Streaming through a glass onion

This article considers the re-emergence of Beatles fandom, here labelled ‘Reatlemania’, in the past five years, galvanized in particular through Paul McCartney’s solo material and promotional events. Since their dissolution in 1970, a number of significant media campaigns have occurred that have invigorated a posthumous market and interest in the Beatles. These include those focused on the CD releases of original vinyl material in the 1980s and The Beatles Anthology TV series, book and compilations in the 1990s. Most recently, McCartney’s activities and promotional events between 2018 and 2022 have been key in creating a resurgence in popularity. McCartney’s ongoing career continues to be linked with the Beatles’ legacy he helped create and has continued to curate. This legacy offers newer generations novel ways to access the group and be a part of twenty-first-century Beatles fan activity. This article argues that through McCartney’s active role in particular, Beatles fans are given opportunities for intimate encounters and to emulate the experiences of their first-generation antecedents during 1960s Beatlemania. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0 .

‘Reatlemania’: new fan opportunities through Paul McCartney’s solo activities between 2018 and 2022

Easton

2023

Quantitative analysis of the evolution of the Beatles’ releases for EMI, 1962–1970

Pannell

2023

During their time together, the Beatles’ music changed in myriad ways. A quantitative analysis of the changes provides new insights into the extent, timing and nature of the changes that occurred. Focusing on the 217 tracks that the band released officially through EMI between 1962 and 1970, this analysis examines the number and duration of tracks released, songs written by each member of the band, song structures, song topics, participation in the recordings, instruments played by the Beatles and others, and various aspects of the recording process. In most of these categories, evolution over time is apparent. Notable changes included a step change in song length after 1966, the sudden drop in songwriting collaborations between John Lennon and Paul McCartney in 1968, the sudden change in song topics after 1965, the slow switch over time in who was the more productive songwriter from Lennon to McCartney, the diversification in musical instruments used, and the substantial increase in time devoted to recording each song in the studio after 1966. The quantitative results provide a richer perspective than existing qualitative analyses. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0 .

Carry that weight

Williams

2024

This article examines creativity and conflict in the Beatles. Building on the theory of entrepreneurial teams, the article shows that even in the most creative group settings, leadership is required to sustain creativity over time. Initially, restless determination and creativity can compensate for a lack of leadership, but eventually an absence of leadership can mean that conflict is not resolved. The pre-Epstein Beatles years can be characterized as lacking real organizational leadership, but this was compensated for by drive and the focal point of de facto leader John. The Epstein years brought strategic direction and leadership, while the post-Epstein years saw a disintegration of leadership, with others, particularly Paul, trying to fill the gap after Epstein’s death. In the end, entrepreneurial teams cannot sustain their creativity without effective leadership. Evidence from the Beatles’ career, particularly the Get Back sessions, is used to demonstrate how leadership is required, even among highly creative groups. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0 .