The Beatles, The Lakers, and Disneyland

Thirty years ago today, Beatles legend John Lennon was shot in the back four times. Killed. Assassinated. Murdered. Now I must confess that while I know some of The Beatles’ hit songs, I would not be considered a fan; I couldn’t name more than three albums, tell which of those Hey Jude was one, or even say I didn’t fall asleep trying to watch Across the Universe. But as an avid listener of music,  I understand and appreciate all they’ve done for the music world.

Having been an amateur musician and hanging around other musicians, both amateur and professional, it’s not uncommon for The Beatles to come up in conversation. In fact, they come up often. A lyric, a melody, a specific guitar tone, or a song, there’s always something that brings up The Beatles, and when it’s brought up, the discussion seems to always turn to naming your favorite Beatles tune. And this is how I know The Beatles are great.

Without fail, in a large enough group, every time it gets to naming your favorite Beatles song, someone names a song I didn’t even realize were by The Beatles or hadn’t heard of altogether. I know I’m talking about musicians and they tend to lean toward the obscure stuff, but even if you ask a group of casual listeners like myself, you’ll hear 20 or so songs before you hear a song be repeated. The Beatles were just that good. They produced that many good songs.

I’ve mentioned in a previous post my affinity for the Los Angeles Lakers. Whether you love them or hate them, it would be hard argue that they’re a great franchise. The fact that an NBA fan has strong feelings either way is a good indication that they’re a great franchise. The same can be said about the Boston Celtics, the New York Yankees, and even the struggling Notre Dame college football programs.

The argument is the same. If fans were asked to name great players that have played for the Lakers, we could name a few dozen before we start to struggle. Kobe, Shaq, Magic, Kareem, Worthy, Elgin, Gail, West, Wilt… and those are just some of the Hall-of-Famers, there’s also guys like Pau Gasol, Robert Horry, Byron Scott, Michael Cooper, just to name a few.

You know an organization is great because of the great products it consistently puts out. Bands like The Beatles or U2 consistently produced hits. Teams like the Lakers and Yankees consistently produce good teams with good players.

Disneyland consistently introduces phenomenal attractions

Yesterday I attended a meeting with Disneyland in which they presented a handful of things that are going on across the street. They talked about what was already going on like World of Colors and ElecTRONica. Then they introduced coming attractions like Star Tours 2, Cars Land, and a whole lot more. I have to say, it all looks very impressive.

On our Facebook, I’m always polling and asking our friends what their favorite attraction is across the street. I ask them who their favorite Disney character is, what their favorite Disney movie is, etc, etc, etc. The result? The same as when I ask for a favorite Beatles tune – a lot of different answers. That’s why I love Disneyland so much. They’re always coming up with new things, and it’s always well-done and loved all around. They’ve consistently produced a good product and continue to do so.

Greatness withstands the test of time. Thirty years ago, the music world lost a legend. Today his music lives on. Greatness.