Before we get into The Beatles versus Pink Floyd debate, People’s personal taste in music is such a completely subjective topic and to merely bring it up can create a lot of emotion. Besides the genres that we know and love, such as rock, jazz, country, pop, hip-hop, metal, and R&B, there’s a ton of sub genres. Fun fact: there’s over 100 sub-genres of metal! That’s sure a lot of categorization.
Beatles: Having the Beat for Over 6 Decades
What’s not to love about The Beatles? George, John, Paul, and Ringo were the quintessential artists who drew in loads and loads of fans back in the 60s. Not without their initial problems, The Beatles grew to be one of the top rock bands in England and eventually all over the world.
It is hard to find a person who has not heard a Beatles song. Whether it’s ‘Penny Lane,’ ‘Eleanor Rigby,’ or ‘Yesterday,’ most people can recognize a tune penned by McCartney or Lennon. The writing duo had their ups and downs, but created absolute magic and dominated the charts for years.
Pink Floyd’s Musical Journey Across Time
Pink Floyd, another UK band, was just as instrumental (pun slightly intended) in their writing, recording, and ultimately their musical journey as The Beatles. In the mid-1960s, Syd Barrett formed Pink Floyd with Roger Waters, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright. The music produced by the band was a mixture of psychedelic, blues, and with some rock elements.
The four musicians played for several years together until Barrett developed symptoms of schizophrenia. In 1968 it was evident that Barrett was unable to continue with the band and he was replaced by David Gilmour. Gilmour was the one primarily responsible for changing the musical style and the guitar sound of Pink Floyd.
The Beatles and Pink Floyd Influenced Modern Music
With incredible musicians often comes incredulous stories, but the two bands pushed the boundaries of rock, psychedelic, and the newer pop genre. Although the musical style for each band was very different, the two groups had loyal fan bases and sold record after record for many years. Furthermore, some of the most successful albums of all time came from The Beatles and Pink Floyd.
Pink Floyd‘s Roger Waters had admitted The Beatles had influenced some of his music, and both groups would draw upon each other for inspiration. Waters learned from Lennon and McCartney that it was okay to write about what they felt and to express themselves in their music. This concept pushed the music of these bands onto the charts and helped them sell their music to an even wider audience.
The Piper Meets Sergeant Pepper at Abbey Roads Studios
Wait, what? One fateful day in March 1967, The Beatles were recording Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Pink Floyd was finishing a session recording Piper at the Gates of Dawn. The two sublimely talented bands ran into each other at Abbey Roads studio. Pink Floyd members asked if they could watch The Beatles work. It was clear that Pink Floyd had a tremendous amount of respect for The Beatles.
Though there never was a true compilation of The Beatles and Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney had guested with David Gilmour and the two had done some collaborations. Each of the bands had groundbreaking work in the way of composition, recording, and their ability to connect with fans.
A Few Final Thoughts
The monumental effect of the music of Pink Floyd and The Beatles extends far beyond their popularity in the 60s through present. If you’re a listener of terrestrial or satellite radio and you like classic rock, it’s hard to go throughout the day and not hear a Beatles song or a Pink Floyd composition. Their indelible mark on the music industry will influence generations to come.
