Gary Flockhart and Bruce Findlay: Are the Beatles the best band ever?

Published on Wednesday 17 November 2010 12:05

The old debate was stoked up after the Fab Four's songs became available on iTunes this week, setting the stage for a new outbreak of Beatlemania. Former Simple Minds manager Bruce Findlay says there's no doubt the Beatles are the greatest, while Evening News music writer Gary Flockhart reckons they're a tad overrated

Bruce Findlay: For

I don't think there's any argument. The Beatles are definitely the best band ever because they made such a huge impact.

That's never happened since, and I don't think it could happen again.

When the Beatles burst on to the scene they seemed unique, fresh. They not only changed the music scene worldwide, they changed the way we thought. They were intelligent pop stars who had something to say. I think they were at the forefront of a whole new way of thinking. Without the Beatles, it's possible that a whole bunch of other bands who followed them might never have happened.

So yes, not only were they the biggest band in the world, but they were the best. Not only did they inspire other bands, they inspired people who were not musicians, such as myself. They were a voice of their generation. And they remain so.

Their music was sensational. You can tell not only because of their own record sales, but by the amount of Beatles songs that are being covered by other artists. They also had three of the best songwriters of the Sixties. George Harrison is often neglected because of the phenomenal success of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, but he wrote some fantastic songs. Having come up through the music business myself, I would say that every generation has its heroes. Take That right now, for example.

But with all due respect, they don't have an awful lot to say for themselves. The Beatles, on the other hand, were part of a revolution.

There were so many different things that coincided with the Beatles. Harold Wilson coming into power, the protest against the Vietnam war, etc. So people like the Beatles - and I would definitely put Bob Dylan into this bracket alongside them - became the spokespeople for a generation. No-one has done it in such a way since. People go on about Morrissey or Kurt Cobain, but they don't have that body of work that the Beatles have. Nor did they have the crossover appeal.

A lot of people will argue that the Beatles were the greatest of them all, and that's because of their huge commercial success. Put simply, the Beatles were the best because of the amount of bands inspired by them, and even people who won't admit that ought to. Their legacy still lives on, and they'll never be forgotten.

Gary Flockhart: Against

It's like Pele versus Maradona, Christ versus Buddha, Corrie versus EastEnders ... a matter of personal taste. If I was asked who is the most influential band of all time, there's no doubt it would be the Fab Four. But the best band ever? I beg to differ with my old pal Bruce Findlay. They were good but dozens of blues, soul, jazz, country and classical artists were doing great things long before and after them.

For the Beatles it was a case of right place at the right time. They were given saturation coverage by the media, marketed like no other band before them, and of course had genius George Martin to translate their ideas into reality. Yeah, they made a heap of great tunes but they weren't the only ones.

Let some nostalgia kick in, give it a decade or two, and I reckon Radiohead will be remembered not only as a band who matched the Beatles in terms of artistry, but also in terms of influence. I know this to be true because I speak to young, up-coming bands every day.

The Oxford quintet are incredibly experimental and not afraid to separate themselves from the stereotypical radio-friendly bands of today – they sail through genre and form effortlessly and passionately.

The band have become one of the most valuable global products in the music business, now able to fully operate without the backing of a record label. And deservedly so, for this is the most creative band of their era, one that evolves artistically from one album to the next.

Yes, the Beatles wrote excellent, timeless songs, too. Yes, they managed to evolve and experiment without losing mass pop appeal. But they were far from the perfect band many believe them to be.

What I disliked about them was the way in which they were – and still are – consumed and marketed; a counter-culture movement co-opted by capitalists and sold back to middle-class "rebels".

By the time eighth album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band came around, they were only in it for the money. Little wonder John Lennon said he was bored rather than tired at the end of it all. They'd become a gross caricature of themselves.

They may be the biggest, but the Beatles aren't necessarily the best.

If not John, Paul, George and Ringo then who?

ABBA: The Swedish group became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of popular music, topping the charts worldwide from 1972 to 1983.

The Rolling Stones: Forty years after they formed, the Stones are still giving their fans plenty satisfaction.

Led Zeppelin: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham combined to form the quintessential male rock band.

Pink Floyd: Psychedelic group whose classic 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon spent an incredible 15 years in the US charts.

The Spice Girls: The standard bearers of "girl power" have sold more than 80 million records and are the most successful female band of all time.