[El_Diablo]

my friends and I have debated this at least 20 times.

just curious what everyone here thinks...

[buzbegone]

I lost respect for him after the Beatles completely. I mean, Yoko Ono? What the f*ck was he thinking?!?

[El_Diablo]

I was thinking musically, not personally.
Yoko Ono is a little weird but I could care less about that stuff.

usually when we have this argument it's about his legacy and music more than personal life.
I tend to think he's overrated. he's deified in a lot of ways and I don't see how he ever lived up to that. dying tragically doesn't count.

[Straznicy]

I think he was a bit of a scumbag to be honest. He treated his first wife and son pretty poorly. And I just generally don't like hippies.

[Slamman]

Opinion is Opinion, but I recently watched Imagine, the fact you find behind the celebrity is he was a man pining for peace like a great many others, Because of the fame and celebrity, he and other POP STARS were put on the stand and asked for their input into World problems and affairs as well, I saw more of the man who was unsure of how he felt and place in the World. I've seen the same regarding Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, but all these artists with causes, like Don Henley's Walden Woods have some good intentions that aren't just paving a road to Hell

[mikkenugent]

IMHO very much yes. Not that he wasn't a good musician but he wasn't what everyone claims he was. In a way Hendrix and Cobain suffer from the same hype. The lives they lived and the way they made it to prominence seems to outshine their actual music. I dig Led Zep but not because they wrote great songs like everyone one says, but because they stole great songs! Its a taste thing and don't be pressured into liking someone because its in vogue, in fact I've been in the same type of debates as u with friends.

[Slamman]

You can blame Mr. Lennon for that, and I have no problem with Yoko Ono either, she's a nice person, so why the hate? I think it's misplaced by people who don't really know her

It can be traced back to Lennon and McCartney getting so much credit for their writing as well, think of it in terms of Michael Jackson buying their rights, he must have had a passion for the Beatles as I see it

[El_Diablo]

Paul and John wrote the majority of Beatles music, but McCartney wrote the most by far and wrote more of the better songs (imo).

Lennon's songs were never quite as good.

This post has been edited by El_Diablo on Thursday, Apr 12 2012, 03:12

[darthYENIK]

Totally. But not in a bad way. Just like every other big musician who dies before their time, his legacy and legend grows with every generation that never really knew of him or weren't alive when they were around.

I personally love his music, mostly with the Beatles.

[Cursed]

Nothing wrong with his music particularly but he's always seemed a bit stuck up to me. Then again I suppose being a member of The Beatles could be a reasonable excuse for that.

[Slamman]

Most outspoken in the Beatles, or after, but the same general argument can be made of any pop star in the modern era, take Justin Timberlake, Madonna, and Justin Bieber as examples! It's pretty clear to me

[Mr White0161]

I agree that he is overrated. Personally I hate John Lennon and the Beatles. I think the music that was produced by Lennon and the Beatles was crap. I know many will argue that with me but I also know many agree with me. Quite frankly I think he should have died 20yrs before he did but that's just me...

[Slamman]

Come on, I can't even take that seriously. You can't flat out hate everything, unless all their voices annoy you! ha ha

[El_Diablo]

QUOTE (Mr White0161 @ Wednesday, Apr 11 2012, 16:49)

I agree that he is overrated. Personally I hate John Lennon and the Beatles. I think the music that was produced by Lennon and the Beatles was crap. I know many will argue that with me but I also know many agree with me. Quite frankly I think he should have died 20yrs before he did but that's just me...

yeah this is hyperbolic nonsense, I'm sorry.

nothing you said is really fitting with the discussion.

[Slamman]

If it weren't for the Beatles, some would have remained uninspired to take up music, and by some, I mean later generations that you actually LIKE!, perhaps LOVE!!
One such person is Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P., another is Ozzy Osbourne, who really is a Beatles fan, I believe also giving them credit was Tom Gabriel Fischer of Celtic Frost!!
You also wouldn't have BEATALLICA to enjoy!

[Tyler]

I was a much bigger fan of Paul by far. He was a better pop music writer and an all around better musician. Lennon wrote some good songs, but like someone else Paul had him beat easily.

[Slamman]

I know at least one bass player over the years who loves Paul's bass playing, but I don't find it standing out from other notables, I do like the guy though, it's too bad about his recent marriage that didn't work out, and he lost Linda.
I would say I was just not a fan of Wings, but over the years, you hear songs often enough, they become ones you eventually like, as with A Little Luck and Hey Jude (about Julian Lennon, as I mentioned before)

[Marlowe.]

Compared to George and Paul; yes. He was a better song writer, but an inferior singer and musician. A real arrogant prick, too.

[Slamman]

How so? You guys act like you knew the guy personally, remember impressions are different I'd say

[ThePinkFloydSound]

Overrated? Not really. He was part of a band and was the main lead singer for that band, The Beatles which had a smaller career than most bands, lasting only 7 years.

They made some weird and progressive music and broke down some boundaries in pop music. They changed the face of Rock and Pop forever.

Lennon, then went on to write some nice music after that songs like Imagine, Beautiful Boy, Mother. He was a man that wanted peace. He had a short fuse for corruption and the wrong things in the world.

You can assess John Lennon's writing skills or musical skills, his wit etc but you can't ignore his personal life, being assassinated, being in one of the biggest most influential bands in the world, writing a world anthem (Imagine) having a Christmas song that's played every year.

All these things create John Lennon and who he is and its in his music. It's very hard to just say his music is overrated because being John Lennon wasn't just about music.

I'm not a huge fan or anything but I know a good bit about him I respect him.