The Beatles Forever

Our friends over at Skeptical Eye have rekindled an age old debate. One I know my friends and I have argued about through the years. Who is the greatest rock band in history? The question itself is overwhelming on its own without setting a defined set of criteria. Still, generally, the usual suspects remain The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and The Beatles.

I said "rock band" not rock acts. So Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Buddy Holly, Bo Diddley and whoever else I'm missing are not part of the discussion.

Bruce Springsteen on his own is a no-go but is he with the E Street Band?

There is no right answer. Of Course. It's similar to any debate in pro sports. Pele, di Stefano or Maradona? Gretzky or Orr or Howe or Lemieux? Jim Brown or Barry Sanders? Jim Rice or Don Hutson? Joe Montana, Tom Brady or Peyton Manning? The only two sports that seem to have a clear king are basketball with Michael Jordan and baseball with Babe Ruth. With respect to Wilt Chamberlin, Ty Cobb and anyone else you care to mention.

So it is with rock' n roll. In sports, you can, up to a point objectively examine and determine athletic dominance. In music it's a little harder. I'm not sure music sales tell the entire story. What's left? Body of work, the influence a record leaves in future generations of musicians, impact on pop culture come to mind.

There have been many, many great, legendary rock bands in music history. Too many to name here. Some are even under rated. There's a question: Who are the most under rated band/and or singers of all time?

Anyway. For me? It's The Beatles. Hands down. I can't see how you can't say otherwise. Just in case, here are 20 reasons why.

Scratch the Stones and Zeppelin and you find Robert Johnson and the blues. This is not to disparage those bands. Far from it. Far, far from it. I love pulling out Exile or Zep's I anytime.

But.

Scratch The Beatles and you find nothing like it in 20th century music.

Revolver is one of those perfect, magical albums very few rival. A pure masterpiece.