The Beatles changed music in a big way in the 1960s, and their legacy is still felt decades later. While their records are the biggest factor that changed the trajectory of what we know as pop music, The Beatles also changed the world of music in other ways, too. Let’s take a look, shall we?
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1. They Changed The Definition of an Album
In more ways than one, The Beatles changed the definition of what an album is. Before The Beatles (or, rather, in their early years), the process of recording sessions was meticulously scheduled, and greatly influenced by what producers wanted. Most albums before The Beatles would be recorded in just a few hours. Everything was neat, controlled, and part of a specific process.
With The Beatles, things changed when the band decided to stop touring in 1966. They were famous (and rich) enough to rent out their studio for as much time as they wanted. The studio in itself became a less rigid tool, and the Fab Four had free reign to experiment as much as they wanted. The greater rigidity of recording, and the control of producers, became a lot looser after they released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
2. They Influenced Album Cover Trends
There were plenty of great album covers out there before The Beatles, but the Fab Four changed music in this sense by treating their covers as works of art, rather than just marketing tools.
The cover of Revolver is one stellar example. The band employed the artist Klaus Voorman to put together the illustration for the iconic cover. The cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is another great example of an iconic, visually enthralling piece of work.
3. They Pioneered Youth Culture
“Youth culture” wasn’t really a term back in the pre-Beatles days. It wasn’t until Beatlemania exploded in the 1960s that the idea of generational music interest took on a whole identity. You can see this in footage of The Beatles’ famed 1964 Ed Sullivan Show performance. Most of the audience is on the young side, screaming their heads off at the sight of the Fab Four. It was a revolutionary lifestyle change, and it’s still very much a thing today.
4. They Inspired The Early Development of Music Videos
The Beatles changed music videos in a big way, namely because they were one of the first bands to really make them. Short films for musical tracks already existed for a couple of decades before The Beatles showed up, but the Fab Four were the first outfit to really use film as a promotional tool. There were endless creative possibilities there, and the band took advantage of them.
The Beatles were part of a number of motion pictures meant to promote their music, most notably A Hard Day’s Night. This was nearly two decades before MTV was even a thought.
Photo by Cyrus Andrews/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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