I remember reading a short story quite a few years ago, involving a time traveler who published Beatles songs to make a living. I seem to remember that the actual Beatles featured in it, and were utterly confused about how this guy seemed to be plucking ideas from their brains before they ever recorded the songs.
With the film “Yesterday” about to come out, I was sure that this story would be credited, but it seems it isn’t.
Now I can’t google the plot without references to either the movie, or the story behind some Beatles song or another.
The writers of the movie probably weren’t even aware of it. It is not an original concept.
Getting rich “writing” popular culture as a time traveler is not an original idea, and the Beatles are the most popular band in history, so they’re a pretty obvious choice for anyone writing such a story.
Not the one you’re thinking of, but there’s a Harry Turtledove story about a woman who goes back in time and publishes science fiction stories (and some true life stories, like “Watergate” and “Three Mile Island”) before they happen, causing some surprise when she publishes a story that an author already has written.
I think the Beatles were a hit in America because of their accents and charismatic TV appearances. I really can’t see those songs being popular otherwise.
Thank you all. It was definitely a short story or a novella, possibly published in Interzone. I never saw Peggy Sue Got Married, so wasn’t that. I guess I didn’t realise that the idea had been mined so many times, and thought there would be an obvious answer.
