In my previous blog, I wrote about 1950s music and its influence on U.S. society and culture. The 50s were a time of change, but it was only the start of a musical revolution. The 50s introduced a newfound freedom with the younger generation full of rebellion. February 9th, 1964 redefined the United States and its music culture with the beginning of the British Invasion. The Beatles performed “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” on the Ed Sullivan Show and Americans, especially the younger generation could not get enough of them (Puterbaugh).
They influenced not only American music preference, but fashion. Before the Beatles, Americans listened to American pop music like Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Little Richard (mentioned in my first blog). British and American culture was separate and exclusive of each other. Once the British Invasion took over, that premise was never again, with these cultures interwoven even during the present day.
The Beatles were only the beginning of the British Invasion, with other notable artists such as Dave Clark Five, the Rolling Stones, Herman’s Hermits, the Animals, the Kinks, and the Yardbirds (Puterbaugh). Of these bands, The Beatles took over the U.S. charts with 20 #1 songs and 34 top 10 songs (“The Beatles.”). Additionally, The Rolling Stones had 8 #1 songs and 23 top 10 songs (“The Rolling Stones.”). While there were more bands that contributed and more British hits than listed, these display the vastness of the British Invasion.
A major contribution to the British Invasion was the coverage of these bands touring America. The Beatles breaking America was not by accident. As the Rolling Stones Magazine stated, “the Beatles’ campaign was a shrewdly plotted one, involving considerable promotional money and a lot of advance work by managers, press agents and their record company” (Puterbaugh). While planned by the British music industry, the American media was not for the rapid change in American culture. Negative press was initially seen with the Beatles, but it only exponentially grew when the Rolling Stones cracked America.
We had seen this fight between generations before in the 50s, but it was starting to cultivate during this time, especially as more explicit and sexualized music was being released. Also, drug use was being explored in pop songs for the first time, radically separating the generational gap. The beginnings of the hippie counterculture were being formed, especially on college campuses. The anti-war movement was created within this counterculture, protesting the Vietnam War and any movement of American troops.
The British Invasion not only affected America in the 1960s, but all decades after. British artists in every genre, era, movement have had enormous success in the American Music Industry: Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Cure, Duran Duran, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Radiohead, Oasis, Muse, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, and so many more ranging over 50 years. All of these artists will be mentioned in their respective era, but their contribution would have been nonexistent without the British Invasion and the new era it created in America.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I love your take on reviews. Your style is unique, your content interesting, and your voice is extremely entertaining. Most of all, I love how you explore the different aspects surrounding the music that extend beyond the entertainment industry into business, protests, and the very culture of America. Keep up the amazing work, and I look forward to reading the next installment!
I liked in this how you talked not only about the music influence of the British invasion, but also the cultural aspect of it. I have never thought of the cultural changes that were associated with this time period, but now that you have mentioned it, it makes a lot of sense. Nice work!