Why does everyone love the Beatles?

The band is just as relevant today as it was in the ’60s. When it was announced that Beatles biopics were being made, people of all ages were excited by the announcement and immediately started guessing which actors could aptly portray the Fab Four. The same was true when the band released “Now and Then,” a song that came out six decades after their first single and still receives similar hype. Everyone loves the Beatles, and it’s time we asked why.

“It’s like going to bed in a black and white world and waking up and it’s turned to color,” Ozzy Osbourne said on his podcast when talking about the Beatles’ influence on his life. “That’s exactly how it felt… remember, we were just coming out of World War II and the whole thing, we had strict rules to live by and they broke down the damn doors for so many people and gave the world freedom.”

This opinion is supported by numerous Beatles fans from the 60s who believe that the band was the best thing that happened to them in their lives. However, the love for them doesn’t end there. Modern bands, despite the great musical advances since the Beatles’ early days, still have a lot of love for the guys from Liverpool as their music is constantly played and their influence is mentioned time and time again.

In a recent interview with FarThe Lemon Twigs spoke about the bands that have influenced their careers. They paid tribute to the Beach Boys but admitted they were concerned about emulating a career like the Beatles because it would be impossible. After describing them as a “finite thing”, the band elaborated: “I don’t want to model my career after them because it’s such a moment in time and so explosive.”

So why do people love the Beatles?

A number of factors contributed to the Beatles’ success, but the most obvious is the quality of their music. Looking at the solo albums that each member of the Beatles released after the band split up gives you a good insight into the talent of each individual member. The fact that these gifted minds could come together and create something unified meant that the end product was never going to be anything but spectacular.

The members also didn’t complement each other as well as other bands. Paul McCartney and John Lennon were one of the greatest songwriting duos of all time, but it wasn’t because their ideas flowed off each other due to their similarities. Rather, their differences allowed them to push each other in creative directions the other might not have considered. When one of them stuck to an idea due to the different ways their creative minds worked, it meant they could untangle knots that other musicians would have left to themselves.

Of course, it was their differences that drove a wedge within the Beatles as well. After years of working together, they became too different to continue making music. However, without contrasting styles, many songs simply would not have been possible.

This desire to push each other also meant that the Beatles never stuck to one particular style of music. They were always looking for different sounds and styles to explore in their work, which is why albums like Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper, And The White Album all sound so far apart from each other. This experimentation means that most people have a Beatles album that they can form a personal connection with, leading to their worldwide popularity.

Moreover, it wasn’t just the band’s music that made them likable, but the band itself. The Beatles were seen as a charming group of working-class boys from Liverpool, handsome, sweet and full of wit. People heard their music and fell in love, then saw the people responsible for it and fell in love even more. They were approachable and represented the human side of the creative world. Their accessible music and approachable personality meant they were treated like people’s friends rather than an untouchable band, and that made people like them even more.

This sympathy continues to this day, with stories emerging around various other bands from this era. Songs don’t age well and traditional views no longer fit with an evolving society, meaning it’s difficult for young people to connect with them. The surviving members of the Beatles, however, portray themselves in a (relatively) good light. Paul McCartney continues to support modern music and look after his fans, while Ringo Starr, while having his quirks, is overall respectable and likable.

Will the Beatles ever go out of style?

It’s hard to say whether The Beatles can maintain this level of fame forever. They aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, with Paul McCartney announcing a new tour and biographies due out in the next few years. But as the music we like and the way we consume it changes, those we consider legends may well be forgotten.

There’s no telling what the future holds for the Beatles’ legacy. Instead of worrying about it, we should do what people have been doing for nearly 60 years: enjoy it.

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