In what ways were the Beatles controversial

The Beatles were so big they created their own cultural weather system, which could turn from sunny to stormy, depending on the mercurial moods of band members and fans alike. Among the various Fab Four controversies, myths and hoaxes that hijacked headlines during The Beatles' heyday, these five stand out.

The Beatles are 'more popular than Jesus'

John Lennon's quip in 1966 about The Beatles' absurd level of fame literally lit a fire, prompting some religious-minded fans and disc jockeys to organize Beatles album bonfires. The comment stirred no controversy when it was originally reported in a British publication. But when it was reprinted months later in the American teen magazine Datebook, the reaction was so rabid that manager Brian Epstein considered canceling the band's U. S. tour. A perplexed Lennon apologized at a news conference in Chicago and said, "If I'd said television was more popular than Jesus, I might have got away with it."

They where considered the first true rock band