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4.08pm
15 May 2015
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Thanks, Silly Girl; quite illuminating. I appreciate all the thoughtful details and going where my questions were pointing. Interesting that you say your friends respect the Beatles, even if they aren’t “obsessive” about them. I guess there are three modes of response to the Beatles —
1) dislike;
2) respect that doesn’t actually translate into actually seeking them out to enjoy them on a regular basis; and
3) “obsession”.
(Sure, there are gradations in between these; I’m somewhere between 2 and 3, leaning towards 3; while somewhere between 1 and 2 would be “meh” indifference.)
Given the penchant teenagers seem to have for being ruthlessly fashionable or cliquish about what’s “in” (60s slang), even being a 2 is remarkable.
I think you hit on the crucial point to this all: “the music behind it”. The more that a person is bound by various pop culture lines and boxes, fashions, trends, and attitudes, the less able they are to connect with the music with an open mind. I’m still trying to fathom that strange creature that I’ve met a few times, who actually dislikes the Beatles…
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21 October 2014
Offline I apply in the under 20 for six more years, but better now than late.
First part:
1) What was the very first encounter you had with the Beatles — how old were you, how did it happen?
I always sort of knew about their existence, mainly as the band who was the rival of the Rolling Stones, but especially because my uncle has a poster of them in his bedroom and a Lennon one (the one I once thought was Harry Potter), and I always go there in the holidays since I’m a baby so I have the posters in my head. But of listening to them, I have mainly two, which would be the first ones, both when I was eleven: firstly, my English teacher using Yesterday to practise listening making me obsessed with it (you know, when you love a song and you listen to it a lot in a row). And the other is my father showing me Anna and Please Mister Postman because my back-then-favourite-band-which-now-it’s-like-3rd-or-5th-favourite made sort of parodies of them, using Uruguayan slang and all (here they are If anyone is interested, though you may not understand the lyrics: Anna and Please Mister Postman). I remember being like: “Wait , they’re in black and white? Are they so old?”. But they both ended in nothing. Then, last year when Paul came, I started joking with my father about general culture and I just listened to 20 Greatest Hits as a joke (you know, this thing of thinking I was cool for doing it) and then just out of curiosity I searched the rest on Youtube and BOOM! Here you have me.
2) Why did the Beatles resonate so much with you that you decided they were special and not just like any other band? (again, I’m referring to initially when you first began to realize you liked the Beatles — I’m not so much talking about your present thoughts about it).
I don’t really know, I think It was just sort of different from what I had always listened (read: Disney singers, pop and more pop) so It kinda clicked me. And I also thought they were good-looking (*cough* Paul *cough*)
Second part:
1) Do you consider yourselves in any way “different” from your peers your age, because of your special love of the Beatles, while they seem to be indifferent to the Beatles or only casually like them so-so?
Yep. Only one of my friends listens to them (though she’s not even that obsessed like me) so sometimes I feel kinda rare around my classmates who have mostly the same taste in music. But in general, they have some kind of idea who they were.
2) If yes to 1, why do you think some people, like you, were so deeply touched by the Beatles, yet others (maybe the slim majority?) seem untouched? Why this difference? I realize this second question is kind of philosophical and maybe asking for sociological or psychological speculation, but I’d be interested in your thoughts anyway.
I guess it’s because some people just sort of stay in the most popular songs (She Loves You , Hey Jude , etc) instead of digging a bit. And this happens quite a lot, I’ve been getting into some bands (The Doors, CCR, The Who) lately and it’s mostly the same, I start with some Greatest Hits and I say “Cool”, then I search two or three albums and I’m like “Wow! They’re even more awesome that what I thought”. Especially because some of the real greatest songs tend to be way underrated.
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7.36pm
21 September 2014
Offline 1) What was the very first encounter you had with the Beatles — how old were you, how did it happen?
I’ve been hearing about the Beatles for as long as I can remember. I think my first encounter was in a children’s show. The song was Yellow Submarine but in French. My mom told me the original was by a group named the Beatles, but that didn’t mean anything to me back then. I have also known their names for as long as I can remember, although I don’t know who would have told them to me. As for the start of my current “obsession” with them, it came about a year ago when I watched A Hard Day’s Night . My brothers made me watch it, as they had discovered them before me. The rest, as they say, is history.
2) Why did the Beatles resonate so much with you that you decided they were special and not just like any other band? (again, I’m referring to initially when you first began to realize you liked the Beatles — I’m not so much talking about your present thoughts about it).
As I mentioned above, I started out by watching A Hard Day’s Night , so I was enthralled by their wits and charm. They were just so different from the other bands I knew about. I’m not quite sure what it was exactly, as I find most everything about them to be fascinating.
3) Do you consider yourselves in any way “different” from your peers your age, because of your special love of the Beatles, while they seem to be indifferent to the Beatles or only casually like them so-so?
Yes, I do. Whenever they talk about current pop music, I feel that I can in no way relate to them. My best friend would be an example of this. While she occasionally listens to some Beatles songs (mostly Here Comes The Sun ), she doesn’t get why I love them so much. Idem for me with regards to her love of Taylor Swift.
4) If yes to 1, why do you think some people, like you, were so deeply touched by the Beatles, yet others (maybe the slim majority?) seem untouched? Why this difference? I realize this second question is kind of philosophical and maybe asking for sociological or psychological speculation, but I’d be interested in your thoughts anyway.
I think it’s because I feel as if I can relate to them in a way. I’ve always stood apart and gone against the flow from time to time. The Beatles embodied the 60’s counter-culture and they liked to play by their own rules. I admire that spirit and as I’ve said, I carry a little of it myself. There’s also the fact that their music is timeless, so discovering them 50 years later doesn’t make that much of a difference. I love how their music transcends the years and stays relatable no matter what.
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9.40pm
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15 February 2015
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@Pineapple Records noted
Thanks, Silly Girl; quite illuminating.
You’re welcome 
I guess there are three modes of response to the Beatles —
1) dislike;
2) respect that doesn’t actually translate into actually seeking them out to enjoy them on a regular basis; and
3) “obsession”.
Given the penchant teenagers seem to have for being ruthlessly fashionable or cliquish about what’s “in” (60s slang), even being a 2 is remarkable.
<snip>
I like 60s slang… 🙂
It might help that I and all my friends are home-schooled. My theory is that outside the public school system there’s less peer pressure and more freedom to be yourself and like any sort of music you jolly well please.
Not to say that there aren’t plenty of public-schooled Beatles fans, of course. Just a thought.
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2.05am
15 May 2015
Offline Thanks Lucy in the Sky and Merch for taking so much time to answer. It seems like both of you experience a bit of that sense of being singular around your peers who don’t “get it” (unlike Silly Girl’s experience with her peers).
If any one or all of you could answer a related question: During your time of getting acquainted with the Beatles and coming to the realization you were really enthused about them, did you ever feel, or think, that somehow they were not quite “properly” cool (i.e. in terms of current standards); or were you surprised that they were so cool while being from another era; or did they just seem unremarkably cool to you without any cognitive dissonance?
It just seems to me that “cool” is often so time-bound and fashion-bound, and when a person or band can maintain a cool that is relevant across several decades, that’s quite a unique accomplishment. (And no cool simply because of the phenomenon of “retro” allowed — that’s cheating … 
)
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2.02pm
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15 February 2015
Offline @Pineapple Records said
If any one or all of you could answer a related question: During your time of getting acquainted with the Beatles and coming to the realization you were really enthused about them, did you ever feel, or think, that somehow they were not quite “properly” cool (i.e. in terms of current standards); or were you surprised that they were so cool while being from another era; or did they just seem unremarkably cool to you without any cognitive dissonance?
The one in bold. I think. I never thought about it much– I was too busy playing broom guitar along with Nowhere Man … 
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7.05pm
21 September 2014
Offline During your time of getting acquainted with the Beatles and coming to the realization you were really enthused about them, did you ever feel, or think, that somehow they were not quite “properly” cool (i.e. in terms of current standards); or were you surprised that they were so cool while being from another era; or did they just seem unremarkably cool to you without any cognitive dissonance?
“Cool” is not a word that has ever crossed my mind in relation to the Beatles. They’re in a category of their own, so I wouldn’t say that word covers them. It’s not that they’re from another era, it’s more that they’re beyond trivial words like “cool”. “Cool” is the new iPhone or an unexpected fun outing. So I don’t think they’re cool by today’s standards because it’s too mainstream.
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7.14pm
21 October 2014
Offline Pineapple Records said
If any one or all of you could answer a related question: During your time of getting acquainted with the Beatles and coming to the realization you were really enthused about them, did you ever feel, or think, that somehow they were not quite “properly” cool (i.e. in terms of current standards); or were you surprised that they were so cool while being from another era; or did they just seem unremarkably cool to you without any cognitive dissonance?
I enter in the second one. I think it had to do with the fact that they were the first “old” band I listened to (and also with my musical ignorance, which I still have, but in less quantity), now when I get into other bands from that time I’m not that surprised.
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8.37pm
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15 February 2015
Offline 
Silly Girl said, before elaborating
@Pineapple Records said
If any one or all of you could answer a related question: During your time of getting acquainted with the Beatles and coming to the realization you were really enthused about them, did you ever feel, or think, that somehow they were not quite “properly” cool (i.e. in terms of current standards); or were you surprised that they were so cool while being from another era; or did they just seem unremarkably cool to you without any cognitive dissonance?The one in bold. I think. I never thought about it much– I was too busy playing broom guitar along with Nowhere Man …
It’s also that I never paid (still don’t pay) any attention whatsoever to what is/was ‘cool’. What I like, I like, and what I don’t, I don’t. Keep in mind my only musical education before the Beatles was instrumental/new age which nobody except my dad listened to or knew about. I sort of had my own little world, in which no consideration of ‘cool’ was ever present.
Edit: And, on further reflection, I am different from my peers, and it’s only partly because I love the Beatles so much. The other part is that I’m just… different. 🙂
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10.05pm
8 August 2014
Offline Silly Girl said
Silly Girl said, before elaborating
@Pineapple Records said
If any one or all of you could answer a related question: During your time of getting acquainted with the Beatles and coming to the realization you were really enthused about them, did you ever feel, or think, that somehow they were not quite “properly” cool (i.e. in terms of current standards); or were you surprised that they were so cool while being from another era; or did they just seem unremarkably cool to you without any cognitive dissonance?The one in bold. I think. I never thought about it much– I was too busy playing broom guitar along with Nowhere Man …
It’s also that I never paid (still don’t pay) any attention whatsoever to what is/was ‘cool’. What I like, I like, and what I don’t, I don’t. Keep in mind my only musical education before the Beatles was instrumental/new age which nobody except my dad listened to or knew about. I sort of had my own little world, in which no consideration of ‘cool’ was ever present.
Edit: And, on further reflection, I am different from my peers, and it’s only partly because I love the Beatles so much. The other part is that I’m just… different. 🙂
Aye. I second that. I never really thought much about like the Beatles being uncool or old. They were the first band I really listened to and I really felt connected with them somehow. Of course, I knew that they were an older band because my dad bought me Sgt Peppers and he said that his roommate gave him an LP back in 1967. The Beatles have actually until recently been the only band I listen to. I don’t care much for modern music as I find that now it’s more about the celebrities and less about the music. The only other things I listen to are like other 60s bands like Pink Floyd and also some swing music. The only modern artist I have a record by is a country singer named Sturgill Simpson. I like him because he is less modern. Like SG said, I don’t care about what’s cool.
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10.42pm
15 May 2015
Offline Yeah, SG and UFT, over time as I’ve read all the responses to this topic (and also many other topics here), it seems quite possible that when you find a Beatles fan, no matter what age, you’ve found someone who is less cookie-cutter and more outside the box than many… It’s almost an “ipso facto” I think.
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4.35pm
24 April 2016
Offline So… I feel like i’m a bit late on answering these questions but here goes!
1) what was the very first encounter you had with the Beatles — how old were you, how did it happen?
Well I always knew that the beatles existed but i never paid much attention to them, I most certainly never listened to their music. About a year and a half ago (14 at the time) my friend made me watch glee with her, Every episode! and I went on to skip the song part because i was interested in the storyline but on a few episodes i actually listened to them, two of those being the beates episodes. Later on I started watching doctor who (as suggested by the same friend) and as I was watching an episode with my dad there was a reference to Here Comes The Sun . My dad started singing it and I knew i had heard it before and liked it, so I went on to se that episode (of glee) again and then I just had to see how their version compared to the original. After hearing the “real one” I absolutely loved it, it just made me happy… So I listened to it on repeat going to school and home for a few weeks and i never grew tired of it. After a while i started listening to more of their songs and then when I went on a two hours bus ride it was the only band name i knew (I mostly listened to whatever my dad or sister played) and since I only had the free version of spotify I had to shuffle the songs. And then I noticed it… There didn’t come one single song that i thought was bad, not a single one. I went on to do some research and I thought “oh my nothing’s missing for this band… The music is great the stories are great and looks are also pretty good. And thats how it started (though I haven’t been a fan for long my fangirliness escalates quite quickly )
2) why did the Beatles resonate so much with you that you decided they were special and not just like any other band? (again, I’m referring to initially when you first began to realize you liked the Beatles — I’m not so much talking about your present thoughts about it).
I had always been annoyed by the fact that everyone had a favorite band and something to put on their playlists. I never really liked a band, I mostly liked 70s-80s music (probably because of my dad) and I used to never know the names of bands and songs. I also used to like individual songs rather than bands, when i tried to listen to a band I quite often found that I didn’t really like the band, but only a few songs. When I started to listen to the beatles I found that i liked all songs (well almost all of them). Thats really why I stuck with it. There was also this feeling that this (my love for all things beatle) wasn’t just one of those “oh I just discovered this” fangirl phases (have those sometimes) it just felt special to me
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28 July 2015
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Apparently didn’t come across this thread around the time I joined, so I guess I’ll just answer it now
My first encounter with The Beatles I was pretty little, I’m guessing about 7 or 8, but I don’t remember specifically how old I was. Anyways, I found out about them when I was in music class and we sang Yellow Submarine constantly. But, at the time, I didn’t know it was The Beatles who sang it, mainly because I didn’t pay much attention to them. It took a good 5 or 6 years before I actually looked it up (I believe I was 11, going on 12). I kinda stopped listening to it for a few months, and got back into just a few months before joining this forum, actually. And I absolutely fell in love from there.
Honestly, I’m not too sure how they resonated so much to me. I think it was the fact that, at the time, I had never listened to anything earlier than the 70s-80s era and it was kinda out of the ordinary for my taste at the time. My playlist mainly consisted of Marina and the diamonds and Lorde, so their music was pretty different from my other artists
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26 January 2017
Offline How did I get into the Fab Four?
Good Parenting
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14 April 2010
Offline sir walter raleigh said
How did I get into the Fab Four?Good Parenting
Does that mean your parents taught you the alphabet, but only up to the letter “J”?
A, B, C, D
Can I bring my friend to tea?
E, F, G, H, I, J, I love you
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10 August 2011
Offline Nice to hear all this, really.
I do sometimes wonder whether I love the Beatles because they were the soundtrack of my early teen years or because they were really, really great.
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20 August 2013
Offline Into the Sky with Diamonds said
Nice to hear all this, really.
I do sometimes wonder whether I love the Beatles because they were the soundtrack of my early teen years or because they were really, really great.
I think it was because they were really, really great. A very young clerk at the National Archives commented on my Beatles t-shirt. She said, “There just isn’t much good music out there today. The Beatles are good music.”
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11.28am
5 November 2011
Offline Into the Sky with Diamonds said
Nice to hear all this, really.
I do sometimes wonder whether I love the Beatles because they were the soundtrack of my early teen years or because they were really, really great.
I wonder that same thing. Do I like the Beatles? Or do I only like the idea of what they have been for me?
All living things must abide by the laws of the shape they inhabit
11.42am
22 September 2014
Offline Ahhh Girl said
Into the Sky with Diamonds said
Nice to hear all this, really.
I do sometimes wonder whether I love the Beatles because they were the soundtrack of my early teen years or because they were really, really great.
I think it was because they were really, really great. A very young clerk at the National Archives commented on my Beatles t-shirt. She said, “There just isn’t much good music out there today. The Beatles are good music.”
I’m sure you gave her your card and recruited her for the forum, right?
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14 April 2010
Offline @Into the Sky with Diamonds said
I do sometimes wonder whether I love the Beatles because they were the soundtrack of my early teen years or because they were really, really great.
I see no reason why it can’t be both.
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