February 6th marked the 50th anniversary of the Beatles debut in America. The long hair, grungy style, and early rock-and –roll sound led to the Beatles’ widespread phenomenon in the mid 60’s, a phenomenon that sparked a musical revolution.
Mr. Tyree, who led the “Rock of Changes” workshop on Diversity Day at Williston on February 15th, 2014, explains how and why the Beatles became a major cultural influence. “They had already amassed a huge fan base in the UK when they landed in New York City, and it was their performance on the Ed Sullivan Show two days later that set off the ‘British Invasion.”
This “British Invasion” refers to the cultural changes provoked by the Beatles’ arrival in America, where American youths adapted to the British style and customs. “As far as their look, the Beatles’ style was more calculated than people tend to realize these days,” says Mr. Tyree. “Their matching ‘mop tops’ are the most recognizable aspect, but they cultivated their more or less uniform look during their early years in Britain from 1960 to 1963,” he adds.
In terms of musical influence and originality, the Beatles surpassed all others who had come before them. “While the Beatles certainly didn’t invent rock and roll, they fundamentally changed it forever,” says Mr. Tyree. “The world listened and watched in fascination as they traversed a musical evolution that would take most artists three decades to achieve, all of this in six short years from 1964-1970.”
The Beatles’ became a nationwide sensation in America at a rapid speed. Mr. Tyree says that “kids of the 21st century would understand what happened.” He states simply that “they went viral.” He says, “If YouTube had existed back then, they would have had hits in the millions within hours, if you consider that over a third of the entire population of the United States had their televisions tuned into that performance on Ed Sullivan.”
The number of artists who influenced the band is “unlimited.” Mr. Tyree says, “The story goes that the Beatles were absolutely obsessed with the Beach Boys’ record Pet Sounds, and used that influence to shape the soundscape for Revolver, which kick-started their more psychedelic phase.” He adds, “This illustrates the truism in the art world that everyone influences everyone.”
Mr. Tyree says, “Frank Sinatra’s early ‘bobbysoxer’ period was the first example of truly mind-boggling fandom, for his voice was uncanny and his talent extraordinary.” He adds, “Next was Elvis, who continued the tradition of borrowing black music and repackaging it for the masses to great effect.”
The Beatles were the foundation of a new age of music. “It’s almost impossible to overestimate [the Beatles’] influence on popular music history,” Mr. Tyree says. “It would take forever to compile a list of artists who claim them as influences.”
Although their music was influential to other artists, the Beatles’ actual music is not frequently listened to in this current generation. Mr. Tyree says, “To put it in another perspective, I grew up listening to music in the 80’s and 90’s, and pretty much wrote [the Beatles’ music] off for most of that time.” He adds, “In fact, to this day I can’t sing the lyrics to more than a couple tracks.”
Mr. Tyree says, “Though I didn’t grow up playing their music, I guarantee nine out of ten of my own biggest musical influences did!” He adds, “That ripple effect is pervasive, and lands the Beatles in the top five most influential and revolutionary music acts of all time on just about any list you’ll find.
Mr. Tyree believes that the Beatles success can be attributed to their talent, the time they lived in, and “a bit of luck.”