Running head: CRITICAL ACCOUNT OF AN AUDIO PROJECT 1

Critical Account of an Audio Project

Student Name

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Introduction

This document seeks to provide a critical account based on scholarly research that

demonstrates a clear understanding of concepts associated with an audio project that had

unexpected effects on modern pop culture. To achieve this objective, this discussion will involve

a brief description of the working process behind this research, followed by a few examples of

influential content from the Beatles and concluded by an explanation of the larger implications of

the band’s music in the existing music industry and general society. For the purpose of a detailed

context, this discussion will involve three audio projects released by the iconic band between the

years of 1964 and 1970.

Despite the indisputable fact that the Beatles’ stopped making music many years ago, I

used the internet to find original samples of their music, in addition to background information

on the iconic group. I was able to listen to a variety of their chart-topping melodies and watch

them perform in a few events. Most of the material was readily available on Youtube, Mixcloud

and other music blogs that have the Beatles music on hand for fans. Furthermore, I was able to

acquire scholarly material on Google Scholar, a search engine that enabled me to find credible

and peer-reviewed information that related the Beatles’ music and fashion to current social and

artistic definitions. Therefore, a section of this discussion will involve three of the Beatles’

legendary songs, followed by a critique of the influence the band had in revolutionizing social

aspects of the 1960s, a decade that re-defined most of the musical and artistic bounds.
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Media Theories

A significant part of this discussion was guided by an appropriate media theory. This

refers to the multifaceted relationship between socio-cultural aspects, the media and the

onlooking societies. The most prominent media theory that is applicable in the analysis of this

audio project is the Normative Theory. This theory is concerned with comparing the true

function of the media in society, held up against what they actually do in reality. This theory

posits that the obligations of mass media are closely linked with the norms and values of a given

society (Fourie, 2017). This rings true with the Beatles’ music, owing to the fact that British and

American media facilitated the popularization of the band since most of the receivers on the

other end of mass media resonated with the lyrics, thus their popularity skyrocketed on a global

basis.

An alternate variant of media theories also emerged through the rise of the Beatles’ and

their iconic music. An Authoritarian Media Theory was popular in parts of the East where the

Beatles’ music was not so popular. This was directly because of the authoritarian leadership in

places like North Korea and Russia where all forms of media was subject to extreme prejudice,

supervision and selective censorship of the ruling authority. This was because the governments

of the day were against gender fluidity notions that the Beatles’ music largely endorsed,

something that these leaders reasoned would undermine their desired political order (McQuail,

2010). The authoritariam media theory fits this bill perfectly, given that it recognized this brazen

contravention of a people’s freedom of expression.

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The Beatles are undoubtedly the biggest worldwide sensation to be witnessed in rock

music history. They were an iconic rock band from England formed in 1960 which went on to

take the world by surprise over the decade that followed. The band consisted of three initial

members who were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison before being later joined by

Ringo Starr. Lennon and McCartney were renowned as the main writers and composers of the

legendary group. The band enjoyed several honors and earned a lot of money from their music

due to its unparalleled quality and popularity. During the 10 years in which the band made rock

music before sadly breaking up, they definitively encompassed what rock and roll music was

meant to be. The band creatively incorporated elements of old pop music, classic music and

unique innovative recording techniques to achieve the desired sound of their music. It is reported

by a credible recent record that the Beatles have sold at least 2.3 albums, with which they

achieved six diamond, 24 multi-platinum, 39 platinum and 45 gold ratings for their albums in the

United States alone: (Moore & Martin 2018). At one point during a particularly impressive week

in April of 1964, The Beatles occupied the highly coveted top 5 positions on the Billboard Hot

100 charts and seven other positions within the same chart at the same time. (Womack 2014).

Content of Influential Music

Lennon McCartney. (1964) “Can’t Buy Me Love”, The Beatles on “A Hard Day’s Night” Vinyl

Record. Paris, France. Parlophone.

“Can’t Buy Me Love” is a fast-paced song credited to Lennon McCartney released by the

Beatles in March of 1964. This pop-rock classic is an energetic song dominated by harmonious

vocals and guitar-centric tune that drive home one crucial message over and over again. The

song laments that all one needs is love and that need can never be replaced by all the money in

the world: (Davies 2014). The incorporation of pop and love songs was then an unchartered
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territory and therefore rocked the world as audiences listened and cheered in response every time

the song was played or performed. Part of the song was composed as follows:

”Can’t buy me love

Everybody tells me so

Can't buy me love

No, no, no, no…”

“Say you don't need no diamond rings

And I'll be satisfied

Tell me that you want the kind of things

That money just can't buy

I don't care too much for money

Money can't buy me love…”

The most distinct and outright characteristic in this song is the theme of genuine love.

The words rhyme perfectly with the instruments as the band members boldly belt out their

melodious tune. The fast tempo portrays a lively and exciting tune that instantly communicates

the proud message of love. The instruments echo the lyrics that McCartney belts out as the main

singer. The song is sung in a high vocal key and a fast tempo which matches the strongly

articulated rhythm that remains constant until the song ends; (Davies 2014). This song ended up

getting massive reception from their fans. It was a family-friendly song that was enjoyed by

individuals from all generations as it rose to become The Beatles’ fourth chart-topping record.

The song sold over a million copies making the band significantly more famous and wealthier

than they already were. Consequently, this song played the pivotal role of propelling the band

into unheard greatness and legendary status. This signaled their transition into more complex
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music that incorporated different instruments than the band members were trying out new

techniques on.

Second Song

Paul McCartney & John Lennon. (1966) “Yellow Submarine”, The Beatles on Revolver Vinyl

Record. EMI Studios, London. Parlophone

This cheerful song has a rhythmic chorus that encourages an individual to sing along to it,

as was intended by the musical prodigy that was The Beatles. The song begins with a soulful

solo verse with a spirited attitude aimed to encourage the listener. The voices of the band

members join in melodiously and are further complemented by the playful pattern of the

melodious beat. The instruments provide a moderate tempo that allows one to sing along without

straining to keep up, which is especially useful for children as they learn the nuances of language

and singing. Hilarious remarks can be heard in the background as a sarcastic shout reply to each

stanza of the last verse of this tune, invoking a refreshing attitude to the music with some

comedy. The song employs a form of repetition to achieve the lively tone with which listeners

instantly respond to. A particularly enjoyable part of the song is sung as follows;

“We all live in a yellow submarine

Yellow submarine, yellow submarine

We all live in a yellow submarine

Yellow submarine, yellow submarine

And our friends are all aboard

Many more of them live next door

And the band begins to play…”

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It is an uplifting song that encourages a communal sense of unity and the benefits of

peace as we all live together on this earth, artistically described as the Yellow Submarine. In a

later interview, John Lennon and Paul McCartney disclosed that the song was a result of mashing

up two other melodies they had in production at the time. Although the song was initially meant

as a fun jingle for children, as Paul McCartney revealed, it received enormous praise and

approval from adults as well, once again proving to the world that The Beatles were capable of

transforming any musical genre they ventured into: (Womack 2014). This was a groundbreaking

song in its own right since it was the debut of Ringo Starr as lead vocal on the track. The song

gained further fame after The Beatles released a feature-length cartoon video of a big yellow

submarine as the song’s visualizer.

Third Song:

George Harrison. (1970) “For You Blue”, The Beatles on Let It Be Vinyl Record. Apple Studio,

London. Apple

This acoustic guitar masterpiece which George Harrison wrote and recorded. He

dedicated it as a love song to his beloved wife, Pattie Boyd. The song incorporated a slide, drums

and an acoustic guitar. It was meant to be a love song and therefore it had to sound the part as

well and consequently, there was no bass guitar used for that particular song. Paul McCartney

improvised his piano keystrokes by inserting pieces of paper in between the piano strings:

(Lewisohn 2016). This had the effect of creating the distinct fuzzy metallic sound that is

predominantly heard backing up Harrison’s soulful tone perfectly throughout the song. In one of

the recording sessions, you can actually hear McCartney fiddling around with the strings before

the instruments begin playing. Part of the song is sung as follows;

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“Because you're sweet and lovely, girl, I love you

Because you're sweet and lovely, girl, it's true

I love you more than ever, girl, I do

I want you in the morning, girl, I love you

I want you at the moment I feel blue

I'm living every moment, girl, for you…”

The song begins with the lively strum of a guitar that excites the ear and quickly grasps

your attention. Shortly after, the sultry lyrics chime in and clearly denote the theme of this love

song. The slide was played by John Lennon and he was observed to be using an empty shotgun

shell for the slide to get the specific sound he felt was right. The song climaxes with a free beat

with a beautiful guitar sequence before George Harrison chimes back in with his smooth voice

rounding off the song in a classic Beatles fashion.

Effects of the Beatles’ Music on Culture

While the artistic derivatives of music by the Beatles has gained much critical acclaim,

their influence reached further than the perceived airways originally intended, a clear precedent

of the Normative Media Theory. This notion is supported by the undisputed fact that the Beatles’

songs have a record of topping charts both in the United States and the United Kingdom for an

unprecedented 27 times. An impressive and phenomenal feat for four individuals from Liverpool

who had no extensive training in music.

Despite the fact that it has been several decades since the Beatles were on top of the

musical mountain, the popularity of their music still rings true to date. The individual members

of the group are usually more recognized as ex-Beatles rather than John, George, Ringo and

Paul. This is because of their influence and achievement as a group surpassed anything they ever
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did in their individual careers after the band stopped playing together. That legacy remains

ingrained in modern music, with many musicians drawing inspiration from them. Some sources

have it in good authority that The Beatles’ music is still more prominent and relevant that the

legendary.

Social Resonance

The Beatles similarly resonated with the blue-collar fellow, something that was

instrumental to the success of the group. Granted that all the band members were from the

typical English, their dedication to their craft and group creativity earned the respect and

following from people from all walks of life. This influenced the evolution of American pop

music at the time, with many bands switching their style of music to something that resembled

the Beatle’s famous melodies. That was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to the influence

which the musicians left ingrained in the core of society.

To put this into context, in the Czech Republic there are eyeglasses with round rims that

are referred to as ‘Lenonky’, a term that closely associated with the type of eyeglasses that John

Lennon wore during the prime of the Beatles’ career and long afterward (Hecl, 2006). This

popularity was so prominent in the Soviet Union despite the Authoritarian media theory that saw

the governments of the day censor a lot of internationally produced content from getting into the

hearts and minds of their people as a way of keeping the citizens in check.

The ‘Beatlemania’ fever that was rampant resulted in British commercial outfits

associating their brands and products with the word Beatle. Teenage boys embodied the popstar

appearance of the Beatles’ appearance, characterized by long flowing hair and collar-less

corduroy jackets. This trend was so strong that by late 1963, Beatle-like wigs emerged among
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real hairstyling, something that led to rampant tales of schoolboys and factory workers being

turned away from school and work respectively due to the striking hair and a general appearance

that was not really appropriate for formal settings.

Rebels against Authority

As a result of the bold appearances, The Beatles were instrumental to a sort of rebel

movement that gained a foothold in society. In one of the Beatles’ feature films, A Hard Day’s

Night from 1964, the apparent rebellion towards authority characterized by a police chase and

general naughtiness. The film helped to solidify the notion that British rock did not have much

critical acclaim until the Beatles came into the scene. The trickle effect of that film can still be

felt decades later, as evident with the production and subsequent release of Help in 1965 and a

further iteration in 1977 by the Spice Girls (Gammond, 1991). After Paul McCartney’s 2003

concert in Moscow, a documentary was churned out that involved several notable Russian

figures recounting how significant the Beatles’ music was to them, despite the extreme difficulty

involved with obtaining their music at the time in the Soviet Union, in addition to the band being

banned from performing in the region.

While a significant part of the Beatles’ impact was on music and the general creative

culture. The band had a telling effect on the fluidity of gender revolution, characterized by a

wave of music that embodied the highs and lows of teenage girls. Despite the apparent charisma

and nonchalance, the Beatles unintentionally fueled the gender revolution that inspired further

action by youths globally at the time. The brand of Beatles’ music appealed to the teenagers of

the 1950s who were spurred into self-awareness that caused a distinct rebellion of parental

identity. In addition to the context of Elvis Presley’s teenage awareness and mode of revolution,
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he similarly influenced both aspects of male and female fashion, a fact that remains near sacred

to modern-day Elvis enthusiasts.

Musical Evolution

Steven D. Stark’s book, ‘Meet the Beatles’, provides helpful insight into the course of

music chosen by the legendary band in the 20th century. He notably wrote that the first

impression he got upon meeting the iconic artistes was that they looked and sounded vaguely

feminine. This observation was characterized by long flowing hair and songs which featured

high-pitch falsetto. Despite the apparent subtlety, these attributes resonated with young women at

the time who found the Beatles to be a refreshingly different variant of males. Furthermore, all of

the four members of the Beatles were bachelors in their heydays, something that won over the

hearts of millions of women all across the globe.

In the 1960s, there was a definite shift in the type of music churned out by the band. The

Beatles’ brand of music leaned towards argumentative lyrics that appealed to the young women

of the time. According to Steven Stark, there was an institutional chairperson of a faculty

Musicology Department by the name of Robert Walser who noted that the Beatles’ music in the

’60s had certain energy accompanied by a semblance of women empowerment (Walser, 1993).

This embodied an unprecedented sense of community that was seldom seen in public figures.

The apparent sympathetic plight towards the social oppression of women in their lyrics was

unmistakable, something that partially spurred the group’s success alongside the budding of

feminism especially in North America.

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At that point, the artistic influence of the Beatles had hopped over to other continents, a

direct beneficial consequence of having millions of mostly female fans who cultured the habit of

tailing the iconic band on numerous tours, a loyal army that soon earned the title of having been

washed over by ‘Beatlemania’. Their lyrics captured a unique approach to new ideas such as

sexual revolution, a realization of the generational gap and the use of recreational drugs, all

aspects of society that became more popular over the decade during which the Beatles became a

global sensation (Womack & Davis, 2012). The majority of youth and rock fans experienced a

peculiar change in musical taste, straying away from carefree cheeky bands singing love tunes to

thoughtful ‘hippies’ who contemplated the meaning of life on a regular basis.

In summary, the Beatles are the most accomplished and well renowned musical outfit of

the current century. As illustrated in this paper by referring to three of The Beatles records as an

example, they were a truly exceptional group of musicians. Starting from their inspirational

lyrics to their unconventional use of musical instruments, this band elevated the meaning of

being artistic performers (Hamelman, 2011). The creativity and ingenuity used to produce their

unique sound is nothing short of musical joy. This paper has discussed some of the unique

techniques that these artists used on their instruments to create exceptional music. This

discussion has similarly discussed two variant media theories that largely dictated how the

Beatle’s music was received by the world’s audience.

On August 20th, 1969, The Beatles had their last ever group recording session, and the

pop sensation ceased to exist as a single unit after that. Even decades after their break-up and

subsequent decline in individual musical endeavors, the Beatles completely redefined popular

music culture and an unparalleled evolution in the rock music genre during the band’s ten-year

spell: (Sercombe 2017). The analysis of the three songs is a clear testament to their songwriting
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genius and their eventual crucial impact of transforming pop music into a form of art. Despite

current music trends and landscape, The Beatles are still recognized as one of the biggest music

phenomena to be witnessed in all of human history. It has been severally proclaimed that should

The Beatles have stayed together and performed their joint art until their ripe old age, they would

have built a legendary record for musical groups for all time. (Lewisohn 2016)

References

Davies, H. (Ed.). (2014). The Beatles Lyrics: The Stories Behind the Music, Including the

Handwritten Drafts of More Than 100 Classic Beatles Songs. Hachette UK.

Fourie, P. J. (2017). Normative media theory in the digital media landscape: from media ethics to

ethical communication. Communicatio, 43(2), 109-127.

Gammond, P. (1991). The Oxford companion to popular music. Oxford,[England]; Toronto:

Oxford University Press.

Hamelman, S. (2011). The Beatles and the Art of the Tambourine. Studies in Popular

Culture, 33(2), 95-116.

Hecl, R. (2006). The Beatles and their influence on culture. Unpublished bachelor's thesis).

Masaryk University. Retrieved from https://is. muni.

cz/th/108918/ff_b/The_Beatles_and_Their_Influence_on_Culture. pdf.

Lewisohn, M. (2016). The Beatles: All These Years (Vol. 1). Three Rivers Press.
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McQuail, D. (2010). Module 2: Unit 11: Media Regulation. Department of Media and

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Moore, A. F., & Martin, R. (2018). Rock: The primary text: Developing a musicology of rock.

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