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Are the Beatles still the biggest band in music history


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Old 25-12-2016, 01:21
Keyser_Soze1
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I know they went to the US, not that I was ever there ye ken. I can only talk about this side of the pond, and once they split up, going their separate ways, other bands/groups became more noticeable and the Stones was one of them, then came Queen and Freddy Mercury and he took the world by storm. I was in that era you know, so do remember what it was like, and more excitement than XF have ever mustered!

Some of the Beatles songs weren't that great, but what they had was sound, and how they looked, which got the teens worked up into fainting fits! All they had to do was open their gobs and the whole audience, erupted into mayhem!
Mercury was utterly shite.

Not a patch on the universally acclaimed and greatest frontman of all time - Justin Bieber.
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Old 25-12-2016, 01:23
zounds
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Beatles 'Penny Lane' vs Bananarama's 'Link'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-0fXINNaWQ
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Old 25-12-2016, 01:43
muggins14
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Maybe for teens, but not for adults!
My Dad was a jazz musician, he always thought the Beatles wrote great melodies. He often enjoyed jazzing up some of their music.
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Old 25-12-2016, 01:44
WhatJoeThinks
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Beatles 'Penny Lane' vs Bananarama's 'Link'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-0fXINNaWQ
Your Internet powers are strong. But does this also satisfy Rule 34?
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Old 25-12-2016, 02:17
SULLA
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I dont think there will be anyone in the next fifty years that will be bigger than them. Not even Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones or the Beach Boys. They are still the biggest band in the world even though they are not together anymore
Back in the day, The Beatles were never referred to as a band.

They and many others were known as groups.
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Old 25-12-2016, 02:27
RichmondBlue
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I think they are the biggest British band in terms of importance. But it's just as much to do with what was happening around them at the time as it is to do with their music. It was a time of massive social change, civil unrest, the breaking down of old moral attitudes etc.
Of course, they were less involved in the big protest movements of the time than many other artists. But they provided the background music of the time.
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Old 25-12-2016, 02:42
zounds
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Back in the day, The Beatles were never referred to as a band.

They and many others were known as groups.
And did Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band have anything to do with the conversion from groups to bands I wonder?
More likely it was just that earlier it was big 'bands' and smaller 'groups' and as big bands went out of fashion it just transfered.
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Old 25-12-2016, 03:10
dee123
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I wanna hold your hand, we all live in a yellow submarine etc are akin to Kylie's I should be so lucky, so, in my opinion, no, they're not the greatest band that's ever been, they had some nice songs and melodies, yes, but so have Sinitta and Bananarama with their catchy little "ditties". It was lucky that they sold vast volumes at the time which was down to good promotion/propaganda, not much competition and just sheer luck. If he were still around, ask John Lennon and he'd probably say the same thing. I know Beatle's obsessives don't like to see things from any other angle and that's fine. This is just my opinion, keep living in your bubble if that's what makes you happy.
Nice try.

I'm not the biggest Beatles fan either but to just mention two songs in their catalogue and two of their more weaker hits if we are being honest and then compare them to Sinitta and Bananarama is well... the only thing more transparent is glass.
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Old 25-12-2016, 03:11
seansnotmyname@
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They'll always be the greatest band in history, and all my time alive there will be people denying this.

It's odd they didn't just make great songs they probably created many genres, including dance as they were the first bands to start using samples.

To decry the Beatles as just another band, is just showing your own ignorance in music.

Oh and did someone say Queen were bigger in the States then the Beatles, umm just look at the stats,and whilst you're at it you may want to see what the biggest album of 2000-2010 was in that country.
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Old 25-12-2016, 03:18
seansnotmyname@
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Nice try.

I'm not the biggest Beatles fan either but to just mention two songs in their catalogue and two of their more weaker hits if we are being honest and then compare them to Sinitta and Bananarama is well... the only thing more transparent is glass.
As i've said they have sold millions this millennia so his argument is ridiculous, but he clearly enjoys living in his very very small bubble, and " I wanna hold your hand" is kinda a perfect pop song amongst the 100s of other hits they had.
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Old 25-12-2016, 03:20
johnny_boi_UK
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To be the best/most successful anything in history you don't have to exist currently. And they are.
i think micheal jackson is the greatest selling musician.

OT - not my favourite band but yes they are
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Old 25-12-2016, 03:27
seansnotmyname@
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i think micheal jackson is the greatest selling musician.

OT - not my favourite band but yes they are
Nah. not a patch on Sinitta though.
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Old 25-12-2016, 09:55
mushymanrob
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Reading the above reminds me of one of those "Moon landings were faked" posts we see from time to time and it's about as accurate. I simply reply in the same way: you have to have lived through their era to realise the truth, and just how big The Beatles were. No other band and possibly no other singer at the peak of their career came close to them at the peak of theirs.

Their impact on the popular culture of the day was astonishing, simply astonishing - and that's how I judge 'big'. And I thought they were just an amusing novelty act when they first hit number one so it was a shock to my system when they were suddenly 'everywhere' from TV to the lead items on the News and newspapers, lauded by everyone from Prime Ministers to radio announcers, with thousands of fans in literal hysteria wherever they went. And that was before they reinvented themselves in the recording studio!

So yes - they are the biggest band ever in musical history and may always remain so because the conditions that led to it will probably never be repeated.
spot on d@ve!

what younger people dont realise is the trip the beatles went on, they see clips of a proto boyband with screaming girls and liken them to busted or mcfly.

but no other group went from 'she loves you' a twee pop song, to 'tomorrow never knows' a seminal, creative track in 3 years.

of course there was some luck in the beatles success.... they were around when guitar based pop groups (thats what we called them, pop groups) became popular, they were in the right place at the right time to be the nations spearheadding act, but they had the talent, the creativity, the will to experiment and push early boundaries.

the beatles will never be surpassed, they cant be, pop music cannot be started from scratch again.
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Old 25-12-2016, 09:56
Brian The Dog
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And did Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band have anything to do with the conversion from groups to bands I wonder?
More likely it was just that earlier it was big 'bands' and smaller 'groups' and as big bands went out of fashion it just transfered.
I think you have a very good point there!

Yes if back then you referred to a band playing on Saturday night at the local ballroom, it would mean a big band with brass, percussion etc. A group would then of course be a much smaller collection of musicians.
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Old 25-12-2016, 09:58
mushymanrob
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Back in the day, The Beatles were never referred to as a band.

They and many others were known as groups.
EXACTLY! my word, we agree on something!

yes they were 'pop groups'.... 'bands' were (proper) bands, large multi-instrumental conglomerates.
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Old 25-12-2016, 10:46
anne_666
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spot on d@ve!

what younger people dont realise is the trip the beatles went on, they see clips of a proto boyband with screaming girls and liken them to busted or mcfly.

but no other group went from 'she loves you' a twee pop song, to 'tomorrow never knows' a seminal, creative track in 3 years.

of course there was some luck in the beatles success.... they were around when guitar based pop groups (thats what we called them, pop groups) became popular, they were in the right place at the right time to be the nations spearheadding act, but they had the talent, the creativity, the will to experiment and push early boundaries.

the beatles will never be surpassed, they cant be, pop music cannot be started from scratch again.
Hey mushy we agree again!

http://twths.org/10-reasons-why-the-...-the-greatest/

1) They released 13 quality albums in just 8 years

That’s extraordinarily prolific. No, it’s out-of-this-world prolific. Yes, that was a different day and a different time but for comparison purposes today’s standard is one new album every three years. Look at acts like U2, Radiohead, Madonna, Coldplay, Pearl Jam, etc. The thought of those acts releasing two albums of new material per year is nearly ludicrous to ponder. In the span of 8 years currently, most top acts release about three full albums. The Beatles released 13.

2) They released 7 of the greatest albums in the top 20 of all time

Take your pick but a solid argument could be made to place Revolver, Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper, The White Album, Let it Be, Abbey Road and Magical Mystery Tour in the top 20 of all time. Yes, Let it Be and Magical Mystery Tour would be on the periphery but they belong.

3) Three rock and roll Hall of Fame songwriters

Most bands would die to have just one. The Beatles had three, including the top two of all time (Lennon, McCartney). Yes, George Harrison didn’t evolve and shine brightly until Team Beatles was on life support in 1968ish, but his contributions are some of the pillars of their post-Sgt. Pepper work (‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’, ‘Something’, ‘Here Comes the Sun’).

4) They got tired of singing over the top of screaming teenaged fans – so they quit touring
The Beatles, quite amazingly did not tour to support the 2nd half of their career. That’s the half of their career that included every great album listed above. They bucked all standard practices and chose to grow up in the studio versus standing in front of 16 year old fans at oversold baseball stadiums with shitty acoustics.

5) The Beatles went head-to-head against some of the greatest competition to their throne in history
Look who the Beatles toppled: The Rolling Stones, Dylan, Elvis, Pink Floyd, The Beach Boys, Hendrix. Whether you believe that Radiohead, Arcade Fire or U2 are the greatest band alive right now, who is their competition? Coldplay?? The Black Keys?? Please.

6) They created pop music

They didn’t embellish it or make it better – they created it. It started heavy with Rubber Soul and Revolver and songs like ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, ‘Penny Lane’, ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ were the fruition and evolution of a new style of music. They were the trigger of a revolution that became pop culture.

7) They created the album concept

Thank you, Sgt. Pepper. No longer a simple collection of random songs, in 1966/67 the Beatles decided to turn albums into themes and stories. Sgt. Pepper was the first gatefold cover LP and the first time an album utilized all of the non-hits as part of the story. Everyone else had filler – the Beatles had albums. I’ll plagiarize an analogy from a Kid A review I recently read. The Beatles in 1967 were holding an aquarium and everyone else was holding up blue construction paper.

8) They disbanded in their prime

John Lennon was only 30 when the Beatles broke up. McCartney was 28. George Harrison was 27. Ringo Starr was 30. They still had youth and they still had many years remaining in their prime but they stopped while they were on top, ending a string of success that is unparalleled. Imagine Muhammed Ali retiring in 1974 instead of 1981 and what you have is the Beatles. Imagine Elvis retiring in 1968 before becoming a shell of himself by his death, and what you have is the Beatles. Imagine the Rolling Stones retiring in 1973, or U2 in 1993. Where some bands play on (and on, and on, and on – i.e., The Rolling Stones, The Who), The Bealtes stopped and became iconic. No band ever called it quits at a greater time – with the bar set so high that Jesus himself would need a stepladder and a go-go gadget left arm to reach it. Impeccable timing, even if it wasn’t planned to be that way at the time. I mean seriously, would any of us have really wanted to see a new Beatles album in 1977 at #2 on the charts one notch behind Saturday Night Fever? No thanks. Our universe would have ended on that day.

9) They didn’t get back together years later (after the magic was gone) for a reunion album or a reunion tour or a reunion gig, or a Super Bowl halftime appearance

Amen! The remaining Beatles eschewed millions (and we’re not being facetious when we say multi-multi-millions) of dollars of cash to avoid the chance at a failed return to greatness. They chose their hatred for each other during the 70’s over the millions of dollars on the table and we thank them for it. That doesn’t imply I would not adore Beatles album #14 if it existed but I’m happy with my collection of 13, thank you very much.

10) They had one member willing to look at the government and say **** you

No hero in rock or pop culture has ever replaced John Lennon. Bono has been close and that’s a credit to his philanthropic energy, but he’s different than Lennon. Whether Lennon’s ideas sucked or were completely polarizing at least he had the stones to share them. He flipped off the concept of being a boy band by the end of 1964 and he grew up faster than any other Beatle. He pushed the press and the government in directions like never before. McCartney gave us melody but Lennon gave us balls.

One fantastic moment of Lennon (from June 1, 1969) taken from the 1988 documentary ‘Imagine’ showed the in-bed interview with the humorist, antagonist and cartoonist Al Capp accusing Lennon of doing the infamous in-bed protest as a publicity stunt to make money.
Lennon immediately and eloquently went back at Capp eye to eye, “You think I couldn’t earn money by some other way…by sitting in bed for seven days, taking shit from people like you? I could write a song in an hour and earn more money.”
It was Lennon’s most eloquent way of telling Capp and the world that I could take your money if I wanted to but I’d rather spend my time telling my government how I feel. It just didn’t get any better than that clip to learn everything you needed to know about Lennon and the Beatles. They left millions on the table and for all the right reasons.
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Old 25-12-2016, 10:59
mushymanrob
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its becoming a habit!

the thing is, the beatles arent even my favourite group, i prefer thye animals, kinks, small faces and especially the yardbirds.

but no one can realistically deny what the beatles did, although i can understand why the younger generation who werent there might struggle.
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Old 25-12-2016, 11:17
rob_knight
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. They are still the biggest band in the world even though they are not together anymore
Well they're obviously not together anymore because, just in case you hadn't noticed, two of them happen to be dead!
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Old 25-12-2016, 11:31
anne_666
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its becoming a habit!

the thing is, the beatles arent even my favourite group, i prefer thye animals, kinks, small faces and especially the yardbirds.

but no one can realistically deny what the beatles did, although i can understand why the younger generation who werent there might struggle.
I was lucky enough to be a teenager in the 60's and they were by far my favourite group. Love the others you mention too and a whole lot more.. The supply was endless and we spent our spare time going to "pop concerts". Without question and in many ways it was the most phenomenal decade of the century.
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Old 25-12-2016, 13:16
Patti-Ann
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I wanna hold your hand, we all live in a yellow submarine etc are akin to Kylie's I should be so lucky, so, in my opinion, no, they're not the greatest band that's ever been, they had some nice songs and melodies, yes, but so have Sinitta and Bananarama with their catchy little "ditties". It was lucky that they sold vast volumes at the time which was down to good promotion/propaganda, not much competition and just sheer luck. If he were still around, ask John Lennon and he'd probably say the same thing. I know Beatle's obsessives don't like to see things from any other angle and that's fine. This is just my opinion, keep living in your bubble if that's what makes you happy.
I'm trying to imagine The Beatles singing a ditty and being compared to Sinitta
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Old 25-12-2016, 13:31
Pitman
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they're the biggest band the world has seen no question

but the best 'English' band will always be the Kinks
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Old 25-12-2016, 13:52
swingaleg
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as an aside........ one of my musical discoveries of the year has been the MonaLisa Twins, a couple of young Austrian popsters who do mean Beatles covers (and other stuff)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj8LEL4gbQU
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Old 25-12-2016, 14:47
Pitman
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as an aside........ one of my musical discoveries of the year has been the MonaLisa Twins, a couple of young Austrian popsters who do mean Beatles covers (and other stuff)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj8LEL4gbQU

I like that, some stones and the Beach boys, no Kinks, I think they'd suit 'picture book' request
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Old 25-12-2016, 14:54
gwynne
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ABBA

Just leaving that there.
The Beatles were,in my opinion,a very mediocre group that got lucky in meeting the genius who was Gerge Martin.
You have only got to watch their appaling 'live' performances (song and instrumental) and then compare them with their studio ones to see that without George Martin they were nothing special!
There were far,far better groups around at the time-The superb Hollies spring to mind.
They were as good live as in the studio and infinitely superior singers and musicians.
ABBA were and still are the best group the world has seen!
The sheer beauty and astounding vocals of Agnetha and Anni-Frid will never be bettered plus the sheer bloody genius of Bjorn and Benny.
The group set standards that will never be surpassed by any one else.
As I said-the Beatles got lucky but it was not talent that made them so famous!
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Old 25-12-2016, 17:57
d0lphin
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I would dispute that you had to be there to appreciate how huge The Beatles were back in the 60s. I wasn't born until 1967 but I am interested in music of that era so I have watched documentaries and read books on music from the late 1950s onwards.

Whereas I respect that other people may prefer music from the likes of Abba and Queen, there is no comparison with regards to the influence those bands had on the music scene to the influence The Beatles had and that they were very talented musicians and songwriters.

50 years on there is still a huge interest in them with people visiting Liverpool from all over the world to take the "Magical Mystery Tour" and visit The Beatles museum, The Cavern, their childhood homes, Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane. I can't think of anyone else other than Elvis who has that kind of draw.
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