Directly and Indirectly: Here Are 3 Musicians That Credit Their Start to The Beatles

To this day, The Beatles’ influence still largely resides in the music industry. Whether it be direct or indirect, the way they came to fame, redefined hooks and melodies, and pushed genre boundaries changed the name of the game. We’ve relayed this opinion countless times, and we’ve also relayed opinions held by other artists. To reinforce The Beatles’ absolute presence in the music that came after them, here are three musicians who’ve credited their start to The Beatles.

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Neil Diamond

Neil Diamond started his career as a songwriter, and before The Beatles and Bob Dylan, the industry focused more on performers; thus, if not for The Beatles, Diamond possibly could have been out of a career. However, given that Lennon and McCartney were some of the first incredibly popular frontmen and songwriters, a lane opened for Diamond.

Acknowledging how The Beatles changed the game in his favor, he stated, “They brought the songwriter up to the front of the line and said, you know, you guys do it. And it had a devastating effect on the music publishing business in Tin Pan Alley, but it opened up many doors for people like me,” via NPR.

James Taylor

If you are a devout Beatles fan or James Taylor fan, then you very well already know that The Beatles quite literally started Taylor’s career, given that they signed him to Apple Records. Being one of their first signings, Taylor signed to the label in 1968 and released his debut album months later.

Airing his gratitude, Taylor once stated, “I was a huge Beatles fan. And they were at the very height of their powers. They just kept going, kept growing. So, to be in London, the first person signed to their label in 1968, was really like catching the big wave. It was unbelievable,” via Guitar World.

Dave Grohl

For decades, kids who are picking up music have turned to The Beatles for both inspiration and education. Decades ago, one of those kids was Dave Grohl, and he once frankly shared that if The Beatles didn’t exist, then his music career wouldn’t either.

Concerning his high praise for the band, Grohl wrote, “If it weren’t for The Beatles, I would not be a musician. From a very young age I became fascinated with their songs and over the years have drowned myself in the depth of their catalogue… The Beatles seemed to be capable of anything,” via Huffpost.

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