Led Zeppelin vs The Beatles

[scooterb]

Both considered to be the greatest 2 bands of all time.

Very close but, Zeppelin for me.
Absolutley dominated from 1969 to the late 70's.
Although Presence and In Through The Out Door weren't too good, they still contained a few good tracks.
Led Zep I - IV, Physical Graffiti and Houses of the Holy all were fantastic, hardly a skipable song.

Beatles are probably bigger because they were more of a commercial band than Zep, although they were still pretty good.


Who's your pick?

 

[bunsen burner]

Personally: Stones

But I think it's hard to deny the Beatles are the Bradman of music. But there's no question that Beatles, Stones, and Zeppelin are the 3 greatest bands of all time.

 

[lachlan24]

Beatles for me, i love 'em!

 

[whythelongface]

Both considered to be the greatest 2 bands of all time.

By whom?

Granted that the Beatles are, whilst Zeppelin are a damn fine band there are a no. of other contenders that could be considered as one of the top 2 bands - the Stones are one band that comes to mind.

 

[johnnyhoward]

Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, in that order, which is probably widely accepted (well, the poll may suggest otherwise). I'm a huge fan of all bands, but the Beatles would be my favourite.

All bands, as strange as it sounds, had their weak points. The Beatles in 1963-64 with those teenybopper albums; the Stones post-Tattoo You have been mostly weak and Zeppelin's final two albums were mediocre. Still, all those albums have had at least a handful of decent songs on them.

 

[Schism]

Howlin' Wolf

 

[wally funk]

zep easily for me out of these two, although the beatles are grouse (and better than 99.99999% of all bands that have ever existed)

 

[Arcadion]

U2 > All

 

[ManWithNoName]

Beatles are the best ever. Easily.

 

[Bomber32]

The Beatles without question. No other band has made such an enormous impact on popular culture and society in general.

 

[The Passenger]

technically better - IMO definetaly zeppelin.

musically better - each to their own opinion. i prefer listening to zep, but both bands are in my top 5 favourites.

more popular - definetaly beatles - i think its fair to say they are the most popular band of all time in terms of rock and roll. zeppelin would be vying with a number of others bands for the #2 spot.

 

[G.O.B]

The Beatles quite comfortably in all facets of this argument imo.
The only band that rivals the Fab Four from that era is Pink Floyd imo.

Having said that, imagine a time when you were getting fresh material from The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zep, Black Sabbath, The Stones, Jimi, Brian Wilson and co.......et al
It sure as hell beats the crap out of most of the shit that's coming out today. Even the good stuff is still copping a fair belting.

 

[SunKing]

The Beatles by a looooooooong way. Zep were pretty good and I like some of their stuff but they weren't in the same league as the fabs. I agree also that their closest artistic rivals were Pink Floyd with Syd Barret. Had Syd stayed sane they would have given The Beatles their only serious competition.

 

[scooterb]

Zep had comparable members to the Beatles, the Page-Plant combo was just as good as the McCartney-Lennon combination, Plant had one of the most, brilliant unique voices i have ever heard and Jimmy Page is with out a doubt in the top 5 guitarists of all time. John Bonham, i believe, was the best drummer of all time by a mile, just mesmerizing. John Paul Jones, although not very well known, was amazingly multi talented and could pretty much play every instrument, and do a damn fine job on it.

Beatles made some terrific popular music, but 1 vs 1, they just don't compare.
Even without commercially driven success, Led Zeppelin still out sold The Stones and the Who all the way throughout the 70's.

 

[whythelongface]

Zep had comparable members to the Beatles, the Page-Plant combo was just as good as the McCartney-Lennon combination, Plant had one of the most, brilliant unique voices i have ever heard and Jimmy Page is with out a doubt in the top 5 guitarists of all time. John Bonham, i believe, was the best drummer of all time by a mile, just mesmerizing. John Paul Jones, although not very well known, was amazingly multi talented and could pretty much play every instrument, and do a damn fine job on it.

Beatles made some terrific popular music, but 1 vs 1, they just don't compare.
Even without commercially driven success, Led Zeppelin still out sold The Stones and the Who all the way throughout the 70's.

Whilst Zeppelin may have been individually better musicians, they don't even come close to the Fab Four. The Beatles were and always will be considered the greatest band that walked this planet.

 

[mattdavies_03]

Better: Beatles

Who I'd rather listen to: Zeppelin

 

[ManWithNoName]

Zep had comparable members to the Beatles, the Page-Plant combo was just as good as the McCartney-Lennon combination, Plant had one of the most, brilliant unique voices i have ever heard and Jimmy Page is with out a doubt in the top 5 guitarists of all time. John Bonham, i believe, was the best drummer of all time by a mile, just mesmerizing. John Paul Jones, although not very well known, was amazingly multi talented and could pretty much play every instrument, and do a damn fine job on it.

Beatles made some terrific popular music, but 1 vs 1, they just don't compare.
Even without commercially driven success, Led Zeppelin still out sold The Stones and the Who all the way throughout the 70's.

You're probably right, technically Zepplin were better musicians. But the Beatles had the best songwriting combo ever in Lennon/McCartney and probably the most underrated song writer ever in George Harrison.

 

[Papa G]

Better: Beatles

Who I'd rather listen to: Zeppelin

That's the point. In my honest opinion, the Beatles are considered the greatest band of all time because every generation since has been told they are the greatest band of all time. If you don't agree with it you are shouted down. The post above illustrates this perfectly. If you'd rather listen to someone, in your eyes or ears doesn't that make them better? I personally have been through a Beatles phase and appreciate their music, but honestly they don't even come close to being in my top 5 bands. If I had a choice of putting on a Led Zeppelin album or a Beatles album I would chose a Zep album every time.

I often wonder how many people say the Beatles are the best band of all time because they truely believe it, own all their albums and listen to them regularly, or they just say it because it is the excepted thing to say?

 

[SunKing]

I often wonder how many people say the Beatles are the best band of all time because they truely believe it, own all their albums and listen to them regularly, or they just say it because it is the excepted thing to say?

Most say it because it's true. In one of the many Beatles vs Stones threads I remember someone saying that every Stones fan deep,deep down knows in his heart The Beatles are superior,it's a fact. If you prefer The Stones,fine.

Lennon/McCartney are the greatest songwriters of the 20th century and the writers in The Stones,Zep or whoever just can't compare.

 

[EnglishWarrior]

Most say it because it's true. In one of the many Beatles vs Stones threads I remember someone saying that every Stones fan deep,deep down knows in his heart The Beatles are superior,it's a fact. If you prefer The Stones,fine.

Lennon/McCartney are the greatest songwriters of the 20th century and the writers in The Stones,Zep or whoever just can't compare.

I don't think anyone will ever touch the Beatles to be honest. I came back to this conclusion just the other night when I was playing their stuff on random play on Itunes. No other band can give you the range or scope they can.

When all is said and done, they really are quite simply put, phenomenal.

 

[Papa G]

Most say it because it's true. In one of the many Beatles vs Stones threads I remember someone saying that every Stones fan deep,deep down knows in his heart The Beatles are superior,it's a fact. If you prefer The Stones,fine.

Lennon/McCartney are the greatest songwriters of the 20th century and the writers in The Stones,Zep or whoever just can't compare.

Just cause you say it is does not make it so. I know you are going to point to millions of music poles and "experts" that say the Beatles are the greatest, but I just wonder how many would say they were the greatest if they hadn't grown up with everybody telling them the Beatles were the greatest, and to say they weren't is tantamount to herecy. I can honestly understand why people love the Beatles but can't understand why they are put on a pedestal far above everyone else. Their early stuff, as someone pointed out, was teeny booper shit played with 3 chrords and would be laughed at these days if it was put out by anyone else but the Beatles.

 

[Crissy_v]

U2 > All

agree

on the subject the Beatles>>>>>>Led Zepplin, there are a few bands I'd have above led zepplin actually

 

[EnglishWarrior]

Just cause you say it is does not make it so.

Yeah and cos you say it isn't doesn't make it so either, so whats your point?

Saying "Oh Led Zeppelin are better" is basically one man argueing his personal preference over another mans. It's a waste of time it doesnt mean anything.

I love Zep, but The Beatles are always going to be ranked above them and thats the way it is, and personally I rate them higher so i am cool with that.

To be fair mate, it's a bit dumb to say people only like the Beatles because they are told too. I'm sure most people are able to form their own tastes and opinions through life.

 

[Papa G]

Yeah and cos you say it isn't doesn't make it so either, so whats your point?

Saying "Oh Led Zeppelin are better" is basically one man argueing his personal preference over another mans. It's a waste of time it doesnt mean anything.

To be fair mate, it's a bit dumb to say people only like the Beatles because they are told too. I'm sure most people are able to form their own tastes and opinions through life.

I agree with almost everything bar your last 2 sentences.

 

[MJ101]

Get the led out!!!
Stairway is thrashed but a more mysterious, better, legendary song that any beatles song.

Dont think i dont dig the beatles though!