Why are the Beatles so famous?

[tigersaw]

I mean really?
I grew up in the sixties, from memory it was all Stones, Elvis, Cliff etc, despite the Beatles topping the charts I can't remember anyone really playing their stuff on the jukebox much.
I can still put on a Stones LP, go see any 60's tribute band but anything by the Beatles leaves me cold. Maybe they were a girls band.

[Specialone]

I'm in agreement mate, I was born in 1970 so missed them a bit, but I have always thought them over rated tbh, if they were around now they would be just another boy band like take that or something.

I still maintain the Who were the best band of that time and in my eyes still are.

[maviczap]

I mean really?
I grew up in the sixties, from memory it was all Stones, Elvis, Cliff etc, despite the Beatles topping the charts I can't remember anyone really playing their stuff on the jukebox much.
I can still put on a Stones LP, go see any 60's tribute band but anything by the Beatles leaves me cold. Maybe they were a girls band.

I grew up with my sisters playing the Beatles all the time, so I would say they were a girls band.

I think their PR was probably better than the Stones, don't forget they had all those bleedy films on, which were always shown at Christmas.

My eldest daughter is really into them, I think my wife introduced her to their music, it certainly wasn't me, as I tried influencing her by playing non stop Springsteen tracks in the car when she was little, didn't work :p

My youngest on the other hand does like Springsteen I'm pleased to say :takeabow:

[Sir Trev]

Easy to sing along to poppy stuff, good PR and good image. George was a very talented musician but a lot of their tracks are simple, rhythmic and memorable. As a formula for the time it worked for a lot of people but as you say most of them were female.

The Who's mustic was more technical and arguably way more interesting to listen to, a bit like golden era Pink Floyd with multiple layers and complexity that you just want to focus on.

[maviczap]

Easy to sing along to poppy stuff, good PR and good image. George was a very talented musician but a lot of their tracks are simple, rhythmic and memorable. As a formula for the time it worked for a lot of people but as you say most of them were female.

The Who's mustic was more technical and arguably way more interesting to listen to, a bit like golden era Pink Floyd with multiple layers and complexity that you just want to focus on.

THB we never had it so good, as it was in the late sixties & 70's, and some of the 80's.

So much of the music in the last few years won't be remembered at all, that's because a lot of it is written to the Simon Cowell formula.

I often wonder how the likes of The Who, Floyd, Bowie etc etc who get on shows like the X factor or Britain's got talent, because at the moment there's no other TV shows on mainstream TV that bands can get on to perform.

When I was growing up, there was 'The Tube', OGWT and TOTP plus others where you could see and hear new bands.

Britain's got Talent & x Factor are modern versions of Opportunity Knocks, which only bought us musical stars such as Bobby Crush if I remember correctly.

[pegasus]

For me personally, it doesn't bother me if they are famous or not as long as I like the music, and as far as The Beatles are concerned I do, but then again I equally like The Doors or Jefferson Airplane or Aphrodites Child or The Monkees but all for different reasons, girl band or boy band really has no bearing on what I am going to listen to next. The music itself is the only thing that matters to me.

P

[Biker Biggles]

Always a Stones man me,so I agree.Love the Who and lets not forget The Kinks.

[The Basket]

John Lennon.

Working Class Hero.

[widepants]

bit like the emperors new cloths , One day someone will admit the're rubbish and the masses will open their eyes

[BanannaMan]

Why is McDonalds one of the most famous restaurants in the world?

[timwilky]

Whilst I am generally in agreement with they were not good sentiment. What they did was to make easy listening music that grandmother could listen to as well as the kids of the day. One of my early memories was standing on the roof of the coal house as a 4 year old with a school friend of the times singing "she loves you yeah yeah yeah".

The stones broke a couple of years later although they had been going almost as long. So they were always in catch up mode. Additionally because of police "actions" and a rawer blues inspired music they were never seen to be "nice boys" so did not get the granny shilling.

[The Basket]

I disagree.

[Brettus]

The reason they are so famous is because they went viral before the internet.
Impressive feat even if they aren't to your taste.

[Stenno]

I was born in the eighties but I think they're stuff is fantastic! Some of their stuff was decades ahead of it's time

[metalmonkey]

Why is McDonalds one of the most famous restaurants in the world?

Maybe becasue they are the only junk food outlet, that markets direct to kids? If not so much now, they did in the past without question.

The real questions is are McDonalds involved in selling junk food or property?

[Fallout]

I'm pretty sure their fame was because they were the first 'Boy Band'. Though they weren't manufactured in the same way modern boy bands are, they were definitely promoted to the ladies as a bunch of young lads. Girls had never had that sort of image stuffed down their throats before and combined with half decent music, it was a ground breaking formula.

The same goes for the Spice Girls. They were the first girl band and first band to play on 'girl power' and as such were huge despite being horrific. If you get in there first you can be extremely successful even if those that come after do it better than you.

Oh, biggest pet hate about the Beetles is YOU, DO, TRUE, BLUE, WHO seem to make up about 99.99% of their rhyming vocabulary. :D

[Spank86]

You forgot the ultimate rhyming cop out, simply repeat the same word in the next line!

[daveangel]

Certainly John & George deserved all the plaudits and fame, Paul and Ringo were lucky to ride along on the coattails of it all as some of their solo works shows. I never really understood why Sgt. Pepper was as big as it was, given that some of it was inspired by being out of your head in the studio. A lot of people tend to bang on about it along with all the Summer Of Love/Carnaby St. rose tinted stuff.

[jambo]

It's very easy to be dismissive of things, especially things that are hyped, after the event.

I've heard a number of albums, or seen films that I was told were amazing, and maybe they were at the time. Once everyone's taken a concept and re-done it a few times it's hard to view the early work the same way.

For what it's worth I like the Beatles, they were one of the bands I listened to growing up, borrowing records from my Dad's collection. And they forged a better career than most manage, so good on 'em.

Jambo

[gruntygiggles]

Like the Beatles...wish Paul McCartney would gracefully retire and go away.

[Bibio]

they make good music. when the Beatles came on the scene there was almost nothing that sounded like them and the sound was new, fresh and hip.

people still listen to their music (including me) which is testament to just how good it is.

[Specialone]

They were worshipped in Liverpool, just like jimmy saville ;)

[BanannaMan]

The first band to be mass marketed to teens.
And if you were a bit too young to scream at the concerts, there were movies, the Beatles cartoon show, even beatles lunchboxes.

Their songs had broad appeal amoung different age groups.
They also had the 'nice lads' image.
The Stones were the bad boys of rock and roll.
The Who fought hard not to be another mainstream pop band and Moon and Townshend's instument destroying act was enough to scare parents in the 60's to death. LOL

Still all of this helped the Beatles sales. It was the band your parents liked.
My parents (previously) hated rock and roll but I can remember the whole family watched the Beatles on the telly on their first trip to the US in 1964. (I was 5 btw) And so did everyone else I knew.

Not my favorite band but can't deny they changed rock and roll forever.
And yes they did have some good songs.
In their time they were the most popular and most successful band ever.
Every single they realesed was going to be a hit.

[Biker Biggles]

They only played live together for four years,and only existed for six.Some of their stuff was good and it was certainly innovative at the time,but much of the music hasnt really stood the test of time.
The Rolling Stones on the other hand----------

[Spank86]

You all do seem to be forgetting that they wrote a phenomenal amount of music for other artists at the same time.