Why did groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones have such a great impact during the 1960s?

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Why did groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones have such a great impact during the 1960’s?

“Groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones had a positive impact during the 1960's.”  Popular music had gone through a revolution in the late 1950's. The Rolling Stones and The Beatles had a great impact on society for many reasons.

Firstly, music was becoming even more important in the everyday life of teenagers. Music programmes on television such as Top of the Pops and Six Five Special gave the music more publicity. There were more radio stations broadcasting music, gramophones and records were becoming cheaper so more and more people could afford them. This in turn led to bands becoming bigger and having a greater impact on society. The music industry took advantage of the increased spending power of teenagers and bands like the Beatles produced lyrics in songs that people wanted to buy.

The real breakthrough in music came in 1962. With John Lennon (rhythm guitar, vocals), Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals) it seemed as if nothing could go wrong. They’d been performing together for a number of years. Various members had come and gone, and yet the group still didn’t get very far. In 1962 the change came about with manager  Brian Epstein, who secured a record contract for them with EMI, on the request of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison, he sacked the drummer Pete Best to be replaced by Ringo Starr. Brian Epstein remained the manager on The Beatles until his death on the 27th August 1967.

Musician Larry Diehl of the band Lil' Boys Blue remembers the impact the Beatles had: “When the Beatles hit and later the British Invasion, life as we knew it changed completely, If the Beatles wore a particular jacket, hat, pants, or even belt buckle, so too did we.”It was doubtful that any observer of pop culture would have picked the Beatles to inspire people’s fashion on ether sides of the Atlantic, but in 1961 the Beatles perfected a beatnik look. They wore black T-shirts, black leather jackets, blue jeans and dishevelled hair. In one picture taken of them that year they scowled at the camera as good beatniks should.

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Then along came Brian Epstein, an aristocratic-looking young Englishman who ran a record shop and soon became their manager. First he made them scrub, comb their hair and get into civilized clothing. Then little by little, by a combination of hunch, luck and design.

The Beatles music and image developed during the 60’s, all youngsters listened to their music and most of them became mods. Along with the music came British fashion, such as miniskirts, longer hairstyles for men, and the ‘twiggy’ look. The 1960’s were a period of great change. Previous ideas were no longer ‘hip’ or ...

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