Alexis Kirkland: On This Date- September 13

The sixties were a revolutionary time for music, and an even better time for the Beatles. On September 13, 1965, the Beatles won their first Grammy, Best New Artist of 1964. For the losers in this category, this must've been a bad event. For everyone else, though, this event was amazing.

It's credible milestones like these in an artist's career that prove their worth. When Britney Spears came out with Oops!... I Did It Again, it showed the world that she wasn't a one-hit wonder, but that she was here to stay. When Michael Jackson became the artist with the biggest album sales of all time, it further pushed his validity. So when the Beatles, a foreign band, won an award at the Grammys, it was a big deal. An award of this magnitude told people, "Hey, listen, this isn't some winky-dink group of British lads. These guys are for real." This award opened America to the world of music that exists beyond the States, specifically to Europe, and helped validate the existence of boy bands like Take That, The Monkees, and Backstreet Boys, not to mention One Direction.

Personally, I appreciate this event. The Beatles have had hit after hit, successful album after successful album, and without them working hard to make a name for British groups, I fear that America may have never accepted British groups into their prospective view of music.