If you have ever said anything remotely negative about The Beatles in a room full of former hippies...you know fear. There is a certain understanding about some bands. Some bands (most being from the 60's) are immune to any sort of hatred. And, if you ever (God forbid) speak about these untouchables without a certain show of emotion, or respect, you are deemed wicked and you are kicked and beaten with large rocks.
I am not saying that these untouchable bands do not deserve their recognition...I would never say that, or be caught saying it. I am just pointing out the obvious.
This immunity also gives the band a guaranteed best selling album, no matter how bad it is. For example, how many of you own (or at one time owned) that John Lennon/Yoko Ono album? (I don't remember what it was called, I just remember a lot of noise.) You bought it expecting greatness. Why? Because John Lennon was in The Beatles and everything the Beatles touch is gold. Now, how many of you who owned that album feared taking it back to the store because it was expected of you to like it? Admit it, it was a bad album, but you feared telling anyone else you thought that. How dare anyone speak negatively of anything that comes out of John Lennon's vocal cords. And now, after he has died and we are left with those horrible memories, we blame it on Yoko. Is that fair? Is she really the one who broke up The Beatles? Wasn't it just as much a fault of John as it was hers? But, how can we blame him? He is God, according to most.
Let us swich focus onto another band, Metallica. They are losing their immunity, and are now becoming overrated. How did this happen? At one time Metallica was a band that was equally as immune as The Beatles. What went wrong? Did they anger too many people with the whole Napster thing? Probably. Did everyone realize they were just getting too old? Yes. Did everyone hear their last couple of albums and realize no amount of immunity can save this crappy music? Oh yes! Only Metallica can rent out a Symphony Orchestra and still call it Metal. Only Metallica can cover "Whisky in the Jar", add an "O" to "Jar" in the chorus. Ripping a classic song to shreds, leaving nothing for the rest of us to enjoy.
The missing element? No one has died in the band yet. Immunity is at its strongest when a member has died, excluding most drummers (not all) because most drummers are interchangable anyway.
Example: Nirvana. You can trash Grunge all you want in this society, but if you even step on Mr. Cobain's toes, you are once again beaten to a bloody, Pearl Jam favoring pulp (yes, I've experienced this and am now quietly mending my wounds).
The common rule to the untouchables: Die before your time; have lived in the 60's; look cute in your overrated movie; act like you don't even care about being idolized; and never rent out a Symphony...you'll lose your edge.
The Most Recognized Untouchables:
The Beatles
Nirvana
Pink Floyd
Santana
Led Zeppelin
The Rolling Stones
Bob Dylan
Bob Marley
Aerosmith
AC/DC
Black Sabbath
Jimi Hendrix
The Who
The Used to be Untouchables:
Metallica
Micheal Jackson
Any Jackson family member
Disclaimer: I love most of these bands, including the Beatles, I don't mean to offend anyone. Most of the untouchables are on my top 10 favorite bands. I'm just pointing out what is so obvious it hurts. I'm pointing out something that keeps a lot of our inner-most thoughts hidden. So, before the hate mail starts coming in, remember that someone had to say it.
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