Why the Beatles?
Most discussions about art eventually hit the wall of the argument that "taste is subjective". Nevertheless, in terms of pop music, there is near consensus that the Beatles were the greatest and most important band of all time. This post is dedicated to the minority that is still not convinced.
The image above is emblematic. How much time would you think separates the two photographs? Eight, maybe 10 years? No, four! The bottom photograph is from 1963 and the top one from 1967. But the group's exponential evolution of course goes way beyond looks. The immense and diverse musical production of the Beatles all occurred within a period of less than 10 years. The first album, Please Please Me, is from 1963, the last Let It Be, from 1970. In this incredibly short period, they composed numerous treasures in an increasing level of sophistication, innovation and versatility, and in a way that hasn't been replicated by any other band.
To illustrate it, the following songs were recorded, album after album, from 1963 until 1970 (those who don't know them should check them out, preferably in order): "Love Me Do", "It Won't Be Long", "And I love Her", "Help", "In My Life", "We Can Work It Out", "Eleanor Rigby", "A Day in the Life", "All You Need is Love", "I Am the Walrus", "Dear Prudence", "I Want You", "Come Together", "Across the Universe". It's amazing to note how diverse in style these songs are, as well as the degree of evolution, not necessarily in terms of quality (after all each phase has its own merit), but in terms of richness and musical maturity. Who would say the same band recorded "A Day in the Life" and "Love Me Do", especially only four years apart?
By: Andre Averbug
Source: Huffington Post
