Forward To Death

Also, no Black Sabbath? Pretty much every heavy music artist is heavily influenced by Sabbath.

Cuthbert

Good point and totally agree.

I can't help but feel The Beatles are disgustingly overrated. I've heard Revolver and Sgt. Pepper and although catchy, I find them both bland. They aren't that interesting or good in terms of rock.

It seems to me that it's been said so much that they are the best band of all time that people these days just believe it. I can name about 5 bands I think make better music and I only started listening to rock music about a year ago.

Rock N' Roll Clown

Maybe that's the reason you think that way about Beatles.

Back on the topic, let's accept that Elvis and Chuck Berry aren't on that list, because they aren't "rock" but "rock n' roll". Otherwise, the battle would be between the two of them. They are much more influential than any of the artists mentioned (James Brown isn't "rock", too, but so isn't Bob Dylan, so I think JB should be on the list, too).

So, if we accept that this is only about "rock" artists influencing the "rock" genre, we immediately exclude some of the options. For example Dylan (his influences spread from political movements to the birth of the hippie movement, and so on, not that much for the rock music itself), Hendrix (he was more influential for the metal genre), and so forth. Even The Beatles, because (although I may be attacked) they had as much influence on the pop music as on the rock music itself. So, between the choices left, I'd choose The Who, because their biggest influence was on pure "rock" bands like Led Zeppelin and Queen.
Another topic is that each one accepts differently terms like "rock", "hard rock", "rock n' roll" and so on, so excuse me if you got me wrong about something.

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Cuthbert

Beatles are in the poll, that was on topic no

Just saying that most of the artists in the poll I've listened to and been impressed, The Beatles are as bland and non threatening as you like. Revolver sounds like something that could be sang on a school bus by all the kids.

Rock N' Roll Clown

That's pretty much what I'm saying. You haven't been impressed by the Beatles, because you haven't listened to enough music (I'm not insulting you in any way, you said yourself that you have listened to rock music only for an year). When you listen to more music I think you will understand how important, unique and amazing they were in the 60s. Their songs sound to you that childish-catchy style, because their melodies and songwriting style have been so influential and used by many pop musicians and sounds kinda cliched. The person above me said it very well: like it or not, they are the most influential (and what is more, they were also the greatest songwriters of all time), which actually makes them the greatest artist of all time.
P.S. Don't think that I'm a blind Beatles fan, there are more than 10 bands which I like much more.

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Cuthbert

Fair.

I have heard people say that they took a sound that was innovative and happening at the time and then made it popular, how true is this?

Still can't help thinking they're overrated though (especially John Lennon). What do I need to listen to to hear them at their "best"? Revolver and Sgt. Pepper were good pop music but I've got tons of albums I think are better than those.

Nic671

You can honestly picture a group of kids singing "Tomorrow Never Knows" or "For No One" on a school bus?