George Harrison Publicly Dislikes 3 Artists

George Harrison, often dubbed as the “Quiet Beatle,” wasn’t one to shy away from expressing his thoughts, even if it meant critiquing fellow musicians. Despite his reserved nature, Harrison didn’t hold back when it came to sharing his dislikes within the music industry. Here are three artists that Harrison publicly expressed his disdain for.

Neil Young

 

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Neil Young, who is famous for his strong and sometimes controversial music, was criticized by George Harrison, especially for how he played the guitar. During a talk with Bob Geldof in 1992, Harrison didn’t hold back when he shared his thoughts.

“I’m not a Neil Young fan,” Harrison said. “I hate [his playing]. It’s good for a laugh. We did this show with him, I saw it from the other side of the stage and looked around. I looked at Eric [Clapton] and said, ‘What’s going on?’ He did the solo in the middle then he kind of looked at me like – ‘don’t look at me, it’s not me.'”

Oasis

 

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Even though Oasis was widely enjoyed in the Britpop scene, George Harrison had a different view. He believed that while Oasis was popular, their music didn’t quite capture the depth and richness found in England’s long and storied musical history. Despite their catchy tunes and widespread appeal, Harrison felt that Oasis didn’t delve deep enough into the musical heritage of their homeland.

“The music lacks depth, and the singer Liam is a pain, the rest of the band don’t need him,” Harrison once said of Oasis.

In response, Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher quipped,

“If any of them old farts have got a problem with me, then they should leave their Zimmer frames at home, and I’ll hold them up with a good right hook.”

Elton John

 

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Even though Elton John was widely celebrated for his music, George Harrison had his own perspective. Despite Elton John’s vast collection of successful songs, Harrison saw his music as somewhat repetitive and lacking in innovation. In Harrison’s view, while Elton John had achieved great success, his songs seemed to follow a predictable pattern, lacking the freshness and originality that Harrison admired in other artists. Harrison believed that Elton John’s music relied too heavily on a formula, which made it feel somewhat uninspired compared to more creatively adventurous musicians.

“Well, Elton John’s music is something I’ve never thought much of,” Harrison once said. “It all sounds the same, though I think he’s written a good song once (many years ago, of course). His music is made to a formula: throw in lyrics, throw in four chords, shake well, and there it is, the new Elton John super-hit!”