The Beatles ruled the 1960s—duh. But who are 'The Beatles of the '70s and beyond?

Here’s a mind-boggling fact: The Beatles’ entire recording career lasted less than one decade—from their debut single, "Love Me Do" (October 1962) through their final album, Let It Be (May 1970). Pretty wild, considering that they reinvented popular music multiple times during that stretch. During their brief run, they represented many things to many people. They were pop craftsmen, innovators of studio experimentation, witty celebrities, and carriers of cultural torches. There’s never been another Beatles.

Or has there? It’s an intriguing thought exercise, at the very least. If you meticulously broke it down, which band (or solo artist, depending on your definition) would be The Beatles of each subsequent decade? This prompt, of course, creates many possible interpretations, making us ask ourselves, "What’s in The Beatles' DNA? How do we define them?" Do we focus on a band’s consistent critical acclaim over a decade? Their ability to reach beyond music into broader pop culture? Their astronomical commercial success? Their ability to constantly shape-shift?

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One Redditor, Impressive_Plenty876, stirred up this exact discussion in a thread titled "Which artist/band is The Beatles of the 1970s?" The answers were, predictably, all over the stylistic map, and it’s fun to see how people justified those picks. Probably the most descriptive answer came from ChestnutIceCream, who laid out a thorough case for why David Bowie "obviously" deserved that title.

Looking at the bullet points, it’s hard to argue. "No one fits all criteria," they wrote, "but Bowie comes closest as far as prodigious output, influence on those who followed, groundbreaking studio techniques, horizons-broadening for a general audience, easily threading across dozens of genres, and consistently high-quality output across 10 years (ignor6e [Bowie’s 1973 album] Pinups)." It’s a sound pick! Only a handful of major recording artists have ever neared The Beatles’ productivity, but Bowie came close—11 true studio albums in the '70s, compared to The Fab Four’s run of 13 in eight years.

Lots of commenters chose Electric Light Orchestra, who were famous for Jeff Lynne’s artful symphonic-rock style and Beatles-y melodies. They are indeed a strong candidate: musical innovation, loads of huge hits, a consistent drip of quality albums. (But are these people taking the question too literally? They don't necessarily need to sound like The Beatles, right?) Elsewhere, there are tons of votes for Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Elton John, and The Bee-Gees.

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The most surprising answer might be KISS, the face-painted shock-rockers who rarely get mentioned in the same breath as The Beatles. "This is the only answer," wrote yaggaflosh. "The original line up of 70's KISS were four equal members, who each had their own dedicated fans, [and] they each wrote and/or sang lead on at least one song on each of the '70s albums. For one brief shining moment between 1976 and 1978, their live show and impact on pop culture was unmatched."

There weren’t nearly as many answers for the post-'70s years, but several popular choices did emerge. Queen, Prince, XTC, and The Police—all solid choices for different reasons—earned votes for the '80s; Oasis, Nirvana, and Radiohead were named for the '90s, with the latter also cited for later decades. (I’m a Radiohead nerd, so I have to concur with bluwurld, who wrote, "90s, 2000s, & 2010s: Radiohead. In my opinion, the greatest band of all time. Certainly the most unique and innovative band of all time." When you factor in critical acclaim, commercial success, and experimentation, it’s a smart pick.)

So, there you have it. There was never another Beatles, and there never will be. But who best embodied the many qualities that made them great? The debate lives on.

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