There is a meme going around that says "When society says Outkast is better than the Beatles then we can truly start healing" which is ridiculous on many levels, but since this is a music blog we are going to just look at the facts of this argument. If you were to ask me to pick an album to listen to depending on my mood I would likely pick Outkast. However, if you were to ask Andre or Big Boi who was better they would tell you the Beatles. This is because they know three of the artists that influenced them Prince, George Clinton, and Jimi Hendrix have all gone on record as saying the Beatles influenced them,
But let's take this a step further and see who is better pound for pound when it comes to their albums so I am going to put their albums head to head since Outkast's final two albums are double albums I will give the Beatles the handicap and use the Beatles first 7 albums in this battle of the bands.
ROUND 1
Please Please Me vs Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
Up first ... Please, Please Me
Filler Songs - 'Misery", "Anna", "Chains" "Boys", "Baby it's You", "The Taste of Honey", "There's a Place"
Great Songs -"I Saw Here Standing There" "Ask Me Why" "Please, Please Me", "Love Me Do", "PS I Love You" , "Twist and Shout"
Score 6
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
Filler songs -"myintroletyouknow", "Funky Ride", "D.E.E.P"
Great songs -'Ain't no thang" 'Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik", "Players Ball", "Claimin' True", "Git up, Git Out" , "Crumblin Erb" , "Hootie Hoo"
Score-7
Winner -Outkast ... by 1 point
We will proceed but it should be noted that Outkast has 3 session bass players as compared to Paul McCartney playing his own bass lines, as well as using session guitarists, where George and John played their own parts, along with six backing vocalists, since at this point neither member of Outkast had attempted to sing at this point where all four Beatles sang on their first album
Round 2
"With the Beatles" vs "ATLiens"
"With the Beatles"
Filler - "It won't be long", "Don't Bother Me", "Little Child", "Little Child", "Rollover Beethoven", "Hold Me Tight", "I Wanna Be Your Man", "Not a Second Time"
Great Songs - "All I've got to Do", "All My Loving", "Til There Was You", "Mr. Postman", "You Really Got a Hold on Me", "Devil in her Heart", "Money'
Score-7
"ATLiens"
Filler-"Babylon", "Wailin" , "13th Floor / Growin Old"
Great Songs - "Two Dope Boyz", "ATLiens" , "Wheelz of Steel", "Jazzy Belle", "Elevators", "Ova Da Wudz", "Mainstream" , "'Decatur Psalm", "Millenium", "E.T"
Score -10
Winner of Round 2 - Outkast
I knew this one would be a slaughter as this is my favorite album and I typically dislike the Beatles' early years when they were basically a glorified cover band but with 13 years of music journalism under my belt, I can detach and analyze even albums I dislike due to personal tastes objectively, by asking how did it hold up over the years, and are they effective at what they are doing?
Total score -
The Beatles - 13
Outkast-17
Round 3
"A Hard Day's Night" VS "Aquemini"
"A Hard Day's Night"
Filler-"I'm Happy Just to Dance with You", "Tell Me Why", "I'll Cry Instead", "When I Get Home", "You Can't Do That"
Great Songs- "A Hard Day's Night", "I Should Have Known Better", "If I Fell", "And I Love Her", "Can't Buy Me Love", "Anytime At All", "Things We Said Today", "I'll Be Back"
Score-8
"Aquemini"
Filler -"Aquemini", "West Savannah", "Mamacita", "Ya'll Scared"
Great Songs - "Return of the "G" ", "Rosa Parks", "Skew it on the Bar-b", "Synthesizer", "Slump" , "Dat Art of Storytellin pt 1", "Da Art of Storytellin pt2", "Spottieottiedopalicious", "Liberation", "Chonkyfire"
Score-10
Winner of round 3 -Outkast
Points of interest are that this is the first album where Outkast used rock guitars on "Chonkyfire", their session guys were basically recycling Funakdelic riffs and not exactly redefining guitar playing here. If you are a Beatles fan and do not like this beatdown, we are putting the Beatle's worst album against Outkast's best and still have four more to go.
Total Score
the Beatles -21
Outkast-27
Round 4
"Beatles For Sale" vs "Stankonia"
"Beatles For Sale"
Filler -"Baby's in Black", "Rock N Roll Music", "Mr . Moonlight", "Kansas City", 'Words of Love", 'Honey Don't ", "I Don't Want to Spoil the Paty",
Great Songs -"No Reply", "I'm a Loser", "I'll Follow the Sun", "Eight Days a Week", "Every Little Thing", "What Your'e Doing", 'Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby"
Score- 7
'Stankonia"
Filler- 'Snappin & Trappin" , "Toilet Tisha" , "Stankonia",
Great Songs-"Gasoline Dreams", "So Fresh So Clean", "Ms. Jackson", "Spaghetti Junction", "I 'll Call B4 I Cum", "B.O.B", "Xplosion", "We Luv Deez Hoes", "Humble Mumble", "Red Velvet", "Gangsta Shit", "Slum Beautiful"
Score 12
Winner of Round 4
Outkast
Total Score-
The Beatles -28
Outkast- 39
Round 5
'Help!" vs "Speakerboxx
"Help!"
Filler -"I Need You", 'Act Naturally", "You Like Me Too Much", 'Dizzy Miss Lizzy"
Great Songs - "Help!", 'the Night Before ", 'You've Got to Hide Your Love Away", 'Another Girl", 'Ticket to Ride", "It's Only Love", "Tell Me What You See", "I've Just Seen a Face", "Yesterday"
Score -9
"Speakerboxx"
Filler- "Bowtie", "Tomb of the Boom", "Flip Flop Rock", "Reset',
Great Songs- "GhettoMusick", "Unhappy", "the Way You Move", 'the Rooster", 'Bust", "War", "Church", "Knowing", "Last Call"
Score-9
Winner- tie
At this point in the Beatles' career, they were coming into their own, as this was where Outkast hit their commercial peak
Total score-
the Beatles - 37
Outkast-48
Round 6
"Rubber Soul" vs "The Love Below"
"Rubber Soul"
Filler-"What Goes On"
Great Songs- 'Drive My Car", "Norwegian Wood", "You Won't See Me" "Nowhere Man", 'Think For Yourself", "The Word", "Michelle", "Girl", "I'm Looking Through You", "In My Life", 'Wait" "If Needed Someone" "Run For Your Life"
Score- 13
"the Love Below"
Filler-"Love Hater", "Happy Valentines Day", "Spread", "Prototype", 'She Lives in My Lap", 'Behold a Lady", "Pink & Blue", "Love in War", "She's Alive" 'Dracula's Wedding" "My Favorite Things", "Take off Your Cool", "Vibrate"
Great Songs-"Hey Ya", 'Roses"
Score- 2
the Winner- the Beatles
So we have one of the Beatles' better albums again Andre 3000 attempt to be Prince with a boring disco of meandering sounds, with "Hey Ya" as the only song that left an imprint.
Total score-
The Beatles - 50
Outkast-51
Round - 7
"Revolver" vs "Idelwild"
"Revolver"
Filler-"Dr Robert"
Great Songs- "Taxman", "Eleanor Rigby", "I'm Only Sleeping", "Love You to", "Here There and Everywhere" "Yellow Submarine", "She Said She Said", "Good day Sunshine", "And Your Bird Cam Sing" "I Want to Tell You" "Got To Get You into My Life" "Tomorrow Never Knows" 'For No One"
Score-13
'Idlewild"
Filler-"Mighty O", "Idlewild Blue", "N2U", "Chronomentrophobia", "The Train", "Life is Like a Musical" "Hollywood Divorce", "Makes No Sense", "PJ & Rooster", "Mutron Angel", "the Greatest Show on Earth", "When I Look In Your Eyes", "Dyin to Live", A Bad Note"
Great Songs-"Peaches", "Morris Brown" "Call the Law", "Buggface", "In Your Dreams"
Score-5
Winner- The Beatles
It's a shame that Outkast's last album was the soundtrack to the chaotic bomb of a movie that was "Idlewild" It's ok we won't put it up against"Yellow Submarine" by asking which is a better movie column.
Final Score
the Beatles -63
Outkast-56
So The Beatles came back and edged out a win against Outkast, but if we are really being fair here and Outkast is the better band that society should admit to them being then shouldn't we put them head to head against the Beatles best albums? rather than just the first 7? To give keep things fair we will count the White album as two albums.
REMATCH ROUND 1
"Revolver" vs "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik"
"Revolver"
Filler-"Dr Robert"
Great Songs- "Taxman", "Eleanor Rigby", "I'm Only Sleeping", "Love You to", "Here There and Everywhere" "Yellow Submarine", "She Said She Said", "Good day Sunshine", "And Your Bird Cam Sing" "I Want to Tell You" "Got To Get You into My Life" "Tomorrow Never Knows" 'For No One"
Score-13
"Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik"
Filler songs -"myintroletyouknow", "Funky Ride", "D.E.E.P"
Great songs -'Ain't no thang" 'Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik", "Players Ball", "Claimin' True", "Git up, Git Out" , "Crumblin Erb" , "Hootie Hoo"
Score-7
Winner- the Beatles
REMATCH ROUND 2
"Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" vs "ATliens"
"Sgt. Pepper"
Filler-"Sgt Pepper's Reprise"
Great Songs-"Sgt Peppers...", "With a Little Help From My Friends", "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", "Getting Better", "Fixing a Hole", 'She's Leaving Home", "Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite", "Within You Without You" "When I'm 64" "Lovely Rita" "Good Morning, Good Morning", "A Day in the Life".
Score-12
"ATLiens"
Filler-"Babylon", "Wailin" , "13th Floor / Growin Old"
Great Songs - "Two Dope Boyz", "ATLiens", "Wheelz of Steel", "Jazzy Belle", "Elevators", "Ova Da Wudz", "Mainstream", "'Decatur Psalm", "Millenium", "E.T"
Score -10
Winner- the Beatles
Outkast put up a little more of a fight here
Total score -
the Beatles - 25
Outkast - 17
REMATCH ROUND 3
"Magical Mystery Tour" vs "Aquemini"
"Magical Mystery Tour"
Filler -"Flying"
Great Songs - "Magical Mystery Tour", "the Fool on the Hill" , "Blue Jay Way", "Your Mother Should Know", "I am the Walrus" , "Hello Goodbye" , "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Penny Lane".
Score-8
"Aquemini"
Filler -"Aquemini", "West Savannah", "Mamacita", "Ya'll Scared"
Great Songs - "Return of the "G" ", "Rosa Parks", "Skew it on the Bar-b", "Synthesizer", "Slump" , "Dat Art of Storytellin pt 1", "Da Art of Storytellin pt2", "Spottieottiedopalicious", "Liberation", "Chonkyfire"
Score-10
Winner- Outkast
Outkast takes this one!
Total Score-
The Beatles -33
Outkast-27
REMATCH ROUND 4
"The White Album" pt 1 (sides 1 &2) vs "Stankonia"
"The White Album" pt 1 (sides 1 &2
Filler -"Wild Honey Pie", I Will", "Julia"
Great Songs-"Back in the USSR", "Dear Prudence", "Glass Onion", "Ob-la Di-Ob-La-Da", "the Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" "Happiness is a Warm Gun", "Martha My Dear", "I'm So Tired", "Blackbird", "Piggies" "Don't Pass Me By", "Why Don't We Do it in the Road"
Score -13
"Stankonia"
Filler- 'Snappin & Trappin" , "Toilet Tisha" , "Stankonia",
Great Songs-"Gasoline Dreams", "So Fresh So Clean", "Ms. Jackson", "Spaghetti Junction", "I 'll Call B4 I Cum", "B.O.B", "Xplosion", "We Luv Deez Hoes", "Humble Mumble", "Red Velvet", "Gangsta Shit", "Slum Beautiful"
Score- 12
Winner-the Beatles
They edge out what might be the best Outkast album with the first half of the White Album
Total Score
the Beatles - 46
Outkast-39
Rematch Round 5
"The White Album" pt 2 (sides 3 &4) vs "Speakerboxx"
"The White Album pt 2" (sides 3 &4)
Filler -"Birthday" , "Mother Nature's Son", "Revolution 9" , "Good Night"
Great songs-"Yer Blues", "Everybody's Got Something to Hide", "Sexy Sadie", "Helter Skelter" , "Long, Long, Long" , 'Revolution", "Honey Pie", "Savoy Truffle" , "Cry Baby Cry"
Score-9
"Speakerboxx"
Filler- "Bowtie" , "Tomb of the Boom" , "Flip Flop Rock", "Reset' ,
Great Songs- "GhettoMusick", "Unhappy" , "the Way You Move" , 'the Rooster" , 'Bust", "War", "Church", "Knowing", "Last Call"
Score-9
Winner- Tie,
Not all of the Beatles' experiments worked as well.
Total Score-
The Beatles - 55
Outkast -48
REMATCH ROUND 6
"Abbey Road" vs "the Love Below"
"Abbey Road"
Filler-
Great Songs- "Come Together", 'Something", Maxwell's Silver Hammer", "Octopus' Garden", "I Want You", "Here Comes the Sun", "Because", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Sun King", "Mean Mr. Mustard", "Polythene Pam", "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window", 'Golden Slumbers", "Carry That Weight", "The End"
Score-15
" the Love Below"
Filler-"Love Hater", "Happy Valentines Day", "Spread", "Prototype", 'She Lives in My Lap", 'Behold a Lady", "Pink & Blue", "Love in War", "She's Alive" 'Dracula's Wedding" "My Favorite Things", "Take off Your Cool", "Vibrate"
Great Songs-"Hey Ya", 'Roses"
Score- 2
Winner- the Beatles
This paints a pretty concise picture, as if you bring up the argument that Outkast do not play their own instruments, so should not even be in the running most people will use the fact Andre can play keys and flute making him a musician, but when left to his own devices he gets slaughtered in this match up, nor would be fair any better against any of the Beatles solo albums.
Total Score
the Beatles -70
Outkast- 50
REMATCH ROUND 7
"Let it Be" vs "Idlewild"
"Let it Be"
Filler-"Dig it", "Maggie Mae"
Great Songs- "Two of Us", "Dig a Pony", "Across the Universe", " I Me Mine", "Let it Be", "I've Got a Feeling", "One After 909", 'the Long and Winding Road", "For You Blue", "Get Back"
Score-10
"Idlewild"
Filler-"Mighty O", "Idlewild Blue", "N2U", "Chronomentrophobia", "The Train", "Life is Like a Musical" "Hollywood Divorce", "Makes No Sense", "PJ & Rooster", "Mutron Angel", "the Greatest Show on Earth", "When I Look In Your Eyes", "Dyin to Live", A Bad Note"
Great Songs-"Peaches", "Morris Brown" "Call the Law", "Buggface", "In Your Dreams"
Score-5
Winner- The Beatles
Final Score-
The Beatles -80
Outkast-55
To Outkast's credit, they are the only rap artists that you can compare to the Beatles. At the end of the day, they just can't hang as the Beatles were more prolific songwriters, whose work stands the test of time. If you are still in denial then let's look at who had the greatest impact on music. Outkast influenced a few neo-soul artists like Frank Ocean, but when they faded from the scene did not leave a lasting impression on the direction of hip-hop after they disbanded. It is sad because hip-hop would have been better for it if they had taken notes from Outkast and instead it devolved into mumble rapping trap pop, which led to Big Boi stating that is why they did not want to get back into the game because he did not fit in that picture. While the Beatles influenced almost everyone including Outkast, if we are going to name names the list would include David Bowie, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, George Clinton, Kiss, Radiohead, Queen, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, the Who, Motley Crue, Cheap Trick and trickled down into all the bands those bands influenced. Unfortunately, people are not educated in this regard, but now you are.
pst9
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