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What do teenagers think of the Beatles?
Thursday 4th October 2012 | Liam
50 years ago this week the Beatles released ‘Love Me Do’ which launched their career and made popular music what it is today. But what do teenagers think of it? And have they even heard of the Beatles?
The BBC took their cameras and a dusty first edition vinyl of ‘Love Me Do’ to Burntwood school in Wandsworth to see if today’s teens are as keen on the Beatles as their counterparts of 50 years ago.
During the two-minute clip, a varied selection of the school’s pupils were given a pair of headphones and made to listen to the song that launched the Beatles rise to global stardom. But it seems not all children are familiar with the Beatles, let alone ‘Love Me Do’. To begin with, there is some confusion smacked across their little faces as their ears - used to auto-tune and beats bigger than elephants – are introduced to George Harrison’s rough three-chord guitar strumming, Paul McCartney’s bass (that’s a bass?! I thought they looked like electric keyboards?), Ringo’s simple drumming and with John Lennon’s harmonica trilling over the top.
The kids struggle to name the most famous band ever, with one offering “country music people?” and another saying “I couldn’t listen to much more of it”. Most admitted they had never heard it or any other Beatles song before. One boy made a vow to listen to the song “daily” from now on. We’ll see about that.
One girl says the song is “boring” because it is repetitive, unlike the majority of popular music today which is hugely innovative and has little to thank the Beatles for, she probably thought about adding in retrospect.
Admittedly not their finest effort, and probably the wrong song to grab the attention of fans of The Wanted and Ne-Yo, ‘Love Me Do’ has still gone down as the springboard to an indisputably unbeatable career. It’s unlikely Paul McCartney ever plays it live though.
When asked if any modern bands will leave the same legacy in 50 years time, the children had a big think before blurting out a variety of interesting responses, ranging from Take That and Coldplay to One Direction. Kids, eh. What are they like!?
By Liam McKenna
