...and the Beatles managed to ride that wave and not only stay relevant, but were highly regarded as architects and innovators of a lot of that change.
! was a teenager during the 60s and was 20 when they broke up. The 60s was a fast-paced and often tumultuous decade. So much was happening in the world; the space race, the war in Viet Nam, the peace movement, revolutions, and the assasinations of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King.
The music scene changed at a hectic pace. The decade started with the loss of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and "J. P." Richardson, Jr (The Big Bopper) still fresh in our minds. Elvis was still away in the US Army, Rock n' Roll acts had been cleaned up after scandles involving some of the better artists. Girl Groups became popular, so did folk music. The Wall Of Sound was developed by Phil Spector, Surf Sound and The Beach Boys and The British Invasion. There was a big push in county music with crossovers to R&R. Bob Dylan went electric and psychedelic music began evolving. There was MOTOWN and jugband music and a bit of leftover doo-wop music. And everything culminated with Woodstock. And there was the denoument with Altamont.
Through it all, The Beatles seemed to be the vanguard in music, clothes, hairstyle and the drug scene. They were always present whether touring or later on in the studio. We looked forward to their movies and their music videos shown regularly on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Yes, Casbah, the 60s was a decade unmatched by others decades since in its fast pace and continuous change.