---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before the Beatles could give us 'The…"
description: "\"Before the Beatles could give us 'The White Album', they had to achieve disorienting success.\" — Tom Junod"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/tom-junod-5058_achieve_before-the-beatles-could-give-us-the-whi_529946.jpg"
---

#  Before the Beatles could give us 'The White Album', they…

![“Before the Beatles could give us 'The White Album', they had to achieve disorienting success.” quote by Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/tom-junod-5058_achieve_before-the-beatles-could-give-us-the-whi_529946.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/tom-junod-5058_achieve_before-the-beatles-could-give-us-the-whi_529946.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/tom-junod-5058_achieve_before-the-beatles-could-give-us-the-whi_529946.jpg)

> “Before the Beatles could give us 'The White Album', they had to achieve disorienting success.”

[Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Before releasing The White Album, the Beatles needed to achieve a disorienting level of success.

**In simple terms:** Great success precedes artistic breakthroughs.

Key Takeaway

Embrace bold achievements before new work.

Themes

music creativity success history

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

biographical analytical

When to use this quote

- album releases
- career milestones
- creative planning

Key Concepts

cultural impact artistic evolution industry pressure

Questions to Reflect On

- What risks come with massive fame?
- How can artists stay authentic?

A Different Perspective

Success can create pressure to repeat it.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/) [Beatles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beatles/) [Beatles White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beatles-white-2867998/) [Disorienting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disorienting-340781/) [Disorienting Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disorienting-success-4454070/) [Give](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/give/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/us/) [White Album](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-album-320659/)

## Related quotes

> [“Girls are the White Album and they all have Revolution 9's. They have all that stuff you wish you could edit out. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/girls-are-the-white-album-and-they-all-have-revolution-9-s-they-have/)

[Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/)

> [“I am on pace to break his record. He’s only got one, so after that I’m going to smash all his CDs—starting with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-am-on-pace-to-break-his-record-he-s-only-got-one-so-after-that-i-m/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> ['The White Album' is so cool because it was around the time when the Beatles started to not like each other, so they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/the-white-album-is-so-cool-because-it-was-around-the-time-when-the/)

[Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/)

> [We all like all of that, from 'Rubber Soul' to 'The White Album' and all of that, but even before, we were into that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-ross/we-all-like-all-of-that-from-rubber-soul-to-the-white-album-and-all/)

[Ryan Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-ross/)

> [The White Album is important to me for different reasons. One - I had left the band on the White Album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ringo-starr/the-white-album-is-important-to-me-for-different-reasons-one-i-had/)

[Ringo Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ringo-starr/)

> [Oh, and it'd be nice if I could fellate myself while farting the White album, but I haven't quite mastered that yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-moody/oh-and-it-d-be-nice-if-i-could-fellate-myself-while-farting-the-white/)

[Hank Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-moody/)

> [I like records that are all over the place. That's why I think my favorite Beatles record was always 'The White Album.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-5/i-like-records-that-are-all-over-the-place-that-s-why-i-think-my/)

[John 5](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-5/)

> [I suspect by the time the Beatles were writing the White Album, they didn't go, "'I Wanna Hold Your Hand!' I wanna play that!"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/i-suspect-by-the-time-the-beatles-were-writing-the-white-album-they/)

[John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/)

> [No one can get really drunk on a novel or a painting, but who can help getting drunk on Reethoven's Ninth, Rartok's Sonata for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/no-one-can-get-really-drunk-on-a-novel-or-a-painting-but-who-can-help/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“They talked about the White Album on the way to school, but just as an excuse to stare at each other's mouths. You'd think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/they-talked-about-the-white-album-on-the-way-to-school-but-just-as-an/)

[Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/)

> [In short, if we adhere to the standard of perfection in all our endeavors, we are left with nothing but mathematics and the White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gilbert/in-short-if-we-adhere-to-the-standard-of-perfection-in-all-our/)

[Daniel Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gilbert/)

> ['The White Album' is a record I can go back to time and time again, and always find something different that I never noticed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hoppus/the-white-album-is-a-record-i-can-go-back-to-time-and-time-again-and/)

[Mark Hoppus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hoppus/)

> [I've been all around the world, and there will be a thousand kids crying out your name, and it's such a weird, visceral experience.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-mullen/i-ve-been-all-around-the-world-and-there-will-be-a-thousand-kids/)

[Rodney Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-mullen/)

> [When my first book came out, it was very disorienting. My health went south. I didn't know how to relate to people. I thought,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/when-my-first-book-came-out-it-was-very-disorienting-my-health-went/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [It's exhilarating to be alive in a time of awakening consciousness; it can also be confusing, disorienting, and painful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/it-s-exhilarating-to-be-alive-in-a-time-of-awakening-consciousness-it/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

## More by Tom Junod

> [Every artist can make art only from the materials at hand, and many of the child stars who try to mature into artists can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/every-artist-can-make-art-only-from-the-materials-at-hand-and-many-of/)

[Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

> [I wasn't learning to sing because I thought I could; I was learning to sing because I knew I couldn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/i-wasn-t-learning-to-sing-because-i-thought-i-could-i-was-learning-to/)

[Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

> [We might accept pit bulls personally, but America still doesn't accept them institutionally, where it counts; indeed, apartment complexes and insurance companies are arrayed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/we-might-accept-pit-bulls-personally-but-america-still-doesn-t-accept/)

[Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

> [I collect songs because I want to control what I - what everybody within earshot - listens to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/i-collect-songs-because-i-want-to-control-what-i-what-everybody/)

[Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

> [Any child can tell you what Google does - Google gives you the answers. But Google doesn't, not really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/any-child-can-tell-you-what-google-does-google-gives-you-the-answers/)

[Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

> [My mother was not a country girl. She was a Brooklyn girl, born and raised in Flatbush, and then a Long Island girl, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/my-mother-was-not-a-country-girl-she-was-a-brooklyn-girl-born-and/)

[Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

> [That there is as yet no drug for immortality - or, for that matter, for muscle growth in the infirm - does not mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/that-there-is-as-yet-no-drug-for-immortality-or-for-that-matter-for/)

[Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

> [I am not running for president, but I've always known if I ever did run for president - or local dogcatcher, for that matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/i-am-not-running-for-president-but-i-ve-always-known-if-i-ever-did/)

[Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

> [Josh Ozersky was a meat man. He knew meat, revered it, studied it, sang it, evangelized it, wrote about it, and, of course, ate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/josh-ozersky-was-a-meat-man-he-knew-meat-revered-it-studied-it-sang/)

[Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

> [I was a bully in fifth and sixth grade. I wasn't one of the bullies - I wasn't strong or dominant enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/i-was-a-bully-in-fifth-and-sixth-grade-i-wasn-t-one-of-the-bullies-i/)

[Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

> [I have about 25,000 songs on my computer and play them mostly on shuffle, which means that the songs I've played the most are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/i-have-about-25-000-songs-on-my-computer-and-play-them-mostly-on/)

[Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

> [Ask people who know him for a description of Bob Dylan outside the prerogatives of fame and the obligations of art, and they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/ask-people-who-know-him-for-a-description-of-bob-dylan-outside-the/)

[Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

> [I had heard a lot of stories about my father and celebrities, most of them from his own mouth. In his stories, famous women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/i-had-heard-a-lot-of-stories-about-my-father-and-celebrities-most-of/)

[Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

> [You learn a lot about America when you own a pit bull. You learn not just who likes your dog; you learn what kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/you-learn-a-lot-about-america-when-you-own-a-pit-bull-you-learn-not/)

[Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

> [Mark Zuckerberg is the product of Facebook just as surely as Facebook is the product of Mark Zuckerberg.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/mark-zuckerberg-is-the-product-of-facebook-just-as-surely-as-facebook/)

[Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

[Explore all 103 Tom Junod quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/)

## More Achieve quotes

> [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/)

[Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/)

> [Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/human-beings-have-an-innate-inner-drive-to-be-autonomous-self/)

[Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/)

> [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/)

[Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/)

> [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/)

[Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/)

> [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/)

[Deon Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-taylor/)

> [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/)

[Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/)

> [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/)

[Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/)

> [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/)

[Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/)

> [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power &amp; movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/)

[John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/)

> [To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/to-achieve-something-you-ve-never-achieved-before-you-must-become/)

[Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/)

> [I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/i-ve-identified-as-bisexual-since-i-was-a-teenager-and-if-we-want-to/)

[Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/)

[Browse all 6,390 Achieve quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Before the Beatles could give us 'The White Album', they had to achieve disorienting success.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tom Junod"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/before-the-beatles-could-give-us-the-white-album-they-had-to-achieve/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Achieve"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/before-the-beatles-could-give-us-the-white-album-they-had-to-achieve/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/tom-junod-5058_achieve_before-the-beatles-could-give-us-the-whi_529946.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/tom-junod-5058_achieve_before-the-beatles-could-give-us-the-whi_529946.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/tom-junod-5058_achieve_before-the-beatles-could-give-us-the-whi_529946.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Before the Beatles could give us 'The White Album', they had to achieve disorienting success.” — Tom Junod",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Tom Junod",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Before the Beatles could give us...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/before-the-beatles-could-give-us-the-white-album-they-had-to-achieve/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/before-the-beatles-could-give-us-the-white-album-they-had-to-achieve/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
