What was it about the Beatles that resonated so strongly in the US?

And 'Bobby's Girl'. (Marcie Blaine there, Susan Maughan here.)

 

That's true- in Britain we had the Pop papers NME, MM, etc which were like what a juvenile Rolling Stone might be, as well as a National radio station. It was easy in the UK to have National coverage, but it took 'an event' to gain National exposure in such a big country as the US.

 

but the research you show him quoting was simply about whether people were depressed by the Kennedy killing, a separable issue. He's the one then making the connection to the Beatles, right?

 

Problem with so much generalizing about culture and history is that the author (and I include myself altho I try to be aware..) we presume we all shared the same culture to a large degree. In the US we did not.... by any stretch. I vividly remember visiting rural parts of this country in the 1960's and it was most certainly a different world.

 

He was investigating whether that was true, as it is often spoken of as if established fact. As I remember it though, he didn't think it was especially significant. But the numbers did indicate that children and teens were as deeply affected by the assassination as anyone, and in some ways, being too young to fully understand all the ramifications, more so.

 

Only if they move around a lot and imitate a crowd...

 

And, many people were indifferent. For many households, parents, and children, The Beatles just didn't impact them in any way.

 

Be careful comparing our countries. Not only because of the massive geography and size differences but the population and cultural diversity being vastly different. I guarantee you 100% that western states were not remotely like the great lakes region, New England, the south, etc.

 

Yes, that's certainly essential to remember. Even here on our tiny Island, the citizens of London or Glasgow were not only unintelligible to my younger self but incomprehensible, and each only 2 or 300 miles away from Liverpool. And to a foreigner, I doubt they'd see any difference between us.

 

not sure if you're joking--if not, see Raunchnroll's post #279. "People" and "America" are way overgeneralizing ...

 

I think Grant more than gets that though.

 

Well, my list certainly wasn't meant to be complete. It was to give you an idea. Of course there is Phil Collins, Rick Springfield, and others I forgot, along with even more U.S. stars like Lionel Richie, Berlin, Go-Gos, Janet Jackson, Hall & Oates, Bangles, Rick James...and I would not say they all were two-hit wonders. So many of thall these artists, and others, had multiple hits.

The 80s just exploded with music all around. Even jazz artists enjoyed mainstream success.

Now, back to The...what's their name again?

 

I think a major point that we are all overlooking is the fact that the Beatles never danced effeminately like Billy Squire in the Rock Me Tonite video, thus preserving their careers indefinitely.

 

I was not joking with that post.

 

There are really tw9o 1960s: before The Beatles, and after The Beatles introduction. If I limit myself to any music before 1964, its like being in another world. I was around, but too young to remember much of anything before 1965. By taking a couple of weeks or so of limiting myself to any music before '64, I can gain an appreciation of what the world was like before they showed up and turned the world upside down.

Funny thing is that Motown's explosion of popularity (most notably The Supremes) seemed to almost coincide with The Beatles stepping foot on these shores. Both opened the floodgates to harder rock music, experimentation, and organic soul music from Memphis.

 

Well, they were a bit homophobic, as evidenced by their interviews and comments throughout the years.

 

Regarding The Beatles and that first British band invasion ... a look at the record charts for a few years before and for maybe 2 years after will tell you why. If you were a guy there were not many *groups* to identify with. For me only Dion, Del Shannon ... it was slim pickin's. Thank goodness the Brits changed everything!

 

Duck !! incomming !!! lol

 

Even today, there are huge contrasts.

 

There has hardly been one single artist I identify with, but that never stopped me from listening to their music.

 

Well John did wack Bob Wooler at Pauls 21st at the Cavern I believe when he asked how was his holiday with Brian Epstein " he called me a queer so I smashed his face in ", using that term in itselfs does not mean John was homophobic but the early sixties was a very different world to the more enlightened one we live in now, Monty Python even felt they had to take the " are you a pooftah ?" out of the Bruce's sketch this month probably because it does not sit well today, yet of course Graham Chapman was openly gay even then...

 

lol, we need to start a mutual fan club, there was yet another almost identical post we wrote as well lol

 

John did not care much for Tadd Jazz ( he is not alone ) and Benny Green almost certainly knew that, it may have coloured his judgement...

 

and thats pretty much what Jerry Lee Lewis said

 

typo Trad Jazz, dunno who Tadd was