My (possibly useless) 2 cents; warning, rambling follows
QUOTE=Traveling Riverside Bluesman] I know it wasn’t the hype, because I wasn’t even born then, so what could it be?
*Zeppelin is similar, but for another thread.
[/QUOTE]
I’m in similar territory. I really love both bands, despite being born after both were defunct (1983). Although, as for the Beatles, my exposure was such that I was ~10 before I learned they weren’t a current (or recent) band! My sister (only 7 years older, being born in 1976) grew up going through retro fads of interest in the pop culture of a given era either during or just before it became “cool” to be into said era. 50’s, then the 60’s, then the Hippie stuff, then Disco, then the 80’s around the time she went to college, lol. At any rate, she always was, and always will be a huge Beatles fan, and growing up Help and Yellow Submarine were regularly watched, and Beatles music was listened to constantly.
For me it’s a social disconnect I have with many of my own peers when they either don’t really know any Beatles songs (ie, sure they’ve heard them, but wouldn’t necessarily make the connection on their own), or just don’t like them. I always tend to have a “How can you not?” ( :eek: ) reaction.
As for why? I think skill in righting and performing has a lot to do with it. I also think timing did (they were very talented musicians at the right time to do truly groundbreaking stuff while rock and roll was still emerging and defining itself on an international level). Honestly, I don’t think it should be any surprise why they were so huge, the same reasons usually apply for any of the greats of any earlier era/movement in music.
As for why they’re music is still so resonant, there’s social-historical impetus, which cannot be denied. When someone’s work is kept alive by a culture and asserted as the bedrock of a particular aspect of said culture, it influences the thinking of people raised in such. And then of course there’s the fact that it’s just really, really good.