You can think that...but the truth is, before the Beatles, popular music was in an absolute SUCK phase; Elvis in the Army...Buddy, Richie, and JP in that plane...Jerry Lee hiding with his 13-y.o. Cousin/wife in shame...Little Richard headed back to the pulpit...

By 1962, people were back to listening to records of "How Much Is that Doggie In the Window" that sounded like they were recorded over the phone.

Not only did the Beatles change the way music was WRITTEN (taking it out if the hands of the record companies and instilling the ORIGINAL D.I.Y. Ethic) but the way it was recorded in the studio and listened to it at home.

I can guarantee that if you listen to music that is not European classical or opera, American jazz or blues, or Eastern/Drone/Raga...that is, if a band you like puts out an album (CD or download for ignorant youth), and it has the lyrics printed inside, and/or a Producer credit, then it has roots that lead directly to the Beatles.

Then again, I just saw that you are from Philadelphia (I can't think of a single decent band from the Philly area)...the same city that boos Santa Claus...I remember Michael Irvin getting booed after he was wheeled off the turf of the Vet...those moronic Philly fans even booed Donovan McNabb when he got drafted, and are now talking smack on him now that he's gone.

People from Philly must have a genetic retardation inherent to the region...

Maybe it's the water?

I want to archive this ridiculousness in my signature, but it's too big. =\

Edit it down - pick the best parts.

What's REALLY ridiculous is that I bother to discuss music with a person who obviously has a revisionist view of musical history.

The Beatles DID that - you don't have to LIKE it...but it actually happened.

They completely altered the landscape of what popular music was at their time, and forever after them.

Period.

You can TRY to argue that, but since it actually HAPPENED, the only ridiculousness will probably be what you post in response.

LOL. Let me start off by saying I've only lived in Philly for a couple years so trying to insult me by dissing the city I live in isn't going to have the desired effect. Nice try.

I would say, though, that a number of things about your post call your knowledge of music into question. The top two for me are the fact that you seem to think nothing worthwhile was happening with music in the early 60s and that you "can't think of a single decent band from the Philly area" despite the city's legendary place in the history of soul music, not to mention its currently thriving music scenes.

May I ask why? Have you ever seen Paul Stanley try to play a guitar?

it was a joke (sarcasm?)

anyone who live in Philly knows exactly what a dunghole that place is.

...so it wasn't news to you that the people there suck as well.

Got it.

I stated rock/pop music was in a slump.

Read exactly what I post before you decide that I'm an idiot.


Great.

Name some.

yeah.

Unfortunately, I've heard it, too.

You seem very bitter about Philly. Did Philly touch you inappropriately when you were a child or something?

What you exactly said was "popular music" not "rock/pop".

Here's a nice Wikipedia entry about Philadelphia Soul for you to peruse. It's pretty kooky that a city without "a single decent band" has a whole style of music named after it, eh?

As far as good music that's a little more recent goes:

Genghis Tron
The YMD
Man-Man
Need New Body
An Albatross
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Kurt Vile
Javelina
Clockcleaner
Chiddy Bang
The Roots
Dead Milkmen
Ween

And of course Relapse Records is located here.

Yeah, me and my sister both.

I still have problems talking about it, I can't eat a cheese steak to this day, and still sometimes wet the bed at night.

tomato/tomato.

My point stands unchallenged.


David Bowie is NOT a "Philadelphia Soul" artist - he may have indeed put out a couple of records that borrowed freely from that subgenre of a regional music scene...but I always referred to TWD and Young Americans as "blue-eyed soul" - a direct precursor to Micheal Bolton.

So we can indirectly thank Philly for Michael Bolton, Disco, and that homogenized cream cheese.

as for everyone else on that list - meh.

There are a couple decent artists on there, but no one that stands out and makes me go "Philly is a ROCKING town!"



Meh.

Ween and the Roots are ok.

The Dead Milkmen were funny for a second...

But, again, nothing on THAT list makes me go "Philly is a ROCKING town!"



...and they haven't released a record worth listening to in 10 years, easy.

Nickelback and Linkin Park are my most-hated bands. (and bands like them. Theory of a Deadman, Hinder, Limp Bizkit, etc.)