5 Beatles-Influenced Bands Of The ’80s
Crowded House live in 1996 - KeeFHQVideos / Youtube
One can’t deny the influence of the Beatles on other artists during their heyday and way beyond. To be dubbed as a “Beatlesque” act was a compliment on its own, and bands strived to achieve the status either intentionally or otherwise. Here are some of the best ’80s bands that were influenced by the almighty Fab Four.
The Pixies
While most of the Pixies’ catalog doesn’t really reflect what The Beatles were going for, Black Francis cited that their melodies were instrumental in the band’s genetic makeup. It helped that he owned the live double album from the Hamburg Star, saying, “You can hear it all in there. They were tough motherfuckers.”
The Flaming Lips
Psychedelic meisters The Flaming Lips have cited the enduring influence of Sgt. Peppers towards their overall creative process. In a 2009 interview with Music Radar, frontman Wayne Coyne said: “It was a special record – and still is. Sgt. Pepper has amazing music, but it’s really about more than the music. It’s of a time, and now it evokes that time. And the amazing thing is, it lasts – there’s nothing retro about it. It’s still very hip, fresh music.”
The Bangles
Femme fatales The Bangles were in their most Beatlesque form before they turned psychedelic. Impeccable pop songwriting and progressions structures were very reminiscent of the Fab Four’s own, although things didn’t last long as internal pressures and conflicts tore the potential apart.
Crowded House
This Aussie-born group came from the ashes of Split Enz were the continent’s representative for aspiring Beatles bands. Crowded House’s Neil Finn was the primary creator of the band and his material was reminiscent of the Lennon-McCartney creations that helped them gain worldwide success.
Paul Weller
Former The Jam member Paul Weller has frequently cited the Fab Four as one of his greatest influences. In an interview with the Guardian in 1995, he said, “Sgt. Pepper’s was the first album I ever bought. I much preferred The Beatles when they dropped all their moptop nonsense and just became themselves. It was real. I loved everything about them – their clothes, their music and, when I was a little older, their attitude.”
