Is there anybody who has ever said that Taylor Swift is better than The Beatles? Tell me one music critic who said that.

The New York Times did not. They said, bigger, as in more popular. Which she is.

I clearly said that I don't think so and why.

Taylor Swift has never said it. Knowing what I know about her, she would think the thought is too ridiculous to even address.

I apologize. There actually is one person who said that Taylor Swift is "like that generation's Beatles." Billy Joel.

https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-praised-by-icons-2023-8

Music is not a competition. It's not the World Series or the Olympics. Everybody makes it in their own ways and should be judged on their own criteria. Who is better? John Prine or Herbie Hancock or Randy Newman or Cole Porter or John Sebastian or Loretta Lynn or Elvis Costello? It depends on who is listening, and what they want to listen to. I really love reading Fred Zollo's "Songwriters on Songwriting" books. There are so many ways to do it. Taylor Swift happens to be the most popular pop star today. Some day somebody else will be the most popular pop star of their day. But songs are songs, and you can evaluate them on their merits. The long eye of time will decide what is a fad and what stands up.

I am familiar with the music of The Beatles since I watched their first Sullivan Show and "Meet the Beatles" came out. I played them with my rock bands, and solo on my guitar and piano. I think those songs mean as much to me as they do to all of you.

But I know their stuff, and I'm interested in learning about new things. With Swift I wondered, "what is all the fuss about?" So I gave her a serious listen and there was much that I liked. The whole fandom around her makes me uncomfortable and I would rather die than go to one of her concerts, but sitting on my bed with my headphones on and my eyes closed, I like some of her songs a lot. I respect that you don't, but how much serious listening have you given to her songs? There are hundreds and they are diverse.

She cut this song out of her album "Red" She brought it back from "The Vault" when she re-recorded it. It's a duet with Ed Sheeran and one of my favorites of her songs. Yes, one of my favorites is something she didn't think deserved to be on her album. Trivia note: This song was clearly inspired by the George Strait song "Run," which is totally different. But we know that Swift loves that song because she sang it at his tribute concert


In a feeble effort to sneak past the Swift hatred to a more cool-headed appraisal of her songs, I'm going to show some covers. Because numerous people cover her songs because they are good, well-crafted songs with beautiful melodies and good lyrics. All my life I have thought about what songs are supposed to do, and many of her best songs do that for me.

The people doing the covers below aren't stars, but the songs carry them. They inspire these young people just like the songs of our youth did us.






Last edited by Tiger The Frog; 11/28/24 10:35 AM.
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