Motown vs. The Beatles. Who Was More Influential?

**MickeyMac** · July-22-10, 03:10 PM

Who???

The Fab Four, or the sound of Hitsville???

Who had the bigger impact on music and popular culture.

**Pam** · July-22-10, 04:28 PM

The Beatles. [[But they were Motown fans themselves.)

**Detroit Stylin** · July-22-10, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by MickeyMac

Who???

The Fab Four, or the sound of Hitsville???

Who had the bigger impact on music and popular culture.

Motown

Not only were the Beatles influenced by them bu they were also influenced by people like Muddy Watters and the rest of the artists from Cadillac records [[see the movie even though they only reference the Rolling Stones).

The motown prescence is still felt to this day with every boy/ girl group that comes out uses the Motown formula...

Retroit · July-22-10, 08:27 PM

Well, considering that the Beatles [[& the British Invasion) put Motown out of business, I'd have to say the Beatles.

**Jimaz** · July-22-10, 09:47 PM

Related trivia: My Sweet Lord controversy

You'd think there would have been people involved who would have recognized the similarity before publication. But I guess not.

Maybe consultants serve some preemptive purpose after all.

**Pam** · July-23-10, 06:10 AM

The motown prescence is still felt to this day with every boy/ girl group that comes out uses the Motown formula

Harmony groups were around before Motown. See the Doo Wop era.

**Roq** · July-23-10, 07:27 AM

Originally Posted by Pam

The Beatles. [[But they were Motown fans themselves.)

Agreed, I vote for the Beatles as well.

**Corn.Bot** · July-23-10, 08:27 AM

I would have to say Motown, mostly because that organization encapsulated and ultimately became representative of the type and style of music from which the Beatles drew their inspiration and evolved.

**Pam** · July-23-10, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by Corn.Bot

I would have to say Motown, mostly because that organization encapsulated and ultimately became representative of the type and style of music from which the Beatles drew their inspiration and evolved.

The Beatles were inspired by a lot of people, including Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly and Elvis. Motown was only one out of many.

I voted for the Beatles because of their bigger cultural impact on things like hairstyles. They weren't just musically influential.

**douglasm** · July-23-10, 03:24 PM

I wonder if you're comparing apples and oranges. Both groups had influence. The Beatles influence is obvious and is being felt even today, if only beccause "rock" has endured. Motown's influence on "soul" is also obvious, and it probably could be said that without Motown, the Philidelphia soul scene and the Ganble/Huff music machine which popped up in the 70's probably would not have exsisted in the form that it took.

**SMRJim** · July-25-10, 04:07 PM

Originally Posted by Retroit

Well, considering that the Beatles [[& the British Invasion) put Motown out of business, I'd have to say the Beatles.

I think if you look at the charts throughout the mid-late 60s you'll see that was definitely not the case. Actually Motown music got much more popular after the British invasion. Look at the number of top 10s Motown had before Feb 1964 and the number they had for the next few years. after that.

**ggores** · July-25-10, 05:16 PM

Motown definitely more infuential on me. But, legend is that J Lennon was a master at "playing off the nutt".

Now, observe this bit of clash betwixt the Liverpoolian's and the Mizz'Sippi mudslide.

Beach Boys? Yeah, lotsa fun but Mike never played, ummm, "off the nutt"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEA6g...eature=related

**Fury13** · July-25-10, 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by SMRJim

I think if you look at the charts throughout the mid-late 60s you'll see that was definitely not the case. Actually Motown music got much more popular after the British invasion. Look at the number of top 10s Motown had before Feb 1964 and the number they had for the next few years. after that.

Right, after Motown figured out that the mainstream public wanted watered-down R&B in the form of slickly-produced pop records, they had many more Top Tens. Pop Motown started in '64 with the Supremes' first hits.

There's a sizable contingent of fans even today that prefers the earlier, raw Motown of 1959-1963 to the label's later more pop stuff. And it was the early Motown sound that influenced the Beatles [[they covered "Money" and "You've Really Got A Hold On Me").

**SMRJim** · July-26-10, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by Fury13

Right, after Motown figured out that the mainstream public wanted watered-down R&B in the form of slickly-produced pop records, they had many more Top Tens. Pop Motown started in '64 with the Supremes' first hits.

There's a sizable contingent of fans even today that prefers the earlier, raw Motown of 1959-1963 to the label's later more pop stuff. And it was the early Motown sound that influenced the Beatles [[they covered "Money" and "You've Really Got A Hold On Me").

The statement I was responding to was that Motown was put out of business - that has nothing to do with which era of Motown was 'better' or who was influenced by who as far as I can tell.

**Patrick** · August-02-10, 08:32 PM

Beatles probably reached more people but Motown was much more diverse and had better musicianship. Should really be Motown vs. British Invasion. Plus, this may be a shitty statement but do you think that the Beatles being white had anything to do with their record sales to a white America? They could reach a larger part of America than black musicians couldn't, at least at that time.

**Bobl** · August-02-10, 11:54 PM

Loved them both. They were influenced by many, and influenced many. I think that Marvin Gaye was the world's best performer, and the Funk Brothers had no equal. Lennon/McCartney wrote great pop songs, and some good rock n roll.
Music evolves, and both schools presented a paradigm shift. It was a golden age of popular music!

**ggores** · August-03-10, 05:30 PM

[quote=Patrick;169237]statement but do you think that the Beatles being white had anything to do with their record sales to a white America? quote]

Interesting, you might have a good point. Let's see:

It's often referred to as the Golden Age of pop music, those days from 1958 thru 1969. Purists may rightfully argue that the Golden Age of modern pop music actually took place between 1927 and 1942, but let's digress.

I could be wrong, but I don't remember seeing too many black representatives at the live transmission of "All You Need Is Love". And I certainly don't feel like re-watching it, just not feeling THAT groovy today.

However, it seems that the British Invasion bands recognized the influence of the black musicians who preceded them, and who also became somewhat their contemporaries. I mean, sure, you had Chess Records, Stax Records, and those recordings are wirth their weight in gold. So in that respect, yeah, thank god, or somebody, for Motown Records. Racial division really has no place in music making, and it has successfully been proven over and over again, since time immemoriable {unless yer keltic, ha ha}.

Yeah, The Beatles were about as white as they come. So, good point, but not very relevant to the discussion of the O.P.'s question. And in that regard, I will stick by - Motown being more influential, more so than, say, the whole Bitish Invasion period. It would've never happened the way it did without the influence of... oy... the list is too long. But suffice to say.

**Det_ard** · August-03-10, 11:32 PM

Beatles vs. Motown is like Ty Cobb vs. The NY Yankees. Better to compare the Beatles with a single Motown group. Beatles win.

**313WX** · August-04-10, 07:26 AM

The Beatles of course, no question about it.

**tponetom** · August-05-10, 09:15 PM

I have to make a "write in" choice for the truly old people.
The "Blues Brothers."

**DW313512** · August-06-10, 10:11 AM

I vote for Motown.

**stipes** · August-06-10, 10:52 AM

Someone correct me if I'm wrong,,but didnt a interview with the Beatles I cant remember with one said Elvis inspiried them???

**stipes** · August-06-10, 10:53 AM

Oh,,my vote if for Motown...

**Fury13** · August-06-10, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by stipes

Someone correct me if I'm wrong,,but didnt a interview with the Beatles I cant remember with one said Elvis inspiried them???

Of course Elvis inspired them. Elvis inspired every would-be rocker that came after him.

**ggores** · August-07-10, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by stipes

Someone correct me if I'm wrong,,but didnt a interview with the Beatles I cant remember with one said Elvis inspiried them???

These kinda people will say ANYthing in interviews. Fact is that Lennon & Sutcliffe were into Gene Vincent big time. Mac was into Little Richard and often sought to imitate him {refer to Dizzy Miss Lizzy {at suggestion and agreement between J and P} and Hippy Hippy Shake}. Perhaps Ringo was influenced by Elvis {of course, the rhythm section} and George? Heh, Wagner and Beethoven. Go figure.