Steve Lillywhite points out that this detail has made some fans question the title of “greatest band” that many attribute to the group from Liverpool.
The numbers and data that point to the Beatles as the greatest band of all time. However, this title began to be questioned by a fan base that sees the Queen as truly deserving of the post.
The main point of view that leads to this conclusion was exposed by the producer Steve Lillywhite in an interview with Produce Like a Pro (via website Igor Miranda). Known to have worked with U2, Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band and several other notable artists, lillywhite pointed out that Liverpool’s Fab Four “never made music for stadiums”, which would perhaps be the small problem with their legendary work.
“When they talk about the greatest bands of all time, they always mention the Beatles. But now there’s the argument that the Beatles never made stadium music. The Beatles never did anything that could play at a major sporting event.”
A controversial opinion, by the way. First, because excerpts from songs like “Hey Jude” and “All You Need is Love” have already been sung by football fans in England. Second, due to the fact that in the period in which the Beatles existed, music was not something associated with sporting events or with large stadiums and arenas.
Even so, Steve cautiously points out that there is a part of the public with this kind of thinking. He went further to mention that, in the view of these people, Queen would deserve the title of “greatest band” for having built songs that meet this criterion.
“I would never say anyone is bigger than the Beatles. But there is an argument now that Queen, because of their ability to transcend stadiums, are more relevant today than The Beatles.”
Beatles, Queen and Brian May
Perhaps this idea is rejected by the members of the Queen. the guitarist Brian May, for example, he has already declared his passion to the Liverpool Fab Four on several occasions.
In the year 2019, for example, he wrote a letter called “Why I love John Lennon” to the magazine classic rock. In the message, he recalled childhood moments associated with Beatlesdefined by him as “the perfect rock group to inspire all others and rewrite the picture not only of popular music, but of all youth culture”.
“I wasn’t allowed to watch the concerts of the Beatles when I was a child. My parents believed that pop concerts were attended by the wrong group of people. So I never got to see the biggest phenomenon of the 20th century live. However, from the moment I heard the song ‘Love Me Do’ on the radio, I knew the guys were magicians. They gave voice to my hidden joy and anguish as a teenager and struggling to enter the world of the 1960s.”
In the last month of July, May replied to the newspaper The Guardian what band would he want to be in if Queen didn’t exist. “The Beatles, probably,” he declared. “I’m sure it wouldn’t have been easy being a Beatle, but with that incredible level of creativity, I could relate. I watched the documentary Get Back a lot. I was a little sad watching the first part because it reminded me of us – sometimes Queen in the studio would say [simulando voz nervosa]: things are not falling into place’. I felt that they were in a very painful place. However, in the second part, I felt that they were really finding each other again. It’s a textbook of how to be in a studio. If it hadn’t been the Beatles, it might have been Led Zeppelin. If they let me in.”
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
