Are The Beatles the greatest band of all time?

[jevs]

My mum wanted to call me "Michelle" when i was born. Luckily for me, the Beatles bought out the song "Michelle, my girl" and my mum hated it.

Ive got them to thank for that at least.

 

[Ravids]

It's all about ACDC. Best band evvvveeerrrrr in my book.

 

[Buzzer]

And I don't see why a 7 year timeframe is important to be honest - which also allows me to mention Pink Floyd.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

I really liked the Yardbirds, but don't agree with your view about trailblazers.

They were trailblazers/innovators in the field of guitar work in regards to fuzztone,types of feedback, amplification etc

 

[PFJ]

Yes they are . I grew up as a small child listening to their bubble gum pop. Their later stuff was still good for young ears , but the really good stuff (The albums Revolver to Abbey Road )was unaccessable to me as I was between the ages of 4 and 10. It was in the early to mid seventies when I truly appriciated their work.I remember listening to Alan 'Fluff'' Freeman play the whole of Abbey Road one saturday afternoon . This was pre punk and I was blown away. Abbey Road still sits in my fave 5 albums of all time. I the rediscovered them with the box set cd releases of 1987. Suddenly the clarity of bass and rythm section came flooding through.
They created so much in such a short space of time especially from 65-70. Amazing music .And they wrote their own songs, even in the early days where a lot of their albums contained Rock n Roll standards . Elvis never wrote a single song and yet some people hail him as the king.
The Beatles are like a fine wine .They just get better with every listen . Check out the Love album . Terrific use of modern technology and old songs.
And of course George Martin . Definatly a fifth Beatle .Very much a guru when it came to new sounds and experimental recording techniques . Who knows what would have happened if the Beatles and Martin never met .

I listen to punk and metal these days , but there is always a time for a bit of Fab Four every now and then.

 

[Triggaaar]

I didn't say I had the final vote any more than you do?! I think they're the best, you don't. Everyone's happy.

I'm not, I wish you'd both agree and get along. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

How do you define greatness?

In terms of global impact, making the genre of a small band singing and playing a universal format, their prolific songwriting.....yes. But for me, in terms of sheer entertainment and making music that moves one to 7th heaven?? No.

 

[Meade's Ball]

I'm sure i'd have a jive to them if they came on a radio i never really switch on any more, but i've never had any feeling or longing for them. Hugely successful, so if that alone is a signal of greatness then i suppose it's them in a way. The most successful tend to be cleancut versions of musical styles that had been rumbling under the surface for a while, so it's not necessarily the worthiest accolade if most sales or most listened to are the criteria. The means greatest easy listening music of all time. Ah, i am unattached to childhood battles over who is the best though, so if the general feeling is that the Beatles are the greatest, then sobeit.

Overall, Public Enemy and Bill Callahan have had a much more lasting effect on me, politically and soulfully and creatively, and i am unsure of either of their Beatles influence.

 

[fire&skill]

I think the Kinks rival them in a musical sense.

The Kinks beat them to the punch on quite a few of the styles they seem to get credit for.

What the beatles were able to do is take other bands inovations and make them well know to listeners.

Norwegian Wood is often put up there as the song which introduced an eastern sound sitar like sounds to songs. However the Kinks beat them there with the eastern sounding See My Friends.

Added Ray Davies was a superior song writer as a story teller and he did it by himself.

The Kinks music was the catalyst for genres, punk, britpop etc.

The Beatles music didn't define genres.

I love both and am IMMERSING myself in The Kinks at the moment . . . but, however much the Davies brothers blow their own particular trumpets I still believe that The Beatles shade it . . .

 

[kc1]

They recorded this in 1966 aged 24. 1966!!! Chemical Brothers anyone?

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By far their best song, everything about it is amazing and every time I hear this song it blows me away.
Yes- they are the greatest band off all time.

 

[Willow]

Every one a classic......

[yt]Dr7wD3NRcUI[/yt]

A duffer to you is a great track to someone else. Just ask The Pixies about this song.

Next.

 

[brakespear]

I prefer Nintendo. Or maybe it was Android.

 

[Brighton TID]

For what they achieved in terms of pure songwriting, and the diverse styles of music they attempted and succeeded with, are The Beatles the greatest band of all time?

If not, who is?

Without The Beatles, you would not have had Oasis.
Without Kraftwerk you would not have had New Order.
Without The Kinks you would not have had The Jam.
What does this tell us?
Feck all.
Are The Beatles the 'greatest', even out of the six bands above?
Yes.

 

[Frutos]

Queen or Bruce & ESB for me.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

:::cough::: The Frog Chorus

How many bands could write music for a childrens cartoon, which is what it was? My kids loved it.

I think Rock and Roll was dead way before the Beatles came on the scene. What was in the charts before they emerged in 1963. If anything they tried to revive it in some ways, sharing Chuck Berry, for example, as an influence with the Rolling Stones. And what is "I Wanna Be Your man", which they wrote for the Stones.

Rock & Roll was still going strong in 1962 when the Beatles had their first top 20 hit with Love Me Do. As you say, they wrote music for many other groups including the Stones.
I think they're the greatest and I say that as a Stones, Kinks and Yardbirds fan. I think I was lucky to be a teenager in the 60s.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

And yet 'Start!' by The Jam is far superior to 'Taxman'.

 

[Questions]

My mum wanted to call me "Michelle" when i was born. Luckily for me, the Beatles bought out the song "Michelle, my girl" and my mum hated it.

Ive got them to thank for that at least.

Similar story with me and my mum and her wanting to call me Walrus.

 

[Mellotron]

Beach Boys.
Rolling Stones
Buddy Holly and the Crickets

And I would seriously question whether all of your 30 are 'stunning'..

Edit - oh, and add Queen to that list.

Lost all credibility when you mentioned Queen. ****ing awful band. The guitar sound alone makes me feel murderous

 

[Mellotron]

And I don't see why a 7 year timeframe is important to be honest - which also allows me to mention Pink Floyd.

The fact they managed so much growth and variety in such a short space of time is more impressive than doing the same over much longer time.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Radio 2 did a series recently where professional musicians from all sorts of backgrounds and genres picked their favourite Beatles track and why they liked it. The programme wasn't about them choosing a nice catchy tune or giving bland opinions but analysing the musicianship of the Fab Four. They were/are admired by their peers.