The Beatles Resurgence: 'Ocean's Kingdom,' 'Living In A Material World,' 'Backbeat,' Etc. (VIDEO)

When Michael Jackson died in the summer of 2009, pundits predicted a Beatles resurgence. Jackson had notoriously outbid Sir Paul McCartney for a 50 percent share in the rights to more than 200 Beatles songs, and the copyrights were ostensibly freed (Jackson's estate ultimately held onto them). But aside from a Beatles edition of Rock Band, and their discography release onto iTunes (which had less to do with Jackson's death than with that other Apple), there was nothing to indicate we'd re-entered the kind of mini-Beatlemania brought on in the nineties by the drawn-out airing of a Beatles anthology.

Now here we are more than two years later, and the Beatles are seemingly everywhere. Only instead of relying on the recycling of old material, they're back in the game for new developments: Paul McCartney's ballet, Martin Scorsese's study of George Harrison, a play about their beginnings, a movie about their end (Ringo, of course, remains totally silent). In honor of the band that just won't quit, we've compiled a slideshow of their career highs and lows ... over the last month.

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Comments

[headstrong]

04:21 PM on 11/05/2011

The Beatles DID change the world ... forever. Not just musically, but in so many other ways also. The life we all live today would have been dramatically different, if not for The Beatles.
It warms my heart how each generation of young people embraces the wonder of their music. They set such a high musical standard, it has never been matched since.
But those younger generations will never get to actually experience Beatlemania. What an amazing, euphoric period in history that was. The possiblities seemed endless. I have always felt blessed to have been part of The Beatles phenomenen.

[DeltaYankeeTango]

07:27 PM on 10/22/2011

He "did not succeed commercially as a solo artist"?
PUH LEEZE.
He entertained and enlightened MILLIONS.
HuffPost should achieve a fraction of that sucess.

[laughingcynic]

10:30 PM on 10/20/2011

I don't listen to the Beatles much anymore. But I must say the reason why their music is still around is because it is just plain good. And as a social phenomenon, catalyst and embodiment of social change - well, nothing has come close in 50 years. They were more popular than Jesus.

[butchcliff]

08:08 AM on 10/20/2011

Everything old is new again. Beatles were the best most innovative ever. Their music brought about a revolution in all music after and since.

[Duffy Sinclair]

10:27 AM on 10/19/2011

The older I get the more I think The Beatles are overrated. I've been listening to a lot of 60's music lately and I've rediscovered The Stones. The Rolling Stones were raw, stripped down... a garage band, who just happened to write a lot of great f'n tunes. On the other hand, The Beatles sounded calculated and overproduced. I think I like the "honesty" of that raw imperfection better. Perhaps this is why I never liked McCartney and always favored John and George... too bad they died before their time.

[TheNextVoiceofYouth]

05:24 PM on 10/18/2011

2 years after MJ's death, I am now a Beatles fan. I love how new generations (like me) are discovering their music. While I have many musicians I like including MJ, The Beatles will always be number one for me.

[Karma2U]

02:36 PM on 10/18/2011

The Beatles are forever - classics never go away.

[jokamachi]

10:11 PM on 10/17/2011

I started watching the film Backbeat in medias res one night when I lived overseas. After about ten minutes or so I realized what I was watching... It's a brilliant film.... and probably more revealing of the members than anything that came later in their careers when their image was skillfully managed (that is, til Brian died). Buy it, rent it, or steal it.... it's more than worth your time.

[Apollo C Vermouth]

01:15 AM on 10/18/2011

.....probably more revealing of the members than anything that came later

Backbeat is contrived.

[jokamachi]

10:43 PM on 10/18/2011

I enjoyed the film quite a bit. Can you elaborate on why you feel that why? I'd be interested to know.

[Altario]

08:56 PM on 10/17/2011

Sometimes I think I'm the only person in the world who does not appreciate their music. However, one cannot deny the impact they made not only in the music world, but in the world in general.

[jokamachi]

10:11 PM on 10/17/2011

That's one lonely heart's club band....

[Nic the wonder puppy]

10:50 AM on 10/17/2011

So are flees

[withreservation]

10:23 AM on 10/17/2011

Headline should read: Paul and Yoko start new PR push to make more $$ off of dead Beatle's...

[M Rosin]

11:13 AM on 10/17/2011

Paul and Yoko had nothing to do with creating the Harrison documentary. That was Scorsese and Harrison's widow. Don't post in ignorance.

[manumoka]

05:31 PM on 10/17/2011

paul, ringo, and their entire catalog, are still alive and well.

[h jablome]

10:21 AM on 10/17/2011

between '60 and '70 they recorded 12 albums. in the 41 subsequent years combined no person or band has even come close to being in the same being the same ballpark for quality and significance.

[M Rosin]

09:04 AM on 10/18/2011

Actually it was an even narrower window. Their first album, Please Please Me came out in March of 1963. The last album they ever released as a band was Let it Be in May of 1970.

So that was 12 albums in 7 years.

[h jablome]

02:31 PM on 10/18/2011

indeed. well played.

[h jablome]

10:14 AM on 10/17/2011

it's because paul has died in secret.

and rock-n-roll is also dying.

[Dantee]

10:11 AM on 10/17/2011

Wow! Paul looks great! Must be livin right!

[brt929]

10:03 AM on 10/17/2011

Gee, how does playing and singing "Blackbird" a tribute to George Harrison? If she wanted to pay tribute to George Harrison then maybe she should have played one of his songs.