Beatles bridge the years

Today my wife and I officially become “empty nesters.” And one of the things that comes to mind as my youngest flies off this morning to UMass is The Beatles. That may strike some as a bit odd but, truly, it isn’t.

My youngest daughter is the biggest Beatles fan I know. She got hooked on their music a few years ago and the band remains one of her favorites. She’s got the Abbey Road poster and a variety of other Beatles memorabilia on her bedroom walls. The back window of her car is adorned with a Beatles decal. She was fascinated by the Beatles LPs I have, particularly their album covers. The Beatles helped create a common bond between us and, in fact, her musical tastes are much more in line with mine than either of her sisters. Not only have we seen Ben Folds and O.A.R. together, she bought the tickets to O.A.R. and invited me to go with her.

The shared appreciation of The Beatles may not be wholly unique. A recent Pew Research Center survey showed, not surprisingly, that The Beatles are the most popular musical performers for people in my age group. But it also showed the band was the second most popular performers among people ages 16-29. The group trailed Michael Jackson by just one percent, which is not statistically significant (especially considering the survey was conducted after Jackson’s death). In addition, the Beatles were third in the 30-49 age group and fourth in the 65+ group.

Given that my daughter is 18, the breadth of the age groups might skew the figures for her group. Still, it is fascinating to see that parents and their kids today can and do share a common musical language, especially since my parents were appalled by The Beatles and their music. It also adds another flavor to my Beatles collection. Now, I’ll be reminded of my daughter whenever I hear a Beatles tune.

“All You Need Is Love,” The Beatles, Magical Mystery Tour