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9.34pm
1 November 2012
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I notice there are quite a few members here who are under 20. This brings up a question I’ve had for some time: how exactly did you become a Beatles fan? What was the process? Did a peer in your same age group recommend you listen to the Beatles? Did you accidentally hear a Beatles song one day? Did an older person, maybe a person in your family (older sibling, aunt, uncle, parent, GRANDparent, GREATGRANDparent
) put on a record one day while you were in earshot?
What interests me specifically are two things:
1) what was the very first encounter you had with the Beatles — how old were you, how did it happen?
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).
Note: the cut-off of 20 years old is sort of arbitrary. 20-somethings here are also welcome to chime in!
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Von BonteeFaded flowers, wait in a jar, till the evening is complete... complete... complete... complete...
9.49pm
Members
18 March 2013
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1. My first encounter that I had with The Beatles? Jeanie I don’t know, my parents had various rock CDs constantly playing in the car so I used to listen to ELO, The Byrds, The Kinks but I used to remember hearing Marmalade’s cover of Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da and thinking “hmmm that’s a good song”, this was 4-9 year old me (ahh memories). When I was 12 and had first started secondary school, my English book had a “Music” section in it and that had a page all about The Beatles and the lyrics to “Eleanor Rigby “. I remember looking up Eleanor Rigby and not being very impressed (silly me), then later on in the book one of the example sentences was “Whenever my mum gets angry she listens to “Help ” by The Beatles. Then I thought hmmm “I’ll look that up”, and I did and I was like “ooooohhhh”.
2. I first began to realize that The Beatles weren’t like any other band after I first saw the HELP! movie about a month in after I started listening to their hits. I thought “wow their music is good and George Harrison is a ride!” even as a 12 year old I had good taste 
After listening to the Help album, it was love and my personal history was made 
It was their music, their personalities, their humour and their looks that did it for me 
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Neely
INTROVERTS UNITE! Separately....in your own homes!
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Make Love, Not Wardrobes!
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"Stop throwing jelly beans at me"- George Harrison
9.59pm
6 December 2012
Offline
I’m 16, and I’ll be 17 in a few months (August 4, to be exact).
The first time I heard The Beatles was when I was 11 or 12 (I think it was 12, but I’m not entirely sure). My parents put on the White Album , and it sounded so amazing and wonderful and I loved it.
Well, actually, that’s not true.
The first time I heard The Beatles was when I was a baby. I continued hearing it throughout my childhood, and then on that fateful day in 2008 or 2009, I suddenly thought to myself, “This music is great!” I confirmed with my mom that it was The Beatles, and from that day on, I was hooked.
To answer your second question, I think it was the way the music kept changing its sound on the White Album – Back In The USSR , Dear Prudence , Glass Onion , Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da… they all have different sounds, and I loved them all. And there’s some other indescribable quality that really interested me. I don’t know what it is… just… Beatle-ness. I don’t know how else to say it.
Also known as Egg-Rock, Egg-Roll, E-George, Eggy, Ravioli, Eggroll Eggrolli...
~witty quote~
10.37pm
9 June 2010
Offline
My first introduction to Beatles music was in sixth grade when the choir sang “Penny Lane .”
I got into the Beatles’ music about a week after The Beatles: Rock Band came out, when my dad bought it. My mom started buying the remasters, and I haven’t looked back since.
Right now I’m in the process of trying to “convert” a friend.
EDIT: I completely failed to answer the second question.
I remember the moment I fell in love with the Beatles. We were, in fact, playing Rock Band. Up until then, we had been playing the songs we already knew: “Yellow Submarine ,” “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” “Here Comes The Sun ,” etc. I wasn’t really paying attention, because I’m terrible at plastic guitar. Suddenly, I heard these amazing choral harmonies that were totally unlike anything we had played before. I was hooked. To this day, my favorite songs are the ones with heavy use of harmonies: “Nowhere Man ,” “Because ,” etc.
If I seem to act unkind, it's only me, it's not my mind that is confusing things.
10.55pm
5 November 2011
Offline My first conscious encounter with The Beatles was in sixth grade music class. We were learning about the styles of each decade of music, and for each decade my music teacher would play a popular song from that decade, and for the sixties, he played Love Me Do . I didn’t think much of Love Me Do ; I thought it was a little underwhelming. Then, another one from sixth grade was when I was listening to Hello Goodbye by the Jonas Brothers on YouTube, and I was reading the comments, and most of them were saying that the Jonas Brothers cover was garbage and The Beatles were the best. I remember thinking to myself that those people must be crazy, because nobody’s better than the Jo Bros (really). So, I decided to watch The Beatles Hello Goodbye music video to assure myself that those people are just daft. The first thing I thought after starting the video was “Man, people really dressed weird back then.” I also thought they all looked like creeps, with their Pepper’s outfits, and George and Ringo’s mustaches. I didn’t like their version because I thought it was too slow and boring. I think I wanted to dislike their version, though, and that’s why I did. I clicked on it thinking it was going to be bad. Maybe if I had been a little more optimistic about it I would have actually liked The Beatles’s version, but, I guess I’ll never know.
I first became a Beatles fan in November of 2009, in seventh grade, as a twelve year old (now I’m sixteen). My uncle wanted to watch some documentary on The Beatles that they were playing on the BBC (he’s not a huge fan, he just likes their music), so we did. There were many Beatles songs that were played in the documentary, and I knew and liked all those songs, but I never knew those songs were by The Beatles until then. That documentary converted me from being a hardcore obsessed Jonas Brothers fan into a hardcore obsessed Beatles fan. I stayed up until like four in the morning (on a school night) that night, listening to Beatles songs, and watching videos of them on YouTube. After that, I never looked back. I got Beatles Rock Band for Christmas that year, and the mono box set for my birthday in March. I think what really made me fall in love with them is the feeling their music gives me. It’s just a really happy feeling, I get butterflies when I listen to them, and when I was first discovering their music that feeling was more constant and intense.
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vonbonteeAll living things must abide by the laws of the shape they inhabit
11.55pm
14 January 2013
Offline I’m 23
My very first introduction that I can remember was through my parents. I remember listening to the Hey Jude album and my favorite song was Revolution . For some reason I was obsessed with the scream at the beginning. Give me a break I was four. I remember my mother also had a Ringo figure with his drum kit and a jukebox penny bank that played Ticket To Ride . I also remember listening to The Beatles on oldies radio. Somewhere around 10 to 14 I didn’t listen to them that much because of the friends I hung out with weren’t into them. So, I was at that stage where I didn’t hang out with my parents that much and hung out with friends more; therefore, more influenced. Well one night I found my mom’s Beatles #1 cd and listen to. I thought not bad; furthermore, I had changed up some of my friends (made new ones except for a few) since beginning high school. Most of the people I hung out with were into rock music, so they listened to a lot of old and new rock. You had to know bands like The Beatles, The Who, Pink Floyd or you would get weird looks.
To answer number two, its not so much I was listening to The Beatles to be cool or to follow my friends, they just so happen to like them as well. I just fell in love with them and it is kind of hard for me to explain. While I do listen to other bands and sure music has changed since The Beatles,but there is just something about them attracts me like magnet past and present to them. There is almost a song for every feeling that I have. I love their lyrics, humor, and philosophy. I love no other band like them.
1.04am
3 September 2012
Offline 
Before I started listening to them voluntarily, I heard them occasionally on the radio or the like when I was young. The first Beatles song I vaguely remember hearing is Twist And Shout on some kids show or something.. After that I’d hear Yellow Submarine occasionally, and I heard All You Need Is Love at one point too, because I recognized it when I heard it again. I don’t remember my parents specifically liking them. My dad liked, Rush, LRB, Foreigner and Styx, while my mom liked RHCP, Fleetwood Mac, and others to a lesser extent. The first time I decided ‘I’m gonna try listening to the Beatles’, I listened to Revolver . Before that, I had Day Tripper and I Feel Fine on iTunes; that’s why I associate them a lot in previous posts. After that, I remember a day I looked up some on YouTube. I was listening to the like of Julia and Happiness Is A Warm Gun . (I specifically remember sitting down and listening to PPM , HDN, and Pepper; all on YouTube while playing some game, be it Minecraft or Team Fortress..)
When I started listening to them, I decided it was to relate more with people I can look up to, because I generally can’t get along with my peers who only listen to hip-hop and country. I wanted something to come back to in case I was disappointed by.. Jack White or Radiohead’s new album. Plus, when I got a shirt for Christmas with Let it Be on it, I figured I ought to be an avid listener if I’m wearing them. Since then, I found out about Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd through them. I also had a reason because of my cousin, who I looked up to quite a bit when I was not as much into music; after I listened to them I was able to talk to him about music more because he helped me get into Pink Floyd after that. In general, I still put the Beatles in a league of their own because I like their sense of humor, and the way you can hear something new from them or in a new way, even 50 years after they were around. There’s so much to know about them that’s already happened. In fact, I remember when I didn’t even now Ticket To Ride was a Beatles song.. or Yellow Sumbarine.
Ultimately, the Beatles have done a lot for me already; because if not for them, I probably wouldn’t have figured out how enjoyable graphic design is when it has to do with them (I’ll have to find all of my Beatles designs and post them here, eventually.) I also decided to get into guitar again because of them; a deciding factor was when my cousin looked through a page of all of the chords on Revolver ‘s songs. I sat and watched as he played Here, There And Everywhere , thinking; I ought to be able to do that.. I’d probably have gone in a different direction in terms of interests had I not start listening to them.
By the way, I’m 17, if that helps..
Please don't wake me, no don't shake me, leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping~.
1.23am
6 December 2012
Offline You like Minecraft, too? I used to like it… but I don’t play it much anymore…
Also known as Egg-Rock, Egg-Roll, E-George, Eggy, Ravioli, Eggroll Eggrolli...
~witty quote~
1.44am
10 August 2011
Offline Good question, Funny Paper.
I always wonder about that too.
"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)
1.57am
3 September 2012
Offline I know many kids like the Beatles when they’re young because of their parents or their teachers.. Amazingly enough, I only know of one teacher who has a Beatles poster in his office; I don’t have his class until next year, though. I remember getting to play Beatles Rock Band for the first time last summer, and that was an experience. I go to my friend’s house to play it sometimes, and I’m still trying to play Taxman perfectly.
Please don't wake me, no don't shake me, leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping~.
2.22am
14 January 2013
Offline I remember in high school there were at least two teachers I knew of that like The Beatles. One them was my English teacher and she got to see them when they came to New Orleans back in ’64. I remember her telling us about the concert, about growing up back then listening to them, and sometimes she would say lyrics to us. She use to say words from stories or lyrics from songs to make us think. She also received a Beatles cartoon lunchbox from her daughter and she kept in the room a lot of times on display.
4.37am
27 December 2012
Offline 1) what was the very first encounter you had with the Beatles — how old were you, how did it happen?
I don’t know why my memory isn’t very reliable and I am barely 17 years old. It happened almost a decade ago when I was 9 years old. I learnt about the Beatles whilst doing my favourite hobby: “wiki walking”. The page was very long, and there were audio samples of some of their tracks. I noticed there were lots of variety, subconsciously I think I was tired of listening to classical music. Although this never really hooked me to them. Come to think of it I never really knew what hooked me. Some month later I was taught how to acquire music tracks from the internet. I downloaded some Beatles tracks first and as soon as I heard some of their tracks I never really bothered to download tracks from other artists. The rest 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).
I thought about why they acquired world wide fame doing silly love songs, I mean where they that good? And somehow their image and music have changed and there were still lots of fans, which only meant they were really that good.
5.02am
1 November 2012
Offline Thanks to all who responded — Apple, Egroeg, Mrs.Mustard, unknown, sky, Holsety, Gerell…
I have so many additional thoughts based on your responses, but it may take me a day or so to post them (kinda tired now). No doubt this is the first time in history when so many young people choose to be fans of a band that disbanded a quarter century before they were born.
(I’m also interested in current teenagers who have heard Beatles songs, yet still don’t like them much; and why…)
Faded flowers, wait in a jar, till the evening is complete... complete... complete... complete...
3.41pm
3 May 2012
Offline 1) Dad made a long car trip one of the best moments of my life by playing a cd called ”1”.
2) I can’t quite put my finger on it really, even now. I just had this kind of ”thing” burst inside of me, and I felt desperate to find out more about the creators of this mind-blowing (or in my case, inside-bursting) music. I’d never heard anything like it before. Nothing.
As for the other thing you just mentioned 
, there isn’t a single Beatles song that I don’t like at all. There are ones that mean something special to me (Long…, For No One , Because , Across….), ones that have grown on me (like FNO) and ones that I like a little less (Obladi, YS…). I suppose the reason for this is because the lyrics are simple (which in most cases is Ok, but not in these ones for some reason). They’re childish songs. That’s all. Nothing wrong with them but I never think ”oh, I really want to listen to Yellow Submarine now”, no).
Moving along in our God given ways, safety is sat by the fire/Sanctuary from these feverish smiles, left with a mark on the door.
(Passover - I. Curtis)
4.33pm
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline Great thread…nice to know that the Beatles’ legacy is in good hands.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
8.32pm
1 November 2012
Offline Zig said
Great thread…nice to know that the Beatles’ legacy is in good hands.
Yeah, it’s really quite remarkable. It’s as good as evidence as any that the Beatles are simply unique and stand above all other popular music bands since the Revolution in popular music began in the 1950s right to today — and it’s still going strong.
Faded flowers, wait in a jar, till the evening is complete... complete... complete... complete...
8.39pm
1 November 2012
Offline So, once again thanks to all the ones who took the time to respond.
Now, 2 follow-up questions for Apple, Egroeg, Mrs.Mustard, unknown, sky, Holsety, Gerell, and fabfouremily, if you please:
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?
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.
Thanks…
(My answer to 2 if I were to speculate is that there are two types of people: one type for some reason is relatively immune from peer pressure and can think & feel more independently; while others just go along with the herd mentality and feel it’s more important to be “in” (60s slang) and to be part of the cool crowd, than it is to think outside the box. Here’s the punch line: Any time you find a young person under 20 or even under 30 who loves the Beatles, you have proof positive they are an open-minded, independent thinker for whom creative quality is more important than mere fashion and conformity. So kudos to Apple, Egroeg, Mrs.Mustard, unknown, sky, Holsety, Gerell, and fabfouremily and the other “youngsters” here!)
Faded flowers, wait in a jar, till the evening is complete... complete... complete... complete...
10.15pm
14 January 2013
Offline 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?
I want to say I do, apart from the people on here. Most people my age or when I was a teenage who like(d) The Beatles were/are never quite obsessed or deeply effect except maybe by a song. Its like they half way get me, yet they don’t. Others who do not like them are entitled to their opinion, but most of them don’t like them because they’re old or too soft. What they don’t realize is, The Beatles basically started a Revolution . They changed rock! I’ve said many of times you can not go from Elvis or Doo Wop to Metallica over night, its a process.
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.
(My answer to 2 if I were to speculate is that there are two types of people: one type for some reason is relatively immune from peer pressure and can think & feel more independently; while others just go along with the herd mentality and feel it’s more important to be “in” (60s slang) and to be part of the cool crowd, than it is to think outside the box. Here’s the punch line: Any time you find a young person under 20 or even under 30 who loves the Beatles, you have proof positive they are an open-minded, independent thinker for whom creative quality is more important than mere fashion and conformity. So kudos to Apple, Egroeg, Mrs.Mustard, unknown, sky, Holsety, Gerell, and fabfouremily and the other “youngsters” here!)
For the most part I agree with your answer to number two, for I believe a lot of people in general strive to do what is popular than think outside. Don’t most want to be accepted in some shape or form? There are a lot of people who also like The Beatles because they are popular or because they are suppose to like them. Or maybe they like The Beatles, but rather not figure out the meanings to the songs rather listen to to the rhythm or prefer The Beatles to be silly love songs, not deep thinkers. Then, I believe there are others who prefer to go full circle. For the most part I like to know the background of music and stories. I feel more connected.
12.28am
3 September 2012
Offline 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?
Much of the time they get all of their enjoyment from the radio, I feel quite different knowing I get no pleasure out of many radio stations these days; of course, when it’s an oldies station, I will like those songs more, but there are still some awful songs from those days as well. I feel like many people my age would get something from them if they tried listening, but many are simply not interested. I’m curious as to why, considering I find many bands these days to be typical.. dry, nothing special.
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’m very much sure most of them don’t even know how influential they truly are. They consider them another band with a few hits, much like other bands they simply assume they wouldn’t like. If it doesn’t have a ‘sick drop’ or less than twenty swears, it doesn’t interest them. It bothers me because I truly wonder how they get that much enjoyment out of music you’ll never see me with. Many people are also aware of their music, but they still consider them another band; many, many people find it difficult to choose a favorite band, because others caught an equal amount of interest.
This reminds me of a time one of my friends was telling me another kid didn’t like the Beatles; despite me being fairly shy, I’m not as shy as I used to be, so I approached him and he got a lot more enjoyment out of Green Day, who have covered John Lennon before.. My point is, why dislike a band who influenced your favorite band? They didn’t come up with their sound out of nowhere. In many cases, artists record songs trying to imitate other artists. If you’ve heard the Decca version of Til There Was You, you can tell it took a while for them to add their own style to it. I feel these older bands, including the Beatles, deserve the respect for the obscene impact they had on music today.
Please don't wake me, no don't shake me, leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping~.
2.31am
1 November 2012
Offline Thanks again to everyone who responded. There are so many interesting things you all have said, it would take me so much time to go through them — and if I only picked out one or two, maybe others would feel slighted. Just know every one of your posts was very interesting to me. Maybe over the next couple of days or more, I’ll re-read and pick out stuff I’d like to comment on.
Just one thought for now: Do you all agree with me that before the Internet (let’s say, prior to the late 1990s, since I mean the Internet as it has become in the last 15 years or so, as it’s constantly evolving and progressing), kids probably had less of a chance to find exposure to the Beatles. So we may be seeing a resurgence in the last 15 years of more younger fans rediscovering the Beatles, than we had from 1980-2000….? — when (for example) radio stations were no longer playing them; MTV was not featuring them much; and the only other place was from one’s lame/corny parents once in a blue moon putting on Abbey Road for their lame friends on a Friday night when you’re impatient to get out of the house and be with your friends.
Faded flowers, wait in a jar, till the evening is complete... complete... complete... complete...
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