[MUSIC] Who Was the Greater Artist: Elvis Presley or The Beatles?

Can I vote for John Lennon?

Note sure where this idea that Lennon needed the King came from.

 

I think McCartney and Lennon have cited blues artists as their influence. You could make an argument that Elvis helped commercialize Rock-N-Roll so that Lennon and McCartney didn't have to do something else; I have no direct quotes but Presley first big hit was a cover, and I think he's always conceded that there were black rock artists even in the one or two years before him.

Berry and Little Richie are the roots, Bill Haley and Elvis are the trunk, and Dylan, the Isley Brothers, the Beatles and the Stones are the first branches. (Can you tell I only listened to rap music until my twenties?)

 

Mozart was influenced by Bach, as well. That doesn't mean Mozart never would have been great...and the best ever.

 

The Beatles were actually more influenced by Buddy Holly and the Crickets than anyone else. First, there's obviously the name. Second, they were the first "band" as a self-contained unit- Presley, Berry, Richard, etc. all used session musicians. Third, a lot of the melodies you hear from the Beatles are much more in tune with songs like Words of Love, Blue Days, Black Nights, That'll Be The Day, etc. than those of the other artists.

 

Another thing, too- sometimes, I think we put too much emphasis on the "firsts" as a criteria. The depth of the Beatles' music is staggering; list the greatest albums of all time, and you're going to get Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, and about 7-8 others. Elvis? Maybe Elvis and The Sun Sessions.

Absolutely the Beatles, without a doubt. The most important and influential musical artist of the 20th century.

 

The Beatles' solo work, too, is crazy good. Could you imagine if they stayed as a band through the 70s and they composed most of the songs that they had for the group as they did solo (considering that some of the songs wouldn't make the cut). But you could conceivably have a The Beatles- Top 20 Greatest Hits of the 70s that would look like this:

1. Imagine
2. Uncle Albert
3. My Sweet Lord
4. Photograph
5. Instant Karma
6. Band on the Run
7. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)
8. Mind Games
9. Live and Let Lie
10. Isn't It a Pity
11. My My My
12. Whatever Gets You Through The Night
13. Silly Love Songs
14. What Is Life
15. Cold Turkey
16. Listen to What The Man Said
17. You
18. Jealous Guy
19. Jet
20. Let Em In


Ridiculous.

 

Elvis was a rocker early on but he wound up singing a bunch of corny movie songs as his career progressed. He then wound up on the country charts singing gospel. The King of Rock n Roll title is a stretch. He was a Pioneer but that's about it.

 

Both Elvis and the Beatles both had huge cultural impacts. Both sold insane number of records. Really hard to say who is greater but ...

Beatles wrote all of their songs. Elvis only wrote a handful. Slight edge to the Beatles.

 

Quoted for truth. The Beatles first recording was a Crickets song. In the 80's McCartney even made a decent documentary about Buddy Holly as a response to the highly innacurrate Gary Busey movie.
Personally, I think Holly did more for rock n roll musicianship and recording than Elvis. From playing style, to micing, recording, producing, and mixing styles. Holly was really innovated for his time.

 

I prefer elvis's music.

Butthe beatles were entirely self contained, writing and performing. Thats what made them so great.

Elvis had a whole team of people working on his music.

 

John Lennon

“Before Elvis, there was nothing.”

And he was right. Nothing could touch Elvis until the Colonel latched on to him, just as Yoko latched on to Lennon a few years later.

 

Elvis was an underachiever...

His early music is dominant, but he faded fast into commercial, lame stuff...

 

Also quoted for truth. I think one of the reasons is not just Holly, but Jerry Allison, the drummer. You think of Peggy Sue- man, that's a truly unorthodox drum beat for a #3 song. Everyday was him slapping his hands on his knees. He played on 2 cardboard boxes for Not Fade Away. Well Allright is basically just him hitting the cymbals for the entire song. Really innovative stuff there. Of course, living in Lubbock I'm biased, but the more I listen to his stuff, the more I'm convinced that they were the true musical/sonic/lyrical influence on The Beatles.

 

LMAO

Successful trill is successful.

 

Guess i should turn autocorrect on.

 

Honestly, I'm shocked the poll is this close.

Elvis and the Beatles both took the art of others and made it better, but the Beatles also created art that is just as meaningful/inspirational as the music they took.

To counter the "Before Elvis there was Nothing" point:

Considering the originality factor, I think the odds of someone filling the void of an Elvis never existing would be much more likely than the void left by the Beatles if they never existed.

 

I'm going to upset a lot of the hardcore Beattle fans by saying as far as song writers, they were geniuses but not much when it comes to their singing.McCartney is the only hafway decent vocalist on a good day. Ever wonder when the other artists do a Beattle cover they sound so much better than the original!

 

i enjoy elvis a lot more than I enjoy the Beatles. I can listen to elvis songs all day. I really can't do that with the Beatles. A lot of their songs are an acquired taste.