Are The Beatles the greatest band of all time?

[Goldstone Rapper]

See, I don't see this. I love Weller & The Jam but cant stand The Beatles. Same with Oasis, everybody says that they wouldn't of been the band they were without the beatles. Now I'm no massive Oasis fan but I thought they were a hell of a lot better than The Beatles.

This.

 

[Bold Seagull]

See, I don't see this. I love Weller & The Jam but cant stand The Beatles. Same with Oasis, everybody says that they wouldn't of been the band they were without the beatles. Now I'm no massive Oasis fan but I thought they were a hell of a lot better than The Beatles.

Well, Oasis are self confessed plagiarists of The Beatles. How anyone can listen to Oasis and not hear much of the Beatles work is, well incredible, the references, the riffs, the samples, the lyrics, even down to little flourishes and snippets...it's all over their work. These are only a couple of many examples...





The Jam's obvious one is Start as previously mentioned...

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Well, Oasis are self confessed plagiarists of The Beatles. How anyone can listen to Oasis and not hear much of the Beatles work is, well incredible, the references, the riffs, the samples, the lyrics, even down to little flourishes and snippets...it's all over their work. These are only a couple of many examples...





The Jam's obvious one is Start as previously mentioned...

But all bands have influences. The more interesting question is whether a band can refine what they are influenced by or just doing a karaoke version of their influence. Weller turned 'Taxman' into something else.

 

[Leas]

no ! just a good pop band at the right time for them thats it

 

[Bold Seagull]

But all bands have influences. The more interesting question is whether a band can refine what they are influenced by or just doing a karaoke version of their influence. Weller turned 'Taxman' into something else.

The Greatest Band of All Time can surely be judged not on it's own influences, but who it influenced?

My points are not a criticism of Weller or Oasis as you've seem to have taken it. Their work was brilliant in it's own right, but acknowledgment has to be given to the very band that had such a big impact on these fine artists as well as many others.

I'd have to say I'm baffled by anyone who can say they like The Jam and Oasis and not like The Beatles. It must be like a subconscious mental block, because musically at least, they play from the same hymn sheet, they have their own styles of course, but Jeez, Weller is a Beatles fanatic as are the Gallagher brothers. It's just there to be heard...

 

[Bold Seagull]

no ! just a good pop band at the right time for them thats it

At the right time being up against Elvis, Bob Dylan, Ray Davis, Jagger and Richards, Brian Wilson, Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Small Faces, The Who.....

Must have been dead easy to stand out from those artists.....

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

The Greatest Band of All Time can surely be judged not on it's own influences, but who it influenced?

My points are not a criticism of Weller or Oasis as you've seem to have taken it. Their work was brilliant in it's own right, but acknowledgment has to be given to the very band that had such a big impact on these fine artists as well as many others.

I'd have to say I'm baffled by anyone who can say they like The Jam and Oasis and not like The Beatles. It must be like a subconscious mental block, because musically at least, they play from the same hymn sheet, they have their own styles of course, but Jeez, Weller is a Beatles fanatic as are the Gallagher brothers. It's just there to be heard...

I think you're missing what I'm saying which is that the whole 'influence' discussion is immaterial. Just because the Beatles influenced a whole load of bands is an argument to say they are influential, but that doesn't necessarily make them the greatest band.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I think you're missing what I'm saying which is that the whole 'influence' discussion is immaterial. Just because the Beatles influenced a whole load of bands is an argument to say they are influential, but that doesn't necessarily make them the greatest band.

None of it's immaterial, from individual tracks, to entire albums, to the body of their work, to those they influenced to those that influenced them, they top so many lists. About the only thing you could say that is a gaping hole in their work is their lack of touring, their showmanship and performance.

Subjectively I totally get everyone's arguments. In fact, every act put forward on this thread I dearly love, from Radiohead whose OK Computer is probably my most played album, to Oasis (although I shudder and almost everything post Morning Glory...), to The Stones, The Jam, Led Zepplin, fantastic.

But, objectively, on so many levels, they really are the Greatest Band of all time.

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

They may have just started as a pop band but their music became innovative and they were never afraid to mix instruments from around the World, or different genres and going orchestral.

Many of their songs/tunes are now copied in so many different styles and new generations appreciate the music, often before they know it's a Beatles song.

Of course there were better groups in other genres but nobody covered the full range and Beatles compositions will, With so many songs there's bound to be a number of 'duds' but their classics really are classics. I'm sure, still be doing the rounds a hundred years after they were written, they will stand the test of time.

 

[Fred Oliver - Legend]

No.








































Shed Seven

 

[Mellotron]

In summary, I agree with Bold Seagull.

 

[Fred Oliver - Legend]

In summary, I agree with Fred Oliver - Legend .

Fixed for you. : )

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Velvet Acid Christ for me.
or possibly The Legendary Pink Dots.

Beatles? Faaaak off!

;-)

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

The Greatest Band of All Time can surely be judged not on it's own influences, but who it influenced?

My points are not a criticism of Weller or Oasis as you've seem to have taken it. Their work was brilliant in it's own right, but acknowledgment has to be given to the very band that had such a big impact on these fine artists as well as many others.

I'd have to say I'm baffled by anyone who can say they like The Jam and Oasis and not like The Beatles. It must be like a subconscious mental block, because musically at least, they play from the same hymn sheet, they have their own styles of course, but Jeez, Weller is a Beatles fanatic as are the Gallagher brothers. It's just there to be heard...

The Jam are far more in debt to The Kinks than The Beatles.

Writing about the establishment and the common English mans life. That's the Kinks, not the Beatles.

As was the concept of power pop, punk and in turn britpop.

Influencing individual bands is nice, influencing whole genres, amazing.

 

[Brighton TID]

Is it? Most of their music and certainly everything before 1966/67 sounds horribly dated to me.

What a ridiculous thing to say. Its about the songs not the technological advances. The melodies are there. Look beyond the production. Black and white movies can be masterpieces.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Knew Paul... went to school with his kids... lovely guy but NO....not the greatest band. Not sure any one band deserves that honour.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

I literally can't believe how much they did so QUICKLY. Most bands tour an album for 2-4 years nowadays. It's crazy.

Think you have to take the period into account. If for example Madness or the Arctic Monkeys were around in the sixties they may have done so much. It was the best of times for music.... before the recording companies really got their claws in and the media circus went out of control.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Oh Richard..... lets not fall out, however I hate the beatles with a passion....

The number of songs they wrote is not a good example of how good they are and no one, no one can tell me that songs like "please, please" or "Love me do" or "Michelle" are lyrical or musical masterpieces. When I was at school during music classes every song we did was a Beatles number and I asked the teacher why are doing them do you like the Beatles Sir..... "No I hate them" came the reply...... "eeerrrr well why are playing them all the time then Sir ?"..... "because they are so bloody simple" came his response..... Amen to that.

The Beatles killed Rock'n'Roll and were the first Boy Band as such, they jumped on the back of every craze that was going first they were Rock'n'Roll and covered Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins and the like, right through to jumping on the hippy band wagon that they did not start.

Hate the Beatles

Apart from the hate there is a lot of truth here. Boy bandy and revolutionary at the same time... have to say Michelle is possibly one of the worst songs EVER!!!

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

In that there are absolutely LOADS of them, for very good reason. Agreed.

OH MY GOD!!!!!!! Are you admitting that you think Michael jackson is a legend?!!! That really dilutes your credibility!

 

[grawhite]

Never have or never will be a fan of the Beatles, as to greatest band, I am more a Queen listener.