The Beatles suck.
How can a band who stopped playing live shows in 1966 and started making just studio albums be ‘the greatest band ever’?
Nothing is more annoying than somebody trying to convince me The Beatles revolutionized music and, without them, we would not have (insert band here).
That argument is weak and false.
I wish this statement was true because, if it was, we wouldn’t have pop sensations Britney Spears, T-Pain or American Idol.
The Backstreet Boys were revolutionary. But they sucked, too.
And don’t even attempt to sell me on fact The Beatles were about love and world peace.
John Lennon and the rest of the band preached love and tolerance, yet hatred and jealousy among band members tore them apart.
The Beatles supposedly quit playing live shows because crowds were getting out of control?
Unruly concertgoers never made The Who, The Clash or AC/DC hang up what they did best.
But you know what bothers me the most? The fifth Beatle no one talks about.
Wait, there is a fifth Beatle?
Yes, George Martin.
Who’s George Martin?
He is the greatest Beatle (if there is such a thing) and he is to The Beatles what Rick Ruben is to Metallica, The Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Weezer and every other band he has had his hands on. But you know so much about music, you probably already knew that.
Martin is responsible for the making of every Beatles album except for one. Without him, The Beatles would still be in a basement doing drugs and trying to make albums.
The George Martin Band would have been a better fitting name than The Beatles.
But someone will still argue George Harrison was the best Beatle because he was an amazing guitarist or Lennon was the best because of his lyrics. The problem is they may be the best Beatles to some, but they aren’t the best at what they did.
Take, for example, my favorite Beatles song, ‘Hey Jude,’ and compare it to Wilson Pickett’s version. Listen to how much more emotion and energy comes through in the lyrics and guitar.
It should also be noted guitarist Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band sat in on the studio session of this song. He also is ranked second on Rolling Stones list of 100 great guitarist of all time. George Harrison is ranked 21st.
Sure, they made some good music, but it was not because they were the best at what they do.
Jimi Hendrix had more talent in his left hand than the Fab Four combined.
Apparently none of this matters though. For some reason, people still buy into the hype of Beatlemania.
E-mail the author: 
Matthew Stephens
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Mr. Stephens poses an interesting argument but doesn’t really see it through. Also, his point about Rick “Ruben” (it’s Rubin) doesn’t really hold water, because he had very little to do with the success of Metallica, Jay-Z or Weezer. Better luck next time.
“anyone who likes the beatles is an idiot.. period.. Put any rolling stones song to the beatles and the stones would win, They are the greatest band of all time.”
Actually, anyone who makes this kind of comment is an idiot. Period. But I’ve come to expect this from whiney Rolling Stones fans- they simply can’t mention the merit of the Stones without first cutting down the Beatles.
Simple fact: if we listed the twenty best songs by both the Beatles and the Stones, the latter would have MAYBE one or two songs on that list. HTFH.
Everyone keeps talking about the article…let’s point out the article title. “The Beatles are overrated, enough said…” this would imply that the author actually said something of value…enough said.
This is very funny. In the area I live everyone thinks they are the greatest band ever. And I constantly tell EVERYONE who likes them that they are overrated and don’t even sound very good. I only like a few of their songs but I just thought it was funny that I came across this article extremely irrelevantly. But what he is saying is true. The Beatles are EXTREMELY overrated. I guess people just like jumping on bandwagons (no pun intended) they probably do not know half of the stuff they are singing about, but they like it because of ‘the message it sends’ and the ‘true meaning behind the lyrics’. What the hell does ’strawberry fields forever even mean?!?!?!
It’s hard to argue with someone when their thesis — that The Beatles are overrated — is fundamentally false.
I’m inclined to agree with Ben here.
No, the Beatles did not revolutionize ALL types of music. But so many bands these days (even the smaller/local ones) list the Beatles as an influence (either lyrically, harmonically, or melodically) that it is impossible to ignore the impact they’ve had on music. No, not all of their works are strokes of genius, but with the hundreds of songs they wrote and released, cut them a little slack.
The main problem with your comparison between the Beatles’ fan problem and AC/DC etc.’s fans is completely bogus: they were in DIFFERENT TIMES. The Beatles were the first incredibly major international group to tour, and no one was really sure of how to deal with these crowds yet. The only thing that maybe came close was Elvis and his crowds. You cannot compare groups from different times that have different social codes applying to them.
And don’t pull this elitist crap on us with the “oh I’ll bet you didn’t know about George Martin” business. Some of us didn’t just jump on the Beatlewagon, some of us do know something about the Beatles.
And OH NO the Beatles were somewhat hypocritical in their messages versus their lives just like EVERYONE ELSE. You’re in no way being profound.
The Beatles are huge because of what they mean to people, not because they were the best musicians to ever exist. I’m not saying that.
It is one thing to say that they are sometimes overrated and you just don’t care for them. But to downright say they suck is insulting. But clearly you weren’t looking for agreement here. You’re one of those writers who just likes to tick people off. If my assumption is indeed correct, then congratulations. You just offended the vast majority of the population of CMU.
You’re adorable.
You’re not breaking any new ground with your opinion, and what’s more your argument is so vague I can’t help but think the only reason you wrote is was to tick people off.
You certainly have a right to your opinion, and I can totally see your point of view (my mother is right there with ya, and she’s been explaining it to me for as long as I can remember), but this entire article sounds like you slapped it together within 10 minutes of the deadline.
Your opinion has been noted, but your argument is incredibly weak. I was kind of hoping for an engaging article, but I guess this is what CM Life has been reduced to.
The Beatles are by far the greatest ever..They recorded the best albums ever: Revolver , Sgt Peppers, Rubber Soul, The white Album, Revolver..The rolling stones , the who, U2 etc have not recorded an album that would have gone further then the studio bin where the Beatles are concerned. They wrote songs in every style one can think of: Jazz, soul, Rock, Ballroom, Ballad, Classical, yet all these songs were integrated into their own unmistakable sound. They sold more records than anyone else, their songs have been covered more than anyone elses..John Lennon was a great Rhythm guitarist and a master lyricist, George Harrison a great Lead guitarist and Paul McCartney was superb on many instruments from Drums to bass and noone could write a catchier tune then him….
Anyone who came on here to post anything negative about the Beatles is obvioiusly deaf and stupid…..Beatles , only second to Mozart!
The Beatles are by far the greatest ever..They recorded the best albums ever: Revolver , Sgt Peppers, Rubber Soul, The white Album, Abbey Road..The rolling stones , the who, U2 etc have not recorded an album that would have gone further then the studio bin where the Beatles are concerned. Bono and Mick Jagger are technically poor singers. John and Paul are superb singers! The Beatles wrote songs in every style one can think of: Jazz, soul, Rock, Ballroom, Ballad, Classical, yet all these songs were integrated into their own unmistakable sound. They sold more records than anyone else, their songs have been covered more than anyone elses..John Lennon was a great Rhythm guitarist and a master lyricist, George Harrison a great Lead guitarist and Paul McCartney was superb on many instruments from Drums to bass and noone could write a catchier tune then him….
Anyone who came on here to post anything negative about the Beatles is obvioiusly deaf and stupid…..Beatles , only second to Mozart!
zissi,
*YOU ARE SO RIGHT!!!!!!*
Pathetic pseudo-argument. People who have chosen to believe the overrated narrative (and I can partly understand why they would; it’s annoying when tons of people go on and on about stuff I don’t get or care about) are hard to refute, because A. most of their argument rests on subjective–thereby irrefutable–statements (ex. Song A is not that great) and cherry-picked supposed counter-examples that are actually used as hasty-generalization or knights and knaves fallacies (ex. Duane Allman played on a song, therefore all of the music came from people other than the Beatles; George Martin innovated parts of the Beatles’ sound, therefore the Beatles are responsible for none of their sound).
Learn about music, Matthew (ooh…he found out about George Martin! The big secret is out! Oh no!). Actually listen to what happens on Beatles albums (especially after Rubber Soul). Your “argument” is, quite simply, wrong.
If the Beatles are being used to teach in very reputable sound and music schools, I would say they are not overrated.
That was a terrible argument. stay in school
You’re an idiot, enough said.
*sigh* While all people are entitled to their opinions, I disagree with you on so many levels. I personally grew up with The Beatles, and I can listen to their music until the day I die. How can you not like them? I dare you to listen to “Octopus’s Garden” and not crack a smile.
Another thing, The Beatles wrote 292 songs. If you can’t find 10 or more that you like, then you just don’t like music.
So, by your logic, those millions of people who went to their concerts and bought their albums are idiots, too.
Also, like many have said before me, you don’t really seem to give very many valid reasons why The Beatles are overrated. I mean, the first line of the article: “The Beatles suck”. Ok then, why? “Jimi Hendrix has more talent in his left hand.” Umm… you seem to not understand how to make a valid debate, my friend.
2010: A Space Odyssey
A Proposal.
Beatlehaters are considering establishing a Tribunal similar to the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. The purpose of which is to establish a raft of sweeping draconian laws, backward bureaucracies and legal biases in order to stamp out “Beatleness” wherever it is found, lest it should ever happen again.
Secondly, to put on trial before the court, all “Beatles” and their “Fans” who are accused (dead or alive) of crimes against music as determined by the Tribunal.
Thirdly, to publicly defame and summarily strip “The Beatles” of all merit and/or accolades and punish accordingly.
Four mop-top heads are going to roll.
Upon determining The Beatles crimes against music and subsequent guilt:
The Beatles Summary Offences Act shall be legislated and proclaimed.
-NASA Space exploration program will be cancelled due to funding redirection.
-Any surviving Beatles members and their family members will be whisked away to a remote windswept field in Northern England and unceremoniously bludgeoned to death with a blunt instrument.
Their remains burned and sent into the centre of the sun.
-George Martin will be killed, if he isn’t already dead.
-Mark Chapman will be pardoned.
-Phil Spector will be left right where he is, as a living memorial and deterrent.
-Expired Beatles remains shall be exhumed, symbolically executed, and then launched into the centre of the sun.
-The “Beatles” entire audio back-catalogue; including but not limited to; master tapes, reference acetates, press plates, out-takes etc. shall be summarily deleted and/or destroyed.
-Any material alluding to the prior existence of the aforementioned back-catalogue shall be summarily deleted and/or destroyed.
-Any existing “Beatles” merchandise and/or warehouse stock will be crushed, burned and launched into the centre of the sun.
-Musical instruments (ab)used by “The Beatles” and any subsequent reissues, signature series or any other musical instrument that may remind any unsuspecting innocent bystander of “The Beatles” will be burned, jettisoned into the sun.
-This means all hofner violin basses, epiphone casinos, Ludwig drums, vox amplifiers etc, etc.
-Anyone found to be in possession of material(s) pertaining to; performing, acting out, impersonating, miming, humming, whistling, thinking, interpretive dancing, or other act deemed being either directly, indirectly, pertaining to, or unreasonably about “The Beatles” back-catalogue will be killed.
-Any existing “Beatles” tribute bands, cover acts, stage shows, cabaret acts, licensed franchisees, pretenders, troubadours, buskers or other persistent nostalgic impersonators and/or their immediate next of kin will be killed.
-Remastering, reissuing, remixing, rehashing, rehearsing and generally regurgitating any “Beatles” material or part thereof will be punishable by death.
-Persons involved with audio/video production, post-production, recording, engineering and/or producing found to be engaging in sonic misconduct not entirely unlike “The Beatles” will be deemed “Beatlesque” and killed.
This means you Jeff Lynne. Todd Rundgren etc, etc.
-Fire-on-site orders will be issued to roving death-squads equipped with flame-throwers for use on anyone who speaks of the back-catalogue. Ever.
-An intercontinental nuclear ballistic missile will be armed, targeted at Abbey road studios and subsequently launched.
(Nuclear winter party at pedestrian-crossing-crater everyone! Get your happy snaps of that one.)
-Rockets, missiles, satellites and/or terrestrial bodies previously launched into space containing materials relating to “The Beatles” represent a threat to the entire universe and will be self-destructed or redirected into the path of the nearest oncoming astrological threat.
-A large Electromagnetic Pulse weapon will be designed, built and fired in order to destroy all “Beatles” radio emissions previously broadcast from the Earth.
-Internet, government and private databases will be hacked, cracked, sifted, trolled for every last solitary 0 or 1 of digital “Beatles” material, or the word ‘beatle’ and summarily deleted and/or destroyed. Permanently.
-All subsequent operating systems and versions of windows to crash upon use of word ’beatle’.
-All existing documentary evidence pertaining to “Beatles” rounded up and burned. Ashes collected, launched into centre of the sun.
-Roving death-squads to be given draconian powers to kick in doors, search and seize all previous storage and retrieval formats from wax cylinders to BLU-RAY and everything in between. Collected material to be launched into the centre of the sun.
(-Paraphernalia fanatics are particularly dangerous to the community at large and are to be singled out for special treatment. The criminal-music justice system must send a strong message and needs to set an example.)
-If found in possession of more than 2 articles relating to “The Beatles”, fanatics can be deemed “Beatophiles” and strapped alive to the missile cone as we jettison the back-catalogue material into the centre of the sun.
-Science will be funded with all the money we have saved at the NASA space program by jettisoning everything into the sun. New research will identify genetic predisposition towards “liking the Beatles” and we will have the scourge promptly isolated and engineered out of the human genome.
-Anti-Beatle Intelligence organizations will be given not-very-special powers to detain without charge indefinitely, interrogate and torture with impunity (render), and kill anyone suspected of ever having been a “Beatles” fan. Anyone deemed potentially “at risk” of ever becoming a “Beatles” fan will be shot on site.
The Tribunal hasn’t forgotten you snivelling lifelong faithful devotees who will be flushed out of the woodwork in their masses to line up like lemmings for a public love-in with their little round glasses, Chinese vox amps and crappy reissue guitars to get shot in the head as “Beatle martyrs”. I think I’ll draft in Chapman for that job.
When I see an old “Beatles” record, I buy it, no matter what cost, take it home and destroy it. Gone.
I would encourage other BeatleHaters to do the same. Original pressings are a finite resource and can be eradicated, just like original Beatles fans… This is a war of attrition. This fight we can win.
Destruction of Re-issue vinyl just makes money for BeatleMart. They can punch the shit out faster than we can burn it.
Phil Spector, the most tragic Beatles fan of all, and other nutcases like him are the only reason that I regrettably cannot put my name to my beloved work.
Do not doubt the purity and strength of my hatred for all things “Beatles”. The fight goes on.
Anonymous.
ATTENTION WHORE. enough said.
2010 Space Oddysey. (Anonymous)
Thanks for that!!!! You are Officially proclaimed RETARD OF THE CENTURY!!!
By the way, wishing death on people sums a deadbeat lardbutt like yourself very well..
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORON!!!!!!!
Mr Cross has put the argument to rest good and proper.
THE BEATLES ARE THE BEST EVER!!!!!!!!!!!
The Beatles are the Most Creative Band of All Time
BACKGROUND HISTORY: The first musical bands originated in New Orleans among black musicians who have traditionally been the innovators. The first jazz record ever recorded was by The Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1917, and of course they were white because racism always rears its ugly head to hold black people back. But during the Roaring 20’s, young white people couldn’t resist the dance beat laid down by the black jazz bands. Fletcher Henderson, a black man, became the first band leader to achieve national fame possibly because he featured Louis Armstrong on trumpet. Duke Ellington, a classically trained musician, brought a level of style and sophistication to jazz that hadn’t been seen before. But it wasn’t until 1935 that jazz bands with a “swing beat” achieved national attention due to Benny Goodman who I think was the best clarinet player ever to blow air into that instrument. Benny also had the good sense and taste to bring the first great drummer, Gene Krupa, into his band.
When rock and roll exploded into human consciousness during the early 1950’s, black musicians like Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Smokey Robinson pioneered the way, but a white DJ named Alan Freed is believed to have coined the term “rock and roll”. The first real rock and roll record was “Shake, Rattle and Roll”, written by Jesse Stone who was black and recorded by Big Joe Turner who was also black but it wasn’t a hit. The first big hit rock and roll record was “Rock Around the Clock” written by James Meyers and Max Freeman of obvious ancestry, and that one catapulted Bill Haley and his Caucasian Comets to stardom. During the 1950’s and early 60’s, there were countless “do wop” groups, rock groups, singers and songwriters but until The the charts, there had been very few bands which contained talented songwriters. The vast majority of jazz and rock bands recorded songs written by songwriters who were not performers, with occasional exceptions like Duke Ellington and Buddy Holly. As time goes on, it’s increasingly clear that Lennon/McCartney songs are brilliant classics which will never be forgotten. Now here’s why The Beatles are the most creative band of all time:
1. BEST EXAMPLE OF FORM = ConTENT
As I sit here writing this at the keyboard of my computer facing the unique and colorful Beatles poster in my bedroom, I’m aware that I have been directly and indirectly inspired by John Lennon’s music as well as by the way he lived his life offstage. Squarely in front of me is a full color poster of all four Beatles standing in a heavenly-like flower garden at about the time of the Abbey Road album. Paul is angelic in his pink suit with a white laced shirt. John is enigmatic peering out from the background. George is charismatic staring directly into the camera from the lower right. Ringo is on the left with a stylish blue suit and his pink ruffled shirt. I always wished I could dress like those guys but obviously there’s a bit of a problem with a money differential there. Surrounding this gorgeous poster which I have never seen elsewhere are my 45 speed original records, including I Want to Hold Your Hand, She Loves You, Please Please Me, Twist and Shout, Can’t Buy Me Love, She’s A Woman, Yesterday, and of course, Hey Jude. And surrounding all that is a chain of 1-1/2″ long orange flicker flame lights which are the most beautiful and unique Christmas lights I’ve ever seen. I chose to decorate the wall directly in front of my work station this way because, as I’ve written elsewhere on this site several times, The Beatles were my major musical influence and having them on the wall in front of me inspires me to write web pages like this one. I was also among the millions of people who were inspired by how The Beatles were actually living their off stage lives. The Beatles’ music creatively stimulated millions of people to change the way they were living, and The Beatles behavior encouraged people to have fun by trying new life style experiences. That’s what I call a perfect example of FORM = ConTENT. In this case it means that the creatively and masterfully varied music The Beatles were producing (form) embodied the real life styles which each of the four Beatles were living (content), together as a band as well as separately as unique individuals.
2. BEST SonGWRITERS
This should be self-evident, but just because Paul McCartney has the title of the most popular songwriter in history doesn’t necessarily make him the best songwriter in history. The qualities which do make both Paul and John the best songwriters in history go beyond writing the greatest number of catchy classic songs. “Catchy” means that their melodies and lyrics are instantly memorable. “Classic” means that they stand the test of time. But both Paul and John wrote very sophisticated melodies that moved beyond the simple groups of 2, 4 and 8 patterned phrases used by almost all other songwriters. John and Paul’s melodies soared, floated, cascaded, dived and peaked with true dynamics, naturally following the syllabic lyric patterns – but not always. Sometimes the melodic and lyric patterns were independent of each other, almost counterpoint in nature, and as a songwriter, they never ceased to astonish me with their brilliance and originality. In the beginning, their lyrics were simple and their songs were simple love songs. But they soon began exploring new territory by writing about subjects that hadn’t been covered before. Inspired by Bob Dylan, they wrote true poetry with feeling and depth, using evocative and unusual words. Rubber Soul marked the beginning of their evolution as mature songwriters, Revolver was a break-out album, and Sergeant Pepper was an historic landmark album in terms of new and innovative songwriting as well as production. Every song they wrote was significantly different from the last one even though each song had their unmistakable sound.
Most songwriters are only average players on their instruments, but John and Paul are both sophisticated guitarists who were able to integrate their playing into their songs and even into their song structure so that the “licks” they played became as catchy a part of their songs as the choruses and verses. Blackbird and Dear Prudence are only two examples of songs which couldn’t possibly be written by any other songwriter because of the guitar playing which forms an integral part of the song structure. In similar fashion, Lady Madonna is the best example of a great song which derives from the unique and beautiful bass part which only Paul could possibly have created.
Average songwriters achieve the catchy quality by repeating a phrase endlessly or by beating a chorus to death. John and Paul found countless ways to be memorable without ever overly repeating something. The only time they repeated something over and over again for a long time was in Hey Jude, and what they chose to repeat is so gorgeous that one can only wish they had never ended the song. The Beatles were my biggest musical influence and I used to think, “If I could write just one song that’s as good as John and Paul’s worst song, I’d be happy.” People tell me I accomplished that goal and they say one good example is John is Alive, which is my sincere tribute to Sir Lennon.
3. BEST SINGERS
Even Ringo could sing when he got a little help from his friends who lived in the yellow submarine. But to say that Paul and John are two of the best singers in rock and roll is to state the obvious. Combining John, Paul and George created the best harmony vocals the world has ever experienced. Even their two part harmonies were unusual, catching us all by surprise on their first hit record with the fast harmony melisma in the chorus of I Want to Hold Your Hand. John had a knack of placing a unique low harmony line underneath Paul’s high melody line so as to form a second melody which created unusual harmony effects. He did that right from the beginning in the verses of She Loves You. Both Paul and John could blast out screaming rock and roll (i.e. Long Tall Sally and Twist and Shout), and both could break our hearts with touching, deep feeling ballads (i.e. Yesterday and Julia). There seems to be no end to their emotional vocal range, and John even explored the heights of vocal psychedelia in songs like She Said (Revolver) and Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.
4. MOST CREATIVE PLAYERS
Paul brought a new style of melodic playing to the bass guitar, reaching a new high of creativity on Sergeant Pepper with a level of sophistication never heard before. Many other musicians besides me recognize Paul as being one of the best bass guitar players ever. George is underrated as a lead guitarist by people with average or below average musical knowledge or ability, but most guitarists (including Eric Clapton) know better. George’s strength is in melody, pure and simple. It would be difficult to find a George Harrison lead which is not melodic, and each of his leads has a strong beginning, a stronger middle and a well defined ending. In fact, that’s Eric’s definition of what makes a good guitar lead. George continually developed new guitar sounds for each Beatles song. John and Paul are also excellent guitarists and both recorded great leads as well as innovative rhythm tracks. All three of the Beatles guitarists may lack showy technical fireworks but they make that definition of guitar mastery irrelevant by overwhelming the senses with creativity, style, and pure melody. The exact same thing can be said about John and Paul’s keyboard playing. Ringo may be underrated as a drummer by the public but he is not underrated by other professional drummers. Ringo mastered the art of drum sounds. No drummer has ever recorded so many different sounds on so many different sounding records. Ringo invented a new style of slow drum playing, epitomized on A Day in the Life and Strawberry Fields Forever. John said many times, “Ringo has the best back beat in the business” and the successful studio drummers understand why John was correct.
5. TOTAL CHARISMA
A good definition of charisma needs to include “an unusual ability to influence people and arouse devotion” and “a personal attractiveness which enables a person to influence others”. No musical group prior to or after The Beatles features true charisma emanating strongly from the entire group as well as separately from each member. The Beatles stunned the world with their photogenic quality, their charm, their bubbling and lovable personalities, their cuteness and their unique style. Even before The Beatles achieved fame, people in Liverpool were imitating their haircuts, the way they dressed, the way they behaved, and the way they lived. Such a simple subliminal message about smoking marijuana got communicated to all the hippies who were waiting to happen without actual words ever being spoken. The Beatles had a lot to lose by being explicit on that subject, but they successfully avoided trouble by keeping it very subtle while at the same time clear enough so that we all got it. The Fab Four kept changing their styles rapidly, almost with each album cover, and soon the message became one of explicit spiritualism. After visiting India, The Beatles introduced eastern mysticism and meditation to the Western world for the first time through the mass media. John’s long saga with internal angst, drugs, spiritualism, politics, personal battles, and ultimately his marriage to Yoko played out like a movie the whole world got to watch in fascination. Paul’s happy life with Linda, George’s great focus on meditation, and Ringo’s equanimity throughout were all perfect examples of the power, the truth, and the effectiveness of true charisma.
6. SEXUAL AURA
Need I say it? Ask the millions of girls who were screaming and fainting at the very sight of them. “The Boys” didn’t move like Elvis or dance like Mick, they just stood there shaking their “mop top” heads around, smiling, laughing, and looking gorgeous as they performed great music and that was it. on their first visit to America, some enterprising weirdo from New York City managed to cut up the hotel bed sheets The Beatles had slept on into 1″ square pieces, and these things were actually sold to girls over the public airwaves by adult DJ’s on the AM radio stations who should have known better. The Beatles phenomenon went way beyond the rock and roll sex star status that had been seen before. Teenage girls in uncountable numbers fell in love, their hearts to be trapped, their heart strings to be continually plucked, and ultimately, their hearts to be broken by the unobtainable object of their love. Worshiping a star from afar? Infatuation? Obsession? Not real love? For many of them, it was their first experience feeling love for a man/boy. Whatever it was, it was very real to all of them, and we all soon understood that The Beatles were The Real Thing.
That’s why I call The Beatles the Most Creative Band of All Time. They were The Real Thing. The Creative Zenith. The high point on the bell curve of musical history.
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The Beatles are the Most Creative Band of All Time
BACKGROUND HISTORY: The first musical bands originated in New Orleans among black musicians who have traditionally been the innovators. The first jazz record ever recorded was by The Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1917, and of course they were white because racism always rears its ugly head to hold black people back. But during the Roaring 20’s, young white people couldn’t resist the dance beat laid down by the black jazz bands. Fletcher Henderson, a black man, became the first band leader to achieve national fame possibly because he featured Louis Armstrong on trumpet. Duke Ellington, a classically trained musician, brought a level of style and sophistication to jazz that hadn’t been seen before. But it wasn’t until 1935 that jazz bands with a “swing beat” achieved national attention due to Benny Goodman who I think was the best clarinet player ever to blow air into that instrument. Benny also had the good sense and taste to bring the first great drummer, Gene Krupa, into his band.
When rock and roll exploded into human consciousness during the early 1950’s, black musicians like Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Smokey Robinson pioneered the way, but a white DJ named Alan Freed is believed to have coined the term “rock and roll”. The first real rock and roll record was “Shake, Rattle and Roll”, written by Jesse Stone who was black and recorded by Big Joe Turner who was also black but it wasn’t a hit. The first big hit rock and roll record was “Rock Around the Clock” written by James Meyers and Max Freeman of obvious ancestry, and that one catapulted Bill Haley and his Caucasian Comets to stardom. During the 1950’s and early 60’s, there were countless “do wop” groups, rock groups, singers and songwriters but until The the charts, there had been very few bands which contained talented songwriters. The vast majority of jazz and rock bands recorded songs written by songwriters who were not performers, with occasional exceptions like Duke Ellington and Buddy Holly. As time goes on, it’s increasingly clear that Lennon/McCartney songs are brilliant classics which will never be forgotten. Now here’s why The Beatles are the most creative band of all time:
1. BEST EXAMPLE OF FORM = ConTENT
As I sit here writing this at the keyboard of my computer facing the unique and colorful Beatles poster in my bedroom, I’m aware that I have been directly and indirectly inspired by John Lennon’s music as well as by the way he lived his life offstage. Squarely in front of me is a full color poster of all four Beatles standing in a heavenly-like flower garden at about the time of the Abbey Road album. Paul is angelic in his pink suit with a white laced shirt. John is enigmatic peering out from the background. George is charismatic staring directly into the camera from the lower right. Ringo is on the left with a stylish blue suit and his pink ruffled shirt. I always wished I could dress like those guys but obviously there’s a bit of a problem with a money differential there. Surrounding this gorgeous poster which I have never seen elsewhere are my 45 speed original records, including I Want to Hold Your Hand, She Loves You, Please Please Me, Twist and Shout, Can’t Buy Me Love, She’s A Woman, Yesterday, and of course, Hey Jude. And surrounding all that is a chain of 1-1/2″ long orange flicker flame lights which are the most beautiful and unique Christmas lights I’ve ever seen. I chose to decorate the wall directly in front of my work station this way because, as I’ve written elsewhere on this site several times, The Beatles were my major musical influence and having them on the wall in front of me inspires me to write web pages like this one. I was also among the millions of people who were inspired by how The Beatles were actually living their off stage lives. The Beatles’ music creatively stimulated millions of people to change the way they were living, and The Beatles behavior encouraged people to have fun by trying new life style experiences. That’s what I call a perfect example of FORM = ConTENT. In this case it means that the creatively and masterfully varied music The Beatles were producing (form) embodied the real life styles which each of the four Beatles were living (content), together as a band as well as separately as unique individuals.
2. BEST SonGWRITERS
This should be self-evident, but just because Paul McCartney has the title of the most popular songwriter in history doesn’t necessarily make him the best songwriter in history. The qualities which do make both Paul and John the best songwriters in history go beyond writing the greatest number of catchy classic songs. “Catchy” means that their melodies and lyrics are instantly memorable. “Classic” means that they stand the test of time. But both Paul and John wrote very sophisticated melodies that moved beyond the simple groups of 2, 4 and 8 patterned phrases used by almost all other songwriters. John and Paul’s melodies soared, floated, cascaded, dived and peaked with true dynamics, naturally following the syllabic lyric patterns – but not always. Sometimes the melodic and lyric patterns were independent of each other, almost counterpoint in nature, and as a songwriter, they never ceased to astonish me with their brilliance and originality. In the beginning, their lyrics were simple and their songs were simple love songs. But they soon began exploring new territory by writing about subjects that hadn’t been covered before. Inspired by Bob Dylan, they wrote true poetry with feeling and depth, using evocative and unusual words. Rubber Soul marked the beginning of their evolution as mature songwriters, Revolver was a break-out album, and Sergeant Pepper was an historic landmark album in terms of new and innovative songwriting as well as production. Every song they wrote was significantly different from the last one even though each song had their unmistakable sound.
Most songwriters are only average players on their instruments, but John and Paul are both sophisticated guitarists who were able to integrate their playing into their songs and even into their song structure so that the “licks” they played became as catchy a part of their songs as the choruses and verses. Blackbird and Dear Prudence are only two examples of songs which couldn’t possibly be written by any other songwriter because of the guitar playing which forms an integral part of the song structure. In similar fashion, Lady Madonna is the best example of a great song which derives from the unique and beautiful bass part which only Paul could possibly have created.
Average songwriters achieve the catchy quality by repeating a phrase endlessly or by beating a chorus to death. John and Paul found countless ways to be memorable without ever overly repeating something. The only time they repeated something over and over again for a long time was in Hey Jude, and what they chose to repeat is so gorgeous that one can only wish they had never ended the song. The Beatles were my biggest musical influence and I used to think, “If I could write just one song that’s as good as John and Paul’s worst song, I’d be happy.” People tell me I accomplished that goal and they say one good example is John is Alive, which is my sincere tribute to Sir Lennon.
3. BEST SINGERS
Even Ringo could sing when he got a little help from his friends who lived in the yellow submarine. But to say that Paul and John are two of the best singers in rock and roll is to state the obvious. Combining John, Paul and George created the best harmony vocals the world has ever experienced. Even their two part harmonies were unusual, catching us all by surprise on their first hit record with the fast harmony melisma in the chorus of I Want to Hold Your Hand. John had a knack of placing a unique low harmony line underneath Paul’s high melody line so as to form a second melody which created unusual harmony effects. He did that right from the beginning in the verses of She Loves You. Both Paul and John could blast out screaming rock and roll (i.e. Long Tall Sally and Twist and Shout), and both could break our hearts with touching, deep feeling ballads (i.e. Yesterday and Julia). There seems to be no end to their emotional vocal range, and John even explored the heights of vocal psychedelia in songs like She Said (Revolver) and Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.
4. MOST CREATIVE PLAYERS
Paul brought a new style of melodic playing to the bass guitar, reaching a new high of creativity on Sergeant Pepper with a level of sophistication never heard before. Many other musicians besides me recognize Paul as being one of the best bass guitar players ever. George is underrated as a lead guitarist by people with average or below average musical knowledge or ability, but most guitarists (including Eric Clapton) know better. George’s strength is in melody, pure and simple. It would be difficult to find a George Harrison lead which is not melodic, and each of his leads has a strong beginning, a stronger middle and a well defined ending. In fact, that’s Eric’s definition of what makes a good guitar lead. George continually developed new guitar sounds for each Beatles song. John and Paul are also excellent guitarists and both recorded great leads as well as innovative rhythm tracks. All three of the Beatles guitarists may lack showy technical fireworks but they make that definition of guitar mastery irrelevant by overwhelming the senses with creativity, style, and pure melody. The exact same thing can be said about John and Paul’s keyboard playing. Ringo may be underrated as a drummer by the public but he is not underrated by other professional drummers. Ringo mastered the art of drum sounds. No drummer has ever recorded so many different sounds on so many different sounding records. Ringo invented a new style of slow drum playing, epitomized on A Day in the Life and Strawberry Fields Forever. John said many times, “Ringo has the best back beat in the business” and the successful studio drummers understand why John was correct.
5. TOTAL CHARISMA
A good definition of charisma needs to include “an unusual ability to influence people and arouse devotion” and “a personal attractiveness which enables a person to influence others”. No musical group prior to or after The Beatles features true charisma emanating strongly from the entire group as well as separately from each member. The Beatles stunned the world with their photogenic quality, their charm, their bubbling and lovable personalities, their cuteness and their unique style. Even before The Beatles achieved fame, people in Liverpool were imitating their haircuts, the way they dressed, the way they behaved, and the way they lived. Such a simple subliminal message about smoking marijuana got communicated to all the hippies who were waiting to happen without actual words ever being spoken. The Beatles had a lot to lose by being explicit on that subject, but they successfully avoided trouble by keeping it very subtle while at the same time clear enough so that we all got it. The Fab Four kept changing their styles rapidly, almost with each album cover, and soon the message became one of explicit spiritualism. After visiting India, The Beatles introduced eastern mysticism and meditation to the Western world for the first time through the mass media. John’s long saga with internal angst, drugs, spiritualism, politics, personal battles, and ultimately his marriage to Yoko played out like a movie the whole world got to watch in fascination. Paul’s happy life with Linda, George’s great focus on meditation, and Ringo’s equanimity throughout were all perfect examples of the power, the truth, and the effectiveness of true charisma.
6. SEXUAL AURA
Need I say it? Ask the millions of girls who were screaming and fainting at the very sight of them. “The Boys” didn’t move like Elvis or dance like Mick, they just stood there shaking their “mop top” heads around, smiling, laughing, and looking gorgeous as they performed great music and that was it. on their first visit to America, some enterprising weirdo from New York City managed to cut up the hotel bed sheets The Beatles had slept on into 1″ square pieces, and these things were actually sold to girls over the public airwaves by adult DJ’s on the AM radio stations who should have known better. The Beatles phenomenon went way beyond the rock and roll sex star status that had been seen before. Teenage girls in uncountable numbers fell in love, their hearts to be trapped, their heart strings to be continually plucked, and ultimately, their hearts to be broken by the unobtainable object of their love. Worshiping a star from afar? Infatuation? Obsession? Not real love? For many of them, it was their first experience feeling love for a man/boy. Whatever it was, it was very real to all of them, and we all soon understood that The Beatles were The Real Thing.
That’s why I call The Beatles the Most Creative Band of All Time. They were The Real Thing. The Creative Zenith. The high point on the bell curve of musical history.
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Web page design copyright 1996 © , text copyright 2005 © Peter Cross
Uh, the Beatles DID revolutionize music. Rubber Soul. Sgt. Pepper’s. Revolver. Each was a revolutionary album – not just in terms of musical style (which they were), but also technologically. Remember “Rain”? The crazy guitar sounds there? Nobody else tried it before.
But this says nothing of the most obvious point – their music was awesome. How can this guy say with a straight face that it wasn’t? Were the Beatles the most talented musicians? Was Paul the best bassist, George the best guitarist, Ringo the best drummer, and John the best songwriter of all time? Perhaps not, but they are most definitely NOT overrated.
No, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard revolutionized music! Beatles wouldn’t even make the top 10!
i like how he said they suck, yet then admits they have good songs and even calls hey jude his “favorite” which implies that he likes more than one beatles song. hypocritical to say the least
I agree(with the author).
I don’t have a problem when people say their music is good. I don’t even have a problem when people say they’re the greatest band ever(something I wouldn’t be caught dead saying).
It just ticks me off when people(especially younger people) treat them like gods and put them on this pedestal like they deserved to be worshiped. There is not a person alive that makes millions of dollars doing something, that continues to do whatever they do for the sake of doing. Money makes the world go ’round and they’re is nothing godly about it. It’s not a bad thing, by any means, but it’s nothing to be worshiped for.
As far as their music, most of the stuff they made, was influenced by drugs. Still, not necessarily a problem. Try making dozens of number 1 songs while sober. That’s true talent.
As far as Mr. Cross’ article….
A friend psychologist once told me, “Fanaticism is one step below, and often a symptom of, schizophrenia.”
The author is correct. While I’m sure many of the “Beatles Cult” here would like to tear him a new one for even uttering this blasphemy, citing things such as his “flawed argument”. The fact that the Beatles are overrated doesn’t require argument, it should be apparent. I am incredibly familiar with the entire Beatles Catalog. I’ve heard their stuff, I’ve heard dry recordings, I’ve heard friends preach aimlessly and constantly about how brilliant they are… I’m sorry, but in no way were the Beatles artists. While their music was sometimes honest, it was honest in an aimless and meandering way. “Whimsical” describes it best. In my experience, people who worship the Beatles use this as a lure to ward others off the scent of their woefully inadequate understanding of the musical artform, of which they are only sometimes aware of.
Lol, I bet this writer listens to Nickelback.
SICK BURN.
You say that The Beatles are overrated… yet you use Jimi Hendrix as an example.
How ironic.
If there was a prime example of “talking out of your ass”, this article is it.
I am 44 years old and I am so tired of hearing the Beatles that I feel like I should collect a royalty every time I have to hear one of their songs. It is terrible the way older people try to brainwash youth into believing that the music from their era was the best. The baby boomers tried to do it to us and I am stopping the cycle of abuse in my own lifetime; my daughter is three and I am just going to tell her that punk is something that only we understand and she shouldn’t listen to.
You know what, I use to think The Beatles were overrated, but now after reading this article I no longer agree, because I would never ever want to be on the same side as someone as stupid as you are.
Congratulations on writing the most pointless article ever.