Debate: Were "The Beatles" really that great?

[N e s s]

I'm not trying to stir up any drama or anything, but are the Beatles really as great as they're so highly regarded to be? No disrespect or anything if you like them, I'm just genuinely curious what people think.

I want to say that they're just a really overly rated band. Every fan of the Beatles that I've met has said the same thing of "they changed the way music was done" or "they're the most influential band of all time". Sure, they probably did change how music was done, but don't you think that their music was more good at the time than now? It's not that much different of the modern boy band when you think about it, they were the popular "boy band" of the 60's. Theres probably several grandmas out there who had a crush on John Lennon in their time lol. (side note, I can agree though that John Lennon was an excellent guitarist.)

I've never really felt much of a connection to their music either. I like classic rock as much as the other guy, but if you asked me any classic rock band that I would prefer to listen to, I would more than likely say something like Led Zeppelin or ACDC.

Regardless I was interested in hearing what other people thought about this. Imagine me being that "change my mind" meme with the guy in the chair.

 

[John Wick]

I never really liked them.


Yes, they definately were talented, but overrated, IMO.

 

[mitfy]

personally i'm not the biggest fan. i like their music, yeah, and it was certainly very influential.
i think if you were to compare it to video games, it'd be kinda like saying ocarina of time is the best game ever. like, yeah, it was certainly revolutionary for its time and a fantastic game, but compared to what we got now? the quality is so much lower.
basically what i'm saying is that it's good for its time, though shouldn't be held to the same standards and position today. it that makes sense.

 

[nintendofan85]

I definitely think that they were great. The better question is how well has their music aged-many could argue, and I would agree, that many of their hits they had in the '60s didn't age well. The difference with the Beatles, compared to say Elvis Presley's music from the '50s, is that they music was able to tap into the general mood of the youth of the '60s-begging for change and rebellion from the traditions of American society (hence the "British Invasion") and that's why their music is associated with the hippie movement and the protests against the Vietnam War that took place in the mid-late '60s. Of course, the band disbanded in 1970 during the peak of US involvement in the war, so pretty much their whole legacy is based in the context of that era. John Lennon and Yoko Ono continued to make music of their own and still demonstrated for peace in the early '70s, but by 1973, Richard Nixon had withdrawn all troops from Vietnam.
Don't get me wrong, I personally love the Beatles. But I don't listen to their music as much as Nirvana, honestly.

 

[softbuck]

i feel the same as many people here. it was definitely great for its time and the people in it. but since their power was centered around current events, it doesn't age quite as well.

i feel more connected to music that plays now because, well, one can relate to people now better than then. their music is ok, but without the cultural context and the movement of the time, its just like listening to 1d for me. overrated, ok on some levels, but not really a big connection. most people tend to gravitate towards music that resonates, and for many people who weren't born then it just doesn't have that quality.

 

[AndroGhostX]

First I think you should make this into a poll!

Anyway... There music is not my forte so... Going off of the judgement of music taste, you can't exactly opinionize music taste. So are they overrated? You can't really judge that based on talent either. Although I would say a band is overrated if they are liked but have no talent, regardless of music taste of an individual which is not biased. But the Beatles definitely have talent!

 

[Zane]

Bleh I don't like them and I never have.. I do usually enjoy their songs when they're covered by other people though, because my sister was obsessed with them back in the day and played them all the time, so their music is kind of nostalgic to me even if I didn't care for it. lol
And they were one of the influences for my favorite artist of all time so I gotta give them that I guess :V

 

[Minto]

They're good and yeah they were a huge part of music history, but like you said, I'd also rather listen to bands like Led Zeppelin. The Beatles definitely aren't the greatest in my opinion. Nonetheless I still enjoy their music once in awhile.

 

[Bowie]

TFW you're supposed to be inactive but someone mentions The Beatles.

They were great for their time. I personally feel they were better musicians when they were apart, but I feel like they were an important part of music history, and the evolution of pop and rock. Had it not been for them, we'd never have artists so much better than them.

To me, as a collective, they were a puzzle piece for something much larger. They played a great role and should be respected for that if nothing else. If not for their music, for their role.

 

[Weiland]

They would've been fantastic back in the day; doesn't mean I don't like them now. I love The Beatles, but they weren't the greatest band in history. It's all subjective, I guess: for some people, they're the best thing ever; for others, they're okay. And for me, they're pretty damn good. I still prefer bands/musicians like Tony Perkins, Nirvana, Paramore, Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, and Brand New.

 

[Alienfish]

Define "that great". I do like most of what I've heard and they do deserve to be recognized for their part to music history. I can't say I'm a hardcore fan, but yeah it's some good 60s tunes right there.

But yeah I obviously like them much more compared to later music by a lot of people, so yeah, maybe they were "that great"

 

[otomatoe]

I always love oldies. Not a biggest fan, but I like their music. Tbh, I prefer the songs sung by Paul McCartney rather than John Lennon. So idk for sure whether I enjoy The Beatles entirely or just Paul McCartney's vocal lol

 

[piichinu]

i tink they shound like ****

 

[tiffanistarr]

I personally love the Beatles. Three of their songs are on my funeral playlist (yes I have planned out my funeral and the music that will be played.)

I loved what they stood for more than their music. The 60's were are horrible time and though I don't agree with dropping LSD or doing any other hard psychedelic drug. I do love that they really wanted to spread peace and love through their music. Their music had so many amazing messages and were so well written. I think they were ahead of their time in a way, but their progressive thoughts and dreams of a more loving and peaceful world truly paved the way for many great movements. Their music inspired many people to get out and stand up for whats right and fight for peace. I think that they are legendary for that matter alone.

 

[King Dorado]

I always thought the Beatles were okay, I've never really been into them. But I've made comments like those at the start of this thread (and like most of the comments in it) before while visiting friends who were huge Beatles fans, and they threw a lot of Beatles tunes on, and I'm gonna say, Yeah they were that great. not my personal cup of tea, i've never bought or downloaded any of their music, but I can't deny they made great music, that was much better than most of today's automated pop tbh.

 

[Aquasplash]

I think The Beatles were better as a group than they were when they were apart. One member went into a bathroom with a recorder to experiment with how his voice sounds in public bathrooms and he used the "echo" in their music. Another great thing that they did is they also used the "hum" or "buzz" from the amplifier and put it in their songs too. The Beatles using the "feedback" of their music equipment is a bold move and they were not afraid to experiment with anything. That is legendary.

 

[Dim]

Metallica’s greater than the Beatles.

 

[LambdaDelta]

the only thing that comes to mind for me is

 

[Soot Sprite]

They're... okay.I kind of have the same feelings as a lot of people who already posted. Were they great for their time? Sure. Does that mean their music holds up well and they're "The greatest band of all time?" Not really. Something could be great in it's time period, that doesn't necessarily mean it translates well. A lot of the people who love them now have just jumped on the Beatles bandwagon.

 

[Snowesque]

I think they are fine. I have not listened to too many of them, or I have at least not recognized that it is their song. That for me is good, as that means their music is not as formulaic to me as most music is.
I always would look forward to hearing their Christmas song every year around the holidays.