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When Did the Beatles Become the Best?
Obviously this is a loaded question, but assuming you believe that the Beatles were the best group of the 60’s, when do you think they crossed that threshold? That is, suppose they had broken up at some point before they actually did. When would that point have to have been for you to say they had done just barely enough to still be regarded today as the best of their era?
For me I think the tipping point would be right after the release of Rubber Soul.
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11 Replies
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In My Humble Opinion,
The Beatles were the premier pop ensemble – at the time – as soon as they were
recording their own material.
I am not sure what album that was but it was early.
I feel that they stayed on the crest of a growing wave as long as they were together as a band.
They improved and the genre grew and improved.
I think they could have retired as a foursome any time and been regarded as the best
at that time.
But i think to be regarded as the best band of the sixties they needed to stay together throughout the sixties.
Just my two cents. 🙂
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David, I think they were the best the moment they stepped out of the airplane the first time in the US in 1964. I don’t think any musical act received the kind of “mania” reception of the Beatles. John Lennon said in an interview when asked what was the highlight of their time in the US, and he said it was when they first arrived in the US getting off the plane, the incredible reception they got.
As for musically and artistically, I would agree it was with Rubber Soul. That is around the time when they stopped touring and focused on their creativity in the studio. Paul McCartney said before Rubber Soul they were writing songs about girls and romance focused on popularity, and with Rubber Soul they began expanding their horizons artistically. Arguably some of that already started with the album Help released just prior to Rubber Soul.
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Rubber Soul was the first baby steps, the came Revolver which showed their real personas, but it was Sgt. Peppers that made them the best. IMHO.
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In reference to Thomas’s post, The Beatles first album was “Please Please Me”. It was released on EMI’s Parlophone label on 22 March 1963 in the United Kingdom.
Of the album’s 14 songs, eight were written by Lennon–McCartney (originally credited “McCartney–Lennon”), including the title song, “Please Please Me”.
The album topped Record Retailer’s LP chart for 30 weeks, an unprecedented achievement for a pop album at that time.
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Howard – nice research.
When did it take off?
After The Ed Sullivan show(s) in early ’64 ?
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It depends – to me – what age you’re in. I bought my first Beatles record – Please Please me in 1963 14 year old and first year on boarding school and I was really impressed by that record it was something new AND NOT Elvis. I collected chewing gum pictures – not very healthy. Collected the following years every record they issued and while I grew older interests and best album changed. Really liked Beatles for sale – then came Rubber soul which I liked a lot came along with my first real girlfriend and many times Rubber soul was on the record player -specially Michelle and Girl were cosy little tunes. Then I started in High school on another boarding school and my long haired period started half a year in and experiments with haschish started. So the transition was really parallel with the way the Beatles developed. Along came other groups like Kinks, Move, Doors. Even if I got a spot on my criminal records I managed to get through high school in good form(look picture from 1969). I continued to follow the different Beatles solo careers together with my new group to follow Status Quo. Sorry for the long story but I think a few others have tried similar like me.
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The Beatles albums that showed they were evolving with their music. In America the albums were different than what was being released in UK. That first album that caught me was
1. Yesterday and Today
2. Rubber Soul
3. Revolver
All Great Albums.
I think a lot of this happen due to the Beatles getting into Dylan and the messages of his lyrics. But one song earlier that was great lyrics was John’s Help…
But this all goes back to all the English groups that were all war children and they exploded on the scene and all had something to say. The Beatles were the best along with the Kinks and The Who and a ton of others. Can’t list them all. My take anyway.
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Being currently, in my 50s, and was introduced to Beatles courtesy of my 2nd oldest brother back when when he was in Grade 5 thanks in part to his cool Beatles fan Grade 5 teacher – “Mrs. S.”, while I was in Grade 2, made quite an impression on me, and he tended to like/prefer the later Beatles stuff as do I… we share similar music tastes 😉 … I still vividly recall the assembly at night in school gym, for whatever the reason ( Xmas or some other special occasion to invite parents & families out to school gym for an evening…) when the cool Beatles fan of tgeGrade 5 teacher of my 2nd oldest brother ‘s class decided to have her class do an array of different Beatles songs to sing to the audience in gym… I can’t recall if my Grade 2 class did something or not, I just recall the Beatles sing along vividly….guess that was more important to me, as 50 some yrs later, it still stands out in my memory ….lol????☮
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In the 70s through my childhood and teens as I discovered music, I remember hearing songs on the radio or kids playing something on their ghetto blaster at school, everything that sounded immediately awesome more often than not turned out to be a Beatles tune. I learned early on something was up with this band, more so than any other group around. They were the best. They were everywhere. You couldn’t avoid them.
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I was a Beatle fan from ’64 to ’66, courtesy of my sister, then I became a Simon and Garfunkel fan. I didn’t return to the Beatles until their breakup in 1970. I’d have to say that if they’d split up too much sooner than that I never would have given them another look. So I agree with Thomas.
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Considering that I am totally biased…………..the Beatles became the best band when they showed up on Ed Sullivan in Feb. 1964. Also, they were not only the best of that era….they are the best of any era. Mike.
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