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The Medium Is The Message – But Music Is Everything
When U2 released their Songs Of Innocence album in 2014, it was instantly available to some half a billion people, right there on their phones, their lap-tops, their desk tops, and their tablets when...
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Back For Good: How Boy Bands Made It To The Top
The dictionary definition of “boy band” is: “A pop group composed of attractive young men, whose music and image are designed to appeal primarily to a young teenage audience.” A suitably vague...
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The Beatles’ Singles: 22 Songs That Changed The World
When we look back at The Beatles’ career, it’s only natural that we trace their progress through the groundbreaking albums they made between 1963 and 1969. But that only tells part of the story. The...
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The Beatles Album Covers Explained
From the very beginning, a big part of The Beatles appeal was visual. In his book The Art of The Beatles, Mike Evans explained, “their image was always unique. Unlike their contemporaries on the music...
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‘Revolution’: The Story Behind The Beatles’ Song
“There were three ‘Revolutions’” John Lennon explained in 1971, “two songs and one abstract. I don’t know what you’d call it… musique concrète, loops and that, which was a picture of a revolution.”...
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‘Blackbird’: The Story Behind The Beatles’ Delicate Song
The first public performance of “Blackbird” took place in October 1968 and came as something of a surprise for those girls (later immortalized in George Harrison’s song “Apple Scruffs”) who hung around...
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‘Yesterday’: The Story Behind The Beatles’ Song
Even by The Beatles’ exceptional standards, Monday, June 14, 1965, was something of a masterclass in productivity. Just a couple of days after the announcement that they were to be awarded the MBE by...
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Paul McCartney’s Album Covers, Explained
Throughout his post-Beatles life, Paul McCartney’s album covers have reflected his passion for the visual arts. Many of his album covers work as standalone artworks (McCartney, NEW, Egypt Station),...
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Best Paul McCartney Songs: 20 Post-Beatles And Solo Tracks
By the time The Beatles split, in 1970, Paul McCartney had already accomplished more than any musician could have hoped for. Having helped change the face of music on several occasions, he could have...
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Best Paul McCartney Collaborations: 15 Surprising Team-Ups
If Paul McCartney had only ever written songs with John Lennon, that would have been enough. The music they created as part of The Beatles continues to cast its influence over popular music, forever...
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All You Need Is The Summer Of Love: How 1967 Sparked A Revolution
“The year 1967 seems rather golden,” Paul McCartney later reflected. “It always seemed to be sunny and we wore far-out clothes and far-out sunglasses. Maybe calling it the Summer Of Love was a bit too...
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Best Surf Rock: Sunshine-Drenched Music To Catch A Wave To
The best surf music is high-octane rock ‘n’ roll, full of energy and invention. With bright, lead guitars, big stomping rhythms, and (often) a healthy dose of stunning harmonies, surf music became a...
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Best Beatles Covers: 20 Essential Versions Of Fab Four Classics
The Beatles are rightly known for the unmatched songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, supplemented by an increasingly high standard of composition from George Harrison. Towards...
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Places I’ll Remember: A Guide To The Must-See Sights In The Beatles’ Liverpool
Even as recently as the 80s, visitors to Liverpool could have been forgiven for not realizing they were in the birthplace of The Beatles. Things changed when, in 1984, a dedicated museum to the group –...
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‘Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey’: The Story Behind...
George Harrison would later recall how “come on is such a joy” and “everybody has something to hide” were both favorite phrases of the Maharishi, and so the seeds of John Lennon’s “Everybody’s Got...
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Pop Music: The World’s Most Important Art Form
There’s a brilliantly funny scene in Tom Stoppard’s play The Real Thing, where the character of Henry, an intellectual playwright, is invited to select his favorite music for BBC Radio 4’s Desert...
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‘Here Comes The Sun’: The Story Behind The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ Song
While George Harrison had been contributing songs to Beatles albums since 1963, he had long been in the shadow of Lennon and McCartney. By 1969, however, his compositions had reached such a standard...
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Death Of The 60s: The Dream Was Over, But The Music Lives On
The summer of 1969 saw the world united in hope. By the end of the year, however, the death of the 60s brought with it the end of the hippie dream of a brighter future. But the music that united...
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‘Mother Nature’s Son’: The Story Behind The Beatles’ Song
A talk given by the Maharishi while The Beatles were studying Transcendental Meditation in Rishikesh, India, would prove to be the inspiration of two of Lennon and McCartney’s most tender songs –...
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‘Back In The USSR’: The Story Behind The Beatles’ Song
Tapes exist of The Beatles in Rishikesh singing a song about spiritual regeneration in the style of The Beach Boys: a performance not a million miles away stylistically from the Esher demo version of...
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