Eveniftheword“pop”disappearsfromtheEnglishvocabulary,theinfluenceofpopwillremain.PophasbecomepartofBritish—andAmerican—history.Therehasalwaysbeenacloseculturallink,ortie,betweenBritainandEnglishpeakingAmerica,notonlyinliteraturebutalsointhepopulararts,especiallymusic.BeforetheSecondWorldWartheAmericanexportedjazzandtheblues.Duringthe1950stheyexportedrockandroll,andstarsingerslikeElvisPresleywereidolizedbyyoungBritonsandAmericansalike.
ThepeopleresponsibleforthepoprevolutionwerefourLiverpoolboyswhojoinedtogetherinagroupandcalledthemselvestheBeatles.Unlikethefamoussolostarswhohadtheirsongswrittenforthem,
Theyplayedinsmallclubsinthebackstreetsofthecity.theBeatleswrotetheirownwordsandmusic.
Theyhadaclosepersonalrelationshipwiththeiraudience,andtheyexpectedthemtojoininanddancetothe“beat”ofthemusic.Audienceparticipationisanessentialcharacteristicofpopculture.Somepopgroups,inparticulartheRollingStones,didmorethanjustentertainment.
Theywrotewordswhichweredeliberatelyintendedtoshock.Theyrepresentedtheangerandbitternessofyouthstrugglingforfreedomagainstauthority,andforthisreasontheywereregardedbysomepeopleasthepersonificationofthe“permissivesociety”.TheBeatles,ontheotherhand,finallywontheaffection—andadmiration—ofpeopleofallagesandsocialbackgrounds.Astheydeveloped,theirsongsbecamemoreserious.Theywrotenotonlyoflove,butofdeathandoldageandpovertyanddailylife.Theywererespectedbymanyintellectualsandbysomeseriousmusicians.LargelythankstotheBeatles,popmusichasgrownintoanimmenseandprofitableoccupation.