As we look back, The Beatles have always been the standard for rock and pop. They changed the landscape of music and society with the way they dressed, movies for a new generation, a blueprint for how a band should grow over time, and brilliant songwriting which is the standard still today.

Think back to the year 1965. The young generation was radically growing into their own and out of the shadows of their parents. The Beatles were attempting to follow up their classic album, soundtrack, and movie “A Hard Day’s Night”. Something every artist who has had a defining album has struggled with. The Beatles handled the pressure just fine and even put it in the title track. “Help!” was John Lennon putting his true personal feelings into a rock song. Keep in mind, that wasn’t done back in ‘65. Once again The Beatles break new ground in songwriting. Although “Help!” isn’t as strong as the previous album, it was perfect for the time. It was personal, it was silly, and it was fun. That sums up not only the album, but the time it was written and released. 56 years ago today, The Beatles released “Help!”. They didn’t really need it, but we did! An album that stands the test of time. I hate to imagine a world without this album in it!

-- Doug O’Brien

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