In case you hadn't noticed, in the final analysis AI is a fishing expedition for the next big pop star and those who stand to profit from it could give a rat's ass if the contestants are steeped in musical history.
and in case you hadn't noticed, my contention was not about the contestants and their expedition to become pop stars, it was my contention that ANYONE, ANYONE, interested in a career in music, willing to get up on the stage, willing to sing their heart out, who does not know anything about the most influential and important band in the history of music, is not in fact someone who is interested in music.
i do not care how silly the show is or who stands to profit...if you want to be a musician or a singer, and you know next to nothing about the Beatles, you should instead be a mechanic or something, because you are truly not interested in music.
Nobody is asking them to be "steeped in music history"...we are not asking them to recount, in essay form, the development of the Delta Blues into what would later become rock music...we are not asking them to discuss the evolution of classical music into more contemporary forms...
fact is, they are SUPPOSED to be singing these songs in order to win said fishing expedition, it might help them to familiarize themselves with the greatest popular music ever made.
so don't be snitty.