More than 40 years after their U.S. debut in 1964 the Beatles remain one of the world's most popular rock groups. Itunes announced with great fanfare their agreement to finally sell Beatles tunes in the istore. New books about them are published every year. What can we learn from the Beatles' success that will help us make more compelling content?
First we have to work. Before they became famous the Beatles played everywhere and anywhere in and around Liverpool and the U.K. The first time they went to Hamburg for an extended set they literally lived in a toilet behind the screen of a movie theatre. After many years and countless hours spent working on their music, writing their own songs, and polishing their stage act they finally received the recognition they deserved. Yes, they were talented, but they were willing to put in the time to get better. How much time are you willing to put into your work?
Lots of different artists influenced the Beatles. For example, they named their group in homage to Buddy Holly and the Crickets. The Beatles' stage act also included songs from many U.S. artists -- the Shirelles, Smokey Robinson, Arthur Alexander, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and more. But when you listen to the Beatles' cover recordings it's clear that no matter who originated the songs, the Beatles made them uniquely theirs. Are you creating original material, or are you copying other people that are successful?
So two very important lessons from the Beatles:
1. Work Hard. Put the time in to keep refining your material and make it better.
2. Be Original. Make sure your work is uniquely yours.
There's more lessons to learn which I'll post in a future blog. For now I'm going to listen to the remastered CD box set of Beatle albums I got last year.
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