Beatlemania: Their effect on popular culture.

In 1960 England gave birth to popular culture's first problematic child. Who would go onto change the face of music forever inspiring not only their generation but many generations to follow.

The Beatles were a rock band from Liverpool which consisted of four members namely John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. As their fame and stardom grew the Beatles began to switch genres. They took their talents to the world of pop and psychedelic music.

This crossover saw the Beatles become megastars and they soon gained a cult following as they were youth personified. Each member had a larger than life ego. This was then cemented in the history books when John Lennon proclaimed that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus and the genre of rock and roll itself.

By now the charismatic boys from England were transitioning into men. After shows, they would be swarmed by a mob of girls. As the venues and stages got bigger so did the crowds. Boys and girls, men and women of all ages were obsessed with the Beatles. Everyone wanted to be like them. Have their haircut and personalities. This massive obsession over the Beatles become known as Beatlemania.

As time changes so do the sound of music. During the era of the Beatles, this was no different. When the Beatles officially announced themselves to the world they brought with them a new type of sound. A more modern sound and their viewpoints were completely different from those who came before them. Sonically, the Beatles were innovators in the music industry. The iconic song Strawberry Fields Forever was just supposed to be a regular band song but thanks to John Lennon it became the epitome of what is psychedelic rock today.

The Beatle haircut was a mid-length hairstyle. Collar-length at the back, over the ears, at the sides with bangs. The popularity of this haircut grew with the Beatles. Real hair and plastic 'Beatle wigs'

were being manufactured. This is just one of the ways how the Beatles influenced appearance outside of their music and the other being fashion. When the Beatles were first introduced to the world they were wearing black and then later grey Edwardian collarless suits. Which everyone flocked to and in 1964 it was at its peak. During their psychedelic era, the Beatles would wear brightly coloured clothes, paisley suits and shirts, and floral patterned trousers. When the Beatles traveled to India, they would wear Indian clothes and soon Indian fashion was put on the map and just about everyone would be wearing collarless shirts and sandals. The Beatles were the first band to perform at large stadiums which is a common practice for major artists today.

The Beatles had a very big impact on the music industry as a whole and its overall presentation. Rock and Roll was seen as an acceptable genre of music after the Beatles arrived on the scene and it was no longer frowned upon. John Lennon was the first singer to use automatic double-tracking. A process in which the voice of the singer is overdubbed on top of an original track. This improves the sound and is used by many pop artists today. The Beatles made it a must to write their music and since then it became expected of an artist to produce original content. They were the first band to incorporate multiple genres and cultures into one album. The white album had a country feel mixed with rock while Sgt. Peppers lonely hearts club band had more psychedelic rock with Indian (even samba) influences. 

The Beatles were all about timing. They created timeless music that crossed over to generations. They were cultural icons. Heroes in their home country and all over the world. As their audience matured so did they. True influence.