The New Beatles? | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

I think that correlation is made more due to the sheer fan pandemonium that happened/happens around the band. If I’m honest, some of their fans scare me a little with their conspiracy theories surrounding certain members and etc., but they are a very passionate fanbase. I think the Beatles were somewhat a prototype, an influence, for what we now call boy bands, even. What differentiates the Beatles, of course, IS their writing and playing, which most boy bands do not do, because they are not marketed for that. It’s a look, it’s an image. There’s some talent in there (you have Justin Timberlake who broke out) but mostly it’s marketing, marketing and more marketing. The Beatles,  in the earlier days, were MARKETED like many boy bands today are. What with “the cute one”, “the quiet one”, “the funny one”, “the thinking Beatle”… etc. with bouncy, poppy songs that appealed to teens and pre teens like “I Want To Hold Your Hand ” (think similar to One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful” or “One Thing”) but they evolved of course beyond all that. The Monkees sprung from The Beatles and so forth down the line. The term “boy band” wasn’t even coined until the 90s if I’m correct, with *NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys . 

They do write, by the way, so you’re incorrect on that point. Harry Styles has written several songs for other artists including Ariana Grande, as well, for instance. Niall Horan does play guitar, too, has done on stage, and you know what? He also played violin in the past! 

As for this generation having an “answer” to the Beatles, I’d say no. There was only one Beatles. They influenced what came after them in a big way, but nobody can duplicate that, it was catching lightning in a bottle. There can be “Beatle-like” things about certain bands but are they the Beatles? No.