Has the Beach Boys music aged better than the Beatles?

[Mellotron]

My hamster that died 40 years ago has aged better than those tinny, mouthy, boring and one dimensional scousers.

Love me do, my arse.

Probably the LEAST one dimensional band of all time.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

All ways liked this one.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Te_lCF69Aw

 

[brakespear]

Much prefer the Beach Boys to The Beatles, personally, although both have obviously been huge influences on music that came after.

 

[Fungus]

If you don't like The Beatles you don't understand popular music.

This, and double for anyone that only buys "greatest hits".

Coincidentally, I've recently been Googling "music moocs", and found some free courses - https://www.coursera.org/course/beatles might be of interest to people here, but there are plenty more at https://www.coursera.org/courses?orderby=upcoming&cats=music

 

[Fungus]

Is a very correct answer.

Love virtually everything The Beatles did (apart from Old Brown Shoe)

And my avatar and signature gives away my adoration of Pet Sounds

My sig gives away something too...

 

[Prince Monolulu]

Dame Vera Lynn's music has aged better than The Beatles

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Where's me hankie.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGQgdE50QA4

 

[8th battalion East Lancs]

I really do hate this comparison stuff. I liked both of them and they've both aged just fine.

 

[Surf's Up]

I really do hate this comparison stuff. I liked both of them and they've both aged just fine.

Totally agree with this. Both did some superb stuff, some average stuff and some crap. The best of the Beatles, for me, were The White Album, Abbey Road and Revolver. For the Beach Boys it was Smile, Surfs Up and Holland.

 

[Jbanged]

Strangely dug out a beach boys album the other day to put in the car. Sounds great. Even better on a sunny day!!

 

[Vegas Seagull]

I really do hate this comparison stuff. I liked both of them and they've both aged just fine.


Compared with who?

 

[Jam The Man]

My sig gives away something too...

Oh buh buh boh yeah yeah!

 

[Pevenseagull]

"God Only Knows" is better than "I Want To Hold Your Hand"






which is an achievement

 

[studio150]

For those that believe that the Beach Boys have aged better than the Beatles, it is probably down to the fact that the Beatles are played far more regularly than the Beach Boys, so their songs are more well known. Also the fact that bands like ELO and Oasis made a career out of playing songs which were heavily influenced by the Beatles. Which means that when you play a Beach Boys album it will sound fresher as the songs are not on heavy rotation on Radio 2 and elsewhere.

Personally much prefer the Beatles, and currently enjoying listening to their early albums again while reading 'All these years volume one tune in' by Mark Lewisohn.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

It's all a matter of the best possible (personal) taste....Beach Boys,Beatles,Kinks...http://youtube.com/watch?v=0ruUHXwLQIM I preferred Abbey Road....
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CK-Po-lGY8k Great in the 60s ..linked to sunshine and vacations on the beach.
youtube.com/watch?v=fom8GZKAmRY

 

[Mowgli37]

The Beatles suffer from having their early stuff being on heavy, HEAVY rotation. Songs like She Loves You, I Want to Hold your Hand and All my Loving are good tunes but very 'radio safe', nothing too adventurous and could really be any 60s pop group to the unknowing listener. As a result loads of people have built this negative boy-band image of them despite being unaware of their later (and mostly genius) output.

Take 'Tomorrow Never Knows', a frankly, incredible track, so ahead of it's time and yet how many average mainstream radio listeners would name it as a Beatles song, or even have heard it before? I've certainly never heard it being played (bar the excellent 6 Music). The vast plethora of styles, genres and instruments contained in the Beatles catalogue means that once you look beyond the dozen or so tracks that everyone has heard a million times, there's something for everyone, I can't say I've ever met anyone who despises each and every track they made.

I'm ashamed to say it, but I really haven't heard all that much Beach Boys music to compare them to the Beatles in terms of how they've aged. Judging by some of the thread replies though, I'd imagine they're in a similar situation, lots of hidden gems and a number of heavily played hits.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

For those that believe that the Beach Boys have aged better than the Beatles, it is probably down to the fact that the Beatles are played far more regularly than the Beach Boys, so their songs are more well known.

I wouldn't say that's the case, certainly not in a modern context. Isn't there some issue with the rights to the Beatles' songs, which basically means that radio stations (I'm thinking of the BBC here but it may apply elsewhere) don't play them? Whereas it's not hugely uncommon to hear Good Vibrations, say, or God Only Knows. I never, ever hear the Beatles on the radio (but it's not a Sixties thing as I do hear the Who, the Stones and so on).

I may be lining myself up for some stick here- but is Paul McCartney actually a particularly good singer? Or is my memory being tainted by wobbly recent stuff from him?

 

[Jam The Man]

I may be lining myself up for some stick here- but is Paul McCartney actually a particularly good singer? Or is my memory being tainted by wobbly recent stuff from him?

I think it's fair to say that his voice has deteriorated dramatically in the last decade. Probably down to age. I would however also say that Weller has a shocking voice now and I know I'll get panned for saying it!

Has McCartney ever had a good voice?
I'd suggest (imo) that he always had a good enough voice. I think The Beatles were a sum of four parts that were good enough for what they needed to be and luckily the completeness made them extraordinary.
I think he was probably the best singer in the band, but the OTT pro-Lennon brigade won't agree. They often want to conveniently believe it was Lennon's band alone, which it never was.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Help, Penny Lane, Money, I saw her Standing there, You really got a Hold on Me, Michelle, Norwegian Wood, Day Tripper, Paperback Writer, Eleanor Rigby. Can't think of anything much by the Beach Boys, but these are Beatles c
lassics I never tire of.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Oh, and the glorious Here Comes the Sun.