What was so great about the Beatles?

“You Can’t Really Know Where You Are Going Until You Know Where You Have Been“ – Maya Angelou

Maya was probably dealing with some heavier context when she made this proclamation, but to put it into perspective, if you are a young aspiring singer or musician, you have likely been influenced by certain artists. What you might not know, is who influenced THOSE artists.

If you think the Beatles were just some band that your grandma listened to before conceiving your dad at Woodstock, back when no one owned a computer, or AXE body spray, phones were attached to a wall, and weed was an actual crime, you would be right about everything except “JUST a band”.

In less than a decade, John, Paul, George, and Ringo managed to produce around 300 ORIGINAL compositions, released two albums per year while touring the world, all before any of them turned 30. Is it just me, or is anyone else pondering what, if anything, they accomplished in their 20s?

During that time, they pioneered new recording techniques, forever changed the landscape and expectation of pop music as a multi-media art form, and some would argue, became the most influential rock band ever. The following does not even touch upon what each individual contributed in the decades that followed.

Try this as a Litmus test: Think about the best, and most prolific artists from your lifetime, Google them, and see how many albums they have released in their entire career.

Then look at how many original songs are on those albums. By this, I mean a song they wrote (music and lyrics) entirely by themselves, with their band or writing partner.

On second thought, allow me:

Off the top of my head, here are five of the most prolific and hard-working artists of this millenium:

Kanye West, Ed Sheeran, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and Bruno Mars. 

Each one of the above has written their own music. If they were all in one band together, let’s call it, Kanye & The Gang (by order of ego), their collective production across any 10 year period would not add up to the quantity-slash-quality per track of the Beatles’ original works.

Consequently, The Beatles showed remarkable growth in the variety and depth of output from their early albums to their groundbreaking, critically acclaimed tour de forces like Sgt. Pepper’s, White Album, Abbey Road, and Let It Be.

Could it be that I am biased? Perhaps. Or am I simply a lone gladiator doing battle with those who confuse the historic with the archaic. This is not even a Beatles vs. Stones argument. Bach vs. Mozart, Wilt vs. Jordan, or Pacino vs. Deniro. Those topics are generally debated by experts. This conversation is about a generation (or two) who cannot name 5 Beatles’ songs, but may be heard inadvertently singing along to some alternate version of: Yesterday, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Get Back, All You Need Is Love, or Let It Be.

This is not an attempt to disparage personal tastes or opinion, but it does remind me, anecdotally, of conversation I once had.

Someone said that, if Stevie Wonder were not blind, he would just be another pop singer. As I probed the blasphemer for credentials or scope of expertise, the wildly over-confident “connoisseur” introduced into evidence… I Just Called To Say I Love You. Ah yes. Stevie’s 50 year, hugely influential, 30 album, 25 Grammies, 7 honorary doctorate, myriad award-winning career… defined by a catchy ditty he wrote in 15 minutes as if this were his Magnum Opus, according to… the guy I beat to death with a flugelhorn in my mind.

In other words, just because one is free to voice an opinion, does not make them qualified to do so.

Understandably, educating oneself on a subject that requires more than 2 minutes of reading, and countless hours of listening is a daunting task. So, once again, I am here to do the heavy lifting. 

The following albums were all recorded between 1963 and 1965. Below each, I have listed just their most famous tracks.

The reason I start here, is because if one can appreciate these earlier tracks, then their foray into the Beatles’ classic period should be nothing short of spectacular.

I wish you a phenomenal musical journey. Koo-Koo-Ka-choo!

Please Please Me* – Early 1963

• When I Saw Her Standing There
• Please Please Me
• Love Me Do   
• P.S. I Love You             
• Baby It’s You
• Do You Want to Know a Secret
• There’s a Place

Meet The Beatles* – Late 1963

• It Won’t Be Long          
• All My Loving
• Hold Me Tight
• I Want to Hold Your Hand
• All I’ve Got to Do
• I Wanna Be Your man

Hard Day’s Night – Mid 1964

• A Hard Day’s Night      
• I Should Have Known Better
• If I Fell                            
• And I Love Her             
• Tell Me Why
• Can’t Buy Me Love
• You Can’t Do That      

Beatles for Sale – Late 1964

• No Reply         
• I’m a Loser      
• I’ll Follow the Sun        
• Eight Days a Week
• “Kansas City / Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!” (Leiber/Stoller/Penniman cover)

HELP – Mid 1965

• Help!
• The Night Before
• You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away
• You’re Going to Lose That Girl
• Ticket to Ride
• I’ve Just Seen a Face
• Yesterday
• Dizzy Miss Lizzy 

Rubber Soul – Late 1965

• Drive My Car  
• Norwegian Wood
• You Won’t See Me
• Nowhere Man
• Michelle
• Girl    
• I’m Looking Through You
• In My Life
• If I Needed Someone
• Run for Your Life

*The first 2 albums were released under different titles in U.S. and Canada with some track variations between them.