50 Years Of Pop Culture

[Rob McCow]

OK, here's a bone of contention!

50 years ago today, the Beatles released Please Please Me. I'm not going to say that they were the first band to release any music on LP or anything ridiculous like that, but this was surely one of the first major events in pop culture.

Of course, Elvis Presley was going for much longer and there were other acts around before the Beatles. But none that still command much respect and devotion today. Early Elvis Presley was undeniably brilliant at the time, but his music and popularity are far more 'niche' now.

For The Beatles, that's not the case. They remain popular and listenable today, albeit more from their Rubber Soul album onwards.

So anyway, this thread has two purposes: to celebrate 50 years of Please Please Me and to ask the question, what in your opinion was the start of modern pop culture?

[Si Hunt]

Buddy Holly!

Si.

[Nyder]

Although he's often portrayed as a bit naff now, Cliff Richard was a real rock & roll rebel back in 58, and very, very popular!

[Si Hunt]

Incidentally, I can see Steve's point but I don't agree with it. I own "Please Please Me", and it's quirky early sixties chanty pop is as alien to today's music now as Elvis is, despite being revolutionary at the time. Also you can't possibly in my opinion say that culture "started" here, because there's always something that influences something else. Today's pop is infliuenced by eighties synth which was a reaction against punk which was a reaction against glam rock which was a reaction against bright sixties pop which revolutionised Cliff/Buddy Holly straightlaced guitar sounds which was as rebellious and scandalous to a generation brought up with forties music as music is today when Katy Perry sings about kissing a girl or Britney writhes around naked on an aeroplane. Everything is a reaction to, or influenced by, something else. Music is like an ever changing tide, changing, diverting, crashing back against itself or cannoning off in a different direction. Just like the sea goes on forever, there's no big wave you can really say didn't swell up from another one.

Si.

[Stuart Wallis]

Yes, you might as well argue that Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby or Mozart have had as much influence as anyone on those who are around now. Actually, given Robbie Williams' swing album and Macca's admittance of classical influence...