History and Impact on American Pop Music of the Beatles and the Beach Boys

The Beatles and The Beach Boys
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The Beatles and The Beach Boys
Introduction
The 1960s was a period where music had a profound impact in the world than it has ever before. During this period, some of the greatest and iconic bands that are still loved today emerged like the Monkees, Bob Dylan, and Janis Joplin. However, two bands appeared to have a widespread impact on American pop music; the Beatles and The Beach Boys. The two bands were arguably the most popular in the 60s. Due to this, the bands had a huge influence on millions of people and especially teenagers who adored the two bands. While both the Beatles and The Beach Boys had such an influence on the American pop music, they had significant differences regarding their history and impact on the pop music in America.
History
Both The Beach Boys and the Beatles emerged in the 1960s. On the one hand, The Beach Boys is an American rock band that was formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961. The original lineup for the group consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love and their friend Al Jardine. The group has remained to be one of the most influential acts of the rock era since its inception (Bush, 2019). The Beach Boys commenced as an early garage band where Brian served as the leader as his father Murry managed the members. Due to Brian’s studio proficiency, the group emerged in the mid-60s as one of the best-produced groups. This was exemplified by their 1966 peak “Pet Sounds.” While Brian’s escalating drug use had adverse effects on the group, the group continued in the 70s and 80s. One of the best albums in the 70s was “Sunflower.” In this album, each group member had an opportunity to display individual talents that had not been developed since the inception of the group. Carl became the bandleader and producer of the band; Mike was instrumental in providing visual focus during live shows while Dennis developed his talent as a songwriter. In the 90s, however, the band was facing many legal battles which also obscured their tours.
On the other hand, the Beatles were an English rock band that was formed in 1960 in Liverpool. After several lineup changes, the band consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in 1962. The Beatles were rooted in skiffle as well as the 1950s rock and roll. The band often included elements of classical music and unconventional recording techniques in an attempt to remain innovative. In later years, they experimented with a range of styles like hard rock, pop ballads, and Indian music. Because of incorporating music with different cultural sources, their music became more sophisticated.
The Beatles can be termed as the embodiment of the era’s sociocultural movements (Frontani, 2009). Lennon and McCartney were the primary songwriters in the group. Between 1960 and 1963, the Beatles were mainly playing in clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg. During that time, Brian Epstein was their manager, where he mentored them to become professional musicians. At the same time, George Martin was responsible for their recordings. The group saw their first domestic success after their hit “Love Me Do” in late 1962. Their popularity grew that the intense fan frenzy was dubbed “Beatlemania.” Starting from 1964, the Beatles became international stars and expanded to the U.S. pop market. The “British Invasion” of the U.S. pop market allowed them to sell more records. In the same year, the Beatles made their motion-picture named “A Hard Day's Night.” In the subsequent tears, the group made produced more recordings. In 1968, the Beatles founded the Apple Corps, a multi-armed media corporation to supervise their projects and legacy. In 1970, however, the band broke-up. Nonetheless, all four members were successful as solo artists. In 1980, Lennon was shot and killed, while Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001. McCartney and Starr have remained musically active to this day.
Impact on American Pop Music
Both the Beatles and The Beach Boys raised the bar for teen idol quality. Before the popularity of the two groups, the American pop scene consisted of clean-cut and pearly-toothed individuals. In most cases, although these fellows were talented, their music was directed by producers and other industry players. However, the Beatles and The Beach Boys came with a new style. The Beatles were especially disruptive in bringing a fresh outlook of the teen idol landscape. They were exotic with their Liverpudlian accents and had unusual looks (McGasko, 2016). They were like four teen idols in a gleaming package. Both the Beatles and The Beach Boys were in a position to redefine what it meant to be idols because they determined their wardrobe. They wore what they felt was appropriate without relying on other industry players to determine how they should look. Furthermore, both groups controlled their music. The two bands were composing their songs, something that few teen idols during the 60s could do. In addition to the charisma and good looks, both the Beatles and The Beach Boys had substance, and they were determined on proving it to the world.
The Beach Boys were responsible for inspiring a higher craft in popular music. They ensured studio control and advanced music production, which was not the case with the previous music (McGasko, 2016). Like the Beatles, The Beach Boys experimented with different genres, including art rock, indie rock, and vocal surf. One of the areas The Beach Boys influenced pop music was in songwriting. Brian was a gifted songwriter who propelled the band to new heights. The 1966 “Pet Sounds” was one of the most well-written albums. Brian po...