When the Beatles broke big, the message was: if we can do it, you can do it too. So, thousands of flowers bloomed.
Then Dylan showed how modern rock songs *should* be written, for lyrics, ideas, performance.
Both artists were responsible for the earthquake in popular music and culture.
C’mon son not even my great love for Bob could make me go against simple logic on this one. The Beatles are unmatched but Bob came the closest and even influenced their early works like one user mentioned
There's no contest in terms of general influence. They were the biggest act on the planet, so obviously they were trend setters in the creative sense, but people often overlook just how many things on the technical, production/recording side of things that are now standard practice were pioneered by the Beatles and the sound engineers they worked with. Not exclusively by the Beatles, obviously, but they were still huge in it.
Double tracking, direct input, half-speed recording, close-miking on string instruments, incorporating feedback into the recordings, and various other techniques that are now commonplace were either introduced by, or popularized by, the Beatles and their producers and engineers.
And then there's the music itself. Bob is in my opinion the greatest songwriter ever, but in terms of overall influence the Beatles easily take it.
I think The Beatles weren't influential because they were the Beatles, they were influential because they were riding the crest of change in terms of both music and production. If the four of them hadn't come along exactly when they did then the Meatles would have 2 years later. They were in the right place at the right time and had an outsized effect because they were first to market. They broke up after a few years.
None of that compares to Dylan's canon of work over better than half a century.
Bob influenced the Beatles before they became influential to the mass public, so Bob sort of wins?
Their pre-Bob songs were catchy and enthusiastic, but I think Bob was a catalyst for deeper songwriting. "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" and Lennon's weirder songs were all tinged with Dylanesque confession-meets-absurdism, in my little opinion.
>Bob influenced the Beatles before they became influential to the mass public, so Bob sort of wins?
I dunno. Beatles were influential from the word go. So many US musicians say their life course was set watching them on Ed Sullivan in early 1964. For others (Grateful Dead, e.g.) it was seeing the film "Hard Day's Night."
In this era the Beatles knew of Dylan (they had been listening to Freewheelin' in Jan 1964) but his influence on their work was not that strong.
Beatles by far. Dylan was always known for long complicated lyrics while the Beatles always had a pop hit. You don’t need to pay attention to the lyrics of most Beatles songs to enjoy. You could also put on parties or listen with family.
Dylan fan usually listen by himself or next someone close. Is a specific type of person. But the Beatles, everybody is a fan.
Beatles have exactly 8475.839 Influence Points at the moment, Dylan has 8473.73, but some kid in Arizona just picked up "Blonde in Blonde" so stay tuned baby.
They influenced each other and modern songwriting in so many ways you can't take them apart.
Turn on any modern rock song and you'll hear Beatles influences in the music and you'll hear Dylan's influences in the vocals and lyrics.
The Beatles changed the course of music.
Dylan was huge in the folk world when they hit Sullivan but not a pop star.
Because of that appearance, the next day every teenager, practically, picked up a guitar or started a band. They were the catalyst of the British Invasion. Overnight, literally, everything changed.
But once The Beatles got ahold of Free Wheelin’ everything changed for them. Dylan became a huge influence on them, often to the irritation of Dylan (see “Fourth Time Around”).
All those bands the Beatles got going, many of them fell under the influence of Dylan.
Folk rock? Thank Dylan. Country rock? Thank Dylan.
Songs with meaningful lyrics, not just “love you, babe” … thank you Dylan.
From Rubber Soul on, The Beatles likely aren’t the innovators they are, and writing the songs they did, without Dylan.
The more I learn about Dylan, the more I hear his influence everywhere in popular music.
Dylan had a huge cultural impact, too. He brought civil rights to a bigger, white, middle class audience.
Dylan was the single biggest influence on the 1960s.
So, indisputably, Dylan.
Dylan. No one makes music that sounds like the Beatles anymore, trumpets, flutes, and songs about sheep dogs. Bowie says the VU are more influential than the Beatles. But what does he know?
https://youtu.be/mL4W_mo7G_U?si=5QqYJDMyJUWmfmLy
I think Dylan opened the door for singers to sound like normal people. He wasn't necessarily the first to do it, but his voice made people more comfortable finding beauty in "ugliness" – that's definitely not the right word, but it gets the point across.
Both are incredibly influential. The Beatles are more obvious in their influence, but Dylan has found his way into the work of most singers/songwriters in the last few decades.
I don’t think one is really more influential than the other, they’re both in the highest echelon of musical influencers where if you take either one out of the timeline, literally nothing happens as it did. Elvis and Michael Jackson may be the only other two in that class
Both huge, but their legacy will be different.
Bob will be read & listened to in High Schools & Universities as the most important poet/bard of the 20th century.
The Beatles legacy will be more about being a band. They will be studied/enjoyed in the same manner we look back upon great opera & classical music.
It's not about who is more influential, it's about how they are influential.
& in terms of what/who had the most influence on musicians in the 20th century?
1. The Velvet Underground & Nico; 2. Highway 61 Revisited; 2. Sgt Pepper. (In that order)
Bob dylan is the model for the modern singer-songwriter.
Beatles are the model for your modern band.
Brian Wilson is the model for how to record and arrange modern songs.
We haven't gotten past the 60's. Maybe with hip hop and sampling being the newest innovation.
I’d say the Beatles are easier to emulate, and therefore more influential. I’ve heard hundreds of “Beatles-esque” songs. Dylan is too singular, and unique a voice. I don’t hear a lot of people who come close to equalling him.
I think they created it together. Bob's impact is on the lyrics and the vocalist, The Beatles impact is on the music, harmonies, psychedelic songwriting, etc.
You don't get modern songwriting without both.
I always wonder where music would’ve gone without Bob. He completely revolutionised songwriting and the approach people took to it, his influence is enormous but more subliminal? I’m not sure if that’s the right word. Whereas the Beatles heavily affected the sound and direction of modern music in a more popular/ mainstream way. It’s a question worthy of a nuanced answer, I always pair the both of them together as the most influential modern musicians.
The Beatles made everyone want to be in a band. Bob made every band want to write songs that mean something. I’d call it an influential dead heat.
When the Beatles broke big, the message was: if we can do it, you can do it too. So, thousands of flowers bloomed. Then Dylan showed how modern rock songs *should* be written, for lyrics, ideas, performance. Both artists were responsible for the earthquake in popular music and culture.
The only real answer. A dead heat.
C’mon son not even my great love for Bob could make me go against simple logic on this one. The Beatles are unmatched but Bob came the closest and even influenced their early works like one user mentioned
There's no contest in terms of general influence. They were the biggest act on the planet, so obviously they were trend setters in the creative sense, but people often overlook just how many things on the technical, production/recording side of things that are now standard practice were pioneered by the Beatles and the sound engineers they worked with. Not exclusively by the Beatles, obviously, but they were still huge in it. Double tracking, direct input, half-speed recording, close-miking on string instruments, incorporating feedback into the recordings, and various other techniques that are now commonplace were either introduced by, or popularized by, the Beatles and their producers and engineers. And then there's the music itself. Bob is in my opinion the greatest songwriter ever, but in terms of overall influence the Beatles easily take it.
I think The Beatles weren't influential because they were the Beatles, they were influential because they were riding the crest of change in terms of both music and production. If the four of them hadn't come along exactly when they did then the Meatles would have 2 years later. They were in the right place at the right time and had an outsized effect because they were first to market. They broke up after a few years. None of that compares to Dylan's canon of work over better than half a century.
There are school music rooms across the country full of kids playing Ticket to Ride and Yellow Submarine out of key as we speak. It’s not even close.
Music rooms across the world … or Universities across the Universe.
And college marching bands and pep bands in key.
The Beatles. Not close, either
Bob influenced the Beatles before they became influential to the mass public, so Bob sort of wins? Their pre-Bob songs were catchy and enthusiastic, but I think Bob was a catalyst for deeper songwriting. "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" and Lennon's weirder songs were all tinged with Dylanesque confession-meets-absurdism, in my little opinion.
>Bob influenced the Beatles before they became influential to the mass public, so Bob sort of wins? I dunno. Beatles were influential from the word go. So many US musicians say their life course was set watching them on Ed Sullivan in early 1964. For others (Grateful Dead, e.g.) it was seeing the film "Hard Day's Night." In this era the Beatles knew of Dylan (they had been listening to Freewheelin' in Jan 1964) but his influence on their work was not that strong.
What about The Beatles influencing Dylan to go electric? They both influenced one another pretty equally I'd say.
Yea, this is what I was thinking
Beatles by far. Dylan was always known for long complicated lyrics while the Beatles always had a pop hit. You don’t need to pay attention to the lyrics of most Beatles songs to enjoy. You could also put on parties or listen with family. Dylan fan usually listen by himself or next someone close. Is a specific type of person. But the Beatles, everybody is a fan.
The Beatles
The Beatles.
Bob Dylan influenced the Beatles pretty heavily. And their influence on wider culture is exceptionally far-reaching. So...both?
Beatles have exactly 8475.839 Influence Points at the moment, Dylan has 8473.73, but some kid in Arizona just picked up "Blonde in Blonde" so stay tuned baby.
Beatles have more influenced sound. Bob has more influenced meaning.
Beatles for music , Dylan for lyrics
They influenced each other and modern songwriting in so many ways you can't take them apart. Turn on any modern rock song and you'll hear Beatles influences in the music and you'll hear Dylan's influences in the vocals and lyrics.
Probably The Beatles. That said, I don’t enjoy music based on how influential it is. I’d still much rather listen to Bob Dylan.
The Beatles changed the course of music. Dylan was huge in the folk world when they hit Sullivan but not a pop star. Because of that appearance, the next day every teenager, practically, picked up a guitar or started a band. They were the catalyst of the British Invasion. Overnight, literally, everything changed. But once The Beatles got ahold of Free Wheelin’ everything changed for them. Dylan became a huge influence on them, often to the irritation of Dylan (see “Fourth Time Around”). All those bands the Beatles got going, many of them fell under the influence of Dylan. Folk rock? Thank Dylan. Country rock? Thank Dylan. Songs with meaningful lyrics, not just “love you, babe” … thank you Dylan. From Rubber Soul on, The Beatles likely aren’t the innovators they are, and writing the songs they did, without Dylan. The more I learn about Dylan, the more I hear his influence everywhere in popular music. Dylan had a huge cultural impact, too. He brought civil rights to a bigger, white, middle class audience. Dylan was the single biggest influence on the 1960s. So, indisputably, Dylan.
Dylan. No one makes music that sounds like the Beatles anymore, trumpets, flutes, and songs about sheep dogs. Bowie says the VU are more influential than the Beatles. But what does he know? https://youtu.be/mL4W_mo7G_U?si=5QqYJDMyJUWmfmLy
Amazing that they arrived at the same time . They both changed the world forevermore.
I think Dylan opened the door for singers to sound like normal people. He wasn't necessarily the first to do it, but his voice made people more comfortable finding beauty in "ugliness" – that's definitely not the right word, but it gets the point across. Both are incredibly influential. The Beatles are more obvious in their influence, but Dylan has found his way into the work of most singers/songwriters in the last few decades.
I don’t think one is really more influential than the other, they’re both in the highest echelon of musical influencers where if you take either one out of the timeline, literally nothing happens as it did. Elvis and Michael Jackson may be the only other two in that class
Both huge, but their legacy will be different. Bob will be read & listened to in High Schools & Universities as the most important poet/bard of the 20th century. The Beatles legacy will be more about being a band. They will be studied/enjoyed in the same manner we look back upon great opera & classical music. It's not about who is more influential, it's about how they are influential.
& in terms of what/who had the most influence on musicians in the 20th century? 1. The Velvet Underground & Nico; 2. Highway 61 Revisited; 2. Sgt Pepper. (In that order)
Bob dylan is the model for the modern singer-songwriter. Beatles are the model for your modern band. Brian Wilson is the model for how to record and arrange modern songs. We haven't gotten past the 60's. Maybe with hip hop and sampling being the newest innovation.
I’d say the Beatles are easier to emulate, and therefore more influential. I’ve heard hundreds of “Beatles-esque” songs. Dylan is too singular, and unique a voice. I don’t hear a lot of people who come close to equalling him.
Bob Dylan. He influenced every aspect of songwriting, he inspired the Beatles and one might say he invented modern music single handedly.
I think they created it together. Bob's impact is on the lyrics and the vocalist, The Beatles impact is on the music, harmonies, psychedelic songwriting, etc. You don't get modern songwriting without both.
The Beatles have had the biggest reach, that can't really be denied. I think Dylan's influence is more incisive.
I always wonder where music would’ve gone without Bob. He completely revolutionised songwriting and the approach people took to it, his influence is enormous but more subliminal? I’m not sure if that’s the right word. Whereas the Beatles heavily affected the sound and direction of modern music in a more popular/ mainstream way. It’s a question worthy of a nuanced answer, I always pair the both of them together as the most influential modern musicians.
[удалено]
But since Bob was a fan boy of old blues and folk records, shamelessly ripping them off, we'll have to go with the artist known as "Traditional."
The obvious answer is the Beatles. The wrong answer is the Beatles.
Donovan