Kraftwerk - More influential than the Beatles?

[Herr Tubthumper]

Completely agree, cannot abide Paul Morley and he spoiled the programme. As to levels of influence - I'm not sure it really matters and is it just direct musical influence we're taliking here anyway?

You're right, it doesn't really matter but I find it an interesting debate. And influence can mean music or much much wider...you decide.

 

[JamesAndTheGiantHead]

But the Beatles invented music?

 

[AmexRuislip]

Paul Morley thinks so.

And I did chuckle at his "who did The Beatles influence? Elton John, ELO, George Michael....that sounds more like a shuddering halt than influence" line.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b050rbzb/kraftwerk-pop-art

Just watched programme, brilliant, and yes I think they did do more than the Beatles.

 

[Mellotron]

You could say Kraftwerk DIRECTLY influenced more bands. Whereas The Beatles INDIRECTLY influenced far, far, far more bands.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

As an aside, isn't that performance of Pocket Calculator near the end just brilliantly bonkers?

 

[Buzzer]

You could say Kraftwerk DIRECTLY influenced more bands. Whereas The Beatles INDIRECTLY influenced far, far, far more bands.

And equally validly you could say the converse. I'm not sure even where you begin to measure such a statement.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Helped kick off electro music early 80's which carried through to new romantic. And the beatles inspired oasis and the herbie films! No contest!

 

[vegster]

Silly argument. Leonard Cohen's songwriting pisses all over anything the Beatles could ever write but does that make him necessarily more influential than the Beatles? Look how influential the Sex Pistols were and their songwriting was atrocious. You've got to look at everything the bands bring to the table - the image, the musical style, the time and place they were at their prime, what the music scene was like when they came to prominence and the bands and musical movements that came after.

You're confusing who you think are the better band with who were the most influential. Songwriting plays a small part in this.

Edit - I'm on the fence with this. It's like comparing oranges with apples.

Don't get me started on Cohen, I don't get it and never will, tragically for me.

But, getting back to the original point, I still don't think Kraftwerk were more influential then The Beatles, it's hardly Apples and Pears, more Date's and Raspberries.

 

[Blue3]

Silly comparison Beatles the most influential band of all time influencing bands writing and playing traditional instruments while Kraftwork were an intresting band who influanced a Gary Newman and a few others

 

[vegster]

The Beatles were responsible for the creation of The Monkees.

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

The Beatles were responsible for the creation of The Monkees.

I sincerely believe you are wrong! Everyone knows it was Charles Darwin.


Jeez!

TNBA

TTF

 

[Green Man]

Hi to anyone who hasn't yet come across me on the live music thread.

There's certainly a strong case for saying Kraftwerk (just to make it clear, I love 'em too) are more influential on the sound of contemporary music, and surely that's what Morley was getting at in his provocative way. Whether that influence is entirely benign is something you might question, considering the amount of machine-generated drivel there is around.

FWIW I thought the premise of the programme was pretty irritating. I'm far from averse to a bit of cultural commentary, but when people are so desperate to legitimise some element of popular culture by claiming it as art, my response is pretty much 'So what?'

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

https://royalsociety.org/news/2015/05/scientists-track-the-hip-hop-revolution/

These very intelligent people have PROVED The Beatles didn't influence anything.

 

[boik]

https://royalsociety.org/news/2015/05/scientists-track-the-hip-hop-revolution/

These very intelligent people have PROVED The Beatles didn't influence anything.

Yes, but that survey was only in America, where the music landscape has always been a bit on the er, unadventurous side.

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

In the history of music, two bands stand out. Two changed the course of music more than any others. Two major influences that changed the course of music history.

Bill Hayley and the Comets invented - or at least poularised - rock and roll.

And the Beatles gave kids their own music; up until them kids listened to a slightly updated version of the music their Mum's and Dad's liked.

Mind you, Ben Nevis and the Summits were pretty good too.

 

[fat old seagull]

Surely it's Ballax! Kraftwerk could never have influenced 'The Monkees' like the Fab Four did

 

[GT49er]

Kraftwerk were a massive influence to the Detroit guys who started Techno music

The biggest influence on Techno music was synthesisers (and drum machines, and later, sampling devices) becoming user friendly and commercially available.

 

[nicko31]

Can see the point Kraft started a real change in music type..

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The biggest influence on Techno music was synthesisers (and drum machines, and later, sampling devices) becoming user friendly and commercially available.

This and black kids getting fed up with Motown.

 

[ofco8]

Fair comment. In my defence I though it might make a change from the usual racism and politics threads

I wonder who they were started by and bored us to death?mmmmmmmmm