The Beatles were a phenomenon in the ’60s, and remain one to this very day. They were a force that refused to stay in their own era . Long after the screaming crowds and Ed Sullivan flashbulbs faded, the band still had an iron grip on the charts, the culture, and every musician trying to carve out space in a world they essentially redesigned. The industry had spent decades trying to outrun their shadow, but The Beatles were the kind of act you never actually get away from.

By the late ’90s, the modern stars of the moment—from boy bands like One Direction to pop icons a la Taylor Swift —were still being measured against Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr. It's not as crazy as it sounds.

Here's why: 25 years ago, that lingering dominance sparked a fresh wave of quiet-yet-pr

See Full Page