In the wake of President Kennedy’s 1963 assassination, columnist Mary McGrory declared, “We’ll never laugh again.”

Yes, for Americans dealing with JFK’s tragic death, it had been a long, cold, lonely winter. However, not even McGrory could have predicted the laughter, screams and joy four Liverpool lads would bring to a generation who just needed help stepping back into the sun.

On February 9^th, 1964, a group of guys with funny hair cuts and skinny ties were greeted by thousands of fans as they stepped off their plane at JFK Airport in New York City. Their names were George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and they were making their American debut on the most popular TV show of the time – The Ed Sullivan Show.

70 million American viewers were about to meet the Beatles.

Fifty years have gone by since that fateful union between America and the Beatles, and we are still looking back on the role the group had in shaping the clothes, music and culture of a generation. We are now in a brave new world of pop culture, but the mark of the Beatles still lies like an invisible handprint on the heart of America.

For a short period of time, the Beatles and American youth were one in the same.

America and the Beatles grew up together. When the Beatles performed on the Ed Sullivan Show, they almost instantaneously became the face, soundtrack and voice of a ‘60s youth just coming into their own. The group’s early albums like “Please, Please Me” and “Meet the Beatles” captured the fun spirit of the early ‘60s in all its sheik, groovy, hip glory. The not-yet corrupt youth was doing homework and flirting after school all while listening to songs like “All My Loving,” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” just a little too loud.

The Beatles spoke to a generation of teenagers with raging hormones (have you heard the way those girls used to scream?) and a wild need to do the twist. Songs like the 1963 hit “I Saw Her Standing There,” still effortlessly capture the spirit of young love with lyrics like, “She was just 17, you know what I mean.” If you don’t get it, see me after class. As Billboard’s online bio of the Beatles so eloquently states, “The Beatles grabbed hold of the international mass consciousness in 1964 and never let go for the next six years, always staying ahead of the pack in terms of creativity but never losing their ability to communicate their increasingly sophisticated ideas to a mass audience.”

America and the Beatles transformed together. The Beatles were never ordinary and always revolutionary, pushing boundaries in any and every way. These captains of the British Invasion took pop culture from across the pond and made it the new standard in every American home. Feminine dress, mop-top haircuts and black suits were just the beginning. The Beatles redefined the music industry by emphasizing the artistic value of a completed album, introducing sound effects and Indian sitars to their musical composition with the 1965 release of their groundbreaking album, Rubber Soul. The group moved from the pop rock genre into the folk infused psychedelic years, and their pack of listeners followed suit. This revolutionary generation would go on to redefine American ideals and social norms surrounding issues like race, women’s rights, religious freedoms and environmental protection, all while fighting and protesting a devastating war.

In the eyes of American listeners, the Beatles could do no wrong. They had 15 singles hit #1 on the Billboard charts and have to date sold over 200 million albums in the United States. Whether Americans were watching the Beatles in their motion pictures like “A Hard Day’s Night” or singing along to later hits like “Yellow Submarine,” one thing is certain – fans for years to come were going to cherish the Beatles.

Today, the extensive Beatles catalog provides a space for current artists to interpret and highlight the work of the beloved band. Who could forget the memorable parade scene from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” that features “Twist and Shout,” or the “All You Need is Love” themed wedding scene from “Love Actually.” Everyone from Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, Joe Cocker and Florence and the Machine have famously covered Beatles classics – not to mention the entirety of the Across the Universe soundtrack.

The influence of the Beatles is endless. The Beatles grew up with America, transformed with America and would even go on to die with America.

In 1968, the Tet offensive of the Vietnam War is initiated, sending violence and death tolls to new heights. At the same time, the Beatles were working on what would end up being their last albums, “Abbey Road” and “Let It Be.” Amidst tense recording sessions and band conflicts, the group performs an impromptu concert on the roof of Apple headquarters in January of 1969. The 42-minute set later known as the “Rooftop Concert” would unknowingly be their last live performance together.

Each Beatle would go on to create music independently, producing notable albums like George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” and John Lennon’s “Imagine.” Their solo careers were successful, but certainly not the same. John Lennon wasn’t assassinated until 1980 and George Harrison didn’t pass from lung cancer until 2001, but the Beatles really died up on the roof that day in 1969, taking the youth and innocence of a generation with them.

Historians dedicate their careers to describing the spirit of the 60s, but the Beatles captured it effortlessly in their music. The youth of an era lost in deep space is gone from this world, but not forgotten. The magic of the time can be revisited in the music of the Beatles. Their last produced album, “Abbey Road,” concludes with “Medley,” which finishes by saying, “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

If there is one thing to take away from the Beatles music, it is the beautiful, youthful splendor of love.

The Beatles symbolize an era of sweet, romantic innocence that got lost in translation somewhere between Facebook and Tinder. You can never step into the same river twice, but the Beatles are a medium through which today’s youth can feel the magic of that golden era.

When Mary McGrory said “We’ll never laugh again,” what I didn’t include was Kennedy aide Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s response to her. “Heavens, Mary, we’ll laugh again,” Moynihan replied, “It’s just that we will never be young again.”

No, you can never be young again, but the musical love of the Beatles remains, timeless and steadfast as ever.

And with a love like that, you know you should be glad.

Click Here to Check Out the Top Five Beatles Albums of All Time

Photo via Twitter/@FabPaulFacts 

Christina Gregg can be reached via email at [email protected].