Anyone think The Beatles are overrated?

AberystwythLAD · 3 Dec 2011 at 19:53

This is my opinion. I think they were and ill explain why.

Don't get me wrong, they produced immense instrumentals and I think thats why they appealed to so many people. However, I'm one of those people who enjoy quality lyrics with a deep story behind, something maybe emotional that you feel. For me, other than the songs Let it be and Hey Jude, The Beatles just do not achieve this in the slightest. One of the main reasons Hey Jude has such an effect on me is from singing it at football games watching Cardiff City

Now, Oasis, a band that has openly stated to be influenced by The Beatles, do. This is purely down to lyrical content. For me they have better lyrics. They make much more sense, tell better stories with their songs and they relate to me more.

I mean, The Beatles sang songs like 'Drive my car' which to me has atrocious lyrics. The type of lyrics that would get blasted if produced by a modern artist. Now I know they had less resources to work with but their vocabulary would have been the same in terms of English so there really is no defence. I found they sang much more meaningful songs as solo artists or separate from The Beatles, i.e. Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson.

However I'm routinely knocked or put under scrutiny for holding this opinion when I feel its valid. Im not going to lie and say I like them as a band because to me they produced moments of true genius but a lot was garbage.

For me, the Jackson 5 were better. I don't understand how so many people haven't got soul in their blood. My father tells me its because I have black blood in me which means I have soul and thats why I appreciate true and proper music. Also, with the Jackson 5, the other singers sang a lot more and actually had truly soulful and amazing voices that just hit a nerve in your spine.

Anyone else feel this way?

atpbx · 3 Dec 2011 at 20:07

They had 4 or 5 top top tunes.

The rest was rubbish.

Glaucus · 3 Dec 2011 at 20:07

No, there's a differnece between personal taste and mass opinion.
Especially when not only were the icons, they spawned so many other bands and had influence of the music following them.

AberystwythLAD · 3 Dec 2011 at 20:14

Glaucus said:
No, there's a differnece between personal taste and mass opinion.
Especially when not only were the icons, they spawned so many other bands and had influence of the music following them.

Yes, I understand they influenced other bands. However there is also the argument other bands took what they did and made it better. Look at football. Football is a culture thing to in the UK. Now its clear to see Spanish teams like Barcelona have taken the English game and they play it better, taken it to the next level. I feel other bands like Oasis took what The Beatles did and improved upon it. They improved it lyrically in my opinion.

They were icons and as soloists amazing but as a band they weren't as great as many think they are. Its all mainstream propaganda. One of my favourite songs is The Girl Is Mine but that was McCartney with Michael Jackson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y96mdVTMByk

Tummy · 3 Dec 2011 at 20:18

No. They did so much for music and helped spawn, develop and influence music, even now

Also, The football analogy doesn't work as football isn't "English" and the Spanish as a lot of other World teams have always played very different styles to each other.

Glaucus · 3 Dec 2011 at 20:25

AberystwythLAD said:
Yes, I understand they influenced other bands. However there is also the argument other bands took what they did and made it better.

I don't think matters at all.

You still need that initial creation and you still need some band to give the inspiration to a whole generation.
They certainly did that along with many other iconic bands that are rated for what they have done.

Personaly I don't like them, but it's not my sort of music.

Randomface74 · 3 Dec 2011 at 20:26

I don't care about lyrics, and I don't like the Beatles.

AberystwythLAD · 3 Dec 2011 at 20:43

billysielu said:
I don't care about lyrics, and I don't like the Beatles.

Then you can't appreciate music that has lyrical content. Ignorance is bliss!

dinger44 · 3 Dec 2011 at 21:28

Love the Beatles. A lifetime of listening to mostly metal and punk and various other stuff but still think the Beatles were great. Cant have Oasis though.

Nitefly · 3 Dec 2011 at 21:33

OP - try some of these:

I personally don't know how you can't love The Beatles. I confess some of their songs are too twee (love me do and hold your hand spring to mind) but their catalogue is mind blowing.

DAnDan · 3 Dec 2011 at 21:37

AberystwythLAD said:
Then you can't appreciate music that has lyrical content. Ignorance is bliss!

Oh to have such a naive view as you do.

Nitefly said:
I personally don't know how you can't love The Beatles. I confess some of their songs are too twee (love me do and hold your hand spring to mind) but their catalogue is mind blowing.

None of their songs have ever "done" anything for me really. I just find it quite bland to listen to. Maybe I'll enjoy their music more as I get older.

Nitefly · 3 Dec 2011 at 21:40

DAnDan said:
None of their songs have ever "done" anything for me really. I just find it quite bland to listen to. Maybe I'll enjoy their music more as I get older.

Have you listened to all of the songs above? Fair enough if it's not for you, but they encompass so many styles that not liking all of them pretty means you like nothing

DAnDan · 3 Dec 2011 at 21:45

Nitefly said:
Have you listened to all of the songs above? Fair enough if it's not for you, but they encompass so many styles that not liking all of them pretty means you like nothing

Yeah one of my housemates last year was by far the biggest Beatles fan I've met, and that includes my dad (again, a very big fan) so I've heard the lot at least a few times. They just don't do anything for me really. As much as their styles differ between songs, they all seem to have the same lack of effect

.

AberystwythLAD · 4 Dec 2011 at 01:12

Nitefly said:
Have you listened to all of the songs above? Fair enough if it's not for you, but they encompass so many styles that not liking all of them pretty means you like nothing

I listened to some of the above, nothing. Only Hey Jude and Let it be have any influence whatsoever. Only songs you can get caught up in the moment with. Like Wonderwall, Champagne Supernova, Don't look back in anger and Stop crying your heart out.

I mean, no disrespect to people who like The Beatles but they're just not for me one iota. I actually prefer some more modern bands than them to be perfectly honest. It just does my head in when Beatles lovers try and force their opinion on me.

Aleksandrs · 4 Dec 2011 at 01:30

I recognise that they were popular and talented and have a huge following but personally I don't like the music and don't care to listen to it. When it comes to older music I'm more drawn to Motown or Nashville.

PermaBanned · 4 Dec 2011 at 01:41

No. To be overrated you have to have people attribute things to you that you didn't do. When people say that The Beatles' music spawned practically all modern music that came after isn't an overstatement - it's a truth.

But really, if you like Jackson 5 over The Beatles then your dad is right, you don't have a soul. And because of that you can't ever really appreciate the music you like, because when an artist says that somebody had a profound influence on them you have to be able to relate to that.

AberystwythLAD · 4 Dec 2011 at 01:42

Aleksandrs said:
I recognise that they were popular and talented and have a huge following but personally I don't like the music and don't care to listen to it. When it comes to older music I'm more drawn to Motown or Nashville.

AberystwythLAD · 4 Dec 2011 at 01:43

PermaBanned said:
No. To be overrated you have to have people attribute things to you that you didn't do. When people say that The Beatles' music spawned practically all modern music that came after isn't an overstatement - it's a truth.

Nonsense. The Beatles did not spawn rap, did not spawn rnb, did not spawn motown. Thats a ridiculous statement.

But really, if you like Jackson 5 over The Beatles then your dad is right, you don't have a soul. And because of that you can't ever really appreciate the music you like, because when an artist says that somebody had a profound influence on them you have to be able to relate to that.

Also, learn to read fella. I think you'll find you've made a ridiculous mistake. However, i'll leave you to it confusing yourself in your own paradox interpretation of your own deluded existence.

SexyGreyFox · 4 Dec 2011 at 11:32

I grew up with The Beatles because my Dad was a massive fan but I prefer their early stuff than the overrated crap that was The White Album and Sgt Pepper (my opinion).
I've also played at least 30 to 40 of their tunes on stage and some lend themself to being heavy metalled up.

However, I'd like you to see what The Beatles did from the perspective of a 76 year old man who had been playing in Club bands from 1956.
In his words he was playing a lot of garbage but threw in the odd Elvis, Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry tunes.
Pop music was really stagnant rather like at the end of the 80's and then in the early 90s Oasis and Blur shook it up.
All of a sudden this band came on the TV and my Dad called my Mother in from outside to watch this band and the following day everybody was talking about them.
It was a universal love straight from the start and their singles & albums sold in bucket loads.
There had been nothing like them before, there music was catchy, the harmonies were tight and they followed a tradition of singing about love.
When I listen to my Dad I get what The Beatles did for music and I get how they shook his life up so he could now go out into Clubs and get a lot more 'rockier'.

Robosapien · 4 Dec 2011 at 14:27

I really don't. Although they were pioneers and hugely influential, that doesn't mean they're old hat now. Contrary they're still just as fresh today and have yet to be surpassed. They were unique and still the pinnacle to aspire to, they set the standard pretty high. Even Jackson 5 to me sound like a divergence or tangent to their 100% distilled pop template. A bit like Slayer.