The Beatles versus The Who

The Beatles broke down walls (metaphorically speaking) and The Who pi**ed against a wall (Who's Next). (Just in case: Yes, I know that that's a concrete block and not a wall.)
The Who might not have been able to do what they did hadn't The Beatles cleared the way. That doesn't mean that there weren't others who could have done the same for the history of music. Nobody will ever know, what The Beatles might have recorded or written had they stayed together. But what would have happened to masterpieces like Tommy or Quadrophenia if The Who had stayed The Detours, had not written and recorded My Generation or I Can't Explain?
I will not vote in this poll, because it's useless to say The Beatles or The Who is the best. Just take a look at the biography on the Progarchives-page for The Who, because there is the answer: "Much of the Who's fame rests as mighty gods of destroyed hotel rooms, exploding drum kits, destroyed guitars, swinging microphones, and power chords galore, but the real importance lies in how The Who, along with the Beatles, expanded what could be done in rock music and laid the groundwork for the merging of the intellectual and the artistic with the power of rock and roll."

The Beatles by soooo much.

(In response to Guzzman's post above^^)

That Who songs are used for tv-serials doesn't make them better than Beatles tunes, does it? Nor does it make Beatles songs better that they have been (mis)used in commercials over the years, but it shows their popularity. I just say that both, The Beatles and The Who, are two of the greatest bands - ever.

meinmatrix wrote: Walker wrote: (In response to Guzzman's post above^^)   I totally agree that it is useless to say one band is "better" than another. It's an entirely subjective OPINION. In my defense for arguing so intently, I was was trying to say that I thought the Beatles were more -influential- than the Who, not that they were -better-.   Well, in today's standards, how many "Beatles songs" you can hear in CSI or any other favourite television show?

Walker wrote: mrcozdude wrote: get the who 7 more votes to call it equals the way it should be!   you need 8 more now

R o V e R wrote: micky wrote: Walker wrote: mrcozdude wrote: they both f**king awesome but the who always had their style (not motown rips offs) so the who wins   The Who recorded Heat Wave..... if that isn't a Motown ripoff then I don't know what is.   it was the only song Moon could compose by the way..... can anyone here actually admit to buying a copy of Moon's solo album. Please.,.. Noooooooo

Heatwave is not a ripoff. It is a cover, just like.. oh, i don't know, literally HALF of the Beatles' early albums?
And Keith Moon's contribution to A quick one was "Cobwebs and strange"
.  Sooo....

chopper wrote: Apple don't generally licence Beatles songs, this is why you don't find them on 60s compilations or adverts etc.

Quite true, Chopper, but it has been done nevertheless : Ford used "Help" (the original recording) in 1985 with Apple reacting by enforcing a strict "No Beatles tunes in commercials"-policy. Yet in 1987 "Revolution" was used in a Nike-spot (original version again) and the company got sued by Apple (I don't know about the outcome). Philips used a part of "Getting Better" (although not the original Beatles-recording) to sell consumer electronics.  In the USA "Come Together" was used by Nortel Network, Joe Cockers version of "With A Little Help From My Friens" was in a Gateway Computers campaign. Sad, but true.


Edited by Guzzman - August 10 2007 at 03:56

Progger wrote: Walker wrote: John, Paul, and George were better songwriters and more influential than the who could ever hope to be.   Rubbish! Lennon and Mcartney could only write great songs as a duo, Townsend does it on his own.   The Who were far better musicians and better performers than the Beatles.   The Who winds hands down!

Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison could all write on their own, but IMO just about all of Harrison's tunes are their best written with the only exception of the masterful A Day in the Life. Townsend is the better lyricist. I'd rank him only behind Bob Dylan in terms of greatest rock lyricists, though those three would come immediately afterwards. Who cares? They both are gods and rock would never have become such a rich genre without them.