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View Full Version : The Who? No, it's the Beatles


beatlemethisbeatlemethat
Sep 30, 2000, 01:01 AM
They remain the most famous, most influential and best-loved band in pop history. But 30 years after they broke up, barely half of Britain can remember The Beatles' names.


A new survey proves the famous adage - if you can remember the Sixties you weren't there - is not only true for the former flower children of the time.

One in five people today cannot name John Lennon or Sir Paul McCartney as being members of the Fab Four and half of all those questioned think Ringo Starr is best known nowadays not for his drumming - but as the narrator of Thomas The Tank Engine.

Yet, for all the amnesia of successive generations, The Beatles remain the band most music fans would like to see get back together for a reunion tour.

In a survey of more than 1,000 Britons of all ages by online retailer Amazon, 45 per cent said they would prefer a Fab Four comeback to some of the biggest bands of the past few decades, including teen idols Take That, The Spice Girls, rock legends The Doors or punk heroes The Sex Pistols.


More surprisingly, nearly one in three of 18-24 year olds would also prefer The Beatles to reform too. And a quarter of all those questioned believe - wrongly - that they have spent more weeks in the British charts than any other act in pop history.

In fact, despite regularly topping critics and music lovers' polls, they are only seventh behind Elvis Presley - the most successful ever - Cliff Richard, Elton John, Madonna, Michael Jackson and Rod Stewart.

The results come just days before the publication of a new autobiography of the band - the end result of the first collaboration between the three remaining Beatles and John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono since the Beatles split in 1970.

To mark the occasion Amazon.co.uk is opening a special Beatles Store, which will feature discs and memorabilia, to cope with the anticipated increase in demand for Beatles music, films and memorabilia in advance of the publication of the book, The Beatles Anthology, on 5 October this year.

Amazon's music manager Paul Zimmerman said: "The Beatles have a special place in pop culture with people of all ages. We may not all be able to remember their names but we can all hum along to a Beatles song."




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Peace, Love, and Beatles,
Stefanie

Beatle Me This, Beatle Me That (http://beatlemethisbeatlemethat.virtualave.net/)

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"After all is said and done, you can't go pleasing everyone, so screw it"
--John Lennon

lennon-mccartney
Sep 30, 2000, 04:31 AM
Those crazy Brits!

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http://www.angelfire.com/stars/LennonMcCartney/lennonmccartneylink.gif (http://www.angelfire.com/stars/LennonMcCartney)

bearkat77
Oct 01, 2000, 12:37 AM
No matter what anyone says, the Beatles will always be #1 in my book. Since they came to America, I have followed their exploits world wide.
Before October is over, I suspect the Beatles will move up in the polls and give Elvis the Pelvis a run for his money as the act to stay on the charts the longest.

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Bearkat77's Beatlemaniac Page (http://www9.50megs.com/bearkat77)

PennyLane
Oct 01, 2000, 07:55 AM
Let's also remember that Elvis' success is partly based on his whole 'theme' and not his talent. Without the hips, would he still be as popular?

jtal909
Oct 01, 2000, 01:51 PM
Most true, Lenmac. And Elvis brought rock and roll to the mainstream, and in that regard was a great innovator, but he couldn't have done it without the voice.

Paul_McCartney2002
Oct 01, 2000, 02:35 PM
if it's true people can't remmber who the beatles are then that's just sad.

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Paul is a live, prove me wrong by going to www.anetzweb.com (http://www.anetzweb.com)

beatlemethisbeatlemethat
Oct 01, 2000, 02:48 PM
The funniest thing happened yesterday to me. I was listening to the Beatles and my cousin who is 26 years of age, he asked me what I was listening to. I told him the Beatles. And he was asking me about them. I forget exactly what was said, because I was laughing so hard, but he thought John was the drumer, he thought Ringo had been the one who was murdered. There were a bunch of other things too. He also said that they weren't famous lol. I was like "what are you talking about! They have been famous for 30 years". But I still don't understand how people who grew up listening to the Beatles would forget them.

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Peace, Love, and Beatles,
Stefanie

Beatle Me This, Beatle Me That (http://beatlemethisbeatlemethat.virtualave.net/)

//0-0\\//0-0\\//0-0\\
"After all is said and done, you can't go pleasing everyone, so screw it"
--John Lennon

Paul_McCartney2002
Oct 01, 2000, 02:51 PM
I don't know dude, I'm 16 and I proboby know more about the beatles then I do about music from this year!

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Paul is a live, prove me wrong by going to www.anetzweb.com (http://www.anetzweb.com)

PennyLane
Oct 01, 2000, 03:40 PM
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lennon-mccartney:
You shouldn't make comments like this. If you don't know, don't say.
Elvis made it primarily because of his voice.....then the other crap.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I like his music, don't get me wrong. I just think that much of his appeal was his stage presance. You may disagree, but that doesn't mean that I don't know what I am talking about.

lennon-mccartney
Oct 02, 2000, 12:29 AM
You shouldn't make comments like this. If you don't know, don't say.
Elvis made it primarily because of his voice.....then the other crap.

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http://www.angelfire.com/stars/LennonMcCartney/lennonmccartneylink.gif (http://www.angelfire.com/stars/LennonMcCartney)

andalucia
Jan 12, 2005, 02:57 AM
Ive dug one out the archives here but i have to answer.
most kids in Liverpool will tell you the names of the Beatles.they are huge here and the kids grow up with them.
lots of teenagers love them and when the conventions are on many youngsters attend.and dont have a go at Elvis,he rocks man

mccartneymaniac
Jan 16, 2005, 05:20 PM
i would have loved taht now i will wait for the other side a rocking time in heaven we will have i daresay

beatlebangs1964
Jan 18, 2005, 05:28 PM
The Beatles put Liverpool, England in the collective minds of countless. Liverpool will always have that Beatle association. I mean, who can think "Liverpool" without thinkng of the Beatles?

Beatle City, yeah, yeah, yeah! http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup2.gif

HariScruff_00
Jan 18, 2005, 10:15 PM
maybe the folks that don't remember their names are the same people who replied "No" for the poll on "have you ever heard of Auschwitz"(SP?). as was the question apparently in another poll in Britain.

after watching enough "Jay Walking" episodes on Jay Leno, i'd be afraid to know the %s and poll results to those same questions in the US... especially in the Los Angeles area where Jay does his "Walking". http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/afraid1.gif

so they don't know their names-- it could have been much worse, they could have not heard of the Beatles! period.
I've actually only ever met one person in my lifetime that had never heard of the Beatles (or Elvis). it was about 15 years ago and she was about 12 years old at the time (I was 7) so i'm sure she's heard of them by now, at least i hope so!

i would bet more people can name the Beatles- by name, than any other group ever, by far.
besides, [ QUOTE ]
But 30 years after they broke up, barely half of Britain can remember The Beatles' names.

[/ QUOTE ]
how many in Britain or the US or Canada, etc Knew ALL their names 30-40 years ago?! it was probably above %40 but i doubt it was anything like %90 or something that high- considering how many "adults" didn't care about the Beatles enough to actually know their names.

lennonluvr9
Jan 19, 2005, 03:17 PM
Wow. That's kinda like a few of my friends who think all the beatles are dead. One of them asked me that and I'm like no, and she felt all guilty and was like "I'm sorry! Really! That must be like blasphemy to you!"

beatlebangs1964
Jan 19, 2005, 05:24 PM
Scary, especially when you think of the indelible impact the Beatles had on just about every aspect of life. We currently have a thread over on Act Naturally about the multitude of shows and movies that have Beatle references; Beatle songs are being used in commercials; Beatle themed art work can be found.


For Pete's sake, how can anybody claim they don't know who the Fabs were?! Scary, really....

matt5
Jan 19, 2005, 06:28 PM
You know I always root for the Beatles. I always like to hear how popular they are and how they are still sell millions of records but in the end does it really matter?

I remember when I was a young fan of the Beatles. Back in 1980's Montreal nobody talked about the Beatles. Their music was never played and I did not have any Beatle friends. As far as I knew I could have been the only Beatles fan in the world but that was fine because as far as I knew I had them all to myself.

Frightwolf
Jan 19, 2005, 07:37 PM
I don't want the Beatles to myself tho -- I want their love to spread =P

Gawd, that was corny, but seriously...

Having friends, especially girls (my teenage guy instincts are up and running), the love the Beatles is the biggest plus. Having friends that like ANY music you like is great =)