The Beatles were loved by millions, and they’re still very much loved by old and new fans today. However, the Fab Four did have quite a few haters back in the day; many of which included their contemporaries. Let’s look at seven musicians who said that they didn’t like The Beatles!
1. Quincy Jones
Famed composer and record producer Quincy Jones is one of many musicians who said that he didn’t like The Beatles. He had some pretty strong words for the Fab Four, too.
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“They were the worst musicians in the world,” Jones famously said in 2018, describing his experience meeting the band back in the day. “They were no-playing motherf***ers. Paul [McCartney] was the worst bass player I ever heard.”
It’s worth noting that Jones later reached out to McCartney to apologize after making headlines with his comment.
2. Todd Rundgren
Singer/songwriter Todd Rundgren is known for his work in Utopia, as well as his production work with bands like Meat Loaf, The New York Dolls, and more. He’s more or less a respectable musician, but he really was not a fan of John Lennon. Specifically, he criticized Lennon for making “revolutionary” music while enjoying the life of a multi-millionaire.
“John Lennon ain’t no revolutionary,” Rundgren once said back in 1974. “He’s a f***ing idiot, man. Shouting about revolution and acting like an a**.”
3. Glenn Gould
Classical pianist Glenn Gould once told Rolling Stone Magazine in 1974 that he was far from impressed by The Beatles’ music. He even went as far as to say that the band used too much filler in their albums. The beef was less about Gould being one of many musicians who didn’t like The Beatles and more about a critique of mainstream rock music.
“After all of the pretension has been cut away, what you really have left is three chords,” said Gould. “Now, if what you want is an extended exercise in how to mangle three chords, then obviously the Beatles are for you.”
Music theorists would call that one a “sick burn”.
4. Harry Connick, Jr.
Jazz pianist and composer Harry Connick, Jr. was just a kid during The Beatles’ heyday, but he is nonetheless not a big fan of the band. Specifically, the musician-turned-actor said that he loved the old-school singers who came up before rock music, specifically the likes of Frank Sinatra. When asked about The Beatles, he said that “[The Beatles’] music is for second-graders.”
5. Ray Davies
The Kinks’ Ray Davies experienced his heyday around the same time as The Beatles were coming up. The “Picture Book” hitmaker was notably not a fan of The Beatles’ 1966 album Revolver, going as far as to call it “rubbish” and to say “I think they [The Beatles] know it’s not that good.”
6. Charles Mingus
Jazz icon Charles Mingus was an incredible multi-instrumentalist and composer. He’s often brought up in the same conversations about Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. He also really didn’t like The Beatles, and even called their talents into question. He famously called the Fab Four out for appropriating music from black musicians.
“For the Beatles to be able to come here and take all the millions of dollars away from this country by copying our own music and composers, selling it back to ’em and nobody even suing ’em yet!” Mingus said in his autobiography.
7. Len Barry
The Dovells were out and about during the same period as The Beatles and enjoyed fame for songs like “1-2-3” and “You Can’t Sit Down” during the mid-60s. In 1966, the band’s lead singer Len Barry famously said that he didn’t want to be associated with the Fab Four whatsoever and had no interest in performing with them and rock bands like them. However, he did manage to slip a compliment into his scathing comment.
“It isn’t only that they look like a collection of tramps, they act that way and it’s the way they really are,” Barry said. “I enjoy their records but I think that they’re probably one of the worst in-person acts I’ve ever seen.”
Photo by Jesse Grant
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