The Beatles ... greatest contributors to modern music?  

I think The Doors and Jim Morrison had a lot to do with shaping modern rock today.

I think the Beatles really started it all. Of course, I was just becoming a teenager, was starting to teach myself how to play guitar, and heard them on the Ed Sullivan show, which probably colors my opinion. Also, my Mom hated them from the start, so that probably meant I was going to like them even more. LOL

After the Beatles hit the scene, that's when I started hearing of a lot of other groups making it big. Their style of music, along with the level of background singing seemed to affect future music. I still love listening to the Beatles.

To me it's The Beatles no question. No other band or artist had anywhere near the same kind of effect on everything.

definatly the beatles. what would the music be like today if they never existed? lol ever since the early ninties todays music just dosn't do it with the exeption of a few hits here and there.

Paul and John were the best song writers to ever have lived. The quantity and quality of every song written is unbelievable..

I definitely believe the Beatles are the greatest! Everywhere you turn, you hear Beatles music. You hear it at the drug store, at the grocery store, in commercials on TV, and on the radio every day. Without them, I do not know what the world would be like right now! And all their songs were about LOVE. And it was all upbeat! Anytime that you need to be uplifted, just put on some Beatles music. You won't be able to keep yourself from feeling better, and actually singing along with them.

Wow tough question. The Beatles certainly rescued us from the "teen idol" music of the early 60's and made possible the explosion of the more substantive music that followed. However, you could say that Elvis, in addition to his substantial contributions in their own right, brought rhythm & blues out of the backwater south and made it possible for all the world to hear artists like Chuck Berry, little Richard and Buddy Holly. These artists and many others influenced the Beatles.

Tough question.

i would say john lennon and paul mccartney or the beatles were the greatest contributors of modern music. just try to listen on the intro of john's "woman" and michael jackson's "black or white"; beatle's song "lady maddona" and one of Sublime's songs. these are some of those beatle songs that were patterned consiously or subconsiously by other great musicians and song writters. Moreover, some of their songs still sound cool to listen to until now.