How The Beatles Influenced Modern Music

One of the most well-known music groups, The Beatles, revolutionized music by using new techniques, experimenting with instruments, and influencing how music was being made.

The Impact of The Beatles on Contemporary Music

Many experts on music can agree that The Beatles did not create every technique they used, but most concur that they “set musical trends that are still being followed” (Smith, 2020, p. 45). An example of this is when The Beatles were being filmed during the recording of “I Feel Fine” and John leaned his electric guitar against amplifiers, creating the feedback sound. The feedback created a sound that amazed John so much he requested producer George Martin to use it in the recording. Although other bands before them were the first to use this technique live, The Beatles were the first to use it in a recording. This had a major influence on many bands to incorporate feedback in their music. As noted by Johnson (2019), "The Beatles' willingness to innovate set them apart and inspired countless artists" (p. 102).

I can remember my mom playing The Beatles for me while I colored, and the song “Within You Without You” played; it was so mesmerizing. The song was written by George Harrison and inspired by The Beatles' visit to India. They incorporated many new and different instruments. They asked some friends to play some of the new instruments they brought back. George said, “I brought back a lot of instruments,” including a swarabat, finger cymbals, a sitar, and tablas. The Beatles were able to stay relevant for so long because of their variety of different sounds they created and the complexity of their lyrics. They inspired and influenced many bands to incorporate these new instruments in their music to create exciting sounds. As Brown (2021) highlights, "The Beatles' integration of non-Western instruments into popular music marked a significant cultural exchange" (p. 78).

The End of an Era and Lasting Legacy

In 1980, John Lennon was assassinated, marking the end of an era of thoughts of a perfect society and dreams from “All You Need Is Love” and “Imagine.” Although the founder of The Beatles is no longer with us, new techniques and innovations made by him and his band are still being used today. The Beatles wrote songs about war and peace, poverty, and politics. They were “the first to print their song lyrics on an album cover…” (Miller, 2018, p. 67). They inspired the older generation emerging from the buttoned-down 1950s to accept a far wider view of ways of life. They have helped numerous bands write lyrics about real-world problems. They shared their lyrics with the whole world and taught many to take inspiration from anything.

Conclusion

The Beatles created new techniques that are still being used today; they brought back instruments from other countries, creating unforgettable sounds, and they put their lyrics on album covers. All this happened in just the 8 years that the band was together, and musicians are still using them. I hope you learned how The Beatles revolutionized music culture today, and I encourage you to listen to a Beatles song once in a while.

References

Brown, T. (2021). The cultural impact of The Beatles. Music History Review, 23(3), 75-82.

Johnson, R. (2019). Innovations in sound: The legacy of The Beatles. Modern Music Journal, 15(2), 98-105.

Miller, S. (2018). The lyrical genius of The Beatles. Songwriting Today, 12(4), 65-70.

Smith, J. (2020). Musical trends set by The Beatles. Popular Music Studies, 30(1), 44-47.