Beatlemania

The fame, talent, and success of the Beatles need no introduction. Nor does the world need another book exploring the band's skill and its influence on music and society in the United States, Britain, and the rest of the world. Andr‚ Millard instead probes the phenomenon of Beatlemania from a distinctly original perspective, looking at the relationship among the music business, recording technologies, and teens and young adults of the era.

Millard argues that no matter how indisputably skilled the Beatles were, they would not have attained the global recognition and had the impact that they did without the convergence of significant changes in how music was produced, recorded, sold, and consumed. As the Second Industrial Revolution hit full swing and baby boomers came of age, the reel-to-reel recorder and other technological advances sped the evolution of the music business. Musicians, recording studios and record labels, and music fans used and interacted with music-making and -playing technology in new ways. Listening to records and the radio became not only better with higher quality machines but also an experience that one could easily share with others, even if they weren't in the same physical space. At the same time, the increase in cross-Atlantic commerce-especially of entertainment products-led to a freer exchange of ideas and styles of expression, notably among the middle and lower classes in the U.S. and U.K. It was at that point, Millard argues, that the Beatles rode their remarkable musicianship and cultural savvy to an unprecedented bond with their fans-and spawned Beatlemania.

Refreshing and insightful, Beatlemania offers a deeper understanding the days of the Fab Four and the band's long-term effects on the business and culture of music.