Not many people have been compared to the Beatles. In fact, it seems almost irreverent to do so. Nevertheless, Billy Joel pointed a finger at who he thought could take the baton from the Fab Four. His choice, surprisingly, was a pop icon. Find out who he thought was this generation’s Beatles, below.
[RELATED: The Rare Beatles Song That Paul McCartney Didn’t Play After a Fight With John Lennon]
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The Pop Star Billy Joel Thinks Is This Generation’s Beatles
Taylor Swift is arguably the most famous person in the world right now. Love her or hate her, no one can deny she has almost unprecedented amounts of fame. According to Joel, her career is reminiscent of the Beatles’ world wide renown. Before you scoff at the idea, find Joel’s explanation of that claim, below.
“Taylor Swift is a very talented girl, and she’s productive and keeps coming up with great concepts and songs, and she’s huge,” Joel said in 2021. “You have to give her high marks. She knows music, and she knows how to write. She’s like that generation’s Beatles.”
Like the Beatles, Swift isn’t afraid to experiment with her sound. Moreover, she has been praised for her songwriting chops–much like Paul McCartney and John Lennon were praised in their day. And, of course, Swift’s fame levels are rising to meet Beatlemania. Regardless of whether or not you agree with Joel, it’s high praise from the “Piano Man” indeed.
Swift responded to the compliment saying, “That honestly like broke my brain, because that doesn’t seem like a real thing that would happen in life. I might have hallucinated it, maybe we had the same hallucination because I don’t really know how to process words like that from someone like him, I’m a huge fan of his.”
Anyone comparing someone to the Beatles would be a flattering remark, but given Joel’s love for the foursome, it makes the compliment all the more endearing. He injected his love for the Beatles into “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant.” The Beatles were known to piece together songs from different scraps. Joel did the same for his powerful track.
What do you think? Is Swift comparable to the Beatles? Or is Joel completely off base? Sound off and let us know!
Photo: Jaime Schultz/Shutterstock
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