Not every group sticks out from the annals of history and millions of rock tees the way The Beatles do. To be more exact, this group doesn’t just stand out. They are part of what defines the story of the evolution of modern music. If the group never came to be, popular music as we know it would not be the same.
For hardcore fans, the real story of the band began in 1960 when John Lennon formed The Quarrymen. Lennon originally played music with his friends. The prototype for The Beatles originally included Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe who is often regarded as the fifth Beatle. Paul McCartney and George Harrison soon became members as well. Ringo Starr however did not come in until much later when Pete Best was dismissed from the group.
It was not clear to Best why he was dismissed and the only explanation given was that the others did not want him in the group anymore. Apparently though, the drummer did not fit in with the group, being the only one who did not adopt the uniform band member appearance and who did not hang out after gigs. He was also deemed musically limited despite being hugely popular among fans. There is no telling for sure if the group would be the legend that it is now if Best was not pushed out.
With Starr on drums, The Beatles history, as we know it started in 1962. From the very start, Lennon and McCartney took the roles of songwriters and composers. Clearly though, the two composers differed significantly in style and form, a point of disparity that would later become more pronounced as relations among band members became strained. McCartney’s music has been cited to be the more positive and extroverted of the two while Lennon’s work is said to be more mature and grounded in reality.
Despite the disparity in writing style, there was no question that both members found a similar liking for mixed elements. At that time, this departure from set patterns was considered quite rebellious. It nonetheless became the reason why their music has endured through the years. The Beatles has been categorized under the rock and roll genre but their songs contain elements and influences from blues, country and psychedelic music. At one point they were even able to incorporate Celtic and classical influences.
What is most striking about the band is that the different influences did not play out as a product of natural evolution. They did not incorporate different elements because they were experimenting or growing up as a group. The mixed influences were simply a part of their identity. Their songs are deemed even more valuable because the variety in them does not reflect dissonance. The incorporation of various elements was performed in a tasteful and artistic manner that encouraged homogeneity. This appealing quality of their work is the reason why other British bands have been given the chance to break out into the international scene.
There is no need for a more in depth look at the band’s history and musical style. There are already far too many academic opinions on these. For the ordinary fan in the band store, it is enough to mention that The Beatles started a movement that was thoroughly ground-breaking and innovative.
