Track this topic | Email this topic | Print this topic

::inspired by an argument in chat::

who was more of an influence on music today? Elvis or the Beatles?

--------------------

"When I turn the page
The corner bends into the perfect dog ear
As if the words knew I'd need them again
But at the time, I didn't see it."

~"This Ain't a Surfin' Movie" - Minus the Bear

easily the beatles

--------------------

What would Zorro do?-Homer Simpson

Beatles, though I don't like either :-P.

In my opinion, Beatles was an influence on music. Elvis was just really pretty, and did a few things that were odd or ahead of his time...like going to listen to "black music" at night when he wasn't supposed to. You could argue that his dancing and pelvic thrusting influenced, but not music. It influenced dancing.

Elena

--------------------

I had an old signature. Now I've changed it.

It's really a toss-up for me....since the question is "Who was more influential to music," my vote goes to Elvis.  However, if it were "Who was more influential to pop culture," then I'd definitely vote for the Beatles.  Elvis brought so many new styles to music, some that took so long to actually be accepted as a societal norm, but the Beatles changed the way people dressed, wore their hair, etc, so they had an impact on the way of life.  This is just from research and talking to grandparents about times back then, since I obviously wasn't alive during either's time in the spotlight.



--------------------

Hey, put the cellphone down for a while
In the night there is something wild
Can you hear it breathing?
And hey, put the laptop down for a while
In the night there is something wild
I feel it, it's leaving me

Now, in fairness, the argument we had in chat centered around the fact that a couple guys thought that Elvis had no influence on modern music whatsoever, not so much who was more important between Elvis and the Beatles.

In this discussion, the obvious answer to me is the Beatles. Between them and the Rolling Stones, they opened the door to a lot of fine British bands that have put out a lot of good music since.

Elvis, while very important, would, IMO, be listed more as an indirect influence to many modern bands, while the Beatles would be considered more direct.

--------------------

"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

Quote (Rangers51 @ 20 Aug. 2002, 11:27)

Elvis, while very important, would, IMO, be listed more as an indirect influence to many modern bands, while the Beatles would be considered more direct.

You couldn't be more right. I've heard from lots of bands that wanted to be just like the Beatles, but you rarely get anyone who wants to be like Elvis. The Beatles were more influential to music, IMO, because, once again, they literally made kids get up and start a rock band, and their influence is still around today. They also influenced pop culture with their style, etc, but that's another issue. And I love the Beatles a lot more than Elvis (they've been playing nothing but Elvis on TV because of the anniversary of his death. Most annoying week ever).

--------------------

Lou: There's a couple of guys fighting down at the aquarium, Chief.
Wiggum: Do they still sell those frozen bananas?
Lou: I think so.
Wiggum: Let's roll.

Without a doubt, the Beatles. Elvis was quite influential for his time, but the Beatles took it to a whole new level.

--------------------

"Nothing exists, but atoms and the void"
-Democritus

I was about to answer Beatles until I saw that the question was about who influenced music more.

Then I decided to say the Beatles anyway, based on their being famous for their works in more genres than Elvis is famous for.

Elvis was more of a cultural phenomenon than a musical influence, I'd say.

Elena99 has a good point about Elvis being influential in dance, on the other hand.

--------------------

Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

This is one of those difficult topics for me. The Beatles are also an easy choice, just because the amount of great things they did is just undeniable. They're my band, easily, and they expanded rock music's sound pallet like no other group. But what makes this difficult is people's misunderstanding of what Elvis was. Keep it in mind that John and Paul were both 15 when Elvis became a phenomenon, and both were huge fans of his.

In other words, yes the Beatles were an extremely influencial rock band, but they wouldn't be playing rock music if it weren't for Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Bob Holly. So, yeah, Elvis is more of an indirect influence, in terms of modern groups, just like Robert Johnson is an indirect influence. But he was a direct influence on the Beatles. And Elvis isn't just a cultural phenomenon (emphasis on "just"). Elvis is one of the best singers/performers to ever walk on a stage. And his sound is at the heart of what rock and roll is.

I said that to say this: as great of an impact Elvis made, the Beatles are the Beatles. What they accomplished is unparalleled in music. In their first albums, they basically created new rock standard one after another. By the time they got to Rubber Soul, they had already cemented their place in history, and still went on to create "more" all-time-great albums. You could actually argue that the Beatles are not influential, because nobody has been able to reach that plateau they carved out.

And yes, the fact that they wrote their songs does factor in. I'm just saying that I wouldn't discount Elvis so quickly.

Just to prove my point, witness the Elvis idolatry. While I feel that the Beatles are the greatest, and most important group/artist ever, bear in mind that Elvis had a major influence on their sound.

Forget everybody's argument, these are THE GUYS arguing about it!

This post has been edited by BlitzSage on 25th July 2011 17:57

--------------------

Praise Be To Helix!

I voted for the Beatles. I know that the amount of covers of an original song cannot be used as the only measuring stick, but the fact that "Yesterday" is the most covered song in the 20th century must count for something.

--------------------

I say what I wanna say, I play how I wanna play.

I think the response to this thread answers the question itself. A vast majority of the people who responded (both in posts and to the poll itself) consider their music more influenced by the Beatles. Music is the people who listen to it, so...

--------------------

Squenix games completed:

FFIII
FFIV
FFVI
FFVII
FFIX
FFX
FF Tactics: Advance 2
Chrono Trigger
Dragon Quest 8
Dragon Quest 11
Super Mario RPG

The Beatles's music has also demonstrated more staying power. People are more likely to be still listening to the Beatles than to Elvis these days, and I have yet to see a Rock ('n' Roll) Band game for Elvis's music.

--------------------

Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

Quote (Glenn Magus Harvey @ 27th July 2011 17:33)

The Beatles's music has also demonstrated more staying power. People are more likely to be still listening to the Beatles than to Elvis these days, and I have yet to see a Rock ('n' Roll) Band game for Elvis's music.

Well, they literally made 12 of the greatest albums of all time, and over 200 of the greatest/most important songs in music history. They were a juggernaut. Not so much a band, but a force of nature. In the beginning, you had two of the absolute best rock and roll songwriters basically in a prolonged competition with each other. And later, George Harrison developed and entered the competition. Not to mention that when they were together their sounds melded perfectly. Have you heard anything else like Sgt. Pepper? Revolver? Rubber Soul? A Hard Day's Night? Help? Abbey Road? I could go on and on.

My vote is for them, but my intent was just to show one of the Beatles, with Elvis's band, talking about how important Elvis and his sound was to them.

We all can argue back and forth, but that's one of the people involved (Paul) talking about the other's (Elvis's) influence on him. It's reasonable to say that Elvis had a major impact on the Beatles, especially on their early sound.

And I also think it must be stated that Elvis was perhaps the world's first superstar. You could argue that the following is a negative influence (and I might agree), but nevertheless Elvis's career laid the groundwork for modern pop music/film crossovers.

--------------------

Praise Be To Helix!

Quote

And I also think it must be stated that Elvis was perhaps the world's first superstar.

You make a good point here.

He also is one of the most prominent figures of the rock-n-roll genre, era, and culture, including dance, as someone else mentioned here. He's also a major influence to the rockabilly subgenre.

According to Wikipedia, Elvis himself topped British charts as well.

And of course, there's Elvis as a sex symbol, for the first generation of baby-boomers.

--------------------

Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

Quote (Glenn Magus Harvey @ 27th July 2011 16:33)

The Beatles's music has also demonstrated more staying power. People are more likely to be still listening to the Beatles than to Elvis these days, and I have yet to see a Rock ('n' Roll) Band game for Elvis's music.

Let's be fair, there's also a Rock Band game for Green Day. Let's not go too overboard and let Harmonix have too much say in what qualifies a band for that status.

--------------------

"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

Quote (Rangers51 @ 28th July 2011 10:26)

Quote (Glenn Magus Harvey @ 27th July 2011 16:33)

The Beatles's music has also demonstrated more staying power.  People are more likely to be still listening to the Beatles than to Elvis these days, and I have yet to see a Rock ('n' Roll) Band game for Elvis's music.

Let's be fair, there's also a Rock Band game for Green Day. Let's not go too overboard and let Harmonix have too much say in what qualifies a band for that status.

True, but you've got to say, for a band that hasn't made music in over forty years to have an entire game devoted to them is pretty special. I don't think that Harmonix would be doing the same for Green Day if they were the older band.

Right now, Green Day's a popular band. But GMH's point is that so are the Beatles. After all these years, they're still out-selling everyone.

--------------------

Praise Be To Helix!

Quote (BlitzSage @ 28th July 2011 14:14)

Let's be fair, there's also a Rock Band game for Green Day. Let's not go too overboard and let Harmonix have too much say in what qualifies a band for that status. [/QUOTE]
True, but you've got to say, for a band that hasn't made music in over forty years to have an entire game devoted to them is pretty special. I don't think that Harmonix would be doing the same for Green Day if they were the older band.

Right now, Green Day's a popular band. But GMH's point is that so are the Beatles. After all these years, they're still out-selling everyone.

Yes, I know that. I was saying that his point wasn't exactly made well.

--------------------

"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

[QUOTE=Rangers51,28th July 2011 17:17] [QUOTE=BlitzSage,28th July 2011 14:14] Let's be fair, there's also a Rock Band game for Green Day. Let's not go too overboard and let Harmonix have too much say in what qualifies a band for that status. [/QUOTE]
True, but you've got to say, for a band that hasn't made music in over forty years to have an entire game devoted to them is pretty special. I don't think that Harmonix would be doing the same for Green Day if they were the older band.

Right now, Green Day's a popular band. But GMH's point is that so are the Beatles. After all these years, they're still out-selling everyone. [/QUOTE]
Yes, I know that. I was saying that his point wasn't exactly made well. [/QUOTE]
I agree. My point was just to show that it's impressive that the Beatles have a game like that. But the part about Elvis is unfair, for a couple reasons. First, Elvis was primarily a singer. The Beatles were an actual rock band.

Second, it's important to realize that Elvis probably had a shorter recording career than the Beatles. He first recorded in about '55-'56, then he entered the Army, and by the '60s, because of his fame he was mostly doing movies (albeit musical movies). The Beatles were doing movies too, but they stopped touring to focus on albums when they did have time to do them. They were able to do stuff like Sgt. Pepper because they weren't on the road. In many ways, Elvis' fame had gotten too big, and his obligations forced him out.

It might also important to note that it's a little unfair to compare the Beatles to Elvis, in the sense that Elvis was a solo artist, with only his own sound. The Beatles had four different people making music. It might be better to compare the individual members' solo efforts rather than the entire group, because on each album the Beatles didn't have to rely on one artist. You had a basically one half Paul, one half John, a few George Harrison songs and one or two performed by Ringo. That way their music stayed fresh.

This post has been edited by BlitzSage on 29th July 2011 00:23

--------------------

Praise Be To Helix!

As a manner of looking at the timeline with a properly detached perspective, it easily has to be Elvis.

"Before there was Elvis, there was nothing." ~ John Lenon

I'm halfway tempted to say that nothing more needs to be said since any further points could detract from it. However just to point out that he wasn't simply talking about the glamor but of the influence he has upon the sound of the music. Getting to the gist of it you can't only look from now back until Elvis to determine what sort of influence he had upon music but you have to also look at what we had before, to serve as a frame of reference. Elvis changed the face of music to allow what we have today to take place to begin with and his influence permeates what we've got today.

This isn't to detract from the greatness of The Beatles but it's much like comparing Super Mario Brothers to Sonic's Genesis outings. There's no doubt that Sonic's games were every bit as fun, technically more advanced and introduced a new signature flavor to gaming but Super Mario Brothers was the defining moment which allowed games to be the way they are. Sure, neither Mario or Elvis seem to be comparatively very special today. However we're not making direct quality comparisons here and that's probably in part because their influence has permeated their respective fields to the point of ubiquity. You just can't get much more influential than that.

This post has been edited by Tonepoet on 5th September 2011 16:41

--------------------

Role reversal at its finest.

Didn't one of the Beatles say something (on the subject of their phenomenon, as much as it pains me to use the word) like " we were just trying to keep up with Dylan "

--------------------

www.youtube.com/blinje
The victor sacrificed the vanquished to the heavens

Why not have an option with both? some people like both,and i think elvis is good too.

I also think that elvis is more similar to:Roy orbison in singing style and songs than the beatles,and even then:I think both are good.


--------------------

We are stardust.Our bodies are made from the guts of exploding stars.

Neil Degrasse Tyson.

Elvis is the reason The Beatles got interested in the music they did.

The Beatles took it to a monumentally insane level beyond anything the world knew before or has known since, but Elvis was their hero. If it weren't for Elvis, they would have simply considered themselves "too white" to play rock music. Elvis broke the color barrier around rock music, and Dylan and The Beatles can be traced back to him.

I vote Elvis, even though I much prefer the Beatles' music, probably thanks to the fact that their manager wasn't an insane and ruthless SOB like Elvis' was.

--------------------

X is blue.

Thank you spooniest.

As i said:Why not enjoy both?

--------------------

We are stardust.Our bodies are made from the guts of exploding stars.

Neil Degrasse Tyson.

Quote (Spooniest @ 18th September 2011 11:35)

Elvis is the reason The Beatles got interested in the music they did.

The Beatles took it to a monumentally insane level beyond anything the world knew before or has known since, but Elvis was their hero. If it weren't for Elvis, they would have simply considered themselves "too white" to play rock music. Elvis broke the color barrier around rock music, and Dylan and The Beatles can be traced back to him.

I vote Elvis, even though I much prefer the Beatles' music, probably thanks to the fact that their manager wasn't an insane and ruthless SOB like Elvis' was.

Umm, that's kind of the reverse of how the race barrier worked. It was black people that were kept down, not white people. But yeah, I definitely understand you picking Elvis, then he's on the Rock Mt. Rushmore with Little Richard and Chuck Berry. But I think that the Beatles are possibly the best thing ever to come out of rock music, or music in general.

--------------------

Praise Be To Helix!

While I prefer The King, I think the The Beatles made more of an impact in general, even hough I have heard that some of its members were inspired by Elvis. Let's put uit this way; The Beatles has a greater influence on bands today, but Elvis has more influence on performers today.

--------------------

"You know that feeling you get when you're on a merry go 'round, and you want to jump off to make the spinning stop, but you know it'll suck when you land? I feel like that all the time"- Keno

"I stab my girl until I fall down"
-Yukari
Do you like Horny Bunnies?