it's kinda sad. I can't really think of any artists from 1900-1945 other than robert johnson and a few blues and/or a few jazz guys.

They're each important in their own manner. Elvis was the pioneer, the Beatles were the best, and most innovative, musicians, Michael resuscitated a moribund industry.

The place one before the other is akin to comparing Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. Would Einstein have made the breakthroughs he made if he had to invent calculus first?

Frank Sinatra, Benny Goodman would be legit from that era.

I'd give a nod to The Rolling Stones

gah. louis armstrong.

and I'm not so sure about the stones and the who. in my world, it's a VERY select club to be in... maybe a band every ten years or so. MAYBE.

I mean, I LOVE rage against the machine. they're my favorite band of all-time. but they're not in the discussion at all.

yep. both of them, probably.

None of the big band leaders, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, Stan Kenton, Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, The Dorsey Brothers?

Without the Beatles you don't have just about everything you have now. Artist who write their own music. Stadium concerts. Listen to any Led Zepplin, REM, U2, any group that came after. The Beatles played any style too, this doesn't get talked about enough. Check out the White Album. You want heavy, you got Helter Skelter. You want Blues, Yer Blues. You want plain old rock you got Back in the USSR, Everybodys got somethin to hide.., Birthday. You want beautiful melody Julia, Blackbird, Dear Prudence. They could do anything. Yes. Elvis had to come first. Chuck Berry too. But culturally its not even close. Guys can wear glasses because of John Lennon. Or their hair long.
To even compare Michael Jackson to the Beatles is a sick joke.
U2 comes much closer and they don't compare either. And don't get me started on the Stones. They NEVER could compare to the Beatles.
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The question was Greatest Impact-Elvis was the "KIng" of R @R-he influenced tons of bands-including the beatles, U2, Scorpions, not to mention country and Gospel artist. That is a pretty Big impact.

The Beatles sold a ton of records and If they stayed together-could have probably doubled that. So finacial impact would go to them.

But since they were huge Elvis fans-should he not get the credit for influencing them??

Oh yeah he had lots more movies than the Beatle did too-lol

I voted the Beatles. For those of you that voted Elvis....well he had help.

FORREST (V.O.) One time a young man was staying
with us, and he had him a guitar
case.

Mrs. Gump looks into Forrest's room. She hears singing coming
from another room and walks over to a closed door. Mrs. Gump
opens the door, revealing a young man with long sideburns as
he plays the guitar and sings. Forrest holds onto a broom
and dances oddly. The young man is ELVIS PRESLEY.

ELVIS PRESLEY
(sings)
"Well, you ain't never caught a
rabbit, and you ain't no friend of
mine."

Forrest's legs rock back and forth to the guitar.

MRS. GUMP
Forrest! I told you not to bother
this nice young man.

ELVIS
Oh, no, that's all right, ma'am. I
was just showin' him a thing or two
on the guitar here.

MRS. GUMP
All right, but your supper's ready
if y'all want to eat.

ELVIS
Yeah, that sounds good. Thank you,
ma'am.

Mrs. Gump leaves and closes the door. Elvis sits back down.

Forrest stands left, and looks himself in a mirror.

ELVIS
Say, man, show me that crazy little
walk you just did there. Slow it
down some.

Forrest begins to dance again as Elvis plays the guitar and
sings.
ELVIS
(sings)
"You ain't nothin' but a hound, hound
dog..."

FORREST (V.O.)
I liked that guitar.

Forrest dances as he watches himself in the mirror.

FORREST (V.O.)
It sounded good.

ELVIS
(sings)
"...cryin' all the time"

Forrest rocks up and down on his braced legs, then begins to
step.

ELVIS
(sings)
"You ain't nothin' but a hound dog..."

FORREST (V.O.)
I started moving around to the music,
swinging my hips. This one night me
and Momma...

EXT. GREENBOW - NIGHT

Mrs. Gump and Forrest walk along a sidewalk. A television
inside a store window reveals Elvis Presley as he performs
"Houng Dog" on a stage.

FORREST (V.O.)
...was out shoppin', and we walked
right by Benson's Furniture and
Appliance store, and guess what.

The television reveals Elvis as he thrusts his hips and sings.

ELVIS
(sings)
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog...

Mrs. Gump and Forrest watch the television. Elvis dances
around in the same manner Forrest did. A woman in the audience
screaming and applauding.

ELVIS
(sings)
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog...

Yeah but the 60's & early 70's were just DIFFERENT. There were an awful lot of great, very talented musicians floating around then. The Stones were just a raunchier version of the Beatles in a lot of ways, and The Who were pretty much the first punk band. Hell, the Beach Boys should be there too.

Aaron Copland. Duke Ellington.

Glenn Miller, Fats Domino, The Rat Pack, Chuck Berry,

a few of them came to mind, but I've never been a huge big-band fan. that's, admittedly, a gap in my musical tastes.

As far as impact is concerned, cases could be made for Eric Clapton or Madonna.