Beatlemania Redux

Author: Shelli Shaw 

It’s been more than 40 years since the British Invasion first brought the music of the Beatles—and the Liverpudlian lads themselves—to our shores. Ah, the excitement of seeing them perform live, albeit in grainy black and white, on the “Ed Sullivan Show” on February 9, 1964, was something I will never forget! As a 15-year-old whose room was practically papered with Beatles photos, it was nearly impossible for me not to scream right along with the fans who were lucky enough to be in the audience. 

The Beatles’ recording career lasted from 1962 until their highly publicized break-up in 1970 (which we real fans all know was Yoko’s fault). The Fab Four recorded well over 200 songs during this time, and they also made musical history by being the first group to have 20 songs reach Number One… and they kept going—they had 27 Number One hits in total. They were also the first group to have hit songs on both sides of a single (a 45 rpm in those days). 

My love affair with the Beatles may have begun 40 years ago, but it has never really ended. And I’m certainly not alone: legions of diehard Beatles fans exist… and, surprisingly, they’re not all baby boomers like I am. 

This fact becomes apparent when attending concerts by an ever-growing wave of Beatles cover bands. These bands tend to refer to themselves as “tribute” bands, and there are literally hundreds of them worldwide. In my area, several different bands have appeared in various communities’ free summer concert series, as well as at venues selling inexpensive tickets as fund-raisers, such as local high schools and coffee houses. 

Younger Beatles fans—in their 20s and 30s—are common at Beatles cover band concerts. Why do they like this music of their parents’ generation? Dan, a 32-year-old fan, credits his uncle with whetting his appetite for Beatles music. As Dan told us, “My uncle started pumping me with Beatles songs when I was five years old. By the time I was seven, he’d given me three Beatles albums as birthday and Christmas presents.” He enjoys Beatles bands such as Beatlemania Now “because I never had a chance to see the Beatles live… it's the only way I can get anywhere close to the live Beatles experience.” 

Perhaps the enduring appeal of The Beatles and their music can best be summed up by the words of a fan in his 20s, who answered our query with, “Why do I like the music of The Beatles? Hey, they’re The Beatles—they started it all!”