The Beatles are the most successful pop/rock band in music history. Many think the band was an overnight success, a result of being in the right place at the right time, but the band’s story started long before they burst onto the American music scene in 1964. And it wasn’t always glamorous.
The history of the Beatles is interesting to study and contains at least 10 attributes that led to their success that go beyond the obvious talent; each has an application to personality radio success today.
Personalities: Be Like The Beatles
Here are the 10 things that impress me most about the band:
Roles: Each member made the band greater than the sum of its parts. It took some time to find a mix of personalities that launched their amazing success.
Character Brands: Each Beatle brought something different to the group. There was a cute one, a quiet one smart one, and a funny one. Building a Character Profile is a result of great casting and an intentional process.
Collaboration: Great ideas come when talented people work together. John and Paul were opposites in many ways, but the combination of the extremes sharpened their songwriting and performing.
Chemistry: Strong personalities caused unavoidable infighting, but they fought through it because of a commitment to the group’s success. It’s a great example of a For The Show mentality.
Mission: They saw everyone and everything as a competition trying to prevent their success. From local bands to Elvis, they respected others but had an insatiable desire to win.
Available: When starting out, they said “yes” to every gig, paid or not. Every chance to play was an opportunity to make an impression and build fans. Are you taking advantage of each opportunity to meet listeners?
Personal Brand: The boys developed a style, encouraged by their manager Brian Epstein. They had a consistent look, starting with their f famous haircuts and matching suits.
Evolution: The band kept growing, working to innovate, update, and grow. This is essential to nurturing and growing a fan base.
Consistency: The band was consistent, yet interesting. They never got into a creative rut, but the underlying values were consistent.
The Hits: They played their hits with enthusiasm every time. Concerts were about 35 minutes long with nothing but their best songs. Are you performing your best material with energy every time?
Conclusion
The Beatles weren’t perfect, and neither are radio personalities. That’s okay. Great shows have flaws.
The band pushed through growing pains for many years, just as it often takes time for personalities to find a recipe for success.
They also recognized a need for help. The Beatles may have never become rich and famous without Brian Epstein managing, guiding, and coaching them. Maybe you need Brian Epstein on your team. We can help with that.
But there was one more underlying quality that sustained the band through the hard times. They had an insatiable desire to be the best, or as they put it, “To be The Toppermost of The Poppermost”.
The result was the greatest band of all time.
