound.' Originally, the Beatles were a low-profile skiffle group but were adapted to become a mixture of rhythm and blues and rock 'n' roll in order to appeal to young people specifically. The Stones gained popularity for being innovative and were perceived to be alternatives to the Beatles. Their music was unlike the Beatles' crisp sound; they had a more raw natural sound that teenagers were attracted to. The Beatles were seen to be unique; they composed and performed their own music. Lennon and McCartney wrote the lyrics to many songs, which at first were simple such as Love Me Do and She Loves You. Another reason that the Beatles blossomed was because of their constant changes. The lyric were adjusted and eventually became more sophisticated and began to make social comment, as did the Stones who were openly suggestive about drugs in Brown Sugar, similar to the Beatles' Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
The new concept of constantly changing to stay popular and distinctive was a case of marketing by the groups' managers. Both Brian Epstein and Andrew Loog Oldham of the Beatles and the Stones respectively, were businessmen through and through. Epstein marketed the 'Fab Four' as clean-cut and changed their dress to smart suits and their hair into innovative style to entice teens. Epstein ensured that the Beatles were one of the first truly commercialised bands and intended to profit from his band's success. The Beatles' manager arranged concerts strategically, organised successful US tours and appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show with audiences of up to 40 million. Meanwhile, Loog Oldham's main input was to force his band to learn to write their own music to keep up with their fierce rivals. Also, he endeavoured to give the Rolling Stones a 'bad-boy image' with stunts like smoking, swearing and even urinating in public. He once exclaimed, "Any publicity is good publicity."
Apart from the groups' high quality of music and excellent management, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones took advantage of the quickly evolving technology and received a lot of exposure because of it. During the 1960s, televisions were becoming cheaper and more widely accessible, and programmes such as Top of the Pops and The 6.5 Special, which was aimed at teens in particular, were popular. The invention of the transistor radio also gave musicians extra exposure because it enabled listeners to carry them around because of their compact and portable design. Another new means of promoting the music industry was the 7 inch vinyl, which was an additional cheap portable method of music storage that could be bought on credit. This exposure was only possible if there was a market for the new televisions and radios. The British society in the early sixties was wealthier than previous generations. This notion was represented by Harold Macmillan's blunt statement, "you've never had it so good." From 1950 to 1959, the average weekly wage had almost doubled to £11.12 and unemployment in 1960 was at an all time low.
The fact that groups like the Beatles took advantage of the affluent society and technology could be perceived to be a stroke of genius from their managers or could have been luck, as one journalist put it, "they were around at the right place at the right time." The places were Liverpool and London, both major cities with growing reputations. The latter had become to focus for culture including Carnaby Street and King's Road and music with lots of money invested in recording studios and venues. The time was more significant. The 1960s was a decade of rapid change. Unlike the 1950s, society was not totally dominated by the establishment anymore. Abortion and homosexuality were legalised and the voting age was reduced from 21 to 18. It was a time of teenage rebellion. The irreverence and disrespect to the older generation shown by the Beatles and the Stones was admired greatly by young people. A few examples of 'irreverence' included the "shake your jewellery" remark by Lennon during a performance at the Royal Albert Hall, controversial lyrics in the song 'Satisfaction' and the Beatles' claim that they were "more popular than Jesus."
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