"The Beatles triggered a tremendous personal awakening, a leap into a new realm. What people forget, I think, is that at the time it was really rebellious. Rough, mischievous . . . and full of life. Irresistible. They were a huge influence." --Peter Gabriel #Genesis

“The Beatles’ irreverent humor spoke to a generation of youth sick of being ground up and used for workplace fodder by the rich and powerful. It motivated us to believe that our destiny was in our hands, if we so chose. If you ask me, these were the roots that would later

"I wanted a band that could play any style of music. The Beatles was the model. Why can’t you do the rock n’ roll album then do the acoustic-ish album? If the Beatles can do it, we can do it. Although you could never be as good as the Beatles . . . they set the rock pop

"No one really turned me on to the Beatles. My sister loved the Beach Boys. And my brothers, I never really listened to anything they were doing. But then I discovered things like 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' and 'Help,' and then watching the movies I was just like, 'Oh my god,

"Speaking of England, guess who was in town last week—Paul McCartney!!! (He’s a Beatle). And he came to see us!!! SIGH Honest to God! He came to the Matrix and saw us and told some people that he dug us. Isn’t that exciting!!!! Gawd, I was so thrilled—I still am!

"All of a sudden — bam! The Beatles twisted the whole thing up with Yesterday. We were flabbergasted, it was so poignant and so sensitive. I’m the type of guy who talks to the muses: ‘Damn, man, why didn’t you give me that one?’ I’d try to deconstruct them . . . The Long and

"The Beatles were the most exciting thing in the universe . . . there is a game people like to play that goes, 'When would you most like to have lived and why?' The Italian Renaissance? Mozart’s Vienna? Shakespeare’s England? Personally, I would like to have been around Bach.

"I’m probably the biggest Beatles fan on the planet. If I had to pick one influence out of all influences, aside from my father and radio, it would be the Beatles." --#RobinZander #CheapTrick #HardRock #HallOfFame #Influencers #TheBeatles

"My muse in life is the Beatles. Every song spoke to me. Their evolution was so inspiring. There’s nothing better in life than to live to the Beatles. You can eat with them . . . you can make love to them . . . you can talk to your best friend with them . . . you can be

"All you could hear was Bobby Vee, Bobby Vinton, Bobby Darin, Bobby this, Bobby that, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby. I'm damn tired of hearin' Bobbys comin' out my ears. Then here come these kids called the Beatles. That's the end of the Bobbys, thank God! The Beatles got rid of

"I Am The Walrus was the most amazing record I’ve ever heard. Just absolutely astonishing. I love that thing so much. I used to just listen to it for hours – there’s so many bits to listen to. It was just fantastic, the cello parts are just unbelievable. Just the sound of

"Life changing — the Beatles were a freaking revelation to me. Changed my life. I’m not kidding. I quit my best friend because she did not like the Beatles. And I found friends who loved the Beatles. It changed everything for me." --#Elvira #CassandraPeterson #Horror

"The Beatles set fire to a whole lot of things—gases that were ready to be ignited. The whole of England was altered. Where everybody had been wearing tweed jackets with leather elbows, suddenly we were wearing leather jackets, and you’d discuss your favourite George solo and

Can’t help it….this series on the Beatles is so good. Today we hear from Monty Python’s Eric Idle

"I’ll never forget it as long as I live. I was at home on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Third Street and Avenue B . . . I was in the living room and my radio was on the refrigerator in the kitchen. I heard this music coming into the room and I went, 'Uh-oh. Everything’s

"A philosophical stroke of Zen genius by the greatest pop band in history. Its killer melody and simple words brings me deep comfort and sanity — and the sense that peace is actually attainable." --Joyce DiDonato on #LetItBe #Opera #MezzoSoprano #JoyceDiDonato #Grammys

"It was phenomenal, really, when the Beatles appeared on the scene. I’ve never known anything like it, either before or since. And as their music came pouring out more and more and more, it spawned so many bands — everybody wanted to play in a band. They really were just

"The Beatles literally wrote the alphabet. And every other musician is just trying to make words and sentences out of the road map that they laid out. Without the Beatles we don’t have the same sense of what a modern pop song is. They did it all first." --#EdRobertson

"We loved the Beatles, and the Beatles were anathema to the serious musicians. They were the devil. But when [Gilberto] Gil first heard Strawberry Fields Forever, he was obsessed with it . . . the Beatles’ harmonies were simple and brilliant. We aimed for the same thing."

"I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did'." --Kurt Vonnegut #KurtVonnegut #Timequake #SlaughterhouseFive