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The Beatles (Apple Corps Ltd.)
With everything else that's been politically polled in the last couple of years, why shouldn't Beatles be, too?
Zogby International, one of the more preminent political pollsters, has conducted an extensive poll on the Beatles and Beatlemania among the American public.
Fewer liberals (9%) and Democrats (14%) didn't like the Beatles than Republicans and conservatives (30% each) who didn't.
Beatle fans are more likely to have college degrees. Those without college degrees who said they didn't like the Beatles (25%) were a larger group than college grads who didn't like them (18%).
The poll also found that Protestants and Catholics (24% and 22%, respectively) were more likely to dislike The Beatles than Jewish respondents (12%) and those who followed other religions (15%). We'll let the pundits spin the reasons for that.
A separate poll by Zogby Interactive found that Paul McCartney was the most popular Beatle among Americans. John placed second at 16%, then George Harrison (10%) and Ringo Starr (9%).
Comments
Thank you for posting this article, Steve.
It really isn't too surprising in a lot of ways.
I believe John is by far the most popular Beatle in the UK.
He certainly always got my vote.
To paraphrase John Lennon "The Beatles Are Bigger Than Politics".
It always amazes me when I run into people with extreme right wing views who are fans of artists like the Beatles, Springsteen, John Fogerty, Neil Young etc. How do you separate the music from the message? I guess you can, but, it would be hard for me to enjoy a Toby Keith song, for example, knowing what side of the fence he stands on, and what the lyrics of the song might be.
All this poll means is most religious people are conservative. And the older you are the more likely you are to be conservative and religious.
This is not at all surprising really. The Beatles are about art, change, open-mindedness, peace -- not really things that are embraced by the so-called conservative-Republicans today.
I'm both a conservative and a registered Republican and have been a Beatlemaniac since age 10; and I just wrote a tribute to Mary Travers. Is it a contradiction? I don't know and I don't care. Music is not so much to be analyzed as enjoyed.
Matt Talvi,
I am not an extreme right-winger, but I lean right. I love The Beatles. And I do separate the music from the lyrics. Not just The Beatles though. It's music, not poetry, so the lyrics are secondary to me. Plus, there's not really that much controversial about most Beatles songs. All You Need Is Love, who could disagree with that? The Beatles have very few controversial songs. Most of it is just really great music.
Plus, if you were a really hard-right person, and you chose your music based on politics, it would get pretty old listening to Ted Nugent all the time.
I'm not sure which Beatles songs rightwingers listen to, but I have a hard time seeing how they really appreciate the group-
anti-gun ("Happiness is a Warm Gun")
love/peace ("All You Need Is Love")
I guess they like "Taxman"?
Michael McGuire says: "Music is not so much to be analyzed as enjoyed."
Actually it can be both - especially by intellectuals who care about what makes those who create music, tick. More than most pop-rock musicians, The Beatles - by virtue of their very dynamic individual personalities - encourage identification with their personas and by extension - their worldview. You CAN separate the music (and enjoyment thereof) from the artists - but it generally indicates a certain selective shallowness on the part of the one doing the separating.
Pat says: "I am not an extreme right-winger, but I lean right. I love The Beatles. And I do separate the music from the lyrics. Not just The Beatles though. It's music, not poetry, so the lyrics are secondary to me."
Wow - listening to the music but ignoring the lyrics? And actually many DO equate music with poetry (much of what the Beatles wrote lyrically was quite poetic.) What narrow views of music and how to enjoy it.
Oh, please! I've been a constant Beatle fan since 1964, leaned more left during my college years, but slowly found myself leaning middle-right as I got older. The Fabs' music touches my soul. Their voices are magic. You don't have to be 'liberal' to have a soul, contrary to what some may think here!
Before things get out of hand, PLEASE remember: these are generalizations. These are NOT absolutes.
I consider myself a lefty, borderline socialist, actually, that loves the Beatles, but some of my DEAREST friends are right-wingers. We respect each other's points of view. Sure, we argue about almost everything, but we respect each other's points of view. Often, we try to find a compromise we both like.
Pity this can't be done on a larger scale.
Is anyone REALLY 100% liberal? 100% conservative?
Would it kill EITHER side to acknowledge that the "opposing side" does have some good ideas?
Anyone recall "We Can Work It Out"?
I've been a Beatlemaniac since 1964 AND a proud Reagan conservative since 1976 (when I voted for the Gipper in the primary against Gerald Ford). I've always loved the Fabs' music - group and solo - but it doesn't mean that I condone their drug use or agree with their politics. I'm a big Sinatra fan, too, but he was a Mafia thug. There are many people who I admire artistically, but not politically (although I can't abide people like Babs Streisand, Hanoi Jane Fonda, or the icky Dixie Chicks). I'm not a Ted Nugent fan either - even though he's supposedly on my side politically, I think he's a big fraud and a phony, and I don't care for his music either. If Ann Coulter can be a Deadhead, I can like The Beatles. Laura Ingraham also plays a lot of Beatles and McCartney music on her show as well. BTW, Sarah Palin - nee Sarah Louise Heath - was born in Idaho on 2/11/64 - the same day the Fabs played the DC Coliseum. I'll bet Sarah's a Beatle fan...
@JGK:
"Happiness is a Warm Gun" is about sex with Yoko, it's not anti-gun.
In the military they tell you, "Your firearm is a weapon, not a gun, your gun is in your pants."
GabeMc: I think "Happiness" can be considered somewhat anti-gun, as it was inspired by a headline on a gun magazine, and that referred to a weapon, not a penis (as in your military comparison). John found the headline "insane" as George Martin recalls; "A warm gun means you just shot someone." But yes, there's Yoko imagery as well. It conjures up a lot of different images.
I do think a performer should be judged on their work. But sometimes if I hear a singer make a remark I consider hateful I find it hard to listen to them again. That's not as true w/actors; I guess listening to music is a more personal experience.
"What narrow views of music and how to enjoy it. "
Ha ha. That really cracked me up. Most of the music I listen to has no lyrics, because it is music. I appreciate good lyrics. They can make a good piece of music great. But great lyrics cannot save a bad piece of music. I focus on the music first, because that is the main part to be enjoyed. If you cannot see that, then I feel sorry for you.
Maybe you only listen to music with lyrics, or are not a musician. I don't know. I personally play multiple instruments, and have played in many jazz bands (with no singers, and therefore no lyrics).
Look, we all have our favorite pieces of music, and it's really hard to describe why. I think The Beatles were fantastic composers, which is why I enjoy their music. But when you claim somebody has narrow views of music and how to enjoy it because it is different than you, well, then I think maybe you should look in the mirror. I think you may be talking to yourself.
Thank you Peter R - most of my friends are liberals - though I am conservative. I don't think it's right to just assume something about musical preference based on political preference. I don't care for country music - though it seems that most of the performers lean right. I gotta believe there are leftwingers that love country music- I wouldn't peg them all to be Deadheads. PS -I DO like Happiness Is A Warm Gun. John Lennon took 3 distinctive parts of a song that had nothing to do with each other and made an awesome song out of it. I don't think the song advocates or opposes gun ownership or usage. Although I could see someone on either side of the issue claiming John Lennon agrees with them.
Some valid points from both "leaning" sides. I personally loved Reagan - despised GWB (sorely wish the guy we actually elected, Al Gore, had served) - and while I support Obama (and had high hopes for him) I'm quite disappointed with him thus far. I'm not remotely a knee jerk liberal - balance between the two sides is VERY important (and after the last 8 soul-crushing years, the pendulum DESPERATELY needs to swing the other way for some much needed balance.) However - in my personal experience - most of the closest conservatives in my life have had major problems with accepting (now classic) rock-pop music as worthwhile in any way, shape or form. (I once knew a strict Catholic priest that banned the congregation from so much as owning a Beatles - or any other rock record - under pain of not hearing their confession!) They GENERALLY are quite narrow-minded in this way. Paul recently made a positive remark about Obama at a Las Vegas concert and was reportedly loudly booed! Shameful. Sad.
Steve just omited that the poll shows Paul´s got 30% of "popularity" votes in America, doubling John´s (16%).
However you might reason this, PAUL RULES!!.
i'm surprised that gun-toting anti health care americans like the beatles at all......
Chuckster, you're wrong. The conservative Christians are just LOUDER. They make the news more. There are many religious folks who are moderate or left-of-center. If you look at the life of Christ, you'd have to come to the conclusion his views would be much more aligned with those on the left than those on the right.
The Beatles were beyond politics,Paul is probably left wing ,he started apple as a form of western socialism,plus he has been pro Obama ,goerge probably right wing,taxman,support for free market in interviews,John I can only quote "were not left wing or right wing",ringo has never stated.oh and happiness is a warm gun is not pro or anti gun,John saw a gun advertisement in a magazine and was fascinated by it,also mentions his struggle with heroin during this period
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