The Beatles: RevolutionThe Beatles were undoubtedly one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed phenomena in the history of popular music. According to former Rolling Stone associate editor Robert Greenfield, “In the form of popular music, no one will be more revolutionary, more creative, and more distinctive than the Beatles were” (Whitehead). It is clear that the Beatles had an impact, and continue to have an impact, on society and politics around the world, especially in the United States in the 1960s. In late 1962, they quickly gained popularity after releasing their first hit, "Love Me Do," which sparked the "Beatlemania" frenzy (Charness). Their newfound success allowed them to completely revolutionize the music industry, and with their portraits and album covers appearing everywhere, it wasn't long before the Beatles revolutionized the fashion industry too. By the late 1960s, the band had become so famous throughout the world that they managed to take their potential for influence to a new level by inciting movements against major societal issues and promoting recreational drug use and spiritualism. . The Beatles changed popular music forever; there are few people who will argue with this statement. Before the Beatles, only solo artists like Elvis Presley were popular. They were the first band to have huge mainstream success, and so, after Beatlemania, musicians began performing in groups more often, instead of trying to "make it on their own" (Lulu). The Beatles also changed the conditions under which musicians could record. Before the Beatles, record companies had great power over musicians; musicians were told when and where to record by their record labels. When the Beatles became megastars, they returned... to the center of the paper... in the 1960s, there were mass protests and demonstrations across Europe. The Beatles became the most significant and influential rock group during this period; most of their songs catalyzed anti-war movements. According to Harrison, “Obviously we felt that Vietnam was wrong – and in some of our lyrics we expressed those feelings and tried to be the counterculture, to try to wake up as many people as possible to the fact that there is no fighting” (Hertsgaard). Songs such as “Give Peace a Chance”, “Revolution” and “All You Need is Love” reflected their social and political beliefs and triggered a social revolution based on “peace, love and happiness”. The lyrics of the song Revolution by the Beatles, “We all want to change the world/But when you talk about destruction/Don't you know you can shut me out,” says they want a revolution.