January 16, 2004
The Beatles are as popular as ever.
Over thirty years after they split up the Beatles are still going strong, and thoroughly dominate the "classic rock" release market. The
Guardian reports on the latest releases, and their apparent popularity among a new generation.
A new year and another new Beatles release. This time it's a DVD documentary celebrating the 40th anniversary of the quartet's first American tour. Released early next month, The Beatles First US Visit promises "exceptionally candid footage" of a legendary event. It follows hard on the heels of last year's Let It Be ... Naked CD, which in turn followed the five-DVD Anthology box set, the Anthology book, the 1 CD compilation of "greatest hits" and the remastered Yellow Submarine DVD and "songtrack" CD. In fact, there has been a steady stream of Beatles product since 1994, when the Beatles' company Apple began a programme of reissues with the double CD set Live at the BBC.
... The fact remains that The Beatles dominate heritage rock with the same sort of totality with which they dominated the 1960s singles chart. None of their competitors - The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley - can match the Beatles' commercial appeal.
"They've been going in and out of style, but they're guaranteed to raise a smile."
I'm probably just an old fogey, but their music still sounds fresh to me. And it illustrates the continued value of art products, which can sell forever. The same as old films, old books and so on. Not only will their music continue to sell, but I'll bet it inspires all sorts of new art works of various kinds. Theater for example. Sooner or later someone will make a Broadway musical out of the Yellow Submarine story and music. It's just perfect for it.
Old software of course has no value whatsoever. You can't even run it anymore.
