A good short history on the origins of an important cultural phenomenon.
Once upon a time a 2-3 decades ago one of the curmudgeon's associated with Quadrant wrote an essay blaming all thats wrong with the world (as it was then) on the pernicious influence of the Beatles. Coleman I think it was.

I was there! Well, not exactly at the Ed Sullivan show, but watching TV in rural Illinois. My only recollection is that I laughed uproariously at their hairstyles. We all did. I don't think I had heard them before (fashion travelled more slowly then), but soon become a lover of their music (and of course still am).

One needs to be careful about giving to much weight to the impact of their philosophies. The world was changing rapidly at the time. The Beatles were part of it but hardly the cause. There was a massive global homogenisation of popular culture and taste. For example, in 1964 and for years earlier I could easily identify Americans, anywhere. It was their hair and clothing. Within a few years that had all changed. They had merged into the crowd.

Half a century later there's food for thought in the continuing popularity of their music. We still listen to the Beatles, Stones and the wave of great pop music that followed. But in 1964 was the music of 1914 still popular? No way. There's a message there. Not sure what it is.

Access, Tombee. And of course technology.

>>But in 1964 was the music of 1914 still popular? No way. There's a message there. Not sure what it is.<<

Paradoxically, it is far easier for us in 2014 to discover, download and listen to music from 1914, than it was fifty years ago. How would you have discovered this in 1964...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_3Sozlvoyk

or this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0AnNg7ZYmU

I'm not for a moment suggesting these are examples of great music to compare with the Beatles. But just think for a moment how much music from that time has never been heard since, either never recorded or lost.