Greater musician: Beatles or Jimi Hendrix?

[CalebHayes]

Poll question: Greater musician: Beatles or Jimi Hendrix?

[Droopy]

1. Very few can top Hendrix for sheer musicianship.

[boobooday]

2. One guy against four?

That isn't fair! And still Hendrix rules, I see. :-)

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[furrylitldevil]

3. Hendrix was the best pure musician

that rock and roll ever generated

[7th_Sephiroth]

4. hendrix

the beatels were just the worlds first boy-band

[bigwillq]

5. I went with Hendrix

I like the Beetles and they have many big hits but I think they were overated and to me their music hasn't stood the test of time. Hendrix's has.

[kcwayne]

6. Do you guys actually listen to Hendrix?

Jimi was a guitar god, and his hits were awesome, mind bending, innovative, and in tune with the times. But alot of his stuff was repetitive and mediocre. Jimi was a great showman as well. The playing with his teeth and lighting the guitar on fire was all about entertaining the stoners, and not alot about musicianship.

The breadth of material produced by the Beatles stands on its own in contrasting styles, tonal quality, harmony, and composition. It is music that appeals to a much wider array of people. That is not saying that it is necessarily better, but alot more people are/were interested in it.

Contrast the musical qualities of

I Wanna Hold your Hand.
A Day in the Life.
Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
Norwegian Wood
Elanor Rigby
Hey Jude

From a musical standpoint, there is much greater diversity between these pieces and Jimi's

Foxy Lady
Purple Haze
Hey Joe


I like both of the musicians immensely, but with Jimi is more about kick ass rock, and with the Beatles is more about interesting melodic construction.

[Blue-Jay]

7. Hendrix.

Not that I'd ever say anything bad about the Beatles, mind you. They were wonderful, but in terms of "musicianship" it's hard to beat Jimi. He was the Robert Johnson of his generation. A true innovator.