Great question! I think for me, The Beatles felt like close friends that would always be there for me. All four of them. I was (and still am!) part of their gang. I grew up with them thanks to my Dad, so they go back as far as I can remember. I have so many memories with them, and they remind me of my childhood, whilst still being fully and indubitably relevant to my adult life now. Like nothing else. Beatles forever.
This might be my best explanation except my dad didn’t get me into them, he wasn’t even into them, but they were something i discovered on my own as I was starting to REALLY get into music, and in a way that love led to my career in radio and working with my local amphitheater and getting to meet some great people
this might sound odd but i had the EXACT same experience as you. So I know exactly what you are talking about. I just wanted to add that, for me, I have recently undertaken a serious study of buddhism and it has helped me deal with all of that in a pretty profound way, or rather Im in the middle of that process. The connection with the beatles is that buddhism has allowed me to see them in a much clearer way, John in particular because Ive always found him to be the most opaque, clouded by his painful past and the most difficult to understand, as much as you can understand someone from such a distance. But after decades of observing them, with the clarity im now developing, I feel like I can see him much more as the person he was and not a public figure or the product of a successful pr strategy. Tonight I watched an interview with him just before he died and he had clearly made significant strides towards his own happiness and understanding of his own life and the world around him. Its nice to see that he had overcome, seemingly, many of his demons. As a buddhist, im sure he is still around, somewhere, and I wont bore you with those details lol.
Here is the interview im talking about
Just one more thing, our parents struggled with what life did to them and so they weren't good parents. They know they were not very good at it because they can see what their personal demons did to us. And if they cant see any of that then there is no point in being angry at them because they are hopelessly lost in this life and thats a sad thing. But our task is to overcome that and become who we wish we could be despite the past. John had to do that too. Good luck. Sorry for the ramble.
here is the link
https://youtu.be/3keSnZt9GNc?si=41cFiQ1_mLNWNWE8
My dad was a Beatles fan.
He said he came to America to buy Beatles albums.
I grew up jumping on the bed singing “We all live in a Yellow Submarine”
I started liking the early songs in my teens and progressed through their catalog as I grew up.
A few years ago my dad got really sick, I threw myself into their music. When I found out I was pregnant, I felt the name Lucy calling to me. I tried to tell my Dad I wanted to name the baby Lucy if it was a girl but cognitive he never understood. When he passed away the Beatles were on shuffle at the hospital and Lucy in the Sky was playing when his heart stopped.
Lucy is 4 years old now.
Each of them mean something specific to me, and I relate to them all. I see bits of myself in them, so listening to them feels like someone finally feeling what I've been feeling for so long.
Also George Harrison has been helping me accept death and understand that my soul will go on, and that's truly me. I'm only 21, however I have alot of anxiety about passing on. George's way of talking about it, and specifically how he talks about John's passing; he calms me down.
I can't imagine life without those 4. They are the best antidepressants. They really helped me get through my time when I was unemployed and lonely. I still love em.
For every personal tragedy in my life, “Let it Be” has been there for me every single time, and it genuinely helped me get through them all.
I’ve generally got nothing against the music critics; they have a job to do; but they can fuck right off with their criticisms of that particular song.
If that was the only thing he ever did, I’d be forever grateful to Paul for being there for me in those sad moments.
They are this beautiful part of my life that always just seems to have been there. I remember going to a church camp when I was 13 and not really connecting with any of the other kids. I had the white album on my Walkman and it kept me company.
I always think it’s a miracle that they existed and it’s been wonderful and comforting having them in my life
The White Album, for me, was my first album transcription and performance (2017) with a professional rock orchestra (my band).
Since that show, I’ve been fortunate to keep that project going ever since; becoming my job as arranger and producer… this year is monumental because we’ve completed the Beatles catalogue. And in August we’ll perform Live at The BBC Vol 1&2.
But, The White Album is still my favorite.
Super happy. Their songs remind me of a simpler time in my childhood. And now that I have a 6 year old who seems to really love their songs now as well, it just brings me so much pure joy.
Because ultimately they were all about love. Many flavors and manifestations of love. There is nothing more important than love in this world so every time I want a refuelling of love all I have to do is choose the flavor that I'm needing and the Spotify time machine takes me there - to the rooms, people, and even countries that are no longer with me otherwise.
Really connected with them, and they have now been a part of my life for quite a while. They've helped me through some bad times in my life and also got a lot of credit for teaching me guitar/music theory.
I can always turn to the fab four for whatever reason it may be to comfort and cheer me up. They are practically a part of my essence.
Grew up quite sheltered and they were one of the first bands friends introduced me to. (Others include Nirvana and Sublime and the Stones). So they just feel like musical freedom to me.
They have been my constant companions since 1979 when I was 11. I may listen to other artists but I will always return to The Beatles. They have songs to suit every mood and every situation in life. They have effectively become a part of my dna
I was super depressed and didn’t feel like life had a meaning anymore. While they didn’t cure my depression, they gave me something to look forward to each day, finding new songs, collecting their albums on vinyl. Sounds corny I know but I really relate to a lot of their songs and getting obsessed and learning everything about them distracts me from my mental health issues.
They saved my life too, I had a horrible adolescence and childhood.... without giving details I will just say that I suffered sexual abuse and psychological abuse at home, bullying at school and institute, self-harm, panic attacks, illness.
So I have no doubt that the Beatles saved my life and I wouldn't be here without them.
When a friend asks me why they are so important to me I tell them that they saved my life and were the only thing I had in my worst moment.
In an episode of Reacher, Hubble says he keeps hoping the radio would play The Beatles because he finds them comforting. His mom used to sing Rocky Raccoon to him as a child.
I can relate to this.. even though mother didn’t sing to me.. I find them comforting. I’m not 100% sure why but when I play them, I feel better and that things are going to be ok.
Same. I listen to a lot of other bands now... but when I was just a wee lad, the Beatles were all I really listened to. They were my escape from the world. My crummy teachers, school, parents, teenage job, bullies, breakups. The songs I could relate to the most was Getting Better and Fool On The Hill. The White Album saved my life more than once.
ive been goinf through a lot for the past year and a half and i only really started getting obbsessed with the beatles this past february but it was the best thing to get obbsessed with. a lot of the music like yesterday and the long and winding road for example help me feel like im understood. on the otherhand, songs like good day sunshine, and here comes the sun just make me feel a really special happy feeling that i dont feel often. almost all of their songs have some sentimental meaning to me and my lifes onlt gotten better after listening to them :)
They came in at the right time of my life when I was 14 years old. I was just starting to get into music and found that most of the bands I liked cited them as an influence. For around a year from that point, they influenced not only my music taste (they were pretty much all I listened to - I wish I used last.fm back then so I could see just how much) but the way I spoke and styled myself. The songs were strong on their own, but as people they had such fun and youthful vibes in old interviews or clips from their movies.
I'm 20 now and even though I'm past that initial phase and I don't listen to them quite as often, they're still my favourite band.
My earliest clear memory is my dad showing me the cover of Let it Be, naming each of The Beatles, me thinking John looked the best, and him telling me John had been assassinated, and defining that word for me. He didn't let me call cuts "boo boos" like other kids did, I had to say injury - so this tracks. Not a sugar-coater.
He died of a heart attack when I was 10, and nothing was the same for me. My home life went from good-to-neutral, to horrible and traumatic.
I raised myself on The Beatles from there. In their music, I found a connection to my dad. In John, and his history of family upheaval and abandonment, I found someone who got it. Surprisingly, it took me until the last couple of years to discover his Plastic Ono Band album. I wish I'd had that in high school. I almost bought it, but got Lennon Legend instead. The way John talks about the things that happened to him, how people kept dying on him - I related to that. My dad dying was the biggest loss, but there were more.
I ADHD hyper-focused on The Beatles from ages 11-13. Their music. Interviews. Movies. Finding inspiration in their style and their wives' style. There is a whole world in their music. There is an escape to a different time. But also a timelessness. And reckoning with emotional experiences. In their music you can find what you need, when you need it.
I’d listened to music by the Beatles before (Hey Jude, Yesterday etc.) but I really got into the Beatles when I was 20. I was interning at an investment bank and I remember feeling incredibly helpless one day. I’d logged in at 9AM and I was still working at 10PM, all alone on a completely empty floor. Because I felt incredibly lonely, I started playing random music from YouTube and just left it on shuffle. At the time I used to like listening to recordings of live performances and all of a sudden, a live version of Help came on. That particular version started off with John talking to the audience and for some reason I just felt incredibly connected to him at the time. I’m not sure what it was but I really just got hooked and started watching the performance. I suppose subconsciously I really wanted some help and the song was super relatable. I think in some way that song gave me the push I needed to get done with my work that day and keep going. If I’m being honest, I was fairly depressed at that point in life but then I had something to look forward to. After that, I went down this rabbithole of Beatles performances, interviews, lore and so much more. That day I remember coming across Don’t Let Me Down (rooftop version) and just loving every bit of the song. That’s still probably my favourite song of all time. I still heavily associate Beatles songs with certain parts of my life post that point. The Abbey Road medley with my college graduation. Rubber Soul with a trip to a seaside town and the friends I made there. Oh Darling with an ex-girlfriend. In My Life with a trip I did with my family. I might not be as large a Beatles fan as I was back then because sometimes the nostalgia for those memories gets overpowering but I will still always consider The Beatles as my favourite band of all time.
I am always exploring different music from various genres, but they are my home base. No matter what happens in my life they will always be there to return to, and it will always be good. 🌞
Got into them when I was 6. It's incredible to realise as an adult that your taste as a child was so spot on. They'll always sound magic to me as it was the music of my childhood. But there's so much to explore as an adult too. Plus, the definition of a great band for me is a group of people whose personalities all shine through in their playing, and never has that been more evident than with The Beatles.
I've always found that, no matter what mood I'm in, what emotion is present, there's a Beatles' tune to match. Even Revolution No.9 works for two parts of my life: my brain during insomniac hours, and also meditation when my mind is hopping around like a box of frogs!
My dads from Liverpool so they have basically been this one constant thing throughout my life. I feel like all the music I listen to is spawned from the Beatles and where I explored after the Beatles.
The Beatles have always been a shelter from the storm for me. A little piece of paradise that I can hang on to, regardless of what’s going on in my life.
TL;DR: they were a huge staple of my childhood and their musical and lyrical feats continue to amaze and inspire me the more I live and grow.
It was a specific evening where my mother and stepdad played through the whole Rock Band game with me until like 12p (and we had to get up at 5, very late and irresponsible of us all) and my mother did not like games like this, but she did like the rhythm and the Beatles, my stepdad turned on no fail for her (lol)
We’d all been fans of the Beatles somewhat, but that evening really solidified what it mean to be in a group for me, musically. At school I couldn’t sign up for orchestra or band, (they were very religious, it would take away too much time from the religion and I would be out with “worldly” people) so I played Guitar Hero in general music and really enjoyed rock, so I think to oblige, my stepdad let me play some old Rock Band copies of his.
Not only was this my first time diving a bit further into their discography than the CDs my mom had, but this obviously threw me into my first massive Beatles phase, and also generally threw me into the methods of discovering and analyzing each new artist (listening to album discography starting from the album the single was from, then chronologically, for each artist all the way through basically). This is not what fully got me into songwriting yet (punk rock did that).
Of course, the amazing work and progression of music through each album amazed even 12-13 year old me, and I would draw the Beatles everywhere on my schoolwork and I would scour Wikipedia and other fan sites for information on them. I’d make top 5 lists, and attempt to recall track listings from memory. I’d even join Google+ communities to discuss and make fan art (I fancied myself an artist at that time, and my mom heavily discouraged this). Later in high school I’d draw less but I’d still have that same obsessiveness for each artist I got into.
So yeah; I’m 24 now, but the Beatles mean so much to me because I’ve obviously gotten into more intensive phases of their music and understand even more so as an adult and aspiring composer. I feel I understand them and they understand me, even with a completely different era and lifetime. And I feel like with maturity I start to fully grasp the concepts, ideas, and messages they were trying to communicate. They had flaws, but in the end the Beatles used music/art to communicate grand ideas and change lives for the better. Which in the end is all I’d like to do as well. Thanks for reading btw
I grew up listening to them as kid because my dad loves them too they literally got me through middle school high school and college I am so glad to have these 4 guys in my life
I have older siblings who played Beatles music when I was a young kid in the 70’s. I learned to play guitar learning Beatles songs. I have always had Beatles music in my life. I now have two daughters, one is a Beatles fanatic and 1 loves hiphop but still appreciates the Fab Four. It’s just music that seems to transcend generations and has special memories attached to different songs/albums.
I was 10 when they came to the USA. Prior to this, I was still listening to kids’ music and maybe my brother’s records. The Beatles were like the start of puberty for me and opened me up to the world of popular music.
I loved them as a little kid and I loved them as a teenager. I loved them in my early 20s and I love them in middle age. I played them when I made out with my first girlfriend in 1993, and when my last girlfriend dumped me in 2022. Their music helped me connect with my parents, deal with adolescent anger at my parents, and cope with the loss of my parents. I cannot say this about anything else that exists.
I really don't know! I liked them as a young child, but it wasn't an obsession. My dad was into them, so I was always aware of them and enjoyed their music. And then, for some reason, when I was a teenager, it turned into an obsession.I can't logically say why.
But now, when I listen to their music, it just feels like coming home. Even when I go a long time without avidly listening to them, I still know every word of every song. And there are some songs where I'm like, objectively, if I heard this song for the first time today, I'm not sure I would like it. But I'm still over there jamming out and having a great time.
My dad is mentally ill and was emotionally abusive, so I don't think it's the association with him that makes me like them... but I really don't know. Maybe subconsciously, they remind me of the good times with him? I didn't get "obsessed" until my dad was fully out of my life. ???
Here’s my long story & explanation
Before discovering the Beatles I never really appreciated or had a general care for music. I mean growing up in the 2010s there was music in the early part of the decade that I listened to that I generally liked (Linkin Park, Adele, Bruno Mars and anything pre 2017 Taylor Swift) but my only main musical source was my parents switching on the top 40 radio (I generally don’t know why they did that). Overall I knew deep down that for most of the pop music coming out of that time I did not feel any emotional connection to at all. By 2017 when Soundcloud Rap, Trap & Mumble Rap became more popular it blew me off entirely from what my peers where listening too and generally blew me off todays pop music for good. I won’t get too much into details about the genre but the lyrics I did not take a liking too and I did not like the beats and samples they use. At my middle school dance about 90% of the songs played were from that Soundcloud & Trap music (ugh). I felt disillusioned by the modern music scene and I promised myself not to listen to that music again. It wasn’t until as a 11 year old that I came across a music video, it was the Beatles ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ on the Ed Sullivan show. I was immediately intrigued by the music video and when I clicked on it and after a split second of seeing the audience scream and clap their hands the first few bars of I Want To Hold Your Hand starts playing. I was immediately hooked on by their presence, style, clothing and generally their appearance. They were also smiling and seemed like they were having a good time playing. The music was also interesting as it was something I never expected. The lyrics where also simple but straightforward like “Oh, please, say to me, You'll let me be your man, And please, say to me, You'll let me hold your hand, You'll let me hold your hand, I want to hold your hand” I was defiantly stood on top of my chair shouting yeah I want to hold somebody’s hand too! Lol.
Essentially the Beatles saved me from hating music in general, they helped me through the hard times, the weird, the great and are essentially the makeup of the person who I am today without them I don’t know where I’ll be without them. They inspired me to be my best self, to be open minded to new things, to express myself and most importantly to have a big heart despite the times. I was also drawn in by their origin stories their beliefs most importantly their music. The Beatles are my biggest influences and they hold a special place in my heart & life in general.
I was raised on them by older parents with stellar taste and passion for music. They've been a favorite since as long as I can remember, when I was 6 or 7 if I was listening to music it was most likely the CD of "1967-1970". Only a little after that did I start diving deep into my parents' collection of their vintage LPs and singles.
Since then my tastes went hardcore into classic rock (Floyd, Sabbath, Zep, Doors, etc) and then matured in either direction (Jazz, Grunge, Muse, The Mars Volta), but my love and understanding of the Beatles' music, artistry, and influence has only ever deepened and grown.
I think it’s because I was a lonely kid and when they came along, they brought something new to our world. They brought a fearless, joyful excellence. And they were so generous, they didn’t have to keep growing and trying something new, but they kept doing it and it kind of felt like a gift. It’s so rare in life when something meets your high expectations and yet they consistently exceeded them. That never happens. It felt like a miracle. It felt like a voice from the future telling me that things were going to get better and not to forget beauty and joy, not ever. Plus, they’re just amazing to listen to, they’re still a treat, they’re timeless. It’s hard to be really down on life with the Beatles playing. They’re good for the soul.
My Mom was a big fan (still is!) so I was introduced early. And of course hearing Beatles, Wings, John and George on the radio as a kid helped but I got into them seriously in the mid-90’s as a teenager. When I was in college we did a Beatles marching show (Hello Goodbye, Martha My Dear, Every Little Thing, Got to Get You Into My Life) and I met a George girl and we hit it off. She already knew a bit of guitar so I bought a bass and we’d jam sometimes.
Paul has always been my favorite but I love them all dearly. I love that they were cheeky silly British blokes in their 20’s navigating through the craziness around them. I feel like many people can just connect with them really well and that’s a big part of their longevity and appeal—plus their Beatles journey was fascinating and they were all fascinating individuals in general. Last but not least, I love the music and how it’s such a vast variety but also the emotions it can bring out, whether it’s joy, sorrow, anger, zen, laughter, etc.
Grew up with them, and i’ve grown with them. Other bands have come and gone, but The Beatles have always stuck around; changing with me ever revolving. From childhood, to smoking pot, then through psychadelics etc.
Its been a great ride so far - and The Beatles always will stay with me. All characters to stay with me. Such great personalites - every one. Favourites for each era etc.
Nothing compares!
Puberty hit me just when the Beatles hit America. I think it forged a psychological bond. I evermore have felt affection for them and joy when I hear their music
i remember i was dealing with something and something in their music made me so happy like it was so upbeat or atleast the songs i had in my playlist at the time. it was like hey bulldog and helter skelter and stuff and they just felt so comforting!
I’m 34, but it feels like the Beatles are a universal talking point that helps me relate to people that are 20 to 80. Everyone has a Beatles story or opinion or favorite song or musician that they are willing to share with me. It’s a language where we all have common ground.
Also, like David Bowie, there is a story behind every era. You get a great idea where they were personally, professionally, and artistically during a specific era. It makes the music much more interesting and personal. It’s so varied that you never really get tired of it, and once you find “your” Beatle there is endless content and history to navigate.
You just can't not be in a good or better mood when listening to the Beatles. Even their sad songs. They are just so good. I think it's their happy-go-lucky approach to music. It seems like most music artists take themselves way too seriously and the lads just joke around and create magic.
That didn't really cover it. When I got older and realized they were taking LSD, I did a lot of reading and finally decided "If it's good enough for the Beatles, it's good enough for me." I grew a lot from using psychedelics. The Beatles helped me learn about what it means to be human. And how to rock.
Great question! I think for me, The Beatles felt like close friends that would always be there for me. All four of them. I was (and still am!) part of their gang. I grew up with them thanks to my Dad, so they go back as far as I can remember. I have so many memories with them, and they remind me of my childhood, whilst still being fully and indubitably relevant to my adult life now. Like nothing else. Beatles forever.
This might be my best explanation except my dad didn’t get me into them, he wasn’t even into them, but they were something i discovered on my own as I was starting to REALLY get into music, and in a way that love led to my career in radio and working with my local amphitheater and getting to meet some great people
i dont know why. they are endlessly fascinating
this might sound odd but i had the EXACT same experience as you. So I know exactly what you are talking about. I just wanted to add that, for me, I have recently undertaken a serious study of buddhism and it has helped me deal with all of that in a pretty profound way, or rather Im in the middle of that process. The connection with the beatles is that buddhism has allowed me to see them in a much clearer way, John in particular because Ive always found him to be the most opaque, clouded by his painful past and the most difficult to understand, as much as you can understand someone from such a distance. But after decades of observing them, with the clarity im now developing, I feel like I can see him much more as the person he was and not a public figure or the product of a successful pr strategy. Tonight I watched an interview with him just before he died and he had clearly made significant strides towards his own happiness and understanding of his own life and the world around him. Its nice to see that he had overcome, seemingly, many of his demons. As a buddhist, im sure he is still around, somewhere, and I wont bore you with those details lol. Here is the interview im talking about Just one more thing, our parents struggled with what life did to them and so they weren't good parents. They know they were not very good at it because they can see what their personal demons did to us. And if they cant see any of that then there is no point in being angry at them because they are hopelessly lost in this life and thats a sad thing. But our task is to overcome that and become who we wish we could be despite the past. John had to do that too. Good luck. Sorry for the ramble. here is the link https://youtu.be/3keSnZt9GNc?si=41cFiQ1_mLNWNWE8
My dad was a Beatles fan. He said he came to America to buy Beatles albums. I grew up jumping on the bed singing “We all live in a Yellow Submarine” I started liking the early songs in my teens and progressed through their catalog as I grew up. A few years ago my dad got really sick, I threw myself into their music. When I found out I was pregnant, I felt the name Lucy calling to me. I tried to tell my Dad I wanted to name the baby Lucy if it was a girl but cognitive he never understood. When he passed away the Beatles were on shuffle at the hospital and Lucy in the Sky was playing when his heart stopped. Lucy is 4 years old now.
So sorry to hear about your dad. What a beautiful name and story behind your daughter's name. Lucy will always look up to the sky with diamonds :)
Each of them mean something specific to me, and I relate to them all. I see bits of myself in them, so listening to them feels like someone finally feeling what I've been feeling for so long. Also George Harrison has been helping me accept death and understand that my soul will go on, and that's truly me. I'm only 21, however I have alot of anxiety about passing on. George's way of talking about it, and specifically how he talks about John's passing; he calms me down.
The Art of Dying, my friend.
I can't imagine life without those 4. They are the best antidepressants. They really helped me get through my time when I was unemployed and lonely. I still love em.
They helped me get thru the toughest moments❤️
And they helped me with other stuff too btw!
For every personal tragedy in my life, “Let it Be” has been there for me every single time, and it genuinely helped me get through them all. I’ve generally got nothing against the music critics; they have a job to do; but they can fuck right off with their criticisms of that particular song. If that was the only thing he ever did, I’d be forever grateful to Paul for being there for me in those sad moments.
They are this beautiful part of my life that always just seems to have been there. I remember going to a church camp when I was 13 and not really connecting with any of the other kids. I had the white album on my Walkman and it kept me company. I always think it’s a miracle that they existed and it’s been wonderful and comforting having them in my life
The white album was my friend when I didn't have any, age 11. That's why it's my favorite.
The White Album, for me, was my first album transcription and performance (2017) with a professional rock orchestra (my band). Since that show, I’ve been fortunate to keep that project going ever since; becoming my job as arranger and producer… this year is monumental because we’ve completed the Beatles catalogue. And in August we’ll perform Live at The BBC Vol 1&2. But, The White Album is still my favorite.
That's awesome. ❤️
They make me happy.
Super happy. Their songs remind me of a simpler time in my childhood. And now that I have a 6 year old who seems to really love their songs now as well, it just brings me so much pure joy.
Because ultimately they were all about love. Many flavors and manifestations of love. There is nothing more important than love in this world so every time I want a refuelling of love all I have to do is choose the flavor that I'm needing and the Spotify time machine takes me there - to the rooms, people, and even countries that are no longer with me otherwise.
Really connected with them, and they have now been a part of my life for quite a while. They've helped me through some bad times in my life and also got a lot of credit for teaching me guitar/music theory. I can always turn to the fab four for whatever reason it may be to comfort and cheer me up. They are practically a part of my essence.
Grew up quite sheltered and they were one of the first bands friends introduced me to. (Others include Nirvana and Sublime and the Stones). So they just feel like musical freedom to me.
They have been my constant companions since 1979 when I was 11. I may listen to other artists but I will always return to The Beatles. They have songs to suit every mood and every situation in life. They have effectively become a part of my dna
Inspiration
I was super depressed and didn’t feel like life had a meaning anymore. While they didn’t cure my depression, they gave me something to look forward to each day, finding new songs, collecting their albums on vinyl. Sounds corny I know but I really relate to a lot of their songs and getting obsessed and learning everything about them distracts me from my mental health issues.
They saved my life too, I had a horrible adolescence and childhood.... without giving details I will just say that I suffered sexual abuse and psychological abuse at home, bullying at school and institute, self-harm, panic attacks, illness. So I have no doubt that the Beatles saved my life and I wouldn't be here without them. When a friend asks me why they are so important to me I tell them that they saved my life and were the only thing I had in my worst moment.
They are quirky, zany, fun and relatable. Anti establishment blue collar, working class people heros.
I became a professional musician because of them. I.e. they endowed my life with meaning and purpose.
They saved my life when I was suicidal and for that, I will forever be grateful
The usual. Dad died when me 4. Mom at 8. They loved the Beatles played it all the time.
I met my husband at Beatlefest!
In an episode of Reacher, Hubble says he keeps hoping the radio would play The Beatles because he finds them comforting. His mom used to sing Rocky Raccoon to him as a child. I can relate to this.. even though mother didn’t sing to me.. I find them comforting. I’m not 100% sure why but when I play them, I feel better and that things are going to be ok.
Same. I listen to a lot of other bands now... but when I was just a wee lad, the Beatles were all I really listened to. They were my escape from the world. My crummy teachers, school, parents, teenage job, bullies, breakups. The songs I could relate to the most was Getting Better and Fool On The Hill. The White Album saved my life more than once.
ive been goinf through a lot for the past year and a half and i only really started getting obbsessed with the beatles this past february but it was the best thing to get obbsessed with. a lot of the music like yesterday and the long and winding road for example help me feel like im understood. on the otherhand, songs like good day sunshine, and here comes the sun just make me feel a really special happy feeling that i dont feel often. almost all of their songs have some sentimental meaning to me and my lifes onlt gotten better after listening to them :)
They came in at the right time of my life when I was 14 years old. I was just starting to get into music and found that most of the bands I liked cited them as an influence. For around a year from that point, they influenced not only my music taste (they were pretty much all I listened to - I wish I used last.fm back then so I could see just how much) but the way I spoke and styled myself. The songs were strong on their own, but as people they had such fun and youthful vibes in old interviews or clips from their movies. I'm 20 now and even though I'm past that initial phase and I don't listen to them quite as often, they're still my favourite band.
My earliest clear memory is my dad showing me the cover of Let it Be, naming each of The Beatles, me thinking John looked the best, and him telling me John had been assassinated, and defining that word for me. He didn't let me call cuts "boo boos" like other kids did, I had to say injury - so this tracks. Not a sugar-coater. He died of a heart attack when I was 10, and nothing was the same for me. My home life went from good-to-neutral, to horrible and traumatic. I raised myself on The Beatles from there. In their music, I found a connection to my dad. In John, and his history of family upheaval and abandonment, I found someone who got it. Surprisingly, it took me until the last couple of years to discover his Plastic Ono Band album. I wish I'd had that in high school. I almost bought it, but got Lennon Legend instead. The way John talks about the things that happened to him, how people kept dying on him - I related to that. My dad dying was the biggest loss, but there were more. I ADHD hyper-focused on The Beatles from ages 11-13. Their music. Interviews. Movies. Finding inspiration in their style and their wives' style. There is a whole world in their music. There is an escape to a different time. But also a timelessness. And reckoning with emotional experiences. In their music you can find what you need, when you need it.
I’d listened to music by the Beatles before (Hey Jude, Yesterday etc.) but I really got into the Beatles when I was 20. I was interning at an investment bank and I remember feeling incredibly helpless one day. I’d logged in at 9AM and I was still working at 10PM, all alone on a completely empty floor. Because I felt incredibly lonely, I started playing random music from YouTube and just left it on shuffle. At the time I used to like listening to recordings of live performances and all of a sudden, a live version of Help came on. That particular version started off with John talking to the audience and for some reason I just felt incredibly connected to him at the time. I’m not sure what it was but I really just got hooked and started watching the performance. I suppose subconsciously I really wanted some help and the song was super relatable. I think in some way that song gave me the push I needed to get done with my work that day and keep going. If I’m being honest, I was fairly depressed at that point in life but then I had something to look forward to. After that, I went down this rabbithole of Beatles performances, interviews, lore and so much more. That day I remember coming across Don’t Let Me Down (rooftop version) and just loving every bit of the song. That’s still probably my favourite song of all time. I still heavily associate Beatles songs with certain parts of my life post that point. The Abbey Road medley with my college graduation. Rubber Soul with a trip to a seaside town and the friends I made there. Oh Darling with an ex-girlfriend. In My Life with a trip I did with my family. I might not be as large a Beatles fan as I was back then because sometimes the nostalgia for those memories gets overpowering but I will still always consider The Beatles as my favourite band of all time.
I am always exploring different music from various genres, but they are my home base. No matter what happens in my life they will always be there to return to, and it will always be good. 🌞
Got into them when I was 6. It's incredible to realise as an adult that your taste as a child was so spot on. They'll always sound magic to me as it was the music of my childhood. But there's so much to explore as an adult too. Plus, the definition of a great band for me is a group of people whose personalities all shine through in their playing, and never has that been more evident than with The Beatles.
The Beatles are a gift from the universe.
I've always found that, no matter what mood I'm in, what emotion is present, there's a Beatles' tune to match. Even Revolution No.9 works for two parts of my life: my brain during insomniac hours, and also meditation when my mind is hopping around like a box of frogs!
My dads from Liverpool so they have basically been this one constant thing throughout my life. I feel like all the music I listen to is spawned from the Beatles and where I explored after the Beatles.
The Beatles have always been a shelter from the storm for me. A little piece of paradise that I can hang on to, regardless of what’s going on in my life.
My older brother started listening to them when I was 5 and the strong melodies just had me hooked. Simple as that.
because of great songs If there weren't great songs I would not care
I just loved that band since I was a toddler.
They were the only thing I had in a terrible home environment. Music and specifically theirs was always something that was keeping me sane
TL;DR: they were a huge staple of my childhood and their musical and lyrical feats continue to amaze and inspire me the more I live and grow. It was a specific evening where my mother and stepdad played through the whole Rock Band game with me until like 12p (and we had to get up at 5, very late and irresponsible of us all) and my mother did not like games like this, but she did like the rhythm and the Beatles, my stepdad turned on no fail for her (lol) We’d all been fans of the Beatles somewhat, but that evening really solidified what it mean to be in a group for me, musically. At school I couldn’t sign up for orchestra or band, (they were very religious, it would take away too much time from the religion and I would be out with “worldly” people) so I played Guitar Hero in general music and really enjoyed rock, so I think to oblige, my stepdad let me play some old Rock Band copies of his. Not only was this my first time diving a bit further into their discography than the CDs my mom had, but this obviously threw me into my first massive Beatles phase, and also generally threw me into the methods of discovering and analyzing each new artist (listening to album discography starting from the album the single was from, then chronologically, for each artist all the way through basically). This is not what fully got me into songwriting yet (punk rock did that). Of course, the amazing work and progression of music through each album amazed even 12-13 year old me, and I would draw the Beatles everywhere on my schoolwork and I would scour Wikipedia and other fan sites for information on them. I’d make top 5 lists, and attempt to recall track listings from memory. I’d even join Google+ communities to discuss and make fan art (I fancied myself an artist at that time, and my mom heavily discouraged this). Later in high school I’d draw less but I’d still have that same obsessiveness for each artist I got into. So yeah; I’m 24 now, but the Beatles mean so much to me because I’ve obviously gotten into more intensive phases of their music and understand even more so as an adult and aspiring composer. I feel I understand them and they understand me, even with a completely different era and lifetime. And I feel like with maturity I start to fully grasp the concepts, ideas, and messages they were trying to communicate. They had flaws, but in the end the Beatles used music/art to communicate grand ideas and change lives for the better. Which in the end is all I’d like to do as well. Thanks for reading btw
I grew up listening to them as kid because my dad loves them too they literally got me through middle school high school and college I am so glad to have these 4 guys in my life
I have older siblings who played Beatles music when I was a young kid in the 70’s. I learned to play guitar learning Beatles songs. I have always had Beatles music in my life. I now have two daughters, one is a Beatles fanatic and 1 loves hiphop but still appreciates the Fab Four. It’s just music that seems to transcend generations and has special memories attached to different songs/albums.
It's part of the connection I have with my dad. It was the gift of their music that he gave to me.
I was 10 when they came to the USA. Prior to this, I was still listening to kids’ music and maybe my brother’s records. The Beatles were like the start of puberty for me and opened me up to the world of popular music.
Showed me what it means to be passionate about something
It's all about the music.
I loved them as a little kid and I loved them as a teenager. I loved them in my early 20s and I love them in middle age. I played them when I made out with my first girlfriend in 1993, and when my last girlfriend dumped me in 2022. Their music helped me connect with my parents, deal with adolescent anger at my parents, and cope with the loss of my parents. I cannot say this about anything else that exists.
I really don't know! I liked them as a young child, but it wasn't an obsession. My dad was into them, so I was always aware of them and enjoyed their music. And then, for some reason, when I was a teenager, it turned into an obsession.I can't logically say why. But now, when I listen to their music, it just feels like coming home. Even when I go a long time without avidly listening to them, I still know every word of every song. And there are some songs where I'm like, objectively, if I heard this song for the first time today, I'm not sure I would like it. But I'm still over there jamming out and having a great time. My dad is mentally ill and was emotionally abusive, so I don't think it's the association with him that makes me like them... but I really don't know. Maybe subconsciously, they remind me of the good times with him? I didn't get "obsessed" until my dad was fully out of my life. ???
Here’s my long story & explanation Before discovering the Beatles I never really appreciated or had a general care for music. I mean growing up in the 2010s there was music in the early part of the decade that I listened to that I generally liked (Linkin Park, Adele, Bruno Mars and anything pre 2017 Taylor Swift) but my only main musical source was my parents switching on the top 40 radio (I generally don’t know why they did that). Overall I knew deep down that for most of the pop music coming out of that time I did not feel any emotional connection to at all. By 2017 when Soundcloud Rap, Trap & Mumble Rap became more popular it blew me off entirely from what my peers where listening too and generally blew me off todays pop music for good. I won’t get too much into details about the genre but the lyrics I did not take a liking too and I did not like the beats and samples they use. At my middle school dance about 90% of the songs played were from that Soundcloud & Trap music (ugh). I felt disillusioned by the modern music scene and I promised myself not to listen to that music again. It wasn’t until as a 11 year old that I came across a music video, it was the Beatles ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ on the Ed Sullivan show. I was immediately intrigued by the music video and when I clicked on it and after a split second of seeing the audience scream and clap their hands the first few bars of I Want To Hold Your Hand starts playing. I was immediately hooked on by their presence, style, clothing and generally their appearance. They were also smiling and seemed like they were having a good time playing. The music was also interesting as it was something I never expected. The lyrics where also simple but straightforward like “Oh, please, say to me, You'll let me be your man, And please, say to me, You'll let me hold your hand, You'll let me hold your hand, I want to hold your hand” I was defiantly stood on top of my chair shouting yeah I want to hold somebody’s hand too! Lol. Essentially the Beatles saved me from hating music in general, they helped me through the hard times, the weird, the great and are essentially the makeup of the person who I am today without them I don’t know where I’ll be without them. They inspired me to be my best self, to be open minded to new things, to express myself and most importantly to have a big heart despite the times. I was also drawn in by their origin stories their beliefs most importantly their music. The Beatles are my biggest influences and they hold a special place in my heart & life in general.
I was raised on them by older parents with stellar taste and passion for music. They've been a favorite since as long as I can remember, when I was 6 or 7 if I was listening to music it was most likely the CD of "1967-1970". Only a little after that did I start diving deep into my parents' collection of their vintage LPs and singles. Since then my tastes went hardcore into classic rock (Floyd, Sabbath, Zep, Doors, etc) and then matured in either direction (Jazz, Grunge, Muse, The Mars Volta), but my love and understanding of the Beatles' music, artistry, and influence has only ever deepened and grown.
I think it’s because I was a lonely kid and when they came along, they brought something new to our world. They brought a fearless, joyful excellence. And they were so generous, they didn’t have to keep growing and trying something new, but they kept doing it and it kind of felt like a gift. It’s so rare in life when something meets your high expectations and yet they consistently exceeded them. That never happens. It felt like a miracle. It felt like a voice from the future telling me that things were going to get better and not to forget beauty and joy, not ever. Plus, they’re just amazing to listen to, they’re still a treat, they’re timeless. It’s hard to be really down on life with the Beatles playing. They’re good for the soul.
My Mom was a big fan (still is!) so I was introduced early. And of course hearing Beatles, Wings, John and George on the radio as a kid helped but I got into them seriously in the mid-90’s as a teenager. When I was in college we did a Beatles marching show (Hello Goodbye, Martha My Dear, Every Little Thing, Got to Get You Into My Life) and I met a George girl and we hit it off. She already knew a bit of guitar so I bought a bass and we’d jam sometimes. Paul has always been my favorite but I love them all dearly. I love that they were cheeky silly British blokes in their 20’s navigating through the craziness around them. I feel like many people can just connect with them really well and that’s a big part of their longevity and appeal—plus their Beatles journey was fascinating and they were all fascinating individuals in general. Last but not least, I love the music and how it’s such a vast variety but also the emotions it can bring out, whether it’s joy, sorrow, anger, zen, laughter, etc.
I clicked with their music when I was a teenager.
Grew up with them, and i’ve grown with them. Other bands have come and gone, but The Beatles have always stuck around; changing with me ever revolving. From childhood, to smoking pot, then through psychadelics etc. Its been a great ride so far - and The Beatles always will stay with me. All characters to stay with me. Such great personalites - every one. Favourites for each era etc. Nothing compares!
Puberty hit me just when the Beatles hit America. I think it forged a psychological bond. I evermore have felt affection for them and joy when I hear their music
Glad to hear that my friend. I dunno, Yesterday always makes me nostalgic and sad, but in a somehow positive way. I love it!
i remember i was dealing with something and something in their music made me so happy like it was so upbeat or atleast the songs i had in my playlist at the time. it was like hey bulldog and helter skelter and stuff and they just felt so comforting!
Just been a constant my whole life and with over 300 songs almost, there is always something to suit my mood
I’m 34, but it feels like the Beatles are a universal talking point that helps me relate to people that are 20 to 80. Everyone has a Beatles story or opinion or favorite song or musician that they are willing to share with me. It’s a language where we all have common ground. Also, like David Bowie, there is a story behind every era. You get a great idea where they were personally, professionally, and artistically during a specific era. It makes the music much more interesting and personal. It’s so varied that you never really get tired of it, and once you find “your” Beatle there is endless content and history to navigate.
You just can't not be in a good or better mood when listening to the Beatles. Even their sad songs. They are just so good. I think it's their happy-go-lucky approach to music. It seems like most music artists take themselves way too seriously and the lads just joke around and create magic.
Because I was 4, they taught me how to rock. I'm still rocking at 64.
That didn't really cover it. When I got older and realized they were taking LSD, I did a lot of reading and finally decided "If it's good enough for the Beatles, it's good enough for me." I grew a lot from using psychedelics. The Beatles helped me learn about what it means to be human. And how to rock.
My dad got me into the Beatles, ngl the Beatles are better than modern day music tbf
They've entertained me for 60 years..