Introduction

In order to understand the Beatles phenomenon, we must go back in time and analyze the historical environment in which they are inserted. Let us consider WWII as a starting point. In their essence we may refer to the Beatles as baby-boomers, though they were born shortly before the baby boom period. As far as the Baby Boom is concerned it is a known fact, that due to the post-war demographic expansion, many countries in the Western world had problems with juvenile delinquency. But also, a younger consuming market was created. A generation coming of age that would later come to question the "establishment", mistrust politician's promises and anybody over the age of 30.

In this scenery, other icons were to flourish.

The Environment

The post-war environment in Europe was one of reconstruction and low morale, due to the loss of references brought about by the worldwide conflict. Main cities in Europe had been utterly destroyed, bringing up psychological and behavioral changes in the European population as a whole. Famous artists and public personalities, who used to be idols in pre-war Europe, were buried in oblivion along with the chaos. That is the landscape in which the Beatles for example, were brought up.

Europe was looking for new ideas, for the old was gone and shattered. America in turn was a source of inspiration to war torn Europe. This made room for some cultural movements in Europe, as opposed to the beautiful landscape in America.

Some of these movements include the Mods who expressed themselves by worshipping a way of life that was based on black suits and black music, specially the rhythm and blues, shades and scooters. There were also the "Exies", the Existentialists, inspired by Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre born in Paris, France; died there on April 15, 1980 - novelist, playwright, existentialist philosopher; received a doctorate in philosophy at the Sorbonne that tended to see the bleak side of human nature.

America on the other hand had not been a battle ground scene as it happened across the Atlantic. So in this sense the US tended to be increasingly conservative, to show the world that social institutions worked alright in America at least. Nonetheless, rebel types of hero, like James Dean, Elvis Presley and Marlon Brandon were on demand by the youth, contrasting to the conservative, family-oriented outlook of the Western world in the 50´s. The youth was eager for new cultural icons. As a result, the sixties became the age of youth, as 70 million children from the post-war baby boom had been born.

At the same time, conservative values would in contrast include prejudice, racism and segregation as well. Such values were to be reinforced in the aftermath of WWII. America was more likely to be a family-centered culture, which did not completely allow letting out all the power of the youth, despite upcoming North-American icons. One might say youngsters up to that moment simply did not have the tools to pull the trigger to a more defying behavior. The stage was set for Rock and Roll and its cultural consequences. The world would never be the same after rock and roll came into the scene for a dissension against the conservative fifties that eventually resulted in revolutionary ways of thinking and real change in the cultural fabric of American life. No longer content to be images of the generation ahead of them, young people wanted change. Such changes would affect education, values, lifestyles, laws, and entertainment further on.

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