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Whenever I think of the Beatles I am struck with great ambivalence. Like them or not, no one can deny the incredible influence they had (and still have) over popular music since the rock-n-roll era began. On the other side of the same coin, they only made albums for about eight years and their catalogue is actually rather limited. All in all, they were one of the great bands from the British Invasion and from the roots of rock-n-roll. It would be hard to overstate their overall influence on the era, but I believe accolades to the band should be tempered with acknowledgement of the fact that, as a group, they did not have great staying power.

Perhaps the Beatles actually had the right idea. It might be true that after eight years together, the creative juices as a team just quit flowing. After the Beatles split as a group, they all went on to fame on their own as individuals. John Lennon's stuff was a little deeper than the others' solo material. Paul McCartney churned out pop hit after pop hit. I always liked George Harrison's solo stuff. Of course, Ringo Starr did more novelty stuff and did some acting. All four of them were (are) recognizable to millions away from the Beatles.

And what of some of the other bands who started at about the same time as the Beatles that did stay together? Though the Rolling Stones did have great staying power and remain immensely popular, I personally don't much care for their stuff. In 1969, the Stones put out "Let it Bleed" which was one of the greatest albums of all time by anybody. Since that time, I don't think I've liked more than two songs an any given release-and they've probably put out at least twenty albums since then. On the other hand, The Who stayed together until 1982 (and on and off since that time). I would put Pete Townshend's songwriting abilities right up there with John Lennon, and he was able to maintain it for a longer period of time.

There really can be no doubt that the Beatles are one of the greatest rock-n-roll bands of all time. They made incredibly original music, especially after the "Sgt. Pepper" era and the influence they had on almost any other band since the height of their popularity can never be denied. I can honestly say that I liked almost everything they put out. Even the fact that their staying power was less than other bands of the era is not necessarily a bad thing. Though I won't fawn over them the way some people do, I will always have great respect for their music, both as a group and as solo artists. Any way you slice it, there can be no doubt that the Beatles are one of rock-n-roll's most important influences.

Learn more about this author, Paul Schingle.
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