The following is an edition of Mac’s Tracks, The Mirror’s music column. All views, thoughts and opinions belong solely to the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Drury Mirror. 

In early February, the trailer for the new movie, “Yesterday,” dropped online. The premise of the film is after a worldwide power outage, an aspiring musician named Jack wakes up as the only person on the planet who remembers the Beatles. He does what anyone naturally would; he claims their songs as his own and releases them to an awestruck and oblivious audience.

When I heard the concept and saw the trailer, a great many emotions ran through my brain since the Beatles have played an oddly large role in my life.

To put it lightly, my dad reveres the Beatles. Every new anniversary release, be it their movies, merchandise or records, finds its way into our home in what seems like mere hours after they’re been listed for sale. His XM radio in his car tunes exclusively to the Beatles station and, in the 1980s, he was the lucky Missourian that got “BEATLE” on the license plate of the family minivan (you may have seen said plate on campus – it’s what I’m cruising in during my time in college). We’ve seen Ringo and Paul in concert many times apiece. In high school, it became tradition for my friends to stop by to play Beatles Rock Band – the only version of the game my dad would let us get.

That love extended to naming me after the band.

If you take McCartney and Lennon and mash them together, you get “Maclen.” It’s not entirely original – Paul and John used it as their recording label name and it now has its own page on baby name websites. But back in 1998, it was pretty novel.

I grew up despising my name because I wanted something a little more normal and easier to pronounce. I hated explaining the meaning to curious teachers and adults yet couldn’t resist touting my Beatles knowledge above the heads of my elementary school classmates.

Photo via Maclen Johnson.

As I got older, I embraced the homage my name pays to the influential rockers. I’m happy that my parents mutually loved something so much they felt it was worth bringing into the bloodline.

I’m a little skeptical of “Yesterday” for a multitude of reasons, but excited about it for just as many. Putting the Beatles brand on anything often ends with heavy criticism from those who are annoyed that their name is hailed as the epitome of music. It’s a fair point; the Beatles certainly drew inspiration from artists that preceded them and their accomplishments often overshadow equally talented musicians.

At the same time, their contributions cannot be ignored. “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” sits proudly at the top of Rolling Stone’s “Top 500 Albums of All Time” list despite the multiple revisions the ranking has undergone over the years. They’re credited for the first art rock album ever made (“Sgt. Pepper” claims this title as well) and “Helter Skelter” is (somewhat dubiously) regarded as the earliest metal song. Their music broke boundaries and cultivated and reflected the psychedelic era of the 1960s. They were the first crusaders of the British Invasion and without them, we may not have seen the punk or new wave movements blossom in later decades.

Is it obnoxious to make movies that rely solely on nostalgia of older generations? Probably. But I’m sure we’ll be doing it soon enough with our pop heroes.

“Yesterday” is far from first to use one band exclusively for its soundtrack. “Mamma Mia” continues to bring ABBA to new audiences and “We Will Rock You” hit musical theatre to honor the legacy of Queen long before “Bohemian Rhapsody” came out last year. We live in a vinyl revival era, and we should celebrate more people getting into older music rather than tearing them down for being “bandwagon fans.” It’s also hypocritical to gate-keep the most well-known rock band in history.

It’s also fun. It’s a silly what-if. People of all ages get a kick out of scenarios where one thing in the world has changed and the effects that come with it. “Yesterday” also raises the question: will the still-living Ringo Starr or Paul McCartney appear in the movie to claim the music that is rightfully theirs? Will they have a cameo or no screen time at all?

Honestly, I’m ecstatic to see “Yesterday” with my dad once it releases this June. I was born and bred to be a fan, and although I have my healthy doses of doubt, I hope the movie will inspire a contemporary Beatlemania.

Written by Maclen Johnson.