Comparison Of Music: The Beatles And The Rolling Stones

A musical composition allows an artist to express their thoughts, troubles, and hopes through melodies and lyrics. An artist’s choice of rhythm, vocals, tone, lyrics, etc., makes an impact on how it is perceived by the listener, both in the message conveyed and the feelings expressed. Different genres of music are characterized by the different messages they tell and the styles they use. Two iconic bands of the mid to late 1900s, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, had a major impact on the music industry as a whole. The way they integrated diverse sounds to compile brilliant masterpieces, the ardent feelings their lyrics produced, as well as their unique choices in the way they dressed, made them a quintessential part of music history. Their

The Rolling Stones broke most existing musical conventions of the 1960s by creating songs with unique characteristics that embody the idea of softness. Although the produced a wide variety of music, a good portion of their songs are characterized by the smooth cooperation of sounds. The way a song is presented to the listener is paramount in setting the tone for the entirety of it. A lot of their songs start with the light tones of a strumming guitar. Perhaps their most famous song, “Gimme Shelter” from the album “Let it Bleed”, released in 1969, features a high note guitar, whose tempo remains constant as the rhythm throughout the song. Other songs, such as “No Expectations” from the album “Beggars Banquet”, released in 1968, features an acoustic guitar, which in and of itself connected to a more laid-back sound. Additionally, many of their songs start with the sound of light percussion. It is important to note that while percussion

Their lyricism incorporates imagery and storytelling in a unique way to convey their messages through song, which contributes to the soft nature of many of their songs. The song “Eleanor Rigby” from the album “Revolver”, released in 1966, is a good example of this. This song is a message about loneliness in general, but rather than simply talking about loneliness in a broad sense, they tell the story of Eleanor Rigby and Father Mackenzie. They make the lyrics relatable, discussing common concepts like weddings and churches. Additionally, they use vivid imagery to make the stories more personal and relatable. A good example of this is, “Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar at the door.” Their use of detailed individual stories in the verses contrasts the broadness of the chorus: “all the lonely people, where do they all come from? All the lonely people, where do they all belong?” In doing this, the stories are more intimate and emotional. Because of this, their lyrics contribute to the softness of their music. Another example of the Beatles’ lyrics contributing to the softness of their discography is the song “Yesterday” from the album “Help”, released in 1965. This is one of their most popular songs. The lyrics in “Yesterday” are different than that of “Eleanor Rigby” because rather than telling the stories of other people, “Yesterday” is