{"id":618894,"date":"2026-06-03T12:51:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T12:51:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/618894\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T12:51:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T12:51:14","slug":"the-1967-song-howard-stern-called-a-religious-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/618894\/","title":{"rendered":"The 1967 song Howard Stern called a religious experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Howard<\/p>\n

Credit: Far Out \/ YouTube Still<\/p>\n

Wed 3 June 2026 11:32, UK <\/p>\n

Howard Stern <\/a>is a pioneering broadcaster who redefined the art of being a radio presenter. <\/p>\n

His distinct on-air persona brought an anarchic energy to his programmes, which presenters across the globe later adopted. Although they exist in a different medium, and even Stern would admit his contribution to culture diminishes in comparison, The Beatles transformed music in a comparable manner.<\/p>\n

Both figures disrupted their respective industries by ignoring established conventions. Just as Stern challenged the rules of broadcasting, The Beatles continually pushed beyond the accepted boundaries of popular music.<\/p>\n

The Beatles have played a role in Stern\u2019s life ever since childhood, and without their body of work, he\u2019d likely be a very different type of character. The Fab Four opened his mind to exciting, new horizons that he previously didn\u2019t deem possible, and he\u2019ll forever be thankful for the sizeable impact they continue to have on his life, even today.<\/p>\n

Thanks to his glittering career in radio, Stern has been fortunate enough to welcome Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney as guests on his programme. During the broadcasts with the former members of the Fab Four, Stern almost always fails to resist the opportunity to wax lyrical about one of his all-time favourite bands, including their seminal album\u00a0Sgt. Pepper\u2019s Lonely Hearts Club Band. <\/p>\n

\"George<\/a>Credit: Far Out \/ Alamy<\/p>\n

During one broadcast when discussing his favourite albums, Stern told listeners<\/a>: \u201cIf you were going to pick number one, it would have to be a Beatles album, I\u2019d probably say it\u2019s Sgt. Pepper\u2019s Lonely Hearts Club Band.\u201d<\/p>\n

Furthermore, he claimed The Beatles were the first musical act to impact the world successfully. \u201cAnd fuck all the bullshit with Buddy Holly and the Crickets all that crap, none of it matter until The Beatles, fuck Elvis, fuck Crickets, all that shit\u2026 I tell you, The Beatles are the number one band of all time,\u201d he said of their legacy.<\/p>\n

The first time Stern heard Sgt. Pepper\u2019s<\/a> was a moment that will live with him forever. In the book Howard Stern Comes Again, he cast his mind back to 1967, when he was 13 and was exposed to the LP for the first time. \u201cI had a record player in my room, and I called to my mother: \u2018Mom, come in here! You gotta hear this!\u2019 She sat on my bed next to me and we listened to the entire album,\u201d he remembered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe song lyrics were printed on the back \u2014 it was one of the first times a band had done that, maybe even the first,\u201d Stern added, before specifically discussing \u2018Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite\u2019, which blew his mind.<\/p>\n

The broadcaster continued: \u201cAs the music played, my mother and I read along. I have vivid memories of a scholarly moment when, like two rabbinical students, we poured over the lyrics to \u2018Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!\u2019 The experience was more personal and profound than any religious training I\u2019d received up until then.\u201d<\/p>\n

That memory illustrates the emotional power music can hold during formative years. Certain albums become attached to specific moments in life, transforming simple listening experiences into lifelong memories.<\/p>\n

The track, written by John Lennon, spoke to Stern on a profound level that he\u2019d never previously felt was achievable through music. It took him to another realm and unlocked something within himself that made him believe everything was right in the world.<\/p>\n

For Stern, Sgt. Pepper was a revelation. Decades after first hearing it alongside his mother, the record still represents the moment he realised that music could be intellectually stimulating, emotionally affecting and endlessly imaginative all at once. It remains a testament to The Beatles\u2019 ability to change not only popular culture, but individual lives as well.<\/p>\n

Listen to \u2018Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite\u2019 below.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

ADD AS A PREFERRED SOURCE ON GOOGLE \"\"\/ <\/a> The Far Out Beatles Newsletter<\/p>\n

All the latest stories about The Beatles from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Credit: Far Out \/ YouTube Still Wed 3 June 2026 11:32, UK Howard Stern is a pioneering broadcaster…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":315781,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[189535,96,26819,128,10447,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-618894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-189535","tag-entertainment","tag-howard-stern","tag-music","tag-the-beatles","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/618894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=618894"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/618894\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/315781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=618894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=618894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=618894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}