The Beatles' Influence in Pop CultureThe Beatles were one of the most influential music groups of the rock era. They knew how to conquer and influence pop culture with their music. Initially, they affected the post-war baby boom generation in Britain and the 1960s, and later, the world's demand. They are certainly the most successful group, with worldwide sales exceeding 1.3 billion albums. During the sixties, The Beatles, using revolutionary ideas in their music, inspired a generation of young adults around the world to look at life from their perspective. While they were originally famous for their light pop music, their later works achieved a combination of popular music. and a critical success perhaps unmatched in the 20th century. Eventually, they became more than just recording artists, branching out into filmmaking and particularly the political activism of John Lennon. They achieved iconic status beyond mere celebrity, with far-reaching effects that are difficult to exaggerate (Mack 41). The band members included John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. In the Boston Globe, Geoffrey Stokes discusses the idea that the Beatles were different from their contemporaries, the Rolling Stones. The Beatles were rarely directly influenced by the blues. Although they drew inspiration from an eclectic variety of sources, their sound was closer to pop music. Their distinctive vocal harmonies were perhaps most influenced by early Motown artists and Chuck Berry (Stokes). When the Beatles' music was first released in the United States, it didn't catch on at first. In fact, they only became popular after the release of their second American single, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand". With this ...... middle of paper ...... up, the influence of their music will never be forgotten. Works Cited "The Beatles - A Biography". .Cockrell, Dale. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Ed. Stanley Sadie. Flight. 2. London: Macmillan Publishers Limited, 1980. 321-22.Cross, Craig. Beatles-discography.com: day by day, song by song, recording by recording. November 5, 2004. Mack, Lorrie ed. Encyclopedia of Rock. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987. 40-2. Rebecca. "The Beatles Biography". .Romanowski, Patricia and Holly George-Warren eds. The new, completely revised and updated Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll. New York: Fireside, 1995. 58-61. Stokes, Geoffrey. “The Beatles and the Culture They Affected.” Boston Globe December 28. 1980.