The fact that every new artist is still compared to the Beatles tells us that nobody is bigger than the Beatles.

@SenecaHighlander

Ай бұрын

It's mainly because they were the first to create that phenomena on that level.

@gloriahudson9408

Ай бұрын

That's exactly the point!

@a2ndopynyn

Ай бұрын

I do think Led Zep comes in a pretty damn close second, though. They rewrote the rules just like The Beatles did.

@scottiep74

Ай бұрын

Great point. It will continue. Same with Michael Jordan. Every new superstar is compared with MJ.

@Anik4Life

Ай бұрын

@@scottiep74 did you mean Jackson?

"Don't confuse the size of your paycheck with the size of your talent". Marlon Brando

@kevinvasquez7497

5 күн бұрын

The best analogy

@Jordan-Ramses

Сағат бұрын

What makes the Beatles better than Nirvana or Metallica or Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath or Eminem? I can't comment on Taylor Swift I only know her boyfriend. Seems like a nice girl I dunno why you boomers are all upset. You should be happy your Boomer boy band is being mentioned.

So in the 80s I saw Paul McCartney in Tampa stadium. 60,000 people were mesmerized by a small band with no smoke/fireworks, backup dancers, and flashy costumes. You haven’t lived until you sing Hey Jude with McCartney and 60,000 people on a warm summer evening. Taylor Swift is a smart woman who has captured her audience. I admire her showmanship skills, her relationship with her fans and her style. I just watched her Eras tour video. I see why she is so popular. She’s a personal event storyteller. But she’s not the Beatles no matter how many records she sells. I don’t even think she wants to be anybody but Taylor. Good for her. Different times produce different artists. Opinion writers seem to feel the need for comparisons that are pointless. Like comparing Van Gogh and Jackson Pollock. I feel the Beatles legacy is safe.

@ktleemusic

11 күн бұрын

Big agree. She’s great but her music isn’t changing the game she’s just the best at it.

@JuliaHilz

11 күн бұрын

Thank you for actually giving her the chance. As to the no backup dancers or flashy costumes, I don't think women popstars are so often given the luxury of doing low-key shows. They have to do the whole shabang. Taylor has done shows of this style before, but given the scale (and the hardship ppl went through to get these tickets) she wants to make sure people are seeing a full production show worthy of their money (not that low key shows aren't, but if you are Paul McCartney you can do that and people won't complain).

@michelestiles7692

10 күн бұрын

@@JuliaHilzI admire her tremendously. She’s an intelligent, talented performer. I’m thrilled she’s found success in an incredibly tough business. I see most music performers have the flashier shows. Gaga, Elton John etc. That’s what is expected. I’m almost 70 so my preference for less is more is partly my age. I have younger friends who just have the best time at today’s music shows. I think it’s great. We all set our expectations and feel the experience of music in a different way. Music is such a personal choice. What impacts one person deeply will bore another to tears. I’m glad there is something for everyone.

@clawmanmusic

9 күн бұрын

very well said

@shay.exe.

9 күн бұрын

THISSS AHHHH. times are different. music is going to change with the times. taylor happens to be one of the best of our time. however, the beatles are what you would consider the best of **all time**

2:03 "Anyone can have a No. 1 country song, including me!" And there went my coffee all over my pressed shirt! 😂

@thommysides4616

2 күн бұрын

I've written several hit country songs, and their all still in my dresser draw......

@davidmueller9342

Күн бұрын

​@@thommysides4616that sounds like a song. Attach things around it.

The fact that the Beatles did what they did without social media, streaming and all the instant platforms out there tells you how big they were.

@MikeM-uy6qp

29 күн бұрын

No, in terms of being noticed, and garnering mass appeal, the Beatles had it much easier. The tech revolution that led to social media, has also made it very easy to make and upload tunes. It's enabled fans to split into millions of discrete echo chambers corresponding to numerous subgenres that didn't exist in the Beatles day. Because there is practically no barrier to entry, there are exponentially more people vying for attention and fans,. There is nothing like the common culture and mass audience that finite tv channels and radio stations fostered. When the Beatles famously appeared on Ed Sullivan, almost the whole country was watching because there were only two other choices in that time slot, and you wouldn't get another chance to see it if you didn't watch it when it was broadcast. There was a time when I could have named almost every show on television, and every big music act people were listening to or going to see. Those days are way over. It's remarkable when anyone becomes an enduring icon with mass appeal in all this noise, whether you like them or not.

@aaronxoxo

29 күн бұрын

Man ❤❤❤❤

@CasinoConsti

29 күн бұрын

@@MikeM-uy6qpthing is: internet is biased, and only a few artists are boosted nowadays. You have to be rich by default to get popular today. Back then, you survived through bought records.

@Olivi132

29 күн бұрын

can u believe there was actually a world "without social media, streaming and all the instant platforms"????!!!?!?!?!?!

@MikeM-uy6qp

29 күн бұрын

@@CasinoConsti That's a good point, which helps me make mine. Because of. the content-saturated and culturally splintered environment, it's almost impossible to find a mass audience at all without hit-making songwriters, a superstar producer and an expensive, well-connected PR machine.

Can someone please explain why I have spent the last ten years hearing about Taylor Swift but I couldn't name one of her songs?

@katiafer13

26 күн бұрын

Idk where you're from so I can't tell if you have Taylor Swift on radio, tv, or malls, etc. So what I think is the reason that would apply is the internet, which has allowed groups to be formed out of people from different countries and continents. By that I mean that you can be a TS fan and the people you know that are also her fans are nowhere near you, and the same is true for them. So you don't consume her music the same way you would decades before. People mainly connect through social media with a lot more room for connection but also for (physical) isolation. An artist can have millions of fans but they may be scattered all over the world. And you can be a fan without ever buying a cd or going to a concert or talking to anyone about it. I think that's the reason that nothing seems as famous anymore and hits don't feel like true hits.

@ansibarius4633

26 күн бұрын

This exactly. I looked her up once because her name kept popping up in news outlets, but I found her music completely bland and forgettable, like the background noise in a supermarket. Couldn't name one song or remember a single melody of hers and I truly don't understand the hype.

@Max-hc9vu

26 күн бұрын

Its because you're mute

@James-nv1wf

26 күн бұрын

Me neither, nothing has caught my ear enough to investigate further.

@johnabbottphotography

25 күн бұрын

I'm just going to guess.... because you're an indie rock nerd, who prides themselves on not liking mainstream music?

6:13 oh i would say swifties do give credit to jack antonoff and max martin - it's really rare for producers to have the recognition they do, but partly through all the behind the scenes videos, most swifties know Jack

@user-ii5ql2bm9e

3 күн бұрын

Thank you. Lol

The Beatles broke up when I was 9 years old, well before my musical hey day, BUT, I can still name every song pretty much. I can't name one Taylor Swift song as an adult.

@pt6792

15 күн бұрын

Okay, Boomer

@FRAME5RS

15 күн бұрын

@@pt6792 Totally taking that as a compliment Gez Z Swifty

@felipealexandremcosta7352

15 күн бұрын

@@FRAME5RS 😂

@Ioanna.1313

15 күн бұрын

You can't name a Taylor Swift song cause you don't listen to their music. I can't name a Beatles song for the same reason. That doesn't say anything about the Beatles or their popularity

@cjmacq-vg8um

14 күн бұрын

i can name one swift song. its called "i rake in the big corporate bucks as i poison american culture." its also the same song EVERY rapper sings. i remember when the music media declared the bay city rollers were "bigger" than the beatles. then they declared the hack michael jackson "bigger" than the beatles. in the 90s it was britany spears and then justin beiber or kanye west. with the horrific state of the world as it is right now i wouldn't be surprised if swift was "bigger" than the beatles. if its true the only response is how sad it is and it demonstrates how corporations have corrupted the music industry. THE WORLD SUX!

Taylor Swift is "changing her content for the algorithm of pop music". Rick you've summed it up perfectly.

@AB-wy7dr

Ай бұрын

As is NYT

@charleyanne

Ай бұрын

💯💯💯💯💯💯

@TheMister123

Ай бұрын

One could make the same claim for what Rush did throughout the years. It's not entirely true, but they did change with the times.

@charleyanne

Ай бұрын

@@TheMister123 Duran Duran has too, as well as many other artists that are still putting out music. But I feel TS music more recently all sounds similar, or many songs anyway, whereas those from the 60s-early 90s all sound different, from song to song, album to album.

@Feirin332

Ай бұрын

Changing with the times is a different thing, it's organic. What she's doing is more akin to politicians picking their values based on what the polls show will get them the votes.

*"[Blank] artist/band is now bigger than the Beatles."* We've heard that over, and over, and over through the decades.

@Flixtex

Ай бұрын

When was the last time you heard an artist having billion $ selling tour? Never! Taylor tour just grossed 2 billion in 150 shows , 1 billion alone in US. Biggest artist in history with 300 shows+ couldn't do it. To all the people yapping, the tour income is always adjusted to inflation and after drawing comparision to demand vs no of shows , Taylor Swift still win against beatles and Michael Jackson. Taylor did 50 shows in usa on eras tour, her demand was 900 shows, as cited by live nation music experts she is on par with beatlemania. Now don't use ur tiny brains too hard.

@Sonny_McMacsson

Ай бұрын

We at least know the check cleared for the editorial.

@tonypapas9854

Ай бұрын

@@Flixtex Complete hyperbole. IF......if the Beatles toured like that now, at today's prices - no competition.

@noobslayer7564

Ай бұрын

@@Flixtex The money that exists currently in the industry is incomparable to the money that used to exist in the industry. You wouldn't say the original MLB players were bad because they used wooden bats and therefore couldn't hit as far. Give the Beatles a metal bat and see how much they gross lol

@rustinpieces

Ай бұрын

Yeah. How well did Oasis age?

As a kid in the 70s, I can still recall the media hailing one band or the other as "bigger than the Beatles" -- I think the Bay City Rollers was one! But the number of sales or streams is how the tone deaf define musical success; musicians don't. The Beatles, to this day, inspire new bands, like The Lemon Twigs. If TS does or will in the future, it would be challenge to hear it specifically, since it would be just as easy to claim it was influenced by Max Martin, et al. As you say, the Beatles really never wrote the same song twice. The opposite is true for TS.

@apexjoe4769

13 күн бұрын

I too remember in the '70's the Bay City Rollers were suppose to be bigger than the Beatles.🤣In the 1990's they also said the Spin Doctors were the next big thing like the Beatles.🤣🤣Taylor Swift?🤣🤣🤣Keep dreaming people.😴

@Alisonsgachaverse

2 күн бұрын

As someone who only knows 2 songs by bay City rollers and one of them's a dusty Springfield cover I am shocked

I mostly agree with you. But I’d be remiss if I failed to note that the Beatles had their own “super producer” in George Martin. Paul McCartney has called Martin the true “fifth Beatle”. His production was critical to the group’s sound.

@simonlaing7646

17 сағат бұрын

The great George Martin was their ASSISTANT the core/song originated with the Beatles not some hired man of the moment with their finger on the 'scene' TS is just taking the Madonna template and running with it. who's goal is to remain CURRENT at any cost including originality, Integrity and musicality the first big name to do this was Bowie.

The Beatles' later albums = Michelin-rated restaurants. Taylor Swift's later albums = McDonald's or Taco Bell. Sales does not equal quality.

@jacobferrera1777

Ай бұрын

😂

@SongSecretsMomNeverTaughtYou

Ай бұрын

@@jacobferrera1777 you must be delirious from all that corporate processed sugar and salt😂

@mikearchibald744

Ай бұрын

Dude, local mom and pop restaurants suck. Its food you can literally cook at home. I wouldn't know because I've never listened to Taylor Swift, but then I havent listened to the Beatles since I was 16 either. Love love me do, you know I love you. Seems like the Beatles set a lot of templates, not all so laudable. Rick is really starting to sound like the old guy in the park yelling at pigeons.

@rogerpbsmusic

Ай бұрын

Perfectly said

@SongSecretsMomNeverTaughtYou

Ай бұрын

@@mikearchibald744 I should have specified the Beatles' last 8 albums rather than their first. Cheers!

It's like comparing a Diet Coke to a Chardonnay based on their selling results.

@peterknecht6666

Ай бұрын

Nothing more to say 😂

@integral

Ай бұрын

Bingo

@AminTheMystic

Ай бұрын

Diet coke is way better a drink. All major soft drinks are better than alcoholic drinks. Idiotic comparison.

@kickenwing30

Ай бұрын

@@AminTheMystic missed the point, sheesh man.

@BR-mu5zd

Ай бұрын

@@kickenwing30 It's almost like its a preference thing... hmmm

I was 7 years old when the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. Thus I got to see their entire working history as it played out. The one thing I remember about that time was that numerous people - myself included - who had *never* bought a record of *any kind* - went out and bought Beatles records! I even knew a couple of friends who did not even *own* a record player who went out and BOUGHT a record player expressly so that they could listen to Beatles records! The Beatles single-handedly enlarged the entire music industry world-wide. The exact amount of the increase may certainly be debated, but there is no doubt that the Beatles brought forth millions of people who had never before been part of the "music buying public" before. They also spawned the "British Invasion", opening the door for bands like the Stones, the Who, Led Zeppelin, etc. Think about how many millions of records were sold by those bands, and the fact that some of those bands may never have made it "across the pond" had it not been for those four mop top lads from Liverpool!

@billjones4159

4 күн бұрын

I was 11 in 1963. I heard the Beatles and got a record player and eventually bought every single album they did. I do not have every single album of any other artist.

@thommysides4616

2 күн бұрын

Well said bro!

The Beatles had number 1s when you had to sell at least a million to get to number 1 . These days sell a handful of records / downloads and X amount of streams ... its pathetic anyone would even try to make the comparison

@theoldkidrocker

17 күн бұрын

yes that was a million physical hold in your hand one way or another units not this BS click and listen for 30 seconds and boom.....

@guerralg63

5 күн бұрын

You're right. Comparing the Swifter to the Beatles is an apples to oranges endeavor.

@peterzimmer9549

3 күн бұрын

Look at the artists of the day that the Beatles were up against on the charts.

As somebody who grew up in the UK with the Beatles music, yes I am that old, they were more than just their songs. They were at the forefront of a generational change, both musically and culturally. Their legacy goes far beyond than just their music.

@gilh3947

Ай бұрын

And the upper beatle (Macca) cited Hit Me Baby One more time, as one of the best pop songs in decades. I guess Britney was happy that day. What does that tell us?

@clairesmithe

Ай бұрын

taylors boyfriend did a commercial for 2 in 1. they are trying to make out these creeps are respectable people. there is excess mortality. 😡

@cianog

Ай бұрын

@@gilh3947 You know she didn't write that song.

@gilh3947

Ай бұрын

of course, but that does not matter actually. I would bet a lot that if he would never have said that, most ranters here would call that song rubbish. I hope you understand what i'm saying.@@cianog

@andygolborne5747

Ай бұрын

"As somebody who grew up in the UK with the Beatles music, yes I am that old, they were more than just their songs. " And there are the same equivalent youngsters today thinking exactly the same about Taylor Swift.

the Beatles had a ton of #1 when the competition was: the Stones, Hendrix, the Beach Boys, etc, etc.

@juliuscepeda9655

Ай бұрын

The Beatles also had to compete with Motown at its peak!!!

@FedericoDLP

Ай бұрын

True, the competition was overwhelming in those days.

@meandyouagainstthealgorith5787

Ай бұрын

The closest competition in number was Diana Ross and the Supremes.

@MD-qm6gy

Ай бұрын

Same with film. The fact Oppenheimer got the nod says more about the state of Hollywood than the quality of that film. I mean, it was OK mostly.

@tetedur377

Ай бұрын

Plus: no internet back in those days. It was all word-of-mouth, television and appearances, and DJs being paid to promote songs.

You’re always so professional and fair in your analysis, Rick. Very much appreciated! As a Swiftie, I’m unfortunately used to seeing quite mean commentary about her and it’s difficult not to take to heart. In your case, there’s nothing like that, and I thank you for it.

When Rick Beato says that the song writers for Swift are amazing, he just being nice.

@danielhkhk7283

Күн бұрын

Agree. Amazing songwriters making bad music.

@stepanova8

Күн бұрын

I don't think he was being nice. I think he got it wrong. At least in part. She works with the producers that she works with, because she enjoys the collaborative process. Rick made it sound like they send her the completed track and she just writes the lyrics over the top. That's not what happens. And there are plenty of videos out there that show how she works. And there are plenty of songs that she writes completely on her own. I do, however agree with his point that she is not as big as the Beatles. I'm not sure anyone ever will be.

Another important factor to take into account is that the world's population has more than doubled since the 60-70s and when you couple that with the changes in how people listen to music and how accessible it is nowadays, you start to realize that it's impossible to make a proper comparison

@sm0k1nggnu_

Ай бұрын

Music has also become more accessible. I somehow doubt that people in some remote village in China (or other countries) in the 60s would've bought Beatles LPs but they probably have Spotify now. And TikTok. Listening to music back then also had a social aspect, you met with friends who owned the latest LP and listened together. The calculations for Charts are completely different nowadays when every stream counts.

@johncahill3644

Ай бұрын

For what it’s worth I was 10 years old in 1963 and I can tell you without question that the Beatles were massively more powerful in terms of the attention and influence of the moment. And of course then there’s the influence on music itself over the rest of the decade and thereafter which was again a quantum leap and pervasive. Taylor Swift seems to have a huge following and is very influential (I can’t say her music speaks to me but that doesn’t matter), but wow...not the Beatles, not even close. That was sociological phenomenon of epic proportions.

@oldgoat6423

Ай бұрын

Not only has the population doubled, the music is now accessible in markets it wasn't in the 60s. The Beatles may have been the biggest band in the world, but the "world" at the time amounted to North and South America, Europe, Japan and Australia. But no Russia, China, India, Africa, Eastern Europe or any of Asia but Japan, which meant the Beatles were never actually heard by most people living during their heyday. Strange, but true.

@peterhayes3897

Ай бұрын

Couldn't have said it any better!

@sagetmaster4

Ай бұрын

Hilarious.

60 years later, young Russian kids know Beatles and can sing them in English, Japanese symphonies are still playing their melodies, Brazilian string quartets are playing their music. They wrote in the genres of Pop, Baroque, rock and roll, Rock-a-billy, Folk, Country & Western, Heavy metal, Chamber music, Ragtime, Vaudeville, Music hall, Tin Pan Slley, Twelve bar blues, Ballad, Piano roll, Showtunes, Eastern Indian, Psychedelic, Circus music & Children’s music... Wrote in dance styles - waltz, cha-cha, polka, jitterbug, two step The group is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Each member is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame individually Three members are in the Songwriters Hall of Fame They were such prolific song writers that they wrote 26 songs for other groups, Including the Rolling Stones’ first hit and 4 # 1 songs for those groups. Their song ,“Yesterday”, has been covered by more artists (an estimated 2500) than any song in history. AND WE'RE HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS????!!!!

@leonardoiglesias2394

23 күн бұрын

The big big mistake is to call them a rock and roll band. If Bill Haley was rock and roll we need another word for the Beatles.

@leonardoiglesias2394

23 күн бұрын

Dont call yesterday THEIR song. Its HIS song, only. Beatles gave him flowers the first time he sang the song in a concert, and left the stage leaving him alone. Paul McCartney. The best british composer after Henry Purcell.

@tonixjesse9087

23 күн бұрын

You know, ignorant people are often ignorant fo a reason ,this Is the case 🤷

@user-gg8zd8my6o

22 күн бұрын

OH YEAH?! Well.... Taylor Swift revolutionized the genre of break up music!!! She's written literally 50 songs about how much better off she is now that every one of her boyfriends have left her!!! Did The Beatles ever do that?! Noooooo. 😂😂😂

@user-gg8zd8my6o

22 күн бұрын

The thing is... Even McCartney doesn't give a sh!t. He knows this is all just some marketing persons opinion. They will literally go into a town, and survey 100 people. 90% of those people will be Taylor Swift fans, so OF COURSE "they" are going to report that "90% of people think that Taylor Swift Is bigger than The Beatles."

Let’s have this conversation in 50 years time

@jasonchambers4495

5 күн бұрын

Its gonna be the same.

@user-pn6nk3ct2l

4 күн бұрын

No-one will remember her in 50 years because her PR machine will run out of money

@georgeisaac9european387

2 күн бұрын

The Beatles have already passed the test.

@simonlaing7646

17 сағат бұрын

@@jasonchambers4495 except no one will know TS

@jasonchambers4495

17 сағат бұрын

@simonlaing7646 Yes they will.

Rick you are more than 100% on point. The nerve of the un-informed NYT!

@filinator33

8 күн бұрын

the nerve!

I’m from the Netherlands, The Beatles are inside our high school history curriculum. They are a mandatory thing we need to know about for our history exams, that is the extent of the cultural impact they’ve had. Who cares if Taylor Swift has more streams, her name will turn to dust in 100 years or so. The Beatles, like many of composers of old, such as Beethoven or Mahler, are here to stay. Immortalized in the history books.

@MrEliwankenobi

Ай бұрын

I love this comment

@rahihudson2630

Ай бұрын

@@MrEliwankenobi 100 years or so? You're being generous, I think. I hear David Cassidy was huge in the early 70's. But if humans are still spinning around with this planet in 500 years, the Beatles may be even bigger than they are now. Van Gogh's been gone for nearly 150 years, and he failed to sell even one painting while alive.

@a2ndopynyn

Ай бұрын

I agree. I think both The Beatles and also Led Zeppelin will still be regularly listened to in 100 years. I'm not sure if much else will be, although I think it's possible that almost everything from the Big Band/Sinatra days, up until the early 90s or so, will live on in some fashion for a long, long time.

@sidilicious11

Ай бұрын

Well said! And I’m so glad they are teaching their music in schools.

@markemerson8399

Ай бұрын

Being an Australian from that time I have to say that I preferred and still do prefer Radar Love by Golden Earing to the Beatles. In fact, I think I'll listen to it now!

I read the NYT article and their number-crunching nonsense. They should have dialed up Rick and asked for a comment. This video is the best response to it I've seen.

@cameranmanner4701

17 күн бұрын

First of all NYT readers are not going to deep dive into music knowledge and try and differentiate the two. They will just read the superficial stats the NYT prints out and run with it. To know surprise most newspaper readers are seniors, but having this article online would generate more eyes from Taylor Swift fans reading it, not a bad scheme.

@MikeFugily-hj3ok

14 күн бұрын

Agree, like their lying polling numbers, they are fudging the numbers and cooking the books. Kissing ass/catering is what's happening here. I don't believe a word that say. Irrelevant publication.

Taylor Swift would’ve never been able to get a song played on AM radio in the 60’s or 70’s !

I struggle to imagine, in 50 years time, people will be asking if 'xyz band/artist' is bigger than Taylor Swift. They come; they go; they're forgotten. I recall 'The Bay City Rollers' having similar comparisons made between them and The Beatles.

@jaimeosbourn3616

8 күн бұрын

I still listen to them and the Beatles.

@AnthonyKellett

8 күн бұрын

@@jaimeosbourn3616 - I'm unsurprised; but were you born 30 years after the Bay City Rollers split? The Beatles are in a different league, in my opinion.

@jaimeosbourn3616

8 күн бұрын

@@AnthonyKellett Didn't say they weren't. And no I remember when the BCR had their own tv show.

@AnthonyKellett

7 күн бұрын

@@jaimeosbourn3616 🤣 So do I 😂 Happy days! 😊

@jaimeosbourn3616

7 күн бұрын

@@AnthonyKellett seems like we both have similar memories.

Even in my country in Kazakhstan, Almaty we have a statue of the Beatles

@jeanmarieboucherit7376

Ай бұрын

Waouh! I love it!

@Jack.Strait

Ай бұрын

i found a beatle in my apatrment today

@TrackMasterAsh

Ай бұрын

Very nice!

@TWICE_Queenz33

29 күн бұрын

🤣

@iancurrie8844

28 күн бұрын

I've seen this monument. It's...horrific but a nice thought.

I don't understand the comparisons. The Beatles are part of the palette we use to paint, it's beyond chart positions and sales.

@melodies_are_alive

Ай бұрын

Beautifully expressed! 🤟

@SIRENTAROT

Ай бұрын

Precisely.

@redsvt98

Ай бұрын

Brilliant 🎉

@jkmsaturn

Ай бұрын

. . . Taylor Swift is the bubble gum that a child ruins our canvas with 😂

@alanjackson1568

Ай бұрын

By which argument, The Beatles, could be some ugly colors, compared to Symphony/Jazz/Metal/Opera/Musicals. I don't like Taylor Swift's music, or The Beatles music, nor do I think The Beatles really innovated, unless you throw in the caveat, innovated in the pop music sphere. All the elitist arguments, used to prop up The Beatles, can be used against the Beatles, by fans of other genre's of music, which is a wonderful irony to me. But I am not a commie, so I do think things from the past can be good, I don't need a "ruthless criticism of all that exists" like Marx, or to call old culture, and old idea's "death loving" like Paulo Freire. But The Beatles were commies, so when I see people typing "ok boomer" when The Beatles are defended, that's hilarious.

This is so true, spot on Rick. Sadly, too many casual listeners and fans of music nowadays fail to appreciate and understand all the work behind the scenes. Great video.

Content creator is probably the best thing ever said about Taylor - it's not hate - just a fact.

My ultimate belief is , in the next 100 years the Beatles will still be taught in music classes in schools and musicians will still be trying to learn those songs.

@mirrorblue100

Ай бұрын

The Beatles got up on stage and played alone - their songs. Swift has to rely on a supporting cast of dancers, lights and effects. She's the modern equivalent to The Monkees - a packaged commodity - tailor made to appeal through gimmickry and a little music.

@dougbhorne

Ай бұрын

Correct. And nobody will have heard of Taylor Swift.

@phoenixrising4995

Ай бұрын

Yet Mozart and Bach will outlive them all Muwahahaha

@LarryDeskPlant

Ай бұрын

The Beatles are already taught in school music classes mate.

@willinguyen1

29 күн бұрын

Swift can do the same. Acoustic solo shows of her will sellout across the globe. The fact that she puts so much extra into her show is a testament to her hard work and love of exceeding everyone's expectations. ​@@mirrorblue100

And remember, Rick, the Beatles would have had MORE number 1 songs in '64, but songs like Please, Please Me and Twist and Shout were blocked from hitting number 1 by...other Beatles songs!

@Nickel1147

18 күн бұрын

No1 songs had to sell a lot more records than now.

@JSantiago806

17 күн бұрын

What happened to the Beatles in the US charts in 1964 was like a dam breaking. Much of what they had already done in England the year before came pouring out suddenly in a single stream, along with what they were adding that year. It was something never seen before in music history and has never been repeated again.

@manuelcunharocha8889

2 күн бұрын

I understand what you're saying, but if we're going down that route, Taylor has occupied the whole billboard hot 100 top 10, twice. So she could've had 18 more number 1s

@Nickel1147

2 күн бұрын

@@manuelcunharocha8889 By selling much fewer records.

@Nickel1147

2 күн бұрын

@@manuelcunharocha8889 Beatles 600 million Swift 180-200 million. Beatles are far ahead.

This powerful video should reach every corner of the artistic spectrum. Thank you so much Rick!

Thank you for putting this into perspective. A lot of people will just look at the official # of hits and think that there is a comparison. Here's a rhetorical question: If Taylor Swift starred in a movie, would it be as watched, admired and studied 60 years in the future as "A Hard Day's Night" is today? Will her albums still be listened to and admired in 60 years as most of the Beatles' albums are today?

The true test of time is how many of her songs get picked up and played by other artists and orchestras in the future.

@EF-fc4du

Ай бұрын

Thing is, no songs get covered anymore. I can't think of a song over the past 20 years that has had a major cover.

@barbaramonaco105

Ай бұрын

@@EF-fc4du True. Songs get sampled but not covered.

@mikedebruyn

Ай бұрын

@@EF-fc4du Isn't that because you can just listen to the original now that everything is digital? Back in the 60's singles were not in print anymore a year after their initial release.

@JuliusHowe

Ай бұрын

Ryan Adam’s covered her album 1989 - it’s excellent

@xBlitzerx

Ай бұрын

@@barbaramonaco105 Weezer did Toto - Africa and Disturbed did The Sound of Silence.

To this day, I could not name one of Taylor's songs.

@Rick.Grayson

Ай бұрын

So fix that

@Boondokker

Ай бұрын

I was gonna say that 🤠🤠 But I can name 2 dozens of beatles songs

@rbolwell

Ай бұрын

I bet you could name one now you've watched this.

@jesscasalla224

Ай бұрын

what song?

@pa4tim

Ай бұрын

Me too, I know all Beatle songs, I never heard Swift. (I never listen to the radio, only YT, Spotify and LP/CD's)

Ok the early hits are down to the 4 of them. Mainly John and Paul. But to be fair the producer (George Martin) and engineer (Geoff Emerick) were incredibly important to the Beatles too just like Taylor Swift - particularly post 1965. Without GM no string arrangements (Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby, For No-One). Without GE no weirdness (Tomorrow Never Knows, Walrus etc). They couldn't have done it without them and they were lucky to have them.

I heard the same thing about some boy group that had a headline saying they were greater than the Beatles. Never heard from them since. I’ll be enjoying the Beatles long after they are all done

@VMBFV

3 күн бұрын

That would be One Direction

You are not an idiot. I remember the Beatles back then. The hype. How they changed the music and culture of a generation. I remember what music was like before them. You are spot on.

@metalfatigue

Ай бұрын

I believe eveyone knows this but if they removed the KZread videos that cover stuff that's obvious, what would be left?

@carlatate7678

Ай бұрын

Stopped video at 3.19 because you started playing a Taylor Swift song and my personal claim to fame is that I've never heard a Taylor Swift song.

@pickles224

Ай бұрын

@@carlatate7678the fact that you consider never hearing a Taylor Swift song to be a “personal claim to fame” is exactly why we’re talking about this.

@carlatate7678

29 күн бұрын

@@pickles224 shrug

@LazyLizzy706

25 күн бұрын

@@pickles224Taylor swift is loved by so many people yet many of us have never heard of a single song of hers. Meanwhile everyone knows Beatles songs 😂

Rick pulling out his No 1 Country song plaque had me rolling 😂😂😂

@guywiesel2380

Ай бұрын

You could say you got rick rolled

@franklincheney3653

Ай бұрын

@@guywiesel2380 And he's just hitting his stride, there could be many more! More Billionaire songs, less Taylor vs da whole wide woild ;-)

@MeYou-yz2yz

Ай бұрын

Got to check Rick's hit out now. 😂

@danieldaniels7571

Ай бұрын

@@MeYou-yz2yzyeah, somehow I completely missed it

@WFO_SonicSpeed

Ай бұрын

@@MeYou-yz2yz honestly not missing much lol, it's just your standard 2010s country hit. Cool that he's a part of it though

i would like to add a bit to what rick said. taylor swift constantly changes her style to fit in as pop music changes. the beatles changed pop music to fit their style.

Very nice, breakdown. Swifties don’t like me trying to explain this on Twitter so now I can just send your video lol

The mere comparison is ABSURD.

@SKarboy_4

14 күн бұрын

Exactly

@ScottPetro-tc3jn

14 күн бұрын

I agree. There will never be another band like the Beatles and people just need to get over it.

@jumpercable20

14 күн бұрын

The fact it comes from the New York Times tells you all you need to know.

@tidalcliff2202

14 күн бұрын

@@ScottPetro-tc3jn It's not about being like the beatles or a quality comparison. Taylor moves entire economies when she tours, she absolutely is as big or bigger than the beatles. There are more people alive today, there are more people into music today, there is more widespread exposure for big artists today, it's really not a stretch to say this guys.

@richlisola1

14 күн бұрын

What I learned is that Taylor Swift barely writes her own songs and her songs still suck. Every contributor mentioned writes better songs for themselves-They’re pitching her their C game.

Rick pulls out a framed certification for a number one song -- "It's not hard to get". I think I hear the cries of thousands of songwriters.

@Jombafomb

Ай бұрын

I know he was being humble but that Parmalee song is one of the better country songs of the past 15 years.

@roscoemuttley

Ай бұрын

I got a buddy who used to be a rock band leader - he was one of many that didn't make it- He has sold 10 country songs

@smittymcjob2582

Ай бұрын

That's exactly what I was thinking... you know you're dealing with a different breed when the man pulls out a number one record from some nondescript corner of the room and says they're not hard to get!!! hehehe.....

@BreetaiZentradi

Ай бұрын

He is talking in context of being a big fish in a small pond. He has a number one country song, but not a number one pop song. You can get a number one is rock, country, comedy, or some smaller genre much easier than having the number one song in the US on the pop charts. Every Beatles hit was a number one on the pop charts. A third of Taylor's hits do not even qualify by that measure. That reduces the number of number one hits she has.

@Tigermaster1986

Ай бұрын

@@BreetaiZentradi Rock isn't a small genre, though, and neither is country - especially in the US. Plus, Beato isn't the performer of that song. *No one* bought it because of him. Even most fans of the band didn't know he worked on this song. Imagine Jack Antonoff claiming that he has number one songs. Would you believe him? Because he doesn't. Taylor Swift does, even though he is the one with the actual technical skills there.

Coming to number one today is like coming to "last" in 1965. You can't compare a small cat with a tiger.

Nailed it. My only problem is you didn't continue. This should have been a 40 minute video. As you can see from all the comments this comparison is lopsided in so many ways.

The real problem here is the NYT thinking this is a legitimate comparison!

@florisbackx1744

Ай бұрын

Really? I think they just know how to get your attention,clicks and 'engagement'. This video is a great example that they succeeded in that.

@askannav2094

Ай бұрын

Exactly !!! They need to also sell ' content"

@larryhinze8658

Ай бұрын

And NYT is not legit to start with...

@Puzzlesocks

Ай бұрын

The real problem here is thinking the NYT is legitimate and not just a propaganda/entertainment outlet.

@michaelheller8841

Ай бұрын

NYT is toilet paper.

Once I went to a band's concert, They had made video that went viral getting 3M views but the venue was empty. That's when I realized you tube numbers could give a fake perception of what success really means.

@Natalia_Belenkaya

29 күн бұрын

Exactly, I sing in a video that went viral years ago and gained its 1.2M views with the original uploader (it's in Russian and mostly was popular for obscene lyrics sung in a semi-operatic voice). My cultural influence amounts to about zero, no matter what the numbers say ) And yes, we all bow down to Beatles despite the views on KZread.

@jleighwolfe

28 күн бұрын

Not sure how that's relevant to taylor swift who sells out massive stadiums nightly.

@lanainmydreams

27 күн бұрын

You will find thousands outside the stadiums Taylor sells within minutes, because they just want to be there.

@spike8244

27 күн бұрын

What you're saying is true... But not for Taylor Swift at all. She is on a billion dollar grossing most successful tour of all time. The demand for her tickets is insane. People are ready to buy her ticket for even 20,000 USD on resale.

@kshafer6220

27 күн бұрын

@@Natalia_Belenkaya Especially knowing that YT strips views away from channels that don't buy in to their advertising packages.

You are 100% correct. Almost everything in Pop and Rock since the Beatles has been influenced by the Beatles. About 7 years together created about 300 songs, close to 30 #1 hits, 13 #1 albums, about 100 songs in the top 100 and at some point something like 4 songs in the top five at one time. It was an interesting and factual comparison of possibly the greatest band ever and a huge popstar. The Beatles stopped in 1970 and are still on magazine cover and getting airplay.

It's a thing to get 15-20 number one songs like The Beatles or Taylor Swift...But It's another thing to have all those epic and cult songs that never been number one but just came stone cold Classic like A Day In the Life, I Am The Walrus, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, Across The Universe, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Happiness Is A Warm Gun, Blackbird, Here Comes The Sun, Abbey Road's Side B Medley...etc. etc. etc. Anybody who have a minimum of musical knowledge knows that nobody can't beat The Beatles. Ever.

I remember a video from Ozzy stating that: "Everything used to be black and white, with shades of grey, they brought color to the world" or something like that. You just can't compare.

@der_jannik_0115

25 күн бұрын

Read that in his voice and it was hilarious

@peterstafford4426

22 күн бұрын

I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan and never got why they were so big.

@tonihernandez6862

22 күн бұрын

great quote from ozzy. also, the touring schedule the beatles maintained from 63 thru 66, an album a year, a couple of singles, a couple of movies, tv appearances. the beatles didnt put out sgt pepper and wait for another two or three years later to put out another album. they were consistent, and continued to improve.

Nailed it, Rick. And you’ve been extremely kind in your analysis. The Beatles and Taylor Swift are “completely different universes.”

@robloxvids2233

Ай бұрын

I think he meant different galaxies. There is only a single universe. That's why it starts with "Uni"

@johnkesich8696

Ай бұрын

I can’t help but wonder how the Swifties would react if she quipped that she’s “bigger than Jesus Christ.”

@phadrus

Ай бұрын

They are both manufactured and heavily marketed. So not all that different.

@chloewu2760

Ай бұрын

Maybe but some Beatles members themselves like Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have praised Taylor

@listy77

Ай бұрын

​@@johnkesich8696 exactly what I was thinking! Would they start burning records or bibles.

Extremely good episode. Fantastic points. Fantastic reasoning. Thank you!!

I'm from the era of the Beatles and I was astounded by their talent and music. Taylor Swift is as Rick describes her, a content creator. As also said by Rick, she does a great job and obviously, she has a legion of fans. But, there is no contest on the question. The Beatles are one of the greatest of all time. Don't forget, they made this music in only a few years working essentially by themselves. Music is always evolving but giants aren't diminished over time.

When I think of the variety of melodies from the Beatles, I'm just blown away, 60 years after I first sat up, listening to the radio and saying to my 12 year old self, "What the hell was THAT? - "I wanna hold your hand" There was NOTHING like it. Meet the Beatles was the first LP I ever owned - an Easter present from my parents. And then it didn't stop for years, all through highschool. The world changed, and they changed with it, along with me. I'm eternally greatful to the universe that i have been in it at the same time as the Beatles.

@user-uz7lu7ju1x

Ай бұрын

From what I can tell from your comment, you're much older than I am. Though I was not able to appreciate the Beatles in their heyday as I assume you did, they're my favorite band and one of the best things about them is that they are still insanely relevant even now. I have never bought an LP, and yet I still discovered and enjoy their sound. I'm eternally grateful to live in a universe shaped and evolved by the Beatles.

@pennyparkin

Ай бұрын

Same here my friend! Blessed beyond belief to have been there for all of it!

@darlenegriffith6186

Ай бұрын

@redheadguy - Well said! The Beatles have accompanied me through all the various seasons of my life. There will never be anyone that can compare to them.

@a2ndopynyn

Ай бұрын

By my calculation, you're 72. I'm 56. I like The Beatles a lot, and totally respect their place in music history, but for me age 12 was the discovery of Led Zeppelin, and I continue to believe that they belong right up there with The Beatles in terms of influence and quality of output. And no, I don't want to get into the plagiarism thing, for two reasons. First, their versions were orders of magnitude better, and second, back in their day, everybody sort of borrowed from everybody else. I had a classical music teacher tell me that a huge number of ELP tunes were based on obscure classical music, as in note for note motifs and small passages, stuff nobody but a Keith Emerson type would ever have heard before. (He also said YES did *not* do that; Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe and Chris Squire really were that good.)

@cheezer57

Ай бұрын

Almost the exact experience!

Nailed it. Look at impact not just to music as a whole, but to MUSICIANS. The Beatles are historic.

@leosan2173

Ай бұрын

To be fair, they will both be historic.

@matthewhenderson5070

Ай бұрын

Yes but The Beatles are the benchmark and TS is a footnote.

@stealthbastard8837

Ай бұрын

@@leosan2173 we'll see about that, and if it does, it'd for different reasons, talent is certainly not the reason for Taylor.

@ericwinter4513

Ай бұрын

@@leosan2173do you think T Swift will be inspiring people to write songs 60 years from now? I highly highly doubt it. And yet the Beatles are still inspiring new generations 60 years after they played the Ed Sullivan show.

@boomer3150

Ай бұрын

@@stealthbastard8837 Exactly; she is bereft of any.

I was unaware who the Beatles were until mid-1970s. I was ridiculed for preferring them over Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, Heart, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and others that my generation flocked to - unaware that they all named the Beatles as a spark that ignited their own careers. They were all good, and even great, but The Beatles were like a drug I couldn’t get enough of. I put their records away during college, intent on being part of my own generation. But later, a band called The Smithereens came along, and I unearthed my Beatles albums, bought the full collection of CDs - including the newer released BBC recordings, raised my kids on them, and continue to obsess. I have tried hard - REALLY hard - but in vain to like Taylor Swift songs. They do absolutely nothing for me. My 20-something daughter feels the same.

I remember in the 1980s, someone said that U2 might become bigger than the Beatles. I suppose this was said about Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles and I don't know who else. In 40 years, whatever the hottest band will be compared to the Beatles, not Taylor Swift.

@jondoe8889

2 күн бұрын

I like Taylor, but am too old for her music. And she will be compared in 40 years - but it will be to whoever the next Madonna, Celine Deon, or Britney might be.

Taylor Swift is a content creator. The Beatles are musicians. - the nail couldn't have been hit squarer in the head than that.

@evileep

Ай бұрын

I would say Taylor playing guitar and piano and singing makes her a musician. And when I think about it The Beatles and Taylor are content creators too.

@adriekeur7429

Ай бұрын

Yep, nailed it. Granted, she can strum a guitar a bit and she sings and I'm sure you comes up with a melody line now and again . . . but to compare these automatons the Taylor's of the music INDUSTRY) to the real deal is so incredibly stupid. Just shows how big-money-'music' lobotomized the vast majority of the sheople to believe they're listening to actual music. Crying shame if you ask me. Don't get me wrong, I've nothing against the person Taylor Swift . . . but it is indeed content; not art.

@adamp108

Ай бұрын

@@adriekeur7429 "comes up with a melody line now and again" - this is complete ignorance of her talent, ability and process. completely dismissive based on ignorance. of course it is art. even if you label it as "content" - content can be art. god damn, no wonder boomers have such a bad rap with these ignorant opinions. people who talk about art like this usually have no clue about art or the process.

@adriekeur7429

Ай бұрын

@@adamp108 Bit of a fan aren't you? Musically/quality wise The Beatles are Rembrandt and Taylor Swift is a MacDonald placemat. Within the current placemat-universe she's probably the best and brightest. Granted. But mainstream radio-music devolved since the 90's. As a professional musician - you said something about 'no clue of art or process', funny - I'm sure I know what I'm talking about. Do you? It's fine you like Taylor Swift, please enjoy, but don't make it more than it is; musac for the current generation, made by slick producers and boring as fuck. That's okay, there's plenty of real art out there which is boring as fuck as well . . . but it's art at least. Swift is not.

@error9900

Ай бұрын

Lol. How do you define "musician"?

The Beatles are the most influential pop music act of all time. To this day we’re still using them as a reference.

@katgod

Ай бұрын

Good point, the Beatles are one of the gold standards in music, maybe TS will be also one day but to this old man it won't happen.

@duroxkilo

Ай бұрын

yeah but they didn't do it thru their music, it literally was 'a vibe'. they were at the forefront of a cultural shift and had the talent to back up their "attitude". i understand ppl love their music but let's chill a bit... Love, love me do You know I love you I'll always be true So please, love me do Whoa-oh, love me do i mean come on :))

@thesoulbearer

Ай бұрын

@@duroxkilo And why don't you provide an example of their later albums? Those bass riffs Paul played for the White Album in songs like Dear Prudence or Glass Onion? Or the melodic tune in Something and the use of more refined chords and progressions by a George Harrison who was flourishing as a songwriter? Because it destroys your narrative, I bet.

@jamesvanderbilt201

Ай бұрын

and taylor is the most googled and most awarded person in history…what’s your point?

@heimonen5174

Ай бұрын

@@duroxkilo "living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.." 😆

I cant name a single taylor swift song and im FKKIN PROUD OF IT

@k.avilla8061

4 күн бұрын

He gave you a couple of titles of her songs in this video - did you actually watch the video ?

@RM-yf2lu

4 күн бұрын

@@k.avilla8061 sorry, nothing was familiar to me or worth using my memory

The comparison to some may be absurd but it forced you to give an excellent explanation. Great work on your part. I am always awed by your deep knowledge of music.

Let's keep in mind Taylor Swift isn't suggesting this, it's some writer for the NYT trying to sell newspapers

@04beni04

Ай бұрын

Thank you!

@firstlast1932

Ай бұрын

​@@markpell8979 She has recently tied/beaten some chart records held by the Beatles, which probably launched some comparison, but those have been there for some time - IIRC Billy Joel said she is the Beatles of her generation ... which may be correct, because who else is there?

@oldtabrough1026

Ай бұрын

Yeah....I totally agree with u

@kevinworley7096

Ай бұрын

⁠​⁠​⁠@@firstlast1932 There are better than her, but she just sells. The Beatles were/are musicians and masters of a craft, but she is an entertainer only and that’s okay, just wouldn’t call her anything other than that.

@rebamonica447

Ай бұрын

Yeah but her fans aren't that humble anyway.. they keep comparing her to Michael Jackson and other legends solely because she manages to generate as much sales as them

Bro those bed tracks sound like the previews of the default ringtones in your phone settings

@sneetchw

Ай бұрын

most good production is pretty simple and leaves plenty of room for the vocals

@kurtisjohnson9530

Ай бұрын

@@sneetchwAnd The Beatles production didn’t leave room for the vocals?

@Christian___

Ай бұрын

@@sneetchw lol

@sneetchw

Ай бұрын

@@kurtisjohnson9530 i didnt say that. i love the beatles and taylor. i think theyre both great

@DustyDingoPhotos

Ай бұрын

@@sneetchw . . . and auto-tune . . .

I'm a die hard swiftie and this video made me understand the comparison so much better

This happens all the time, when Thriller came out it was the same hype. ( I loved Thriller btw and had it 3 days after release, loved it until radio overplay killed it for me ) I pointed out to my friends who were buying the hype that Off the Wall came out in 79, Triller was 82. I then had them consider the Beatles output from 64 to 68. More than half the Beatles (recorded) career passed by in the same time gap BETWEEN MJ albums! Also understood that Michael had over 100 tunes by professional writers to compile the LP from. The Beatles released pretty much everything they wrote. There is just no comparison. As the comment directly below says, there is a reason that every subsequent success it held up against the Beatles. They set the modern standard - much as , say, Charlie Parker set the standard for sax. Saxophone was 'before Bird' and 'after Bird'. Tremendous artists followed but Parker was the faultline. Same for Beatles. Keep shooting, guys. Great channel Rick!

Your explanation of "I Am The Walrus" gave me goose bumps. I never realized that opening chord was B. What a strange progression, no wonder it blew me away when I was a kid in 1967.

@jtull6558

28 күн бұрын

One of my two favorite Beatles songs.

@chrisanderson8094

27 күн бұрын

better yet, listen to Dennis Elsas "Song Evolution" on the Beatles channel/Sirius

As a music teacher, I love everything you say in this video and your insight as far as the history of music and the production of music is spot on, but I worry that it doesn't matter to this generation that is so driven by Tik Tok and other social media. They don't seem to care about any of the history and seem to fail to recognize the limitations of past technology and how bands like the Beatles over came those things and still accomplished what they did. I have a real concern for the future of music because of a lack of understanding of how music has developed, to them "Streaming" has always been a thing, and they don't realize how epic a band like the Beatles was and they did it with out all that Tech. Keep up the good work, I love your content.

@orlandoguitarist

Ай бұрын

"They don't seem to care about any of the history and seem to fail to recognize the limitations of past technology and how bands like the Beatles over came those things and still accomplished what they did." I understand and agree with some of what you are saying, but is it possible they accomplished what they did because the limited technology didn't distract them from being together in the real world to create great music? Do you think Paul, John and George would have composed the songs they did if their faces were buried in their phones watching Tik Tok videos? Would George Martin have produced Sgt. Pepper's if he had Pro Tools and a limitless number of tracks, plug-ins, VST's, etc.? In the book, The Beatles Recording Sessions, I found it amusing to learn how many of the sounds were created. For example, in For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite: "After a great deal of unsuccessful experimentation, Martin instructed recording engineer Geoff Emerick to chop the tape into pieces with scissors, throw them up in the air, and re-assemble them at random."

@user-er8xh1gc7m

Ай бұрын

this is not true, i recently took a history of jazz to rock class at my university and a vast array of kids who are tiktok influenced people engaged with the music so well along with the history of it all. it was really cool to see.

@burningjoe

Ай бұрын

taking what you have said here to Ricks point, because of the Tick Tock, quick in out of all that, no one will care much for Taylor in 60 years but here we are 60 years on still in love with the Beatles.

@mikedebruyn

Ай бұрын

If you are really a music teacher then i advice you to take a look at "Taylor Swift NOW Listening Session with Taylor Grammy Museum" here on YT. In it she shows how her songs changed from the initial voicemail idea and she describes the rest of the proces and then she performs them without all the production. It am sure it will be informative because you seem to have some pretty strong pre conceived notions about her.

@jonaszepog1829

Ай бұрын

@@mikedebruyn Just wondering, where did you get your degree in music? Since you seem to know a lot about music, and are advising a music teacher here, I could use some advice on which university to send my talented son to. Looking at Julliard, Manhattan School of Music etc.; perhaps you have insight into these or other college's 4-year bachelor of music programs? He will likely go on to a masters and doctorate after that, if you have insight into those advanced degree programs, but first things first!

I've been a Beatles fan ever since seeing them on the Ed Sullivan Show. I'm not sure why so many get offended by the comparison. When anybody reaches that level of popularity and success obviously comparisons are going to be made. What the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Madonna, and yes Swift all have in common is great songwriting. Particularly in their lyrics. What truly sets the Beatles apart was their willingness to experiment musically. They literally changed music, even in the way it's recorded and you could argue they created genres in the process. But when it comes to popularity Swift is definitely in the same stratosphere as those others. After taking a dive into her catalogue this year to see what the fuss was about I was surprised I actually liked many of her songs. It's her lyrics. Musically not all to my taste, but she's just a really good songwriter. I get her popularity. When people talk about great vocalists you never hear any of the Beatles mentioned. You never hear John, Paul, or George's names mentioned among great guitarists either. Many dismiss Ringo being a great drummer except drummers that followed. Clearly being the greatest singer or musician isn't actually mandatory for massive success. It was great songwriting and being good performers that made the Beatles wildly popular. That's what Swift is. There's better singers and better musicians than her. You can be a great singer and/or a great musician but you'll only be pleasant to listen to if you don't have great songs to perform.

@JuliaHilz

11 күн бұрын

Thank you for being so open minded and giving her a chance! I feel like more people would appreciate her if they did the same. The Beatles definitely achieved such different sounds in their albums in such a short period of time.

@VMBFV

3 күн бұрын

I believe many polls have John Lennon as one of the greatest rock singers ever, and Paul McCartney as one of the greatest bass players ever (as a composer of basslines).

@philiphoy1373

2 күн бұрын

@@VMBFV Greatest male rock singers is not the same as greatest male vocalists. I was't a huge fan of Elvis (I liked his 50's music) but that man had an incredible singing voice whether a ballad or rock. He could sing a menu a capella and it would sound good. The Beatles were good singers and musicians, without a doubt, but they were really great songwriters and did it album after album. Bob Dylan wasn't a particuarly good vocalist. But he's regarded as one the the greatest songwriters of all time. I doubt he would have been nearly as successful if he wasn't a great songwriter. People connected to his songs. There's over 6,000 covers of his music by other recording artists. Lennon/McCarteny is even higher. Many seem to ignore the power of great songwriting, that people connect to, as being a big part of an artists success.

I totally agree Rick, somebody finally had to explain the details like this !!! Thank you

On point! Thank you! In Germany we have a saying: When the sun of culture stands low, even dwarfs throw long shadows ;)

@stevetournay6103

Ай бұрын

Ausgezeichnet!

@tingdzinkochu

Ай бұрын

Gesundheit !!!

@williamhenning4700

Ай бұрын

First time I’ve found myself agreeing with a Germ in a while. If only your country wasn’t determined to help that sun set!

I’m sick of people comparing her to The Beatles.

@mikedebruyn

Ай бұрын

So is she probably. So why is this old guy using her name to generate clicks for a video about an article that she had no say in?

@pietromoltani6923

Ай бұрын

I'm sick of people like Springsteen, I mean BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN himself, saying she's a great songwriter.

@RobertRuddy-pk7ie

Ай бұрын

@@pietromoltani6923 well...she is

@pietromoltani6923

Ай бұрын

@@RobertRuddy-pk7ie really? Townes Van Zandt, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Sandy Denny and some italians (since I am italian) like Lucio Dalla, Rino Gaetano... Or some contemporaries like Robin Pecknold, Alela Diane and so on. These are great songwriters. We all have the right to like and listen to whatever we want, but she's just mediocre, and I'm not saying it because I don't like her. I cannot stand the Queen as well, but damn they truly are great musicians. Her music has no depth, nor the music nor the lyrics.

@ikexbankai

Ай бұрын

She’s bigger than the Beatles

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said “2 different universes “ no comparison musically, but commercially! She’s getting there

U can ' t compare a solo artist with a band( never) All I can say is: she will never beat ELVIS

The better question is who will be continued to be listened to and covered by all genres of music in 50 years? Pop music "beds" reminds me of the music I search for on music libraries for TV shows.

@drummerconz682

Ай бұрын

There’s gonna be more way more pop fans than 60s rock fans by then.

@orlock20

Ай бұрын

One has to realize that classic stations often don't play the real Billboard hits, but the cream of the time period. I suspect that people will still be covering acts such as Beth Hart, Adele, Eminem, and Tool on the international level. Beth Hart already has a couple of cover bands and has had at least one song translated into another language (Vietnamese) so it could be sung by contestants on a TV singing program. When she was a contestant on Star Search in 1993, Beth Hart sang an original song called Am I The One which is still being sung by TV singing contestants. Beth hart has also written songs in several genres.

@PeteQuad

Ай бұрын

I have teenage kids and am blown away by how much "classic rock" and 60s-80s pop they listen to. That stuff does not seem like it's going away. Hell I am 51 and I listened to 60s and 70s stuff and it was before my time and thought I was listening to "old stuff" when I was younger.

@PeteQuad

Ай бұрын

@@Mindphaser1 where did you get the impression that I didn't listen to music past the 80s? In fact music prior to 1990 is probably my least listened to time period. Maybe you read a different comment?

@hhaannnnaahh222

Ай бұрын

@@PeteQuad i'm in my late 20s and listen predominately to music from the 70s/80s, it feels like such a breath of fresh air in comparison to what's in the pop culture zeitgeist right now. its' like the difference between wholefoods and fodder. but if all you've ever had is fodder you'll have no idea what you're really missing, which is why i'm hugely grateful my dad gave me a great musical education, sounds like you've afforded your kids the same privilege.

"if you remove the vocals..." Thank you, Rick!

@Darcinator-music

Ай бұрын

thank you for this comment

@AlexMcDaniels

Ай бұрын

Finally a good song!

@gearond

Ай бұрын

​@@Darcinator-musicI think Simon Cowell has some blame to take for the dummying of today's user listener market. All these people are rewarded on those shows for having only something distinct about their sound. Now whether it's good distinct or bad distinct doesn't seem to matter. They just have an effect on their in their voice and their intonation. Whether they can hold a note make you hear ahead of time that a chord change is coming. Hold the memory of the chord change from the last measure while singing into the next and basically blowing you away that will never come out of Simon Cowell or the whole vocals. Is everything thinking of today.

@jameswilson7084

Ай бұрын

But, what if you have Taylor just sing and play them on the guitar or a piano, like at her surprise acoustic sets on her "Eras Tour"? Her songs will still hold up.

@gearond

Ай бұрын

One chords, four chords nursery, rhyme, melodies and kindergarten lyrics

So glad you are reminding people about the truth and craft of music. As a singer songwriter who does actually do my own beats, play my instruments, sing, write, arrange , mix, etc I get tired of artists getting credit for more work than they do.

These kids these days don't understand The Beatles and thier impact. I'm not a big Beatles fan but I can very much appriciate what they did.

I agree Rick. Also, as you. pointed out when "Get Back" was released, when the Beatles called it quits, the entirity of the Beatles catalog was written before any of them had reached their 30th birthday. A fact that just astounds me and is hard to fathom.

@collapsiblespork

Ай бұрын

I like to point that fact out as well. But even that doesn't tell the whole story. Consider that less than five passed between when the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and the "rooftop concert" - just think about how their music changed over that short a time, and how they changed music.

@ebikes2xs159

Ай бұрын

Genius is fleeting. Most groups wrote all their best songs before age 25, it's no accident. Well known in the mathematics and scientific community, if you don't get it done by age 25 most likely you won't. Beautiful Mind.

@kevinhill8502

Ай бұрын

And George Harrison was just 25 when they broke up

@Roberta-gl2by

Ай бұрын

I'd say they were in decline and it was a good thing. They'd done some ground-breaking albums that I still love and still stand the test of time today, but the last couple of albums, while recognizable, seemed to lack total enthusiasm. Apart from All Things Must Pass, nothing much happened afterwards. Not to denigrate the members, but they weren't The Beatles.

@rkk578

Ай бұрын

And what did they do past 30 which would have been groundbreaking without their name? They had a few good songs and roughly that is it. As someone mentioned before, they were on the way out as a band too. In the last few albums, many of their songs were just unfinished demos...They would have probably ended just as any other band which does not break up before someone takes their place on the throne. By 1970 the hard rock boom was around the corner

The point about the Beatles music being so varied is so valid. Look at the I, V, vi, IV progression. It’s literally used in 100s, probably even thousands of pop songs. Plenty of artists use that progression in multiple songs, even from one album. The Beatles used it once, in the song let it be. All of those hits, and they used one of the most common chord progressions only one time

@AnthonyFlack

Ай бұрын

I have no idea how true that is, but off the top of my head I recall Oh! Darling also contains a prominent I - V - vi - IV, although it leads into it with that very nice V7(#5)

@themayor3263

Ай бұрын

They are all stealing from Bach.... He invented "Pop" music

@joseberardocunha

Ай бұрын

And Beatles did that way before it became the axis of awesome chord progression 😂 My point is even when they had the same idea they didn't do it due to lack of creativity rushing into next album, they are masterpieces

@JohnBiddleMusic

Ай бұрын

@@AnthonyFlack I guess you’re right but even that song, not the whole verse is just that progression

@vestibulate

Ай бұрын

@@themayor3263 You can't steal from Bach. You merely receive his blessing and his bounty.

I wanna thank u for your analyses. I thank u alors for your passion for music. I really appreciated your vidéo on comfortably nomb...it is so émotionnal. Thank u for being so engaged. You are that kind of person I would have liked to meet. Thank u again

How do you separate the vocals from the backtrack? Do you just drop sounds of a certain frequency? What kind of software case do this?

Let's not forget, The beatles did everything back then WITHOUT the help of the internet. Nowadays, artists RELY on the internet whether it streams, views and music videos. The beatles had all of that popularity without the internet and even invented the concept of the music video

@alecepting1371

Ай бұрын

Next it'll be all AI.

@user-bw8su6ii1m

29 күн бұрын

* Artists have relied on the current technology of their times; Les Paul comes to mind. Had the Beatles had the Internet, they would have used it, just as they used the tape and synthesizer technologies of their era to produce new sounds. * Music videos (films) were around at least since the 1940s. Theatre audiences enjoyed them before the main feature. ~

@alecepting1371

29 күн бұрын

@@user-bw8su6ii1m The Carpenters used the technology of Les Paul and overdubbing to tremendous effect, but Richard Carpenter was at least a phenomenal arranger and composer. Today, it won't take much talent to create a prompt for the AI to take over. That's the big difference.

@GoldwaterB

29 күн бұрын

They did it WITH the help of TV and radio. It was a different time, so not a fair comparison.

@teekay_1

29 күн бұрын

@@Mindphaser1 _But The Beatles also has a much smaller competition_ lol.

The Beatles is still being discovered. I read a book about the Beatles in 4th grade (2020) for school work and was amazed by how popular they are. So I told my Alexa and said to play their most popular songs and I started listening to them daily on my Amazon Alexa while playing video games. Then when I got a phone a year later the first app I got was Spotify so I could listen to the Beatles. My friends thought I was weird for listening to the Beatles until one really liked the song Hey Bulldog. And he got into music and now loves The Beatles. And another one of my frineds isnt really a Beatles fan but started listening to rock and older music. The Beatles are still being discovered amd loved in new technologies and generations and it will probably stay like that. Also i listened to The Beatles for 32,000 minutes on spotify

@aaronxoxo

29 күн бұрын

You are a genuine soul my man ❤

@ericwinter4513

29 күн бұрын

@johnabbotphotography

@Dreamcatcher9000

29 күн бұрын

"32,000 minutes" So you listened to Beatles songs like....10,000 times (if we consider that each song is like 3 minutes)?? According to my calculation, that means that you listened to EACH one of their songs, like 65 times (unless you listened to the same song...10,000 times :p). Dude, I've been listening to the Beatles for 34 years, and even I don't think that I've listened to their songs so many times! :p

@folkdude01

29 күн бұрын

@@Dreamcatcher9000 I’d like imagine that about 20% of that time is dedicated to listening to Hey Jude, It’s All Too Much, You Know My Name (Look Up the Number), Revolution #9 and I Want You (She’s So Heavy) at least once a day. 😇

@musicantd

28 күн бұрын

The greatness of many Beatles songs is hardly repeatable and at the same time utterly necessary. It's like finding a 12 carat diamond.

What Software doeshe use to remove the vocals from the song?

TS is a product, not a person. She is molded for recyclable content and promoted aggressively. Most importantly, she helps to promote certain politicians.

Yes. I am old-ish at 60, but music today cannot compare in any way to music of the 19060s-1990.

@ctown6592

Ай бұрын

With the exception of John Mayer.

@MegaByrds

Ай бұрын

Editing was so important back then. ; )

@jesusislukeskywalker4294

Ай бұрын

@@ctown6592john’s a one in a million 🎸 an endangered species 😔

@THEKARAOKEDUDE

Ай бұрын

19060s?

@dianaaa2524

Ай бұрын

@@THEKARAOKEDUDE you know what they mean.

get back to me in 50 years and then we can ask about taylor swift

@jxchamb

Ай бұрын

Ask me in 12 months. I'll probably have forgotten all about her.

@gunstonerocks1427

Ай бұрын

Maybe 5-10 years

@lucasAvilaS

Ай бұрын

I think exactly the same way

@TheMister123

Ай бұрын

You won't be alive. She might be.

@kualua6612

Ай бұрын

Who?

The Beatles RIAA USA album sales figures alone total approx. 180 million sold. Taylor Swift RIAA USA albums sold approx. 50 million.

She's the latest version of the Bay City Rollers.

The beauty of the Beatles is that not only could you name Beatles songs, but could probably sing the first line of most of their songs

@SilverCello

Ай бұрын

I don't hear anything memorable in this melodic writing compared to the Beatles.

@OfficialEvermore

Ай бұрын

Yes!

@phadrus

Ай бұрын

Beatles music was objectively better but of course they had a little help from their friends too.

@SilverCello

Ай бұрын

@@phadrus That is true. Without George Martin's help, they would have not been introduced to a slicker style of writing. Although Paul did write "When I'm Sixty-Four" at 16. So you can't tell me that he had no knowledge of music hall genre.

@elponchex

Ай бұрын

​@@SilverCelloas I remember, they would sometimes clash with George Martin precisely because of going outside of the norm with chord choices. Even the early Beatles albums have stuff that is very out there, like If I fell. Not to dismiss George Martin, but they had the curiosity for strange chords from the beginning.

My response is: time will tell. As a kid, I remember watching in awe The Beatles premier performance on the Ed Sullivan Show. The next day at school, all us kids were buzzing about them. Our teacher said, "Twenty years from now someone is going to say The Beatles and you are going to say 'Who?' ". We all know how that went.

@sierrabianca

Ай бұрын

@bruce9531 Swift has been around long enough now that I think we're in a better position to be able to judge the likely longevity of her work than your teacher was with the Beatle's, and there's little to suggest it has the qualities to remain relevant or inspiring...to the extent that if her work does actually remain a cultural force 3 or 4 decades from now that'll stand as an indictment of the culture rather than a reflection of the depth and originality of her output.

@itmeurdad

Ай бұрын

​@@sierrabianca right, so you're predicting the future exactly the same as the teacher from OP's story. Got it.

@hugoku

Ай бұрын

@@sierrabianca as Rick said, she's a content creator. Constant output to remain relevant, without regard to actualy quality. Just release, release, release.

@BethDwyer

Ай бұрын

@@hugoku 11 original albums in 20 years. How exactly is that “release, release, release” and “constant output”? And btw, The Beatles released 13 albums in 7 years. That’s twice the output that Taylor has 😂

@BethDwyer

Ай бұрын

@@sierrabianca “If she sticks around it’s an indictment of the culture”. And the teacher (and everyone else of the same opinion) would have said the EXACT same thing. Older generations always complain how the youths are degenerating culture. Existential angst that one is aging out to be the primary driver of culture as younger generations take the wheel often makes one bitter and petty. People say history doesn’t repeat, but it does rhyme. In some cases though, it actually just does repeat. Also I wonder how it is that people can laud Paul McCartney as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, but at the same time dismiss his opinion that Taylor is actually good. He either has a good musical sense or he doesn’t.

The most profound comment is “…these are completely different universes.” Can’t compare Apples & Swifts.

Success doesn't mean talent. Talent doesn't mean success.

The world population has tripled since I was born: 1955, 2.7 billion; 2023, 8.1 billion. When the Beatles broke up in 1969, 4.5 billion potential Swifties were not yet born. It looks like apples and oranges no matter how you slice it.

@unprofound

Ай бұрын

Also, way more discretionary money, way more affluence. Way more convenience to streaming and DLing. It's an infantile, comical comparison...

@Beckola44

Ай бұрын

Well said! I was born in 1952. I sure do miss the 50s and 60s. It was so affordable to go to live concerts back in the 60s. When The Fillmore West opened up in 1968 in San Francisco, it was $3.00 to see 3 bands. If you were first in line, you got the best seat in the house. Back then the population of California was around 16 million and now it's over 40 million. Too many people now.

@user-hg9hd9ju9g

Ай бұрын

More like apples and road apples

@Accuratetranslationservices

Ай бұрын

I mean it should be relatively doable to ballpark how many "fans" there are of each during the relevant years, and then find as a % of the population. % is what is relevant to who is bigger, not overall number. And there is plenty of data with which to do this and get a rough estimate of the % of people who voluntarily choose to listen to the artists' music, aka "fans". We're talking huge numbers in both cases so even if you are off by a few million it wouldn't make much of a difference for the overall comparison. I would wager that a higher % of the world population is Taylor Swift fans than there were Beatles fans in the peak of Beatles' heyday. Even if you were to limit it to the English-speaking world, probably Swift wins. You could say Taylor has an advantage because of the way music is put out, but that's still not relevant to who is "bigger." Advantage or not, one of them is definitively more popular than the other one. And I would wager that is Swift. It's the way of the world. People will get grumpy about the new age and say it is all not as good as it once was but every generation says that about younger stuff.

@thereellifewithjenniferwoods

Ай бұрын

Not to mention a dollar was worth more 60 years ago.

I’m nearly 70 now the Beatles were the soundtrack to my early life,nothing but nothing will ever match what the Beatles were and did and still are, proof? Still talking and playing their music over 60 years later .So glad I was born when I was 🎶🎸🎶🎸

@martymcfly1776

28 күн бұрын

I'm turning 70 in a few months, so I'm about the same age. For most of my like I liked the Beatles, but honestly, I don't get much out of their music anymore.

@Carlos12330

28 күн бұрын

@@martymcfly1776 sorry to hear that I still enjoy them and listen to them most days.

@jacksonfreed

27 күн бұрын

I just turned 77 and the Beatles were and are one of the biggest influences in growing up-I evenpped drugs and started meditating in 1968 and went from there. There are some artists who are beyond comparisons: the Beatles, Billie Holliday, Ray Charles......

Outstanding in-depth analysis, Rick. Well done.

I remember when they said THE DAVE CLARK 5 were bigger than the BEATLES. LMFAO