a thread musicians that wouldn't exist without the beatles

1. The Ramones

The band name 'The Ramones' was inspired by Paul McCartney's pseudonym Paul Ramon, a name he went by during the Silver Beatles' 1960 Scotland tour.

The Beatles influenced more than the band's name too.

"I couldn’t see a future for myself … Then I heard the Beatles for the first time. I got my first transistor radio, a Beatle haircut and a Beatle suit … Rock ‘n’ roll [gave] me a sense of my own identity." - Dee Dee Ramone

The Ramones in turn influenced many. Rolling Stone writes, "The Sex Pistols, the Clash, Nirvana, Metallica, the Misfits, Green Day and countless others have owed much of their sound and creed to what the band made possible."

2. Nirvana

Even apart the debt they owe to the Ramones, Nirvana was influenced by the Beatles. Both Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl were huge Beatles fans. Dave Grohl learned guitar using a Beatles chord book.

Kurt Cobain wrote "About a Girl," a song that was very important to Nirvana's development as a band, after listening to "Meet the Beatles!" on repeat one day.

"If it weren’t for The Beatles, I would not be a musician" - Dave Grohl

Without Nirvana, the modern music world would be very different. Nirvana is credited with ending the hair metal era and popularizing alternative rock. Artists that cite Nirvana/Cobain with the reason they got into music include Lana Del Rey, Arcade Fire, and Muse.

3. Foo Fighters

Of course, Dave Grohl's relationship with the Beatles means Foo Fighters must also be on this list, a band that set the tone for a lot of the alternative rock of the late 90s and early 2000s.

4. Elliott Smith

Elliott Smith stated that he was inspired to become a musician because of the Beatles' White Album, and that he was an avid fan of the band since the age of 4. He recorded and performed many Beatles covers over the course of his career.

Elliott Smith was one of the forerunners of the indie music scene that emerged in the 2000s. Many indie artists working today cite him as a primary influence including Phoebe Bridgers, Bright Eyes, and The National.

5. Oasis

Oasis' debt to the Beatles is very well documented. The Gallagher brothers were reportedly obsessed with the Beatles growing up, and their influence can both be seen in the references to the Beatles in their lyrics and the Beatle sound in their music.

Oasis helped define the Britpop movement and is responsible for the formation of many subsequent bands like the Arctic Monkeys and The Killers.

6. Billy Joel

"[The Beatles on Ed Sullivan] changed my life ... Up to that moment I'd never considered playing rock as a career. And when I saw [them] ... I said: 'This is what I'm going to do -- play in a rock band'." - Billy Joel

7. Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen was another musician impacted by the Beatles' appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. "I wanted to BE the Beatles," he said.

A titan of the music world, Springsteen's influence crosses many genres. Bon Iver, Melissa Etheridge, Bon Jovi, and Rage Against the Machine all took inspiration from him.

8. U2

U2 frontman Bono's earliest memory of music was hearing "I Want To Hold Your Hand" on the radio.

"The song on the radio felt like life force… like I was for the first time conscious that I was alive and that being alive was a really, really great idea!” - Bono

U2 has covered Beatles songs frequently over the course of their career and even referenced the Beatles' iconic rooftop performance in the music video for "Where The Streets Have No Name."

Artists inspired by U2: Coldplay, Radiohead,

9. Heart

"The lightning bolt came out of the heavens and struck Ann and me the first time we saw the Beatles on 'The Ed Sullivan Show.'" -Nancy Wilson

Often cited as the first female-fronted hard rock band , Heart hugely impacted hard rock and gender roles in the rock world.

10. Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne has stated that he "owe[s] his career" to the Beatles. He claims hearing the song "She Loves You" made him realize he wanted to be a musician.

Black Sabbath is often credited with popularizing if not inventing heavy metal. Metallica, Alice in Chains, Iron Maiden, and Guns n Roses (and many more) all recognize Black Sabbath as the source of their sound.

11. KISS

KISS bassist Gene Simmons was another musician impacted by the Beatles' appearance on the Ed Sullivan show.

"There is no way I'd be doing what I do now if it wasn't for the Beatles." - Gene Simmons

He also credits the Beatles for paving the way fashion-wise.

Musicians like Questlove and the band Pantera have cited KISS as a major influence

12. Electric Light Orchestra

Jeff Lynne of ELO has said that the original intention of the band was to pick up "where the Beatles had left off." He was a huge Beatles fan. After he met the band in 1968 he admitted to not sleeping for three days.

A wide array of artists have sampled ELO on tracks including Company Flow, The Pussycat Dolls, and Daft Punk.

13. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Tom Petty is another musician who was impacted by the Beatles' Ed Sullivan Show appearance.

"Most magic is a trick, an illusion. But [when The Beatles played the Ed Sullivan Show], this was real. Man oh man, was it real." - Tom Petty

Tom Petty influenced artists like The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, Taylor Swift, and Kings of Leon.

14. Creedence Clearwater Revival

"A big influence was seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. They were a quartet and we said, wow, we can do that. If these guys from England can come out and play rock 'n' roll, we can do it ... We bought Beatle wigs." - Doug Clifford

15. Aerosmith

"The night The Beatles first played The Ed Sullivan Show, boy, that was something... It changed me completely." - Joe Perry

Aerosmith is of course also famous for their cover of "Come Together" by the Beatles.

Aerosmith had a large impact on the next generation of hard rock and heavy metal bands including Van Halen, Motley Crue, Guns n Roses, and Pearl Jam.