NYT Says Taylor Swift Is Bigger Than The Beatles!? WTF

In this episode, I talk about a New York Times article I came across that tries to answer the question if Taylor Swift is as popular as some of the biggest artists in the past.

📘— The Beato Book Interactive - $99.00 value
🎸 — Beato Beginner Guitar - $159.00 value
👂— The Beato Ear Training Program - $99.00 value
🎸— The Quick Lessons Pro Guitar Course - $79.00 value

… all for just $99.00

My Beato Club supporters:
Justin Scott
Terence Mark
Jason Murray
Lucienne Kilpatrick
Alexander Young
Jason Wagner
Todd Ladner
Rob Kline
Nicholas Long
Tim Benson
Leonardo Martins da Costa Rodrigues
Eddie Perez
David Solomon
MICHAEL JOYCE
Stephen Stubbs
colin stead
Jonathan Wentworth-Linton
Patrick Payne
MATTHEW KARIS
Matthew Barouch
Shaun Samuels
Danny Kurywchak
Gregory Reedy
Sean Coleman
Alexander Verbitskiy
CL Turner
Jason Pappafotis
John Fulford
Margaret Carno
Robert C
David M Combs
Eric Flatt
Reto Spoerli
Herr Moritz Adam
Monte St. Johns
Jon Beezley
Peter DeVault
Eric Nabstedt
Eric Beggs
Rich Germano
Brian Bloom
Peter Pillitteri
Piush Dahal

[ninthhorizon]

The fact that the Beatles did what they did without social media, streaming and all the instant platforms out there tells you how big they were.

[nicholashylton]

*"[Blank] artist/band is now bigger than the Beatles."*
We've heard that over, and over, and over through the decades.

[sonnyboybluesharpfargo]

"Don't confuse the size of your paycheck with the size of your talent". Marlon Brando

[Tom-yj]

My dad listened to The Beatles, I listen to The Beatles, my daughter listens to The Beatles.

[Donci-ulpz]

I think the artistic effect of the Beatles is incomparable, and their importance cannot be measured by statistics.

[usernameinfotherevenge]

Can someone please explain why I have spent the last ten years hearing about Taylor Swift but I couldn't name one of her songs?

[simonjacques]

the Beatles had a ton of #1 when the competition was: the Stones, Hendrix, the Beach Boys, etc, etc.

[dannylaureys]

" Tomorrow Never knows" 1966, listen to today and it sounds like it was written in the future.

[mdw]

As somebody who grew up in the UK with the Beatles music, yes I am that old, they were more than just their songs. They were at the forefront of a generational change, both musically and culturally. Their legacy goes far beyond than just their music.

[haewonyoon]

Listening to you, I'd like to sum it up like this: The Beatles was art, and Taylor Swift is industry.

[paulfoster]

60 years later, young Russian kids know Beatles and can sing them in English, Japanese symphonies are still playing their melodies, Brazilian string quartets are playing their music. They wrote in the genres of Pop, Baroque, rock and roll, Rock-a-billy, Folk, Country & Western, Heavy metal, Chamber music, Ragtime, Vaudeville, Music hall, Tin Pan Slley, Twelve bar blues, Ballad, Piano roll, Showtunes, Eastern Indian, Psychedelic, Circus music & Children’s music...
Wrote in dance styles – waltz, cha-cha, polka, jitterbug, two step
The group is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Each member is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame individually
Three members are in the Songwriters Hall of Fame
They were such prolific song writers that they wrote 26 songs for other groups, Including the Rolling Stones’ first hit and 4 # 1 songs for those groups.
Their song, “Yesterday”, has been covered by more artists (an estimated 2500) than any song in history.
AND WE'RE HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS????!!!!

[TheDavidDunham]

When John Kennedy was killed in November 1963, much of the world was cast into pain, sadness, and depression.
The Beatles came along early the next year and restored us. They gave us what we needed when we needed it most, and many in my generation are forever grateful.

[avangar]

Even in my country in Kazakhstan, Almaty we have a statue of the Beatles

[dabaconsleepstonight]

i would like to add a bit to what rick said. taylor swift constantly changes her style to fit in as pop music changes. the beatles changed pop music to fit their style.

[lovesmusic]

So in the 80s I saw Paul McCartney in Tampa stadium. 60, 000 people were mesmerized by a small band with no smoke/fireworks, backup dancers, and flashy costumes. You haven’t lived until you sing Hey Jude with McCartney and 60, 000 people on a warm summer evening.

Taylor Swift is a smart woman who has captured her audience. I admire her showmanship skills, her relationship with her fans and her style. I just watched her Eras tour video. I see why she is so popular. She’s a personal event storyteller.

But she’s not the Beatles no matter how many records she sells. I don’t even think she wants to be anybody but Taylor. Good for her. Different times produce different artists. Opinion writers seem to feel the need for comparisons that are pointless. Like comparing Van Gogh and Jackson Pollock. I feel the Beatles legacy is safe.

[jackbraunstein]

Taylor Swift may be talented but who would know? She's a product, a point of sale, a cash register where sales happen.

[stevenbyrd]

I read the NYT article and their number-crunching nonsense. They should have dialed up Rick and asked for a comment. This video is the best response to it I've seen.

[phantasmal]

I’m from the Netherlands, The Beatles are inside our high school history curriculum. They are a mandatory thing we need to know about for our history exams, that is the extent of the cultural impact they’ve had. Who cares if Taylor Swift has more streams, her name will turn to dust in 100 years or so. The Beatles, like many of composers of old, such as Beethoven or Mahler, are here to stay. Immortalized in the history books.

[billdagoe]

You nailed it Rick. Most of today's pop music is boring, repetitive, and simplistic. Most of it repeats a simple three or four note melody ad infinitum and then throw in a hook after maybe 45 seconds or so. I agree the Beatles music had an amazing variety of complex sounds and melodies. Even the best of today's pop artists sound repetitive by comparison. The fact that the Beatles did it all in six or seven years is mind boggling. Their music is still the gold standard today. Unbelievably talented!!

[OkieAllDay]

The fact Taylor Swift has more #1 hits than the Beatles only further proves how much the music industry sucks these days, not how great she is