The Big History Podcast - The Making of Modern America
What events shook the 21st and 20th Century to make America what it is today? In this podcast we cover current politics, music, culture, history. From the Civil Rights Movement and Woodstock to 21st century culture, we examine what makes America what it is today?
The Big History Podcast - The Making of Modern America
The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones: Who is the best rock group of all time?
Is it possible that The Beatles and The Rolling Stones shaped modern music more than any other bands in history? Join us as we unpack this iconic rivalry and examine the profound cultural and musical impact both groups have had. In this episode, we spotlight The Beatles' groundbreaking studio techniques, from double tracking vocals to backwards recordings, and how they captivated the world with Beatlemania. We also explore their role in the British Invasion and their ability to resonate during socially and politically challenging times.
But that’s not all. We also dive into the raw energy and rebellious spirit that The Rolling Stones brought to rock and roll. From their bluesy riffs to their electrifying live performances, the Stones have epitomized rock star swagger for decades. This episode also features insights from Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger on their creative rivalry and mutual respect, illustrating how each band pushed the other to greater heights. Celebrate with us as we appreciate the artistry and lasting influence of these two titanic bands that continue to spark passionate debates among music lovers everywhere.
All right, so are you ready to wade into one of music's well, I guess, greatest rivalries we're diving into the Beatles versus the Rolling Stones today. Oh, a classic. Yeah, it's a debate that you know, people have been having for decades.
Speaker 2:It's legendary.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, we are going deep today.
Speaker 2:Sure.
Speaker 1:To. I don't know if we can settle it but, at least we can give you enough to you know, to win your next music history showdown.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:You guys have given us articles, YouTube videos. I even saw a Reddit thread.
Speaker 2:I saw that too.
Speaker 1:Dedicated to the Beatles versus the Rolling Stones.
Speaker 2:It's out there.
Speaker 1:So let's do this, let's unpack this whole musical clash of the Titans. What do you think?
Speaker 2:Oh, it's fascinating, isn't it Like how two bands can, just you know, spark such passionate debate, even after all these years? I think that really speaks volumes to the kind of impact both the Beatles and the Stones have had on music and, well, culture in general.
Speaker 1:Absolutely Now. For some people, the Beatles I mean they're the undisputed champs. I mean you can't deny the sales, they are the top selling music act of all time. It's with sales doubled out of the Rolling Stones. But it's not just about, like you know, how many records were sold.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:It's what it represents.
Speaker 2:Exactly, exactly. I mean the Beatles. They weren't just making music, they were really connecting with this global audience on like a deeply emotional level and their music kind of tapped into this, this universal longing for something more, a sense of freedom, a sense of possibility, especially, I think, in the wake of World War Two.
Speaker 1:And Beatlemania. You can't talk about the Beatles without talking about Beatlemania. It wasn't just fandom, it was like this cultural earthquake Suddenly everyone knew you know John, paul, george and Ringo from like teenagers to grandparents.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, they were everywhere. And you also can't forget about the British invasion.
Speaker 1:Oh right.
Speaker 2:I mean before the Beatles rock and roll it was largely considered like an American thing. And the Beatles come in and they flip the script and suddenly it's like the floodgates open and you've got this wave of british bands that kind of, you know, changed the landscape of popular music forever talk about a musical revolution totally speaking of revolution, can we talk about how the beatles were basically mad scientists in the studio?
Speaker 1:oh yeah, for sure these guys were constantly pushing boundaries, experimenting with techniques that like nobody had ever heard before.
Speaker 2:Right, they really did treat the recording studio like an instrument itself, like take double tracking vocals, for instance. You know that's where a singer records the same vocal part twice and it creates this richer, fuller sound.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:The Beatles were, like, among the first to utilize that, and it added this whole other dimension to their recordings.
Speaker 1:And it wasn't just like double tracking, it was like feedback tape speeds. They were even messing around with backwards recordings in their music.
Speaker 2:Exactly Techniques that are like commonplace now in music production. But back then it was groundbreaking. Nobody was doing that and the Beatles were like leading the charge the charge.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they were always trying new things absolutely like every beatles album sounds fresh and uh and just innovative, because they weren't afraid to just like throw out the rule book and just push the boundaries of what pop music was supposed to be. For sure, for sure, and it wasn't just about the sound, was it? I mean, they weren't afraid to push lyrical boundaries as well.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Like they went beyond just the typical. I don't know.
Speaker 2:Like just the love songs.
Speaker 1:The love songs of the time, yeah, and they're exploring like peace, rebellion, even questioning authority.
Speaker 2:Right, and it was during such a tumultuous time.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Right, like socially and politically. So their music became the soundtrack for an entire generation that was dealing with all of that.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:This yearning for peace, for understanding, and I think that really cemented their place not just as musicians but as cultural icons. That's so true. Not just as musicians, but as cultural icons.
Speaker 1:That's so true. I mean, it is amazing to think about how their music from, like you know, 50, 60 years ago still resonates with people today.
Speaker 2:Oh absolutely.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's incredible, yeah, we can't forget, though, there's another band across the ring, right right, the Rolling Stones have their own story, oh yeah, and it's deeply intertw, deeply intertwined with, like, rock and roll itself. Absolutely Like when you think rock and roll, yeah, you think rebellion, you think swagger, you think that that raw energy that raw energy that you just like you can feel it coming off the stage Absolutely. And that's the Rolling Stones. Yes, they like they embodied that rock star image in a way that few bands ever have.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I mean, if the Beatles were like the musical revolutionaries, the Stones were the rock and roll rebels.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:They just had that, like you know, that dangerous edgy vibe Totally Fueled by like bluesy riffs.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:And just like an unapologetic stage presence.
Speaker 1:Yes, and speaking of, I mean talk about longevity.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:The Beatles right, they were a whirlwind, they burned bright for a decade, right. But the Stones these guys have been going strong for over half a century. I know they're still selling out stadiums. That's incredible, proving that rock and roll, I mean, never gets old. I think it's in that Reddit thread you gave me, someone called them like the best live band ever.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I could see that.
Speaker 1:And, honestly, like after watching some of their concert footage.
Speaker 2:I can see why they?
Speaker 1:just they have this energy, oh they have this undeniable stage presence. Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's for sure. But you know it's not just about the image, I mean musically they're incredible.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:I think one of the articles we read I think it was Cosmic talked about Keith Richards.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And his unique guitar style.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, he does that thing with the. What is it? The open tunings, right?
Speaker 2:Yes, the open tuning the open tuning.
Speaker 1:I've never really thought about it before, but that is a huge part of their sound.
Speaker 2:It really is. So, instead of tuning his guitar to, like you know, the standard tuning, richards will often use these open tunings where the strings are tuned to a chord. Oh, wow so it creates this like brighter, more resonant sound and it lets him like play these chords with like just one finger bar across the fretboard. Oh, it's so cool, yeah, so it just gives this, like this, instantly recognizable character, to the Stones music.
Speaker 1:It's like their secret sauce.
Speaker 2:Right, Exactly, and you know speaking of innovation.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:The Stones were also like these pioneers when it came to recording technology.
Speaker 1:They were.
Speaker 2:One of the videos you shared. Yeah, pioneers when it came to recording technology. One of the videos you shared talks about how they were some of the first to use mobile recording studios.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:So they were capturing this raw energy in these new and exciting ways.
Speaker 1:That's wild.
Speaker 2:They even took over this luxurious villa for one of their albums, turned the whole place into their own personal recording studio. Wow. So they were always pushing those boundaries, exploring new sonic landscapes.
Speaker 1:It's like they had that drive yeah. To just constantly be experimenting.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:To like break free from I don't know like the conventions Right.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:Whether it was in the studio or on stage, for sure. But even with all that rebellious spirit, there was this like surprising amount of mutual respect between them.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Between them and the Beatles wasn't there.
Speaker 2:Oh, for sure.
Speaker 1:It's like you had these two forces in music pushing each other to be more creative, be bolder, you know.
Speaker 2:Totally, and I think that's what gets lost in this whole versus narrative.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know yeah.
Speaker 2:It wasn't just about competition. It was also about mutual respect and this shared passion for just pushing the boundaries of music.
Speaker 1:Totally. I love that quote from Paul McCartney where he talks about how Keith Richards told him you were really lucky in your band you had four singers. We had one wire rope there, even in like the little jab. There you can hear the respect exactly and like when mick jagger inducted the beatles into the rock and roll hall of fame oh yeah he talked about how, like the rivalry was more about the media yeah, like the media and the hype the circumstance than any real like animosity yeah, for sure he said uh, we went through some pretty strange times.
Speaker 1:We had a lot of rivalry in those early years and a little bit of friction, but we always ended up friends and I like to think we still are, because they were some of the greatest times of our lives.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's sweet, Isn't that nice? Yeah, I like that. It's kind of heartwarming to think.
Speaker 1:It is.
Speaker 2:Like beneath all that rock star.
Speaker 1:All the swagger.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the posturing there was like a genuine appreciation for each other, totally For each other's talents.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I like that a lot. It's cool. So, after all this, where do we land on this debate?
Speaker 2:Because you know someone's like comparing apples and oranges, both incredible fruits but with, like, totally different flavors. Okay, the beetles, they were masters of melody, you know pushing the boundaries of like studio recording right tapping into this like universal desire for peace and change, I mean. Their impact on pop culture is just immeasurable huge and the stones, the stones.
Speaker 1:They were rock and roll, rebellion, swagger, grit you know, fueled by the blues and that like raw, untamed energy true they showed the world that rock and roll could like, could last it could age gracefully could get better with time yes, exactly awesome so it's not really about choosing a side, you know.
Speaker 2:It's about appreciating how both bands really shape the landscape of music as we know it that's a good point they each offer something unique, something powerful and, I think, some things that continues to resonate like with generations of music lovers.
Speaker 1:Beautifully said, so you heard it here first, folks, after this deep dive, you are now armed with enough Beatles and Stones knowledge to impress, even like the biggest music buff at your next party, right? But more importantly, yeah. I hope this encourages you to you know what I mean. Just listen with fresh ears, appreciate both bands, appreciate their artistry, their innovation.
Speaker 2:For sure.
Speaker 1:And just celebrate, like the power of music right Absolutely To inspire us, to challenge us and to bring us all together.
Speaker 2:I'm with you.
Speaker 1:And, hey, maybe you'll find a new favorite song along the way.