Are the Beatles the reason why modern music exists

Some unbelievably crass comments and some funny ones.

The Dylan influence went far far beyond drugs indeed it was inevitable that drugs would have became available to them.
What wasn't inevitable was Dylan, he changed the focus on what a song could be and The Beatles,Lennon in particular were massively influenced by that.

With all due respect to the original poster not only is his definition too loose (Well,what is modern music?) his understanding of how music cross pollinates seems sadly amiss.

Neither Dylan nor The Beatles nor The Stones could have existed without Elvis,Buddly Holly,Robert Johnson,Muddy Waters,Howlin' Wolf,Hank Williams,Woody Guthrie and countless others.

Music is a big chain and examining the individual links can be interesting but none of it would have existed without the influences that made them pick up an instrument in the first place.

The chain goes back centuries............

There's no doubting that in terms of cultural impact (which is a completely different issue) The Beatles were unique.

I love that Brian Eno story about how in the early 70's he had a conversation with a classical composer who told him "everything in rock music had already happened in classical music by 1832"
Eno said "That doesn't account for Elvis,though"
The composer replied "Well that wasn't a musical revolution but a social one"

Mmakshak I tend to agree with the general point but I don't think that point is a musical one.

In a cultural and experimental sense Sgt. Pepper is a landmark,touchstone album but imho (any many others)musically it's not their best work.

It also only broke down walls in a sense-what a generation thought it meant however but what did it change in real terms longer term?
What did it achieve?

Music of course isn't culture.

It can be a massive part of Culture as The Beatles were or it can be absorbed into the culture in a way that is no longer obvious as Beethoven and Mozart are.

Musically something can be actually be very important and viewed as world class and yet have minimal cultural impact.

Much of the music that makes up modern culture is viewed as worthless by many here on Audiogon.

Sgt. Pepper had a massive cultural impact but I'm not so sure it has led to what modern music has became at all.
Indeed one major impact of SP was the time and effort spent making the recording and the studio effects part of the music.
That legacy to a large extent burned out in the 70's and has only seen glimpses of it returning in the current scene...not to say it won't return though.

I see Sgt Pepper more as a marker for a certain time-music since then has been more of an explosion and it has veered off in many many different directions.
It's only part of the story but I would agree The Beatles cultural impact will largely remain unsurpassed.

Blblues68 Zep were a big influence (but not in the universal way The Beatles were)indeed they are a massive influence on two of the bands on your hate list!

Tee hee that really made me laugh......

I wasn't dismissing Zeppelin indeed Zep are arguably my favourite band I've been listening to them since I was 14.
Oh and the only country they didn't release singles in was the UK.

They are massively influential but not as universally influential as The Beatles.

The Beatles simply entered into both mainstream, artistic and popular culture in a way that NO band has managed.
Their influence actually goes beyond music into an almost iconic realm-you might not like them musically but to deny that is folly.

That's not to say that the basic premise of this thread is correct; I state above where I stand on that.

Well most modern music isn't heard on the radio or seen in the pop charts so maybe they didn't so bad a job.

Maybe those who constantly moan about modern music don't actually search out something they would like.

A very very common theme on here.

I never listen to the radio but are constantly finding new music.