Um, well (said Reagan-like), let’s just say it would tell me just as much if your favourite had instead been “Don’t Pass Me By” or “You Can’t Do That” or “Flying”, possibly.
Does that help?
The Beatles capitalize The Beatles on their own website.
As I understand it (and correct me if I’m wrong), style guides don’t define what’s “standard in English” but rather set out consistent rules for use in a particular publication.
At any rate, here’s one explanation of the rule:
Of course, there were plenty of bands that didn’t use the definite article at all.
Strawbs and Buzzcocks spring to my British mind.
I’d like to point out that there are a lot of great bands with stupid names, but get away with it because their music is so good. If The Who were a second-rate punk band we’d be laughing at their name.
If The Doors sucked, I for one would be saying "How hard did you have to work for that name? “Ahhh, guys, we could be the lamps, or the baseboards, or the doors, or the hallway…”
Or the Beatles, “See it’s like a bug but we make their own beats, get it?” “Yeah, you did okay playing for the middle school prom, Beat-ulls, just get your gear off the risers so the janitor can sweep up.”
Obligatory The The reference should go right about here.
I’ll go easy on that one - the name was taken from Huxley’s “Doors of Perceptioin”, and with Jimmy being such a “way out” kinda guy, I spose I’ll grant him some leeway on this.
The Posterns, however…that’s where it’s at.
That’s German for The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The.
You missed two "the"s.
But are they pronounced thuh or thee? Or are some one way and some the other?
Die fledermaus, die
—I command thee [sic] to forfeit your nations to I [sic], The Brain! Or is it just “I, Brain”? Hmm. The Pinky really got inside my head.
Were The Beatles great musicians? No. But, great musicianship is not a prerequisite to being a great rock band (it may even be a hindrance). The Beatles were good, self taught musicians. Paul was a very good rock bass player. Ringo was a solid drummer, who always stayed in the groove. John and George’s guitar playing was fine, and exactly what the Beatles sound needed. John and Paul’s harmonizing vocals were one of the best in rock history.
If you want great musicianship, you go to the world of classically trained concert musicians. In that world, if you haven’t mastered your instrument by, say, age 10, you’re probably not going to rise to the top of a highly competitive field. Yuja Wang is a great musician. Technically, she’s as close to perfection as a human can get, and she has plenty of expression to back it up. She clearly understands the music she plays to the highest degree. She’s a virtuoso at the top of her game, with few peers.
But, to claim The Beatles weren’t a great pop/rock band is ignorant, whether you like their music, or not (I do). John and Paul’s songwriting was brilliant and massive. George was no slouch in that department, either. Their songs were catchy, and constantly evolving. They were the innovators, moving pop/rock into new directions, and influencing many who came after. If you consider George Martin the 5th Beatle, his production value was the polish on the apple.
The Beatles, not a great pop/rock band? Humbug!
I know that people either love or hate reaction videos (the OP would certainly hate these), but I’m enjoying youtuber “Call Me Caroline” and her videos of listening the the Beatles albums for the first time. For those of us who have listened to the albums hundreds of times it’s really neat to sort of re-live the experience through her ears.
Well, one or two actual cults did exactly that, but they were cults anyway.
Someone examined it that way, re White Album…
Ob-la-di, ob-la-da
Life goes on, bra
You know, suddenly, it makes a lot of sense.
I swear, if I saw Sir Paul McCartney all alone some night, staring into a shop window in my small town*, I’d sidle up and say something about the antiques he was looking at. Then I’d snap my fingers and say “I think you might be the guy who wrote the words that changed my life… does ‘Ob-la-di ob-la-da’ ring a bell?”
.
*Almost did this with a rock star I saw one night (I’m going to be mysterious and not mention his name). But it was weird, he was alone without his bandmates, and they’d played a huge coliseum show nearby two nights before, so I assume he was hanging around needlessly. And walking around in the snow, long after everything had closed…
“Hey you’re that ‘why don’t we-guh do it in the road’ guy, right?”