What genre would you call The Beatles? Would you call them pop, rock, psychedelic, or doo-wop? Or, would you say they encompassed all of those genres? Personally, I believe they encompass all of those genres, but some famous musicians view The Beatles merely as a pop group, and one of those musicians is The Who’s Pete Townshend.
One cannot argue that The Beatles didn’t make pop music. In their earlier years, The Beatles notched enormous No. 1 pop hits with singles such as “I Want To Hold Your Hand”, “Can’t Buy Me Love”, “She Loves You”, and “Love Me Do”. However, by 1965, The Beatles had significantly altered their sound, leaning toward experimental rock ‘n’ roll with the release of Rubber Soul. And after that, they continued to push the limits of rock ‘n’ roll with albums such as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The White Album, and Let It Be.
Videos by American Songwriter
Despite The Beatles’ invaluable contributions to rock ‘n’ roll and its subgenres, Pete Townshend didn’t consider them a true rock band. Rather, he viewed them “as a big pop phenomenon.”
The Rolling Stones Were Rock and Roll, Not The Beatles
In a 1982 interview with Rolling Stone, Pete Townshend candidly revealed why he didn’t believe The Beatles were a rock ‘n’ roll band. Townshend started off his point of view by stating, “You know, I could sit down and have a conversation with Paul about rock ‘n’ roll, and we’d be talking about two different things.”
“To me, rock was The Rolling Stones, and before that, Chuck Berry, and before that, maybe a few people who lived in fields in Louisiana, but I can’t really include the Beatles in that. The Beatles were over with Herman’s Hermits. That’s not rock ‘n’ roll,” continued Pete Townshend.
In essence, Townshend viewed The Beatles as “a big pop phenomenon” who created “light music with occasional masterpieces thrown in.” This quote in particular is a hot, hot take, to say the least. Still, when viewed through Townshend’s lens (and when one compares The Beatles’ music to that of The Who, Led Zeppelin, and The Rolling Stones), they aren’t black-and-white rock ‘n’ roll in the slightest.
But, does that mean you can’t call them rock ‘n’ roll at all? Instead, couldn’t you say they reconceptualized rock ‘n’ roll? Nevertheless, we all now know Pete Townshend’s thoughts on the matter.
Photo by Chris Morphet/Getty Images
More Features
-
Photo by Stanley Bielecki/ASP/Getty Images -
th September 1976: British rock group Queen at Les Ambassadeurs, where they were presented with silver, gold and platinum discs for sales in excess of one million of their hit single 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. The band are, from left to right, John Deacon, Freddie Mercury (Frederick Bulsara, 1946 – 1991), Roger Taylor and Brian May. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) -
Left to right: Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page, of British heavy rock group Led Zeppelin, performing at Earl's Court, London, May 1975. The band were initially booked to play three nights at the venue, from 23rd to 25th May, but due to public demand, two more concerts were later added, for 17th and 18th May. Total ticket sales were 85,000. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images) -
Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry -
Badfinger performs at Pasadena Civic Auditorium Pasadena, CA 1972; Various Locations; Mark Sullivan 70's Rock Archive (Photo by Mark Sullivan/Contour by Getty Images) -
12th April 1982: Laid back American country singer Don Williams performing in the Country Music Festival at Wembley. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
INGLEWOOD – FEBRUARY 19: Prince performs live at the Fabulous Forum on February 19, 1985 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
