quote Originally posted by williegoat: The vast influence of the Beatles on popular culture cannot be denied.

Agreed. Abbey Road is a monumental achievement because it still sounds fresh 46 years later. Side two is some of the best pop rock ever recorded.

I think you would need to define influential, as in, in what way?
The Beatles spawned an entire genre known as the British Invasion which was a direct result of the reception of their music in the states. So in terms of influencing a particular movement in rock they certainly played their part. And of course, much of their music was pretty innovative and original.
Elvis Presley, influenced an entire generation of music, opening the door to rock as a genre.
Many would claim that Jimi opened the door to the hard blues rock that serves as the foundation for so much music, even today. But he wasn't the originator of that style of playing. Jimi's influences included Muddy Waters who really developed the electric blues style, Jimi just sort of took it to the next level. But in that case, who was the real influence on the genre? The guy people most commonly credit, or the guy who influenced that guy? And I'm just going to say it: Jimi was really not a great guitar player. Much of his playing was pretty sloppy and a lot of sour notes (maybe a byproduct of his excessive drug use, but we'll never know for sure) . What he was, was fast, which in many people's eyes made up for his lack of accuracy.
Furgal mentioned Eddie VanHalen, and I have to admit, I think he did sort of reintroduce the guitar and made a lot of old time guitar players question themselves. He was certainly innovative in his playing, but the music wasn't new at all. It became even more mundane and typical when Sammy Hagar joined the group. So imo VanHalen's only real contribution was in the realm of guitar technique, but he wasn't the first, or the last. Jeff Beck, Robin Trower, Adrian Belew, and Leslie West were making their guitars do unbelievable things before Eddie hit the scenes. Eddie just appealed to a larger audience because the music was so generally mainstream. Players like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai (who learned from Joe) have continued to push the boundaries of guitar sounds.
Then you have bands like Emerson lake and Palmer who were essential in the prog rock scene along with Yes, Gentle Giant, Genesis, etc.

I could go on and on....

Good topic though.

[This message has been edited by Taijiguy (edited 06-29-2015).]

Prior to Sgt. Pepper, household appliances were white.

quote Originally posted by olejoedad: Although the Beatles were only together a 'short' time, their solo work continued and evolved. Look at the work of Lennon and McCartney after the breakup. Harrison and Starr also followed their own musical paths, and even though they didn't do as much as L&Mc, it was ALL good. ..

Yes, as I said, but then...they were NOT the Beatles. At best you could say he/they WERE former Beatles.

quote Originally posted by rogergarrison: Yes, as I said, but then...they were NOT the Beatles. At best you could say he/they WERE former Beatles.

And I don't really consider either McCartney or Lennon to be all that innovative, and certainly not influential as solo artists. They were/are completely popular music, there was very little originality in their stuff. They became completely cookie cutter. At least Ringo sort of originate the "supergroup" thing with his all star band. Harrison while he had a few "hits" was far less mainstream than McCartmey or Lennon, and I would consider his stuff superior in every way.

I dont think anyones mentioned what NBC regards as the most influential rock band...

https://rockhall.com/induct...e-grateful-dead/bio/

'There's nothing like a Grateful Dead concert.'

What an understatement!

quote Originally posted by olejoedad: Prior to Sgt. Pepper, household appliances were white.

http://www.colorcombos.com/...choices-article.html

While white appliances were the only choices initially, by the 1950s colors such as Stratford Yellow, Sherwood Green, Turquoise Green, Cadet Blue, Woodtone Brown, Petal Pink and Canary Yellow offered homemakers exciting new ways to coordinate their kitchens. Cadet Blue and Woodtone Brown proved to be unpopular and were discontinued in less than 10 years as were several of the other colors.

By 1960 a few new shades had been added and almost as quickly cancelled including an attempt at a charcoal gray. Standard yellow, pink and turquoise were the only real survivors of this color craze. A new color, Coppertone became a popular choice until the 1980s. In fact, Coppertone and turquoise were the two favorite appliance colors, after white, for several years.

As the later 60's approached, turquoise was replaced by avocado and a Harvest Gold shade. These became the new stars for the remainder of the 60's, the 70's and the early 80's. Bright Poppy Red made a short appearance in the 70's but as the decade closed New Naturals had become more popular. Harvest Wheat, Onyx Black, Coffee, Fresh Avocado and Almond were introduced with Almond and Harvest Gold definitely taking the lead. The 80's saw Coppertone and Avocado fade away.

From the pastels of the 50's, the earth tones of the 60's and the off-whites and return the whites in the 80's and 90's, today kitchen designers often choose stainless steel for an efficient utilitarian look or black for sleek sophistication. It may be that as more and more men have become comfortable and active in this part of the house, their opinions about appliance colors are bearing more weight. It's just hard to picture a man cooking over a pink stove.

I am going to vote for the Beatles.
They were probably the first band to take rock and roll mainstream. Not sure that's because of just the music (which still is quite good, even after all these years) or because they "arrived" at about the same time that satellite news coverage did. Or maybe just Ed Sullivan.

But the fact is, all bands (even the Beatles) are influenced by those who came before. The Beatles have named Elvis and Elmore James, among others. And so it goes. They all take what has come before, build upon it, and make it their own.

quote Originally posted by fogglethorpe: Agreed. Abbey Road is a monumental achievement because it still sounds fresh 46 years later. Side two is some of the best pop rock ever recorded.

I could not agree more.

quote Originally posted by olejoedad: 'There's nothing like a Grateful Dead concert.' What an understatement!

I am probably the only person alive who has been to exactly one Grateful Dead concert. Usually, it's "none" or "hundreds".
They're probably the best jam band in history, but I just don't "get it". (Probably because I wasn't tripping. )

Every band has its allure, and its niche. There are so many great bands out there, who never made it big. Either because they refused to dust off their kneepads at the behest of the record companies, or simply because they marched to their own beat.

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 07-03-2015).]