The British Invasion: The Beatles 1. A series of British bands were highly successful with the American market in the 1960s, and their music altered rock ’n’ roll in several ways. a. Beginning with the Beatles first appearance in 1964, musical content and image moved in a new direction. b. By the mid-’60s, the Beatles had turned to a style that had to be made in the studio and was not easily transferred in live performance, adopting some of the techniques we have seen with “classical” electronic music.
A New Challenge 1. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band marked a radically different approach to popular music, including the album art itself. 2. Some classical music critics hailed the music of the Beatles with accolades usually reserved for classical musicians.