Frank Kogan

There are two - well, more than two, but let's concentrate on two for now - impulses here that combine to "validate" the Beatles. First, is the standard art classic cred, e.g., they write their own material, they are artists, they create masterpieces, etc. And the second is they write their own material because they are rebels and they are saying things the Man would not allow. (And the Beatles material changed as they [or Lennon anyway] became more willing to see themselves this way.) And of course the rebel is part of the image of the artist anyway, but the two cred impulses don't quite get along, and there's probably something of a counterstrain as the Beatles seem to be progressing away from rock 'n' roll, which could be seen as progressing away from "commercial pop" but could also be seen as abandoning working-class rock 'n' roll.