Every Band is a Beatles Band

It was forty years ago today, The Beatles decided not to play. From their '61 Cavern Club debut to their last rooftop concert eight years later, The Beatles gave every serious artist in their wake the songbook and sound for their career. It's the musical trough from which nearly every musician drinks. The list of artists who have made a career copping The Beatles sound and songwriting is endless: Elliott Smith, Lenny Kravitz, ELO, Aimee Mann, XTC, and on and on.

See GetBack's Beatles Gallery

Something less discussed, though, is the career roadmap The Beatles left behind since their 1970 breakup. Generations of pop and rock groups follow the same career arc as Liverpool's favorite sons. It's an unwritten law for any band. It's inescapable. 

The Four Phases of the Beatles Career Arc:

1. The cute, costumed boy band phase

2. The overworked, overexposed but still-smiling phase

3. The serious artist phase (usually accompanied by beards)

4. The "can't stand each other-don't speak to me in the same room" phase

There are of course, countless variations of this arc. Some bands' careers are too short to travel through all four phases. Other groups may begin their career in the middle or end of the arc. Regardless, every pop or rock band - whether they know it or not - is recreating a Beatles phase.

Most importantly, there is no fifth phase of the The Beatles arc. This is also known as the fifth ring of musical hell where the band becomes a sad caricature of its former self. The Beatles were lucky enough to implode before they reached that phase. Any band who stays together longer than The Beatles runs the risk of hitting this phase. Once they do, it automatically renders all of their previous work worthless. It's always best for a band to go their separate ways after Beatles Phase Four.

Of course, this current onslaught of Beatles hype could potentially place the Fab Four in the center of the dreaded fifth ring of musical hell. My bet is they avoid it, but the jury is still out. Meanwhile, let me take you down to some of my favorite Beatles Phase bands. Nothing is real…

BEATLES PHASE ONE BANDS
Notable members: Duran Duran, Backstreet Boys, Bay City Rollers
This is the most copied of the phases because it seems so easy to reproduce. Get four (or five) cute guys, dress them up in matching outfits, and watch the girls scream. These bands either come together on their own or are assembled by some questionable impresario. Regardless, Phase One Beatle Bands must have a strong-willed manager who is dedicated to their complete pop culture domination. The Beatles had Brian Epstein.

 

BEATLES PHASE TWO BANDS
Notable members: Barenaked Ladies (circa Stunt), The Go-Go's (circa Vacation), U2 (circa Joshua Tree)

These are bands that had the successful follow-up album and are now officially an industry - no longer a phenomena. Phase One Beatle Bands lucky enough to graduate into Phase Two Beatle Bands find themselves on the road endlessly, performing a continual stream of TV shows, and repeating the same sound bytes to magazine after magazine. Through it all, they are determinedly cheery. These are not sullen bands. There is no bad behavior (Nirvana and Oasis are the inverse of a Beatles Phase Two band - openly miserable). Phase Two Beatle Bands are just short of being politicians. They are polite, sign all the autographs, pose for all the pictures, and kiss the babies. 

 

BEATLES PHASE THREE BANDS
Notable members:  Fleet Foxes, The Band (entire career), Led Zeppelin
Phase Three is the rebellion phase. The band is starting to resent the demands of the music biz machine. They want to unleash the true artistry that lies within them. It is at this juncture that the band releases a double album or a ten-minute single. Interviews are less frequent (or shunned altogether), drug use may begin (or become more open), and most importantly, a beard is grown. As mentioned earlier, many bands make the decision to start their careers at Beatles Phase Three in order to get instant cred.

 

BEATLES PHASE FOUR BANDS
Notable members: Eagles (entire career), The Police (entire career), Fleetwood Mac (Rumours period)

By Phase Four the cracks are showing. The pressure is becoming too much. The band begins to communicate with each other through handlers. Girlfriends or wives begin showing up at rehearsals. There is talk of solo records, the occasional fistfight, and a session player is invited to help break the tension. The lucky bands make their best record during this period and then break up. The unfortunate ones phone it in for another 20 years because they can't make money doing anything else.

 

Follow Shawn Amos on Twitter: www.twitter.com/GetBack