The British are coming! The British are coming!

Between the years of 1964 and 1966, the bright eyed and shaggy haired Brits invaded America for the second time. American parents were in outraged as their teenage sons and daughters moved away from all forms of respectable music to the devil hip-shaking music that manifests its self in the form of British rock & roll. In the great country of the good ol’ USA, the respectable music of the previous decade had been cast out of mainstream as teens became rebellious and deviant due to recent issues that captured the hearts and minds of the good hearted people. The civil rights movement was gaining popularity and followers as well as protests about sexual repression and the on-going Vietnam War. Because of this, many of radios most popular songs were protests songs that placed subliminal messages in the heads our impressionable teens about equality and the scandalous nature of modern dating. This song by The Honeycombs to me, best represents these protest songs. On the surface, the song sounds like it is about the civil rights movement and having equal rights for all. But if you listen carefully, the song is about the repression of sexuality in the 60s and not being able to display love in public.

These themes trickled over to the UK and the country was going through revolutions of their own. The ever-increasing slums of Liverpool proved to be the ideal breeding ground for a new wave of music. After World War II ended over a decade earlier, the people of Britain were still rebuilding their homes after the bombing attacks. Thousands were also immigrating into the UK to add to its already staggering population of the baby boom. You get a baby! And you get a baby!

This ladies and gentlemen is where the barrel enters the water for the British Invasion; the inciting incident if you will.

The America of the time was quickly becoming the leader in music in the Western World. More then ever did teens have a voice and a choice with their music. The US had pretty much set the standard for rock & roll music in the 50s with artists like Elvis Presley (Man those hips!). American rock had evolved from folk music and was also influenced by R&B. The earliest forms of rock used blues guitars and the songs used catchy hooks and melodies that drew you in. These are very music the same stylistic elements that are in todays rock & roll with the exception of an electric guitar. Since American rock everything has become bigger and louder; there have been new microphones and amplifiers that are louder then ever and the special effects within the average show will cost you more then a pretty penny. With the ideals set of this hip new genre, there is no need to let it evolve right? Well not for long! While the silly Americans start to settle for the very clean music from their distant past. But the Brits on the other hand, being Brits have to try their hands at everything American. Seriously.

So in comes British rock & roll music! With influences from American rock, blues and R&B, British rock steps onto the scene in the late 50s in Liverpool, home of the infamous Beatles. Yes, these for Brits really shook things up when they came to New York in 1964. Girls dressed in their Sunday best screaming and crying everywhere! Just look at the mess that they caused!

Paul, John, George and Ringo were an instant hit among teens for their shaggy hair, matching dapper suits, and that bobbing thing that they do with their bodies when they sing.

Twist and Shout, a classic Beatles song that is still wildly popular today due to adaptations and covers of the song. At the time, The Beatles caused quite a riot as their music imposed dirty dancing among teens, they started acting foolish and most of all, the would not cut their hair! This song was seen as scandalous and rebellious then. Today, however, it is one of the cleanest songs played at school dances. 

 Famous for rising from the underground music scene in Liverpool, The Beatles revolutionized rock & roll as they were one of the only group of the age to change with the times around them. I’m sure you all remember the many genius influences that LCD had on the band in the late 60s as they changed their image from those rebellious teens in suits to the leaders of the hair peace movement that rocked the world. Despite this, other Brits decided to come to America to see what all of the fuss was about! 

One of these bands was the classic Rolling Stones. The Stones were the complete opposite of The Beatles. They were viewed as more sexual and rebellious in comparison to the other bands of the invasion. The Rolling Stones were dangerous back then and set the example for today’s heavy rock. Where The Beatles implied a sexual nature to their songs, The Rolling Stones just came right out and said it especially with the way that Mick Jagger danced on stage and even with what he wore. Their infamous song (Can’t get no) Satisfaction was not only their first number one hit, but still remains their most popular song today. I think this song best demonstrates the difference to The Beatles. The song more closely resembles our heavy rock because there is more of a blues influence to the song, while The Beatles were more influenced by R&B.

If anything, the bands from the British Invasion will always be everlasting in music history. Yes, they may not have had as much success as The Beatles or The Stones, but their songs are still played today. The British Invasion came at a crucial time in our history when there were drastic changes being made to our society and the way that we think. I think the Brit Invasion best demonstrates the effect that America has on our world. Being a Brit myself, I know this for a fact. Even though I live in Canada, I see American culture changing my own culture and I think that it is going to continue to be this way until a new super power rises within the Western World. Who knows, maybe in ten years we could be listening to a indie form of J-pop.