Icon of the Youth Counterculture

The 1960s experienced an increased use of psychedelic drugs and youth

counterculture in America. Although the Beatles were not entirely responsible for this
increase, the musical group did have a substantial affect in spearheading the
movement. Their worldwide fame and vast area of influence inevitably pushed society to
view them as role models. Therefore, as they became more and more involved in
psychedelic drugs and incorporating it into their music, the youth counterculture
observed their actions and began to evolve by following in the Beatles footsteps and
absorbing their influences. Ultimately, this evolution developed into an increasing
acceptance in the use of psychedelic drugs, which had been previously tabooed by past
generations, and a major theme within the youth counterculture itself. In summation, as
the Beatles began to garner massive attention in the public eye during the 1960s, their
role became elevated from music stars to international pop culture icons. Their role-
model status introduced to the American counterculture youth a new level of social
tolerance for psychedelic drugs as they transitioned into countercultural symbols.
The Beatles global fame and hugely popular music enabled them to develop
from cultural icons to youth role-models. Ever since the Beatles first appeared on the Ed
Sullivan Show, Beatlemania continued to sweep the nation with millions of teenagers
idolizing the group. Rudolf Hecis thesis states that [The Beatles] pictures were
everywhere, their records were bought by everyone and probably even people who did
not like the Beatles or their music were in a way influenced by them because that is the
way fashion affects people (19) demonstrates the vastness of the bands influence on
society. Hecis quote points out that the American public was highly exposed to the

Beatles and their music Beatlemania was everywhere and people of all ages and
social groups knew of them and their every action. Not only did the Beatles have
substantial influence on music, but they also infiltrated peoples everyday lives. Notably,
the most important age groups to be affected by the phenomenon were the teens and
the youth. The teens and youth could simply not get enough of the band and they tried
their best to become like the Beatles by imitating their fashion and looks, as denoted by
designer Tommy Hilfilger in ABCs The Beatles Revolution when Hilfilger is interviewed
and states: All of my friends and I wanted to look like the Beatles. So we all grew our
hair long, we had bangs, Beatles boots, the whole thing. The widespread popularity of
the Beatles spawned a youth generation that strived to imitate the Beatles by following
their looks. But even further, teenagers did everything they could to follow in the
Beatles footsteps because it was the the new social norm. Beatles had become
intertwined with teen culture as both music and fashion icons. Inevitably, with their
widespread and unavoidable appearance in mainstream and fashion, it was only natural
that the Beatles developed into role models for the youth because the teenagers within
the youth generation did everything they could to be like the Beatles.
It is evident that the Beatles and psychedelic drugs are interconnected in a
myriad of times throughout the bands history. Ever since Bob Dylan introduced
cannabis to the Beatles in 1964, the band always consumed drugs. This continued
throughout most of their careers, to the extent which modern critics often juxtapose the
band with drugs. In The Beatles by Hunter Davis, Davis states how after the Beatles
stopped touring in 1966, each Beatle looked for a way to mold his own separate identity.
He goes on to state . . . theyd avoided so much formal discipline and knowledge, the

sort a university might have given them, that they didnt know where to begin Which is
where drugs came in. Through drugs they found out about themselves, by themselves
(453). This quote demonstrates the Beatles continued to depend on drugs and how
much of a factor it played in their everyday lives. After touring for ten years from 1956-
1966, the Beatles had finally stopped and they needed something to accommodate for
the years that were missing from a normal life. The long years of touring and increasing
stress in the music industry allowed them to justify their use of drugs. Drugs were a
natural occurrence in their lives and ultimately, it would begin to incorporate itself within
their music this incorporation is clearly seen in Sgt. Pepper. Author Allan F. Moore
states in his book The Beatles: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band that Sgt. Pepper
was produced within a drug culture and that not only are drugs referenced within some
song lyrics, but they are also literally encoded in the music (60). This is a vital deduction
because it shows that the Beatles were not ashamed or secretive of their drug use. On
the contrary, the encoding in the music particularly suggests that the band flaunted their
use and encouraged it to their listeners. They did not care if the public knew what they
were consuming and even went to the extent of explicitly stating their songs involved
psychedelic drugs in numerous interviews. As the album went on to become one of the
greatest albums of all times, it is clear that millions of people listened to the Beatles and
their inclusion of drugs within Sgt. Pepper. Most importantly, however, is the fact that
millions of teenagers within the youth generation listened to their role models talk about
drugs in a promoting fashion.
By upholding the image of drug use and incorporating drugs into their songs, the
Beatles effectively helped psychedelic drugs become more socially acceptable within

the youth countercultural movement. The effects of Beatlemania pushed fans to follow
their role models. Thus, as the youth listened to songs about psychedelic drugs by their
the Beatles, they became more and more influenced to partake in the drug themselves.
This is supported by the evidence that [Sgt. Pepper] clearly did increase the interest in
LSD and in psychedelia generally (even among non-users) (Moore 61). The Beatles
helped, although perhaps unintentionally, make drugs a social norm and youth all over
the country were increasingly taking part in it. The Beatles placement of drugs within
their lyrics quickly exposed millions of youth to psychedelic drugs in a counterculture
that was already gaining speed because teenagers would not be as opposed to the
drugs when they saw their idols promoting it. Thus, by incorporating the drugs into their
songs, the Beatles helped the youth culture during the 1960s become more accustomed
to psychedelic drugs and helped push the rebellion status of the counterculture even
more. Furthermore, it is also important to note that the Beatles were beginning to
become somewhat of an icon for the counterculture itself. In Meet the Beatles: A
Cultural History of the Band that Shook Youth, Gender, and the World by Steven Stark,
Stark expresses When student protestors at the University California at Berkeley took
over an administration building in support of the Free Speech Movement, they sang
for the first time anyone could remember Itll Be A Long Hard Fight to the tune of A
Hards Night. The Beatles were crossing into new territory (275). Stark displays an
event where the Beatles directly influenced American youth. Singing Itll Be A Long
Hard Fight to the tune of a Beatles song shows how the youth in America were
embracing the counterculture values exuded the Beatles. Whether it was the adult-
disliked haircuts, the use of psychedelic drugs, or the use of their songs within protests,

the Beatles had placed themselves almost at the center of the youth counterculture. The
youth wanted everything to do with the Beatles and followed them in any way they
could. Therefore, every move the Beatles made was mirrored by millions of youth in
America who were eager to rebel against societal norms.
All in all, the Beatles had helped the American youth counterculture gain more
tolerance to psychedelic drugs during the 1960s. Their vast influence as international
pop icons helped millions of youth view them as role models, with an effort to be like
them in every way. These ways included, but were not limited to, looks, values, and
actions. As the Beatles continued on into their career, they began to display more of
their drug usage and incorporate the usage within their songs. This incorporation would
expose millions of youth to psychedelic drugs and enabled them to become more
accustomed to the drugs and ultimately gain more tolerance. Not only that, but the
Beatles were also becoming a countercultural icon as protestors began to use their
songs and teenagers began to copy their actions. Consequently, the Beatles played a
huge role in American history as the youth counterculture of the 1960s has continued to
evolve into the social norms that we accept today. Whether it is drugs or their classic
long hair, modern society will continue to experience the Beatles legacy as the Beatles
have chiseled their place in American culture.


Works Cited
The Beatles Revolution. Dir. Rudy Bednar. ABC Productions, 2000. Film.

Davies, Hunter. The Beatles. UK: William Heinemann, 1968. Print.

Grinspoon, Lester, and James B. Bakalar. Psychedelic Reflections. New York, NY:
Human Sciences, 1983. Print.

Hecl, Rudolf. "The Beatles and Their Influence on Culture." Thesis. Masaryk University,
2006. Print.

Moore, Allan F. The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. New York:
Cambridge UP, 1997. Print.

Stark, Steven D. Meet the Beatles: A Cultural History of the Band That Shook Youth,
Gender, and the World. New York: Harper Entertainment, 2005. Print.