Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham Once Shared a Criticism About The Beatles That They Would Have Agreed With
To this day, The Beatles are still the best-selling musical act of all time. Their albums and singles sold millions of copies, and their music still performs well on streaming services. However, there is often a debate between rock fans on whether the British band is the greatest of all time. A list from 1970 placed Led Zeppelin ahead of The Beatles, and drummer John Bonham shared a theory that the band might have agreed with.
John Bonham said people cared more about The Beatles’ image than their music
In 1970, just as The Beatles were disbanding, Melody Maker published a poll that labeled Led Zeppelin “the greatest band in the world.” This could be because The Beatles were ending just as Led Zeppelin was skyrocketing to the top, but Bonham had a different theory. In an interview with BBC, Bonham suggested that people were more interested in Led Zeppelin’s music than in their image. For The Beatles, it was the reverse.
“These days, let’s say the public — let’s not just say ‘kids’ because we’ve had all sorts of people at our concerts. They’re coming to listen to what you’re playing and not just to look at you and see what you are,” Bonham explained. “Let’s go back a few years. I remember when I went to see The Beatles. It was to look at them, you know. You didn’t really bother with what you were listening to. Now, it’s not what you are; it’s what you’re playing.”
The fab four stopped touring because it was no longer about the music
The Beatles stopped touring in 1966, arguably when Beatlemania peaked. While the band had dozens of hits, they were also iconic for their fashion and hairstyles and were equally as famous for their brand as they were for their music. The band played for sold-out crowds of screaming fans who showed up to see the fab four live. In an interview with NPR, Paul McCartney explained why the screaming fans became tiresome.
“Later then, it got a bit worrying because now the first sort of flush of the excitement had been going for quite a few years, and we were maturing, and we were sort of out of that phase,” he shared. “It was like, OK, it would be quite nice to be able to hear the song we’re playing. And we couldn’t because it was just a million seagulls screaming.”
After they stopped touring, The Beatles had more time to focus on their music and produced many of their best projects, like Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road.
The Beatles still have way more hits than Led Zeppelin
John Bonham is correct that, at one point, people were more interested in looking at The Beatles rather than listening to them. However, that isn’t the legacy that the band has now. While quality is always subjective, The Beatles still had more success than Led Zeppelin as they produced more hits. Led Zeppelin has more complex tracks, with unbelievable guitar riffs and hardcore instrumentals. However, their lengthy songs and edgier sound didn’t appeal to the masses as The Beatles did.
The Beatles made short, hummable tunes that remain in people’s hearts and minds. That could explain why Led Zeppelin never had a No. 1 hit on U.S. Billboard Hot 100, while The Beatles had 20. People can argue about quality all day long, but nobody tops The Beatles in terms of commercial success.
