The Beatles managed to cut across entire generations through their music. They hailed from Liverpool England. This is the most revered rock band in the world and is remembered as the most influential act of the rock era. The Beatles band was formed in 1960 and it comprised of four members namely John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. This paper will explore the effects the Beatles had on the United States of America.
The Beatles first performed in the United States on February 1964 just months following the assassination of John. F. Kennedy. Their visit provided a necessary distraction and the public were ecstatic and the bands concerts were all sold out. Some of the Beatles` effects
on the United States include political and social culture. The Beatles were not afraid to make their opinions known when it came to matters that touched on the lives of the public. This is because as they entertained, they voiced their own opinions on politics and other social welfare issues. They did so through their songs, which were about peace, love, freedom and anti-war activities. Their songs gave people optimism and hope because of their positive and cheerful nature. They were not afraid to give their opinions most prominently their anti-war crusade since during that time countries were engaged in the cold war and the band members themselves were born in the midst Of World War 2.
The first entertainment performance on stage at a live concert was the Beatles. They did so at the Shea stadium in New York City in august 1965, in front of a capacity crowd of 55, 600 people. This concert set the records for attendance and revenue generation, which set the trend that, is still done until now with the current crop of entertainers opting for large stadium concerts.
The Beatles also changed the style and fashion in the United States fashion culture. Due to their success, every teenage boy wanted to look like the Beatle`s members with their trademark collarless jackets, Beatles boots and sport the Beatle length hair (Brown, 2013, 10).
The Beatles changed the music industry through their musical innovations, which were full of energy and positivity. Their music was a subject as to how far music innovation had come and how it could be pushed further forward. The band`s success and ethics led to the up come countless other musicians and bands in the United States who wished to be established and push their own boundaries just as the Beatles did.
The Beatles was the first band to organize and perform in a charity concert. This happened in 1971, in an event called “The concert of Bangladesh.” This event proved to be a template for the charity concerts all over the United States and the world. This trend still exists until now with celebrities and entertainers organizing charity concerts to raise money for worthy causes.
Lastly, the Beatles performed in the first ever, live, global television link that reached an estimated 350 million viewers across the United States and the world. This event proved as a tipping point for the entertainment industry with most entertainers becoming more involved in live performances in order to reach more viewers (Spizer, 2004, 44).
In conclusion, the Beatles have greatly influenced the entertainment industry with their music forming the basis for the musicians who would wish to follow in the bands footsteps. The Beatles left a permanent impression on the American public and their music is still very prominent in their radio stations.
Works Cited
Brown, Bryan, “Beatlemania! The music of the Beatles--not to mention their clothes and their hair--first rocked the world 50 years ago.” In: Junior Scholastic/Current Events, vol 225, issue 14 (2013).
Spizer, Bruce, “The Beatles take America; a self-styled 'first generation Beatlemaniac ' reminds us that the initial appearance of the Beatles on American television was not on The Ed Sullivan Show” In: American History, Vol 39, issue 1 (2004).