10 Artists Who Slated The Beatles
5. Michael Stipe
R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe recently told Pitchfork that his earliest musical memory is of The Beatles' I Want To Hold Your Hand, albeit the German language version. He was at the home of his German babysitter when the song came on the radio. Stipe’s reaction?
“I just stood there and stared up and wondered what on Earth I was listening to.”
Despite this formative moment, the singer admitted:
“I’m not really a Beatles fan, though. I acknowledge their genius, but I’m just not the generation that grew up with them. It’s not something I’m personally drawn to, and that’s gotten me into a lot of trouble in the past.”
He’s not wrong. In an article for Rolling Stone, years earlier, Stipe was quoted as saying:
“The Beatles were elevator music in my lifetime. ‘Yummy Yummy Yummy (I’ve Got Love in My Tummy)’ had more impact on me.”
He would later clarify that he just meant he was a little too young to fully appreciate The Beatles. They were a background music in his life rather than the exciting new thing grabbing his attention. This explanation was too little, too late for some Fab fans.
Some overzealous Beatles nuts had a serious sense of humour bypass when it came to Stipe’s hot take on their favourites. In fact Stipe has even received death threats about his misunderstood comment, which rather goes against the “peace and love” ethos. We can safely assume that’s something every single member of The Beatles would condemn.