Rock on

I grew up listening to The Beatles everyday on the way to school. To me, that was and always will be music. We never listened to the radio, or the current pop music. It was The Beatles, Dylan, Springsteen, and U2. Of course I have my Bon Jovi, Costello, Stones, and Who phases, but I will always come back to The Beatles. Maybe it was the way I was brought up, but The Beatles are my music Gods, and that will never change.

I was surprised to find out from my grandparents that The Beatles were originally seen as pop icons. I immediately thought about our pop stars today, such as Lady Gaga or Katy Perry. Well, fifty years from now, I don’t think too many people will still be listening to any of them anymore. Madonna and Britney may be exceptions, but it takes a lot to stick in the music world for more than twenty years. So The Beatles must have been bigger than Madonna and Britney combine if people still rave about them today. Now, the 2000’s was the decade of female pop icons; from Britney to Nicki. Given that, it would be expected that our current pop music included every good looking, outrageously dressed female on the planet. However, even though they are played all over the radio doesn’t mean they are the ones who rule the music world.

The top grossing tour of the year went to U2. I had the pleasure of seeing them twice during their 360° Tour, and although they aren’t what they used to be, they certainly had one of the top rock tours of the year, on paper. But how can you forget Paul McCartney’s short stadium stint? His always jaw dropping experience beats every show I have ever seen. Coldplay, Arcade Fire, and the Strokes, who are mostly at their primes and bring more energy than Madonna, will never beat Sir Paul at any age. The famous Beatle just won’t stop!

As it turns out, The Beatles were an exception and will always be an exception. Without Elvis, Dylan, and The Beatles, music would not be what it is today. Rap would not have become a genre, and pop would not have been accepted. I never thought I would see the day when rock n’ roll no longer ruled the music world, but it seems that day has come. They may no longer rule the charts, but they will forever rule our hearts.