Who really MADE the Beatles Amazing - John Lennon or Paul McCartney?

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Permalink Reply by Paul R on March 24, 2009 at 4:34pm

These two were very competive and one of the things that drove the group to improve and grow rather than just turning out the same type of songs, was the fire in both -so the answer is all four because RINGO and GEORGE helped things from getting stale

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Permalink Reply by tyedye on April 28, 2009 at 4:26am

It was the alchemy of them all, not as individuals, but the combination of them all that MADE the Beatles.

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Permalink Reply by Cherokee Billie on May 11, 2009 at 2:54pm

When I listen to their music there's no way I can pinpoint which Beatle made the group the best. Each one contributed so much to the sound and even to the writing. John was definitely the most forceful of the group and he was driven to succeed at a young age and I think that's what makes his music so powerful. Paul was the perfect writing partner for him as he was able to mellow out many of the songs. They complimented each other very well. But how can anybody forget the magnificent songs that George Harrison produced with the Beatles such as, taxman, while my guitar gently weeps, and my personal favorite - Within you and without you. even the songs that Ringo inspired such as a hard day's night or his singing and drumming cannot be ignored.

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Permalink Reply by Claire Smalley on May 15, 2009 at 8:29pm

In my opinion, there really is no single member that made The Beatles great. They drew talent from all areas of the map and the fact that they found each other is what made them explosive. Sure their solo stuff is great too, but from my observations, individually they are not as universally adored as they are as a group. Each member was (and for P & R-- is) ridiculously talented in their own right, but only because they worked together (on most things) do they continue to blow our minds.

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Permalink Reply by Imagine01 on May 22, 2009 at 1:39pm

I Like Them ALL, But My Favorites John & George. There Cute, And Have A Great Talent. They Have A Great Sense Of Humor, And There Sweet. I Miss Them So Much, ='-(. Peace - Renee

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Permalink Reply by Woody Lifton on May 28, 2009 at 12:59pm

According to Geoff Emerick...from his book Here There and Everywhere
On his initial meeting with the Beatles and his impression of who the leader of the band was:
“Then there was the bass player. He was not only the most conventionally handsome of the four but he was the most friendly and engaging. He was clearly the most interested in how the recording sounded.

Though he didn’t raise his voice like the lead singer did (John), I had the impression that he was the leader of the group. When he spoke, the others listened intently and invariably nodded their heads in agreement, and before each take, he was the one urging them to give it their all.

Looking back on it now, it’s funny how most people thought John as the leader of the Beatles. It might have been his band in the beginning, and he might have assumed the leadership roles in their press conferences and public appearances, but throughout all the years I would work with them, it always seemed to me that Paul, the soft spoken bass player, was the real leader of the group, and that nothing got done unless he approved of it.”

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Permalink Reply by James Brennan on June 22, 2009 at 12:45pm

The combination of the musical talent of all four members created the extraordinary music of the most influential rock band in history. While George and Ringo were often overshadowed by the Lennon/McCartney duo, they made essential contributions to the sound of the Beatles: George established an unmistakably unique guitar sound and wrote some of their greatest songs ("Something," "Here Comes the Sun," and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" to name a few). Ringo, the most overlooked Beatle, provided some of the most memorable drum beats and with his light and lovable personality, provided a check to the often overflowing ego's of the others.

However, there is no doubt that John and Paul drove the musical direction of the Beatles. As to which one held the most influence and talent, well it depends. From the formation of the group to Sgt. Pepper, John undoubtedly was the leader of the group, providing motivation back when they played small clubs in Hamburg, Germany, and writing a majority of their songs up to that point. During Sgt. Pepper, LSD took a huge affect on John. While he reached new levels of creativity, he began to lose confidence in himself (as he stated in interviews which can be seen in The Beatles Anthology DVDs). Paul, who took the lead in many of the production concepts of Sgt. Pepper, rose as the leader of the group from that point on (spearheading the ideas for the Magical Mystery Tour, composing their biggest late hits, such as "Let it Be" and "Hey Jude," and master mining the production behind Abbey Road with Beatles Producer, George Martin).

From a creative standpoint, John was better, always looking to push the boundaries with revolutionary sounds and ideas, while Paul was mainly a pop writer. From a technical and production standpoint, Paul was the better musician. However, it was the brilliance of both John and Paul that made the Beatles great. John and Paul had a lyrical partnership (hence the Lennon/McCartney credits to their songs) in which they co-wrote or at least edited each other’s pieces (read "A Hard Day's Write" by Steve Turner if you're a fanatic and want to learn the story behind all of their songs). John was definitely the "darker" of the two, while Paul was the optimist. If either John or Paul was not in the Beatles, the band would have never been as great as it was. Their intense competition to out due each other pushed them to reach their fullest potential and produce the highest quality music. The talents of John and Paul meshed together to make some of the greatest music of all-time.

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Permalink Reply by ClassicRocker on January 16, 2010 at 9:13pm

All four.

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