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Time flies.

"CLEAR LAKE, Iowa -- It's been 50 years since a single-engine plane crashed into a snow-covered Iowa field, instantly killing three men whose names would become enshrined in the history of rock 'n' roll."

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How different music would have been if their Bonanza had made it and the Beatles' plane had bough the farm!

Chas.

(Just kidding Beatle fans; well . . ."

The Beatles produced some good music. By no means all of their music, but for a while they made some notable pieces.

At the time of that crash, and for quite a few years after, a commercial pilot (as in charter operations, which that flight was) did not need an instrument rating to carry passengers for hire. As a result of that crash and several others, a commercial pilot must now have an instrument rating to carry passengers, either more than 50 nautical miles from the point of departure or at night.

Charles L. Cotton wrote:How different music would have been if their Bonanza had made it and the Beetles' plane had bough the farm!
Chas.
(Just kidding Beetle fans; well . . ."

An interesting bit from the article that I didn't know is the Beatles got the idea for the name of their band from the name of Buddy Holly's band.

"The Crickets."

Charles L. Cotton wrote:How different music would have been if their Bonanza had made it and the Beetles' plane had bough the farm!

Chas.

(Just kidding Beetle fans; well . . ."

You can't seriously be suggesting that the Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, and Richie Valens could compare favorably to the Beatles, can you? Of course we have no idea what the potential influence of those three would have been if they had survived long enough to have the better part of a decade upon which to grow that influence. Anything is possible, I guess

Had it not been for the plane crash, I doubt very seriously we would even remember those three as anything but a minor blip in the stream of one-hit wonders churned out during the infancy of pop music. On the other hand, it is assured that pop music as we know it may not exist if the Beatles had died in a plane crash proir to releasing their second album.

mr.72 wrote:

Charles L. Cotton wrote:How different music would have been if their Bonanza had made it and the Beatles' plane had bough the farm!

Chas.

(Just kidding Beetle fans; well . . ."

You can't seriously be suggesting that the Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, and Richie Valens could compare favorably to the Beatles, can you? Of course we have no idea what the potential influence of those three would have been if they had survived long enough to have the better part of a decade upon which to grow that influence. Anything is possible, I guess

I was saying it as a joke, but if you want my honest opinion, absolutely yes! The Beatles were the worst thing to hit U.S. shores. Their music sucked, their impact on American youth was a disaster and yes, I was a kid when they were the spearhead of the so-called British invasion.

Chas.

I agree emphatically with Chas. The day the Beatles landed is the day the music died...IMO.

It's possible that Bopper and Richie would have been minor, but I believe Buddy would have gone on to bigger and better things. He could have been comparable to Elvis or Roy Orbison or the Everlys (IMHO). (well maybe not Elvis, but likely the others I mentioned)

LarryH wrote:It's possible that Bopper and Richie would have been minor, but I believe Buddy would have gone on to bigger and better things. He could have been comparable to Elvis or Roy Orbison or the Everlys (IMHO). (well maybe not Elvis, but likely the others I mentioned)

I agree; Richie Valens and the Big Bopper were very new and they may not have lasted. (Especially the Bopper, because of his age.) Buddy Holly however quite likely would have had a major impact on music for a long time.

Chas.

Something tells me we're about to have a bigger fight over "Rock-n-Roll" than we do over gun control! It's going to be the surfers v. cowboys all over again.

Chas.

Charles L. Cotton wrote: I was saying it as a joke, but if you want my honest opinion, absolutely yes! The Beatles were the worst thing to hit U.S. shores. Their music sucked, their impact on American youth was a disaster and yes, I was a kid when they were the spearhead of the so-called British invasion.

Chas.

Well, you know I have taught entire music theory classes using only one Beatles song to illustrate virtually every important harmonic movement that is necessary to play or understand pop music or jazz. Like it or not, the Beatles music has become the template for nearly all popular music that was made since then. Maybe you don't like rock & roll :) Of course I was born 2 years after the last Beatles record was made. I didn't live through the craze. I am viewing the Beatles through the lens of music history, and in the direction of pop music, the lens of music history is largely consumed with the Beatles.

I agree that Buddy Holly had the potential of being as big of a deal as Roy Orbison. That's what I'd call a blip, or a one-hit wonder. I am somewhat of an expert on popular music and cannot name more than one song that Roy Orbison made popular. I think Buddy Holly had already made his mark.

Charles L. Cotton wrote:

LarryH wrote:It's possible that Bopper and Richie would have been minor, but I believe Buddy would have gone on to bigger and better things. He could have been comparable to Elvis or Roy Orbison or the Everlys (IMHO). (well maybe not Elvis, but likely the others I mentioned)

I agree; Richie Valens and the Big Bopper were very new and they may not have lasted. (Especially the Bopper, because of his age.) Buddy Holly however quite likely would have had a major impact on music for a long time.

Chas.

Buddy Holly was a major influence on rock music. In his few years of recording he managed to make some great and long-lasting music. Had he lived longer his contributions would have be greater. Both Holly and Roy Orbison influenced many British groups including the Beatles. In fact, Paul McCartney owns the publishing rights to Buddy Holly's songs. Roy Orbison was the opening act for early Beatles concerts. Both Holly and Orbison continue to be more popular in England that they ever were in the United States.

Yeah, in other words, ask the Beatles how important Holly was.

I try to not get wrapped up too much in why one artist died and some other less talented hack keeps on living. Bill Hicks was funniest when he lamented the fact that Jimi Hendrix was dead and George Michael was cutting records. LOL

Its funny about the Beatles though.

My mom remembered when they were just a "boy band" back then. She says their later stuff would be the equivalent to N'Sync releasing "Wish You Were Here" or "Dark Side of the Moon" 10 years later.

She ignored them until one of her friends forced her to listen, and was astonished at how they'd grown as a band.