The Beatles and Today's Young Generation of Fans

Well -- yeah, a good concert with enjoyable music is always nice. I mean, I used to get right up to the front of the stage at many Joan Jett shows back in the '80s, and that woman always put on an awesome rock and roll show. I've seen local no-name bands in clubs and bars that really were terrific -- and it was always "a good night". But when watching something Beatles-related, there are two things going on at the same time: you're not only loving the great music, but you're also experiencing the bells and whistles which go along with it because it's a historical and magical phenomenon, not just about the songs.

 

I love Elvis. After The Beatles, he's my next favorite. But it seems like his brand of music is more dated, much as I own and love all of it.

 

Even though I had Beatles records around the house when I was 4 and 5 in the 1960s and played them on a phonograph and watched the TV cartoons, I didn't really get the Phenomenon aspect myself until after they broke up, and I became a hardcore second generation fan/collector in the mid-70's. So people can and do get caught up in it who weren't actively "living it when it was happening". And there are young people who get that now.

 

The examples I've used in the first post were of youngers who already were enthralled with The Beatles, without my help, and they didn't even know I existed; and I was interested in how they became fans. (One of them did ask me for help about how many albums they had, though).

 

Interesting point. The idea of a large collective experience certainly does seem the sort of thing that USED to happen but doesn't. Now it's definitely more fragmented and peolle are encouraged to find their own thing...even if those things fly well below the radar of popular culture.

On one hand it's a very good thing. On another it is a shame.

 

Everyone now lives in their own bubble, doing their own thing. It used to be more communal.

 

Man, I'm going to have to re-read the original post because I didn't think that the thread would evolve (disintegrate?) in this direction. I just thought it was a nice little story!

 

Oh believe me, this is nothing new. It's been going on since the 1970's.
When I was in high school, everyone was talking about this new rock group called KISS. They told me this was "where it's at now", and it was all about the makeup and the fire-breathing, blood-spitting antics of Gene and the gang.

One guy told me around 1977: "I used to be a Beatles fan until I woke up" (lol!).
Another guy about the same time tried to tell me how much better KC And The Sunshine Band were than Those Old Beatles.
*(I like and own songs by both KISS and KC too, incidentally -- ).

 

That the hard-core fanbase needs to come to terms with the fact that newer generations do not necessarily share the older generations' enthusiasm for their overshadowing favourite group and that the younger generation's should have the freedom og choice and not be driven or talked into it by fanboys. The music speaks for itself and if it appeals, then great. If not, so be it.

 

I probably didn't really delve into the beatles catalogue until my early 20's. I didn't come from a family of music fans. So I had to discover all the older music as I went on.
When I first started getting into music as a child in the early 80's I liked the current music I heard on the radio. As a tween/teenager I started to get into to like metal, thrash metal, grunge, brit pop ect. My favourite music was being released at the time. I think it's important for a new generation to be excited about music from their own time. They can get into the older stuff later on.

 

Obviously you wasted your time investing in those bands.

 

I believe you've gotten too close to that 'cutting edge' there way too often, (nba) kid.

What exactly are you contributing here?

Or did you just join the junior high debate team and need practice?

If it's practice you're looking for, well, have at it.
You have your work cut out for you.

 

Just pointing out how the religion functions/works.

 

God forbid fans should be fanatical, eh?

 

They can be fanatical all they want to. They shouldn't be surprised/offended when they display that fanaticism in a public forum and people respond to it. If they don't want discussion/discourse over their fanaticism, they should keep their fanaticism out of the public eye, and in their homes where no one can know about it.

Items such as: "bands who don't impact the world like The Beatles did should not be invested in" or "bands who are not around culturally for 50+ years are not worthy of investment" are begging for public opinion feedback.

 

I call it happiness and exuberance --
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

 

Well as I recall, you weren't exactly shy about posting your fanaticism for pop music in that other thread of yours last night. And it is a music discussion forum, after all...

 

One self evident forum truth:
nbakid will vigorously seek out and attack any forum member perceived to disparage current music. If it's a Beatleite, all the better. No holds barred.

Sometimes, and there used to be a couple a week (!), there really are such narrow minded threads that seem to deliberately court trouble, but I really don't think this was one of 'em. The avengers/hunters have stirred this one up for themselves.

I think.

 

A) I like (some) pop music
B) In no way am I fanatical about it
C) At no time did I declare that all other music was worthless compared to pop music or any pop star and that no other music should be invested in

Major difference between me and the Beatles religion.

 

Well my wasting your time comment was more a statement of that your not going to change the opinions of beatle/60's & 70's music fanatics otherwise, so why bother.

 

I notice quite frequently in my area that it's young (tween to 20's) females that I will mostly see with a shirt emblazoned with the Beatles or some other such product like a bag or a hat. I've seen females of different races wearing something of the fabs on it.

 

I probably come off as a Beatles hater since I always seem to find the extent that they fill the threads here kinda silly, but I am betting that the young folks visiting record stores in 2015 is an incredibly tiny cross section of that demographic.......

(I'm certainly not a Beatles hater, BTW - well maybe the White Album...)

 

Paul is my favorite, I think he is probably the coolest guy ever, but John, George and Ringo don't follow too far behind!

As for my favorite song, Getting Better. Album probably Sgt. Pepper's or Rubber Soul, depending on my mood!

I figure I made it just in time, Paul is still making good music and doing exciting things, while I still get to enjoy the old stuff

 

My niece one day came to visit and handed me a compilation she made of some music she was listening to and thought I might enjoy it, so made me a copy. The Beatles featured prominently on the CD. She was 16. I said, "You like the Beatles?" She told me she loved the Beatles. For a gift once, I had given her a Lady Gaga album, The Fame Monster, and a Britney Spears album, Circus, as I knew she didn't own them. She told me much later that she didn't want to hurt my feelings but she gave them away after trying to listen to them, but that wasn't her thing.

 

Yes, and the earth is round and the sky is blue. Does anybody disagree with this? Some people get excited about things, some like to share, some keep it to themselves. These are all truisms.