Famed composer and record producer Quincy Jones is one of many musicians who said that he didn’t like The Beatles. He had some pretty strong words for the Fab Four, too.
“They were the worst musicians in the world,” Jones famously said in 2018, describing his experience meeting the band back in the day. “They were no-playing motherf***ers. Paul [McCartney] was the worst bass player I ever heard.”
It’s worth noting that Jones later reached out to McCartney to apologize after making headlines with his comment.
2. Todd Rundgren
Singer/songwriter Todd Rundgren is known for his work in Utopia, as well as his production work with bands like Meat Loaf, The New York Dolls, and more. He’s more or less a respectable musician, but he really was not a fan of John Lennon. Specifically, he criticized Lennon for making “revolutionary” music while enjoying the life of a multi-millionaire.
“John Lennon ain’t no revolutionary,” Rundgren once said back in 1974. “He’s a f***ing idiot, man. Shouting about revolution and acting like an a**.”
Classical pianist Glenn Gould once told Rolling Stone Magazine in 1974 that he was far from impressed by The Beatles’ music. He even went as far as to say that the band used too much filler in their albums. The beef was less about Gould being one of many musicians who didn’t like The Beatles and more about a critique of mainstream rock music.
“After all of the pretension has been cut away, what you really have left is three chords,” said Gould. “Now, if what you want is an extended exercise in how to mangle three chords, then obviously the Beatles are for you.”
