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Beatles were responsible for many innovations in Rock Music ... none more significant than their initiation of the British Invasion (beinning in 1964)

• rock was no longer an all-American product
• British bands became the rage in the US (competed more equally following 1964)
  • in 1964, the year of the Beatles' arrival, in the U.S., 9 of the 23 #1 singles were from British artists (6 by the Beatles)
• during 1965, 13 of the 26 #1 singles were by British artists!!
• there were still, however, a significant number of American acts on the charts
  • of the 124 #1 songs between 1964 to 1969, only 35 were by British artists
    • though the number had risen from only 2 #1 songs by British artists between 1954 and 1963

Split in the Mainstream

the split in the mainstream may be considered similar to the duality that existed between Lennon & McCartney

• softer, more refined, less rebellious bands
  • e.g., the Beatles
• hard, raw, basic R&B-oriented rock bands
  • e.g., the Stones

• George Harrison recommended that Dick Rowe (of Decca - remember Brian Poole & the Tremeloes?) sign the Stones
• Mick Jagger & Marianne Faithfull joined the Beatles when they visited India to study with the Maharishi

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