The Beatles Impact On Society

The Beatles run in the spotlight was nothing short of spectacular. Their musical and cultural impact is unlike any other group in history. Their impressive legacy boasts 600 million worldwide album sales and a whopping 1.6 billion single sales in the US alone (1). Although the band started to fragment towards the end of the 1960’s, we still saw some of their most impactful and memorable projects come alive. The Beatles Abbey Road, the self titled The Beatles and the beloved Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band arguably had the greatest impact on popular music, while cementing their legacy for years to come.

During this era of The Beatles, there was individualized artistic direction from each of the band members, allowing a different side

The lyrical content and themes in their later music explore world conflicts and challenge social constructs. Their music was not exclusive to one generation, with fans of all ages listening in for the next Beatles project. They often used satire in their music to comment on world issues. This can be seen in the track, “Back In The USSR” from their ninth studio album, The Beatles. The track acts as a parody of popular music of the time to reflect on western culture. The lyrics, which were thought by some to hold pro-soviet sentiment, actually reflect on the image of western culture. As tensions in Vietnam began to rise, the glorification of western ideals was in question, as many began to feel that the war was unjust. With the USSR being a sort of the antithesis of western idealism, the band used it as a way to voice their opinions on the matter. The song was not a political statement, but a superficial parody. The lyrics, “I'm back in the U.S.S.R, You don't know how lucky you are, boy, Back in the U.S.S.R '' poke fun at the notion that westerners believe their beliefs and culture to be the pinnacle of modern lifestyle. The Beatles introduced western audiences to eastern ideals, tying in their experience with Indian culture. The Sitar is used multiple times in the group's later projects, for example on the track, “Within You Without You” on Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club

Admittedly, some of the group's work has a sexist connotation, however we can see a shift away from these ideas in their later work. Harvard scholar Kenneth Womack believes that Paul McCartney was at the forefront of pushing these role bending themes in their music (3). The group were not publicly speaking out against gender injustice, but were rather subliminal advocating for it in some of their songs. On the track, “You’re Gonna Lose That Girl” on 1965’s Help! The Beatles put women on an equal footing to men, when typical rock music sexualized women. For example, the lyrics, “You’re gonna lose that girl, If you don't take her out tonight, Shes gonna change her mind, And I will take her out tonight, And i will treat her kind” calls for listeners to be kind and to treat women with respect, which is uncommon for 60’s rock