5 Music Artists Who Had a Significant Influence on The Beatles

Many rock bands, past and present, are inspired by The Beatles. However, the British band didn’t fall in love with rock n’ roll out of nowhere. The Beales had many artists they grew up listening to that fueled their passion for music and influenced how they wanted to sound. 

Here are 5 music artists who had a significant influence on The Beatles

Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly’s music career was tragically cut short, but he still made an impression on one of the greatest rock bands ever. In an interview with Barnes & Noble, Paul McCartney said The Beatles were impressed by Holly because he was one of the first artists they saw who sang and played on songs he had written. 

“Buddy Holly was pretty much on everything he performed,” McCartney explained. “And so when we saw him, we liked that he’d written it, that he was singing it, and that he was playing guitar because a lot of other people just stood there without an instrument. So it became very much something for us to emulate.” 

Little Richard

As Little Richard was rising in America, the fab four were across the ocean, invigorated by his raw energy and booming vocals. John Lennon recalled that his “howling” made him so enticing. 

The Beatles covered some of Little Richard’s music, including “Long Tall Sally” and “Lucille”. Little Richard was also a launching platform for the band as he invited them to open for him in Hamburg for 14 shows in 1962. 

Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry was best known for his advanced guitar playing, and The Beatles admired the creative riffs and solos he created. While the band covered several of his songs, several riffs became samples of Beatles songs. McCartney credited Berry for the bassline in “I Saw Her Standing There.” The Beatles also got in trouble for plagiarism after John Lennon essentially copied a line from Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me.”

Elvis Presley

For The Beatles, Elvis’ impact was beyond music. For many, he was and still is the king of rock n roll, and The Beatles could only dream of achieving his legendary status. All members have shared how much they idolized Elvis and how honored they were to meet him at his home in 1965. 

Still, The Beatles could recognize how excellent his music was, even if his larger-than-life persona also transfixed them. The McCartney biography Many Years From Now reveals that McCartney and Lennon often studied Elvis’ songs, such as “All Shook Up,” and would pay attention to his lyrics and chord changes. 

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan became a global music sensation around the same time as The Beatles, and the band paid attention to what Dylan did well. Each member of the fab four admired Dylan, but Lennon was the most struck by Dylan’s style. He was fascinated by Dylan’s introspective songwriting and brought that to his own music. Songs like “Norwegian Wood” and “In My Life” are heavily influenced by Dylan’s songwriting style.