Beatlemania /biːt(ə)lˈmeɪnɪə/
noun
noun: Beatlemania
– extreme enthusiasm for the Beatles pop group, as manifested in the frenzied behaviour of their fans in the 1960s.
“the band took to spending weeks on end in the studio as a way of escaping from the mayhem of Beatlemania”
But I’d like to extend that definition. Beatlemania: extreme adoration for the Beatles pop group as manifested in songwriting inspiration from their songs, many artists standing on their shoulders to carve their own narratives from the moment the group was created to the present day.
The Beatles are undoubtedly the most iconic group of people to create music. I said, what I said. And I truly believe this because I don’t know any other artists that have the sweeping, diverse impact on modern-day music as they have. There is not a single artist’s music that I listen to that doesn’t cite the Beatles as a musical inspiration to them.
But why? Why does this Scouse group of men who created music 60 years ago have this firm grasp of the music industry? A simple answer: timeless classic, after classic songs.
The more wordy answer? Well, the Beatles boast an incredibly widely diverse catalogue of music, ranging from pop, to pop-rock, to psychedelic, to ballads, to rock and beyond. Every single artist of the modern age can see their voice and sound reflected in that of either The Beatles’ or the individual music of the four men, as well as the Plastic Ono Band and Wings. Artists have then taken these tracks, albums, and ideas and fused them with their own creativity to create completely original sounding and uniquely individual music. The Beatles’ legacy lives through the music industry because of this diversity.
But why else is the Beatles’ legacy so strong? I think that it’s because they were some of the first artists to create and experience fandom culture. Girls and guys alike who would do anything for these men, complete trusting fans, everyone on their side, and then turning against them when it all came crumbling – the proof that artists have the power to hold people in their hands entirely, control them, and be just as vulnerable to attack and criticism and hate.
The Beatles were also just a band that did just get on. Like yes, they fell apart regularly and drama seemed to follow them wherever they appeared. But, at the core of it all, they were just best friends from a city up north, who went through the same trials and tribulations as any other group of friends – except this was heightened because all eyes were on them.
I think at the end of the day though, people that don’t know all this know the Beatles ultimately because of the hits. Not everyone needs to know the minutia of Beatlemania to know that the Beatles have altered the music scene forever. Yesterday is the most covered song in history and has some of the most plays on streaming services of all time. Let It Be is a song that’s sung and celebrated everywhere for its meaning. Here Comes the Sun appears to be in every. single. Instagram story about summer, or the sun, or the sunset/sunrise.
It’s not a coincidence that these songs are hits in the modern age. It is living proof that The Beatles’ legacy is timeless and a classic and truly can never be erased.
