We Love Them, Yeah Yeah Yeah...

As I was researching for a topic for this blog, I thought no further than to the first album my mother ever gave me, 1 by The Beatles, which is a compilation of the most powerful Beatles songs of all time. Growing up, my mother raved about her favorite band, The Beatles, from the first moment that I could say my first word. She was around 10 years old when The Beatles started to become famous. She had first hand experience to share with me regarding the changes that were happening in the world during The Beatles era (1960s-1970s). 

The Beatles recorded almost all of their albums in Abbey Road Studios, between 1962 and 1970. This recording studio is located in St. John's Wood, which is a section of Westminster, conveniently a 10 minute walk from my tube stop. Living in close proximity to Abbey Road was amazing because I was able to step back in time and feel the presence of The Beatles. This made me think of how the culture in London changed when The Beatles began recording music and gathering a fan base. The culture even extended to America, where the "Make Love Not War" slogan began to influence the way people lived. Beatles music was hypnotizing and gave people a breath of new life that the world desperately needed. 

When I was reading a Wikipedia article on the culture of London, I couldn't help but see that there was only a little blurb about The Beatles. Below is the wikipedia article.

London is famous for its rock scene, and was the starting point of some of the greatest 60s and 70s artists such as David Bowie, Iron Maiden, The Clash, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, The Sex Pistols, The Who, Pink Floyd, Queen, and popular 90s acts like Blur and Coldplay. Most major bands' tours will pass through London as well, favorite venues like Brixton Academy, the London Astoria, and the Hammersmith Apollo. In addition to spawning the bands mentioned above, London, in its capacity as the UK's cultural centre, has served as the base of a number of internationally important acts, including The Beatles, Elton John, Jimi Hendrix, as well as being instrumental in the birth of dance music. 

London is also known for spawning numerous massively successful pop acts; with The Spice Girls, Cliff Richard, and One Direction being especially note-worthy. London also has a thriving urban scene, mainly throughout the 21st century. Soul singers like Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Lemar have found themselves chart, and international success. R&B singers such as the Sugabebes, Leona Lewis, Taio Cruz, Jay Sean and Alexandra Burke are also extremely popular. London also has a strong rap scene; rappers including Wiley and Dizzee Rascal among others have helped contribute to London gaining the status of having the strongest rap scene outside of the USA. London is the home of one of the biggest underground scenes in the world. Genres include UK garage, Drum and bass, Dubstep, 2step and most notably, grime.

The Beatles had an immense impact on how music developed in London and this impact should voiced. Therefore, I decided to add to the article about my opinion regarding the band and its influence on the culture in London and throughout the world. 

London is famous for its rock scene, and was the starting point of some of the greatest 60s and 70s artists such as David Bowie, Iron Maiden, The Clash, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, The Sex Pistols, The Who, Pink Floyd, Queen, and popular 90s acts like Blur and Coldplay. Most major bands' tours will pass through London as well, favorite venues being the Brixton Academy, the London Astoria, and the Hammersmith Apollo. 

In addition to spawning the bands mentioned above, London, in its capacity as the UK's central centre, has served the base as a number of internationally important acts, including The Beatles, Elton John and Jimi Hendrix, as well as being instrumental in the birth of dance music. 

When discussing popular music in London, the first musical act that comes to mind to a majority of people around the world is The Beatles. Although the current generation of our population today were not alive when The Beatles revolutionized the world, they can still feel the effect that this group of incredibly talented men had on music and culture, beginning in London. Not only did the Beatles bring music to life, but they changed the way people dressed and how people lived their lives. For example, many young men during the 1960s wanted to grow their hair to their shoulders and wear collarless jackets because that's the fashion that The Beatles displayed to the world. McCartney, Starr, Harrison, and Lennon created an evolution in the '60s as anti-establishment acts were enacted. As The Beatles began to publicize their drug and alcohol consumption through songs such as "With a Little Help from My Friends" and "I am the Walrus", Woodstock culture became the next big thing. The Beatles were immensely influential because they started a musical revolution that is never ending. They proved to the world that love and music can go a long way. 

John Lennon once said, "The '60s saw a revolution... a whole new way of thinking. The Beatles were part of the revolution, which is really an evolution, and is continuing. We're all on this ship going to discover the New World. And The Beatles were in the crow's nest". The Beatles grasped the change that was coming and ran with it. They brought change to our world by instituting songs like "All You Need is Love' and "Come Together", showing the world that change is inevitable and all the world needs is peace, love, and community to be successful and prosperous. And to believe that this group of men met and began their careers in London...

London is also known for spawning numerous massively successful pop acts; with The Spice Girls, Cliff Richard, and One Direction being especially note-worthy.London also has a thriving urban scene, mainly throughout the 21st century. Soul singers like Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Lemar have found themselves chart and international success. 

R&B singers such as the Sugababes, Leona Lewis, Taio Cruz, Jay Sean, and Alexandra Burke are also extremely popular. London also has a strong rap scene; rappers including Wiley and Dizzee Rasacal among others have helped contribute to London gaining the status of having the strongest rap scene outside of the USA. London is the home of one of the biggest underground scenes in the world. Genres include the UK garage, Drum and Bass, Dubstep, 2step, and most notably, grime.

I truly believe that music is the most powerful tool of inspiration and influence. The Beatles were the start to the greatest bands of all time. Without these four men creating musical fusion, we would not have Aerosmith, Nirvana, or Stevie Wonder. The music that I listen to shapes my life, the people I surround myself with, and what I believe in. The Beatles were a part of that for me, and to walk the streets as Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr throughout my four months abroad brought music to life. 

To see the wikipedia page on Culture in London, click below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Culture_of_London&action=submit