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Who really MADE the Beatles Amazing - John Lennon or Paul McCartney?
No one can deny the amazing talent of the Beatles as a great foursome. But who had more influence on their direction and talent? Many people often say without John Lennon the Beatles would have been no where near as big. But myself, along with others, think that the Beatles probably would have fallen apart without Paul McCartney. Who do you think was more important? And do you think the Beatles would have been as good without either of them? Love to hear your thoughts...
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Paul R on
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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All four.
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Permalink Reply by Reese Davies on
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I personally believe that Paul initiated the fame, but without John, the Beatles would've been just another pop group that died out in a few years. Paul had the face and personality to get them noticed, but John was the creative genius that kept them from getting old.
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I think the best way to put this out would be if you ask...Who was the Driving Force behind the Beatles music...if you follow them closely you know that in the later stages it was Paul...John had become very enamored with Yoko and drugs and became very disinterested in most of the songs unless they were his...just look at the albums...SGT Pepper...Paul's idea...Magical Mystery Tour...film and album...PAUL...Let It Be...Paul (even if it was just to apease him...he was still the driving force)...Abbey Road...PAUL...after Brian's death Paul became the leader of the band...btw...i started this discussion on Facebook an got close to 300 thoughful and insighful comments
Woody
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Permalink Reply by Tony Casey on
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I guess its up 3 of them left if they going to keep the band alive or not. Will for sure they are to old to perform either. I guess its time for them sit and relax in a couch watch there grand children grow old :)
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