Beatles And Rolling Stones Were 'Capitalists'

The Beatles and the Rolling Stones were capitalists who exploited 60s youth culture, rather than leaders of the movement, a new report has claimed.

The Study, led by historian David Fowler, says that despite fantastic popularity, neither band did as much to represent the interests of young people as the Spice Girls in the 1990s.

Both the Beatles – who once boasted they were as big as Jesus – and the Rolling Stones are viewed by commentators as 60s icons.

But Fowler believes they were only elevated to such lofty acclaim because of their fantastic popularity.

“They were young capitalists who, far from developing a youth culture, were exploiting youth culture by promoting fan worship, mindless screaming and nothing more than a passive teenage consumer,” he writes in the study.

The historian noted how particular television appearances, such as the Beatles' performance on Morecambe and Wise in 1963, prove that they were, in effect, “family entertainment”.

In the study, entitled Youth Culture in Modern Britain, Fowler claims that 'mods' did more for young people in the 60s - and that revivalist Rolf Gardiner should be seen as the true embodiment of youth culture in the 20th century.