This document provides an overview of the Beatles including their formation in 1961, members, signing with EMI and Capitol Records, films, why they were successful, their musical evolution from early covers to more complex songs in later years, and their final live performance in 1967 though the band continued recording until 1970. It also briefly discusses the Beach Boys as a foremost example of the California sound that predated the British Invasion and had a similar musical development and commercial success to the Beatles.

1. MUSC 1800: Popular Music
Dr. Matthew C. Saunders
Lakeland Community College
C-1078

2. Beatlemania
The Beatles
– formed 1961 by John Lennon
(1940-1980)
– Paul McCartney (b.1942)
– George Harrison (1943-2001)
– Ringo Starr (b. 1940)

3. Beatlemania
• Signed by EMI in England, then by Capitol for
US in 1963
– Mass marketing campaign for the US market,
culminating with first US appearances, 1964
– Feature Films:
• A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
• Help! (1965)
• Yellow Submarine (1968)

4. Why the Beatles?
• First major act in
rock’n’roll from outside
the US to have success
on the American charts
• Blend of several
popular sounds
• Clean cut image
• Core constituency
• Enormous marketing
campaign

5. Music of The Beatles
• Early recordings:
– “Long Tall Sally” (Little Richard Cover)
– “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (Ed Sullivan Show,
Lennon/McCartney, 1964)
• Later, more complex work:
– “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” (Lennon,
1965)
– “Eleanor Rigby,” (Lennon/McCartney, 1966)
– “Strawberry Fields Forever,”
(Lennon/McCartney, 1967)
• Final Live Performance: August 1967
• Band Continued until December 1970

6. The Beach Boys
• Foremost example of the
California sound, pre-British
Invasion
– Surf culture
– Clean-cut image
– Sound often derivative of Chuck
Berry
• Led by Brian Wilson, became
the best-selling American group
of the 1960s
– Lead singer, songwriter and
producer
– Album Pet Sounds (1966) was a
major spur to The Beatles

7. The Beach Boys
• Notice the same kind of
development as the
Beatles
– “Surfin’ USA,” 1963
– “Good Vibrations,”1966
• After the 60s:
– “My Solution,” 1970
– “Kokomo,” 1988 (Their
last big hit)
• What would have
happened to the Beatles
by the 1990s?