Remember The Beatles? They were a popular beat combo back in the 1940s and George McCartney and Julian Lennon wrote some of the most enduring songs of a generation, such as ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ and ‘We’re Going To Ibiza’.
However, since the group broke up, not much has been heard of them. George McCartney probably works in a petrol station and Lennon faded into obscurity, not releasing a record since 1980.
This has given the cast of US TV show Glee the chance to surpass them and have broken the record for the most appearances in the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart by a non-solo act. Which means that Glee is better than The Beatles.
Glee have six new entries this week, which brings their tally to 75 chart entries, compared with The Beatles’ paltry 71. They’re not The Best though. That honour goes to Elvis Presley who has 108 entries and James Brown who has 91. That means they’re the best. Ever.
While Glee doesn’t ever look like it will be taken seriously by music critics, it has still managed to shift a whopping 2.8 million albums and 11.5 million downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In an age where pretty much everyone illegally downloads, that’s all the more impressive.
As well as being better than The Beatles, the cast of Glee are also much better than people like Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Scatman John.
As they deal with cover-versions, this is great news of the people who wrote them in the first place. Glee have five covers of Britney Spears songs in the latest chart after last week’s show (tracks are available for download after broadcast).
What’s all the more staggering is that The Beatles’ hits were amassed over a long period of time. Almost a hundred years in fact. Whereas Glee have managed to kick Ringle Stark and Audley Harrison’s arse in just over a year.
Don’t worry Beatlefans. Combined, Glee has only been on the chart for a total of 105 weeks while The Fabs have a tally of 617 weeks in the chart. So that probably means The Beatles are better again.
Of course, the real winners in all of this are Journey, who wrote the abject misery of ‘Don’t Stop Believin”, which has been purloined by absolutely every simpleton singer in the world at some point in the past 12 months.
Well done you.
Greg says
Are you serious?
“… Popular beat combo back in the 1940s”.
“George McCartney and Julian Lennon”?
If this isn’t a really poor attempt at humor, this writer is the worst I’ve ever read. Seriously, let’s just let a bunch of 7 year olds make up stories and write on here.
shane says
Well first of all mof gimmers……is that even a real name? Let me congratulate you on your crackerjack research job! Second let me tell you your a moron! The beetles didn’t come out in the 40s dipshit! Your only about twenty years off though! George McCartney? You meen Paul McCartney and George harison..I really hope you were joking because no one is that stupid! Oh fyi john lennon died over 25 years ago! Now as for glee being better than the beetles! Are you smokin Meth!? Yea it doesn’t take alot of talent to take hit songs and remake them. (Just ask p ditty!)? The beetles wrote all their songs! In short, do the world a solid and get a vasectomy special ed!
jay says
I quote “However, since the group broke up, not much has been heard of them. George McCartney probably works in a petrol station and Lennon faded into obscurity, not releasing a record since 1980.”
1st off who the heck is George McCartney, I’m asking because he wan’t part of the Beatles, yeah he probably works in a Petrol Station.
Beatles Members:
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
George Harrison
Ringo Starr
2nd John Lennon Died 8 December 1980at the age 40 in New York after being shot by Mark David Chapman in front of the apartment building where he and Yoko Ono lived, so it’s slightly impossible to release anything new.
Skip says
Glee of course isn’t better than the Beatles, Elvis, Aretha, James or any of those people. It’s just that with time, the public’s taste in music has been watered down so much that most of today’s chart toppers are yesterday’s bottom feeders. Back then, you had to be able to sing to have a hit. Today, you just have to look hot, be outrageous, and a total train wreck, willing to whore yourself out for a moment in the spotlight.
JoeMomma says
Awesome, Beatles fans are just as mental as MJ fans! Strangely both of whom I despise.
I despise Glee as well. YAY!
I keep saying, there’s some subliminal mind melting messages going through these songs and TV show.
Katie says
Number one Julian Lennon is John Lennon’s son and it is Paul McCartney and George Harrison not George McCartney. Please get your names straight if you are going to tal about The beatles. I don’t know if you are trying to make jokes that nobody knows the name of The Beatles members in comparison to the cast of Glee. I’m not a fan of Glee nor do I know anyone in the show.
Katie says
Thank you to the earlier posts. I don’t appreciate this article whether it was meant to be funny or not. Even Wikipedia doesn’t give that kind of information.
Serena says
Oh dear some Beatles fan’s have had a sense of humour bypass. I’m pretty sure John wouldn’t have taken offense! (and before any of you start on me I’m from Liverpool and so have a free pass to say anything I like about the Beatles!!!)
Jim says
Wow. You’d do well to check some facts.
Pfft Really says
“Remember The Beatles? They were a popular beat combo back in the 1940s and George McCartney and Julian Lennon wrote some of the most enduring songs of a generation, such as
stafford_az says
Seriously?!?! You have proven to me that you have never heard of the Beatles or of a copy-editor/fact-checker!
The doesn’t even know the correct decade in which the Beatles existed (“1940’s”…really?). The primary songwriters were not George McCartney and Julian Lennon (PAUL McCartney and JOHN Lennon), and Lennon hasn’t released an album since 1980 because he was murdered! Lastly, the song you listed aren’t even Beatles songs.
With glaring errors like that at the beginning of the article (and no indication that this was done in jest), how can I, the reader, even expect that any of your other “facts” are accurate.
Epic Fail!
Drew says
I guess any dick can write an article.
David Schwartz says
The only thing funnier than this article, is reading the stupid comments underneath. I am seriously worried for the human race.
Arthur ASCii says
How can you possibly consider youself a serious pop culture journalist if you think that the Beetles wrote “Jumpin
Josh says
This is sad day in the history of the world!!! I know longer want to be a part of this society. Im done. Its makes me sick to my stomach!!!
Bobby says
Great trolling attempt. I almost took you seriously.
Sunny says
Whoa, serious anger management & a reality check required for some of the folks here in replies … spell check would not hurt either. Gaining a sense of humor, priceless.
Princess Diana says
The dead ones off of The Beatles are still rockin’ up here in Heaven – look!
http://dianainheaven.com/2010/04/21/new-beatles-album/
gabbylauren says
Hell no ! The beatles r the best! Glee sucks gay ass!
Ron J says
I thought it was well done with a “Glee”feel. How many times do we hear Finn rattle off some way-off “non-fact” about a band?
RonJ says
I’m kind of amazed at the vast level of brain power in the comments below.
It’s a joke, people. The author is showing how the billboard charts can be a bit…off…by using something called…satire. Look it up.
george says
B-E-A-T-L-E-S – who is the idiot now?!?
Riley says
For such a huge fan you’d think you could at least spell the ‘Beatles’ correctly. The article is clearly a joke aimed to poke fun at our generation’s taste in music. Don’t take it so seriously.
Bobby Zuber says
You are a complete idiot!!!!!! I know that the internet has given any moron with a computer a chance to say whatever they like, but honestly I can not believe that anyone would ever visit this site more than once! This is my first time visiting and will be the last time! Maybe your whole premise of this blog is to be stupid and misinformed, i guess maybe you think its funny and people say, ” we should read hecklerspray.com and see what stupid things he can say today!”.
First and foremost, and I know this is completely my opinion, but anyone who knows anything about music, including producer of Glee and the entire cast of the show would say that they have not even begun to come close to being in a discussion with the Beatles!
Second, I know this only your blog, but if your going to write something for the world to see and try to sound like you know anything about music or that you’re informed about your subject you should do a lot, and I mean a WHOLE LOT more work checking your facts, and a little grammar and spellcheck would be good too (maybe you should stick to tweeting where grammar doesnt matter). Just to poin out a few mistakes… 1. In the opening paragraph you say the Beatles were popular back in the 1940s, the band wasnt even formed until 1960! Lennon and McCartney were born in 1940 and 1942, respectively! You also dont even get their names right! Their names are John Lennon, not Julian Lennon (although John had a son named Julian, whom the classic “Hey Jude” was written for), and Paul McCartney, not George McCartney, one members name was George, but his name was George Harrison and later in the article you refer to “Ringle Stark” and “Audley Harrison”, I assume that you mean Ringo Starr and George Harrison, the other 2 members who made up the band with John and Paul. You also claim that they wrote “Jumpin Jack Flash”, which is a song by The Rolling Stones, a great band that is also from England. I mean I guess you could say that you just had a couple of mistakes, but no anyone who sets out to write an article, or blog or whatever you call yourself writing has to just be a lazy idiot to make that many mistakes, I mean literally everything you wrote in your opening article is incorrect. I almost had to just stop reading then and there, but since I am an enormous Beatles fan I read on.
Your second paragraph, Since the band broke up little has been heard from them? Paul McCartney and John Lennon both had successful Solo careers, releasing #1 albums, McCartney also formed the band Wings with his wife and others which resulted in a few hits, the title track to the James Bond movie “Live and Let Die” and “Baby Im amazed” just off the top of my head. And come on, “Imagine” by John Lennon is a classic and is amazing! George Harrison and Ringo Starr each released solo albums, and Harrison is considered to be one of the best guitar players of his generation and has played numerous times with Eric Clapton, Elton John, and many others. John Lennon didnt exactly fade into obscurity, and the main reason he hasnt released a record since 1980 is because he was assasinated in 1980 in New York City outside of the Dakota. He is honored every year by his fans outside of the Dakota and at his memorial in Central Park. Also, even though the Beatles broke up in 1970, The Beatles Anthology the documentary was a hugely successful television event in the 1990s as well as the Anthology album also reached #1 on the Billboard charts. Then in the early 2000s they had another #1 album with the release of the 1 album, which was a collection of their 26 #1 hits, theyve also cirque de solei show in Las Vegas featuring nothing but their music that has sold out literally thousands of times. So i’d say theyve done a few things since breaking up, and I guess Paul McCartney took a break from pumping petrol to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show a few years ago!
I do enjoy Glee, its one of the best shows on television, but to even compare them with The Beatles is absurd and idiotic and anyone who reads just the first few sentences of your blog would instantly realize how little you know about about music and pop culture. Glee has been around for 1 full season and maybe theyre halfway through their 2nd season. Theyre popular for performing songs written by other artists, maybe if they start writing and performing their own songs and people still talk about them 50 years after their debut then maybe, MAYBE they could be in a discussion with The Beatles. Even if you wanted to compare television vs. television (because Glee is a tv show, theyre not a band and if they were, theyre a cover band at best, i do admit theyre a great musical theatre troupe), The Beatles made their television debut in America on The Ed Sullivan with 75+ Million people watching! Glee would be lucky to have 20 million watch!
And since you made mistakes on basically every sentence that you wrote in the first 2 paragraphs I dont really think that you got much else right in the article, specifically the statistics about Glee and theyre success on the music charts. I do know that Glee has had a lot of songs downloaded on itunes, and Im sure they have had several songs appear on the charts, but I’m not gonna waste my time researching what songs have made which charts, how high they made it and when they hit the charts. Like I said, since basically everything you wrote about The Beatles was incorrect, probably everything you wrote about Glee was incorrect as well. I really, really hope that you give up about writing about any kind of music whatsoever, or if you decide to keep writing do yourself a favor and at least do a tiny bit of research. I mean the bare minimum, just for starters, if your writing about a band, writing about The Beatles at least find out what theyre names our, your not writing about Julian Lennon, George McCartney, Ringle Stark and Audley Harrison! Your writing about John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr!!! I kinda feel bad about reaming you, because to do such horrible writing and research and to be so off base with your opinion, you have to be like 12-15 years old and consider Justin Beiber, The Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus to be the greatest musicians of all time! I know Im a little rare for a 26 year old, to appreciate The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan, Hendrix, Zeppelin, Elvis, Chuck Berry, etc… as much as I do, not everyone can discover and appreciate The Beatles at 8 years old like I did, but I was lucky enough to come from a musical family that cares about education, culture and the Arts. My 10 year old nephew loves Beiber though, maybe you and him could hang out, watch a lil icarly and then you could discuss music with someone thats on the same level as you. Maybe not though, because he is starting to dig the The Beatles and the Stones so he may be a little past you, but his little brother is 6 so Im sure you would be on one of their levels.
Thank you for being so ignorant, and please do me, every fan of music in the world and yourself a favor, and dont ever write anything again!
rustydunce says
What? I’m from Liverpool and you are mocking our dead! I’ll complain and make you apologise! How dare you insult dead scousers!
Alex says
C’mon…. no-one’s that stupid. The comments from people taking the piece literally were made up for comedy value, right? Right…?
Oh.
Pingu says
oh my god, do these morons not understand satire at all, anyone with half a brain should know that the article isnt slagging the beatles but todays society. its actually hilarious how stupid and arrogant people can be, beatles fans should get over it
Ed Masley says
As a Beatles fan, I really hope the people leaving outraged comments are engaging in a Rutles-worthy spoof on outraged comments. Could it have been more obvious that the writer was having some fun?
Steve Charnock says
Paul McCartney will be spinning in his grave…
Si says
Jesus. These comments are priceless. I would never had seen them coming. Fantastic.
Bobby Zuber says
If this is this gentlemans attempt at humor, or sattire, i would still say its pretty pathetic. I dont think anyone who is a real music fan would commit such herresy about the greatest band of all time to try, i repat TRY to be funny! Especially a Brit, its a shame that a yank holds Englands greatest artists since Shakespeare in higher regard than a man from their own country!
Seriously bad attempt at humor! If thats what it was, if this is considered British humor I can totally see why in the last 30-40 years the only thing funny to come out of England has been Monty Python and The Office/Ricky Gervais.
Beard says
This is one of the funniest things I’ve read in ages, reminds me
of when the NME was good (I think that was the
40’s too) – and I agree that the only thing funnier is the offended comments after it.
I think I might have a nephew called mof actually ;)
cleave says
Reading these comments is the funniest thing since Yoko shot Lennon. I’d like to personally thank all the idiots who took it seriously and felt compelled to add corrections. Extra marks for anger and illiteracy. Thanks all xx
cleave says
I think Shane is my favourite. He can’t spell “Beatles” or “Harrison” and thinks they wrote all their songs (apart from the cover versions, right?)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_covered_by_The_Beatles
Congratulations on your crackerjack research job Shane! Bobby Zuber’s essay was too boring to read unfortunately.
Keith Sheldon says
This website has such funny shit. That people don’t realize this is satire almost makes it seem as if they are the ones being lampooned. No nothing idiots who take inanity far too seriously. Great article, made me laugh.
klaus says
yeah, but only ever so slightly, as tupac continues to prove.
Ms Penelope Ditty says
On behalf of P. DIDDY, I’d like to remind you that he takes great offence at being confused with the founder member of The Bunty Trout Singers, Ms P. Ditty, i.e. Me. Don’t do it again or I’m sure you’ll be hearing from his lawyers… just like the last time after we’d appeared on Newsround, performing our choral arrangement of “99 Problems and a bitch ain’t one of them”. He branded it “sexist” and “inappropriate”.
P.S. “Your” is a possessive pronoun… I think you were looking for “You’re”, as in a contraction of “you are”
charlie says
dude.
*A gentleman’s
*satire
*heresy
*repeat
like, seriously, like, dude.
Randy Figgins says
Hecklerspray have a Facebook page. It’s the easiest way to keep an eye on their nonsense. Go on, join up, they’ll give you cookies.
rashard zanders says
Damn, doesn’t anyone get sarcasm? This really is a dumbed down society. Thanks Reagan….now we can’t even write joke articles without them going over EVERYONE’s heads.
Nice article, btw!
Si says
I love the fact that so many have read the article and comments, but yet I bet no-one has made any attempt to read Bobby Zuber’s epic first comment. He must have taken so long to type that and no-one cares what he thinks, poor lamb. The way I see it- if George thought that the bible wasn’t sacred, he certainly wouldn’t have thought the Beatles were.
EVEN THOUGH THIS ARTICLE IS NOT ACTUALLY ABOUT THE BEATLES.
You're a douche says
ALL HECKLER SPRAY ARTICLES ARE WRITTEN IN JEST YOU SPANNER!
Sarah says
Finally, someone with a sense of humor. Coming from a Beatles fan, I thought it was quite humorous.
Chesney AwkeS says
R u sayin the guy who wrote this knos what hes talking about? Ur an idiot m8
Ashwanga CandidiasiS says
I find your lack of punctuation disturbing. This article clearly states that Glee is better than the Beetles. The statistics PROVE it. Who are you to argue with statistics? LIterally no one. (maybe you should stick to tweeting where grammar doesnt matter)
R. Ramjet, Dorset says
LMAO! YOU ARE THE BEST.
Tony Mortimer says
As a songwhitah I fink the FOUR is a better team than Glee!!? Who is dis guy. Shut it already?
Antony_Sir_Camilot says
bobby is a freind of mine, who are you think you are??? i think th people who are on ths forum are idiots becaue they cant tell the difference beween facts and NONENSE. i am so angry that the riters of this garbige cant feel nothing about the feelings of reel beetles fans and people like YOK O ONO who have spent there time recording all of this in the anals of history for idiots like this to ruin with there pathetic speculation.
Paul MCarty says
I looked up in wikipedia and there was definitely a page for “funny” (it redirects to “humor”) if your struggling to figure out what “funny” is then you should probaly google it 1st.
shane says
THE BEETLES ARE WELL BETTER THAN YOUR SHITY INDIE BANDS IDIOT
whos the idiot now?!??!
Dave the noodlemuncher says
The anals of history? I think I’ve seen that film.
hummelhummelrummenigge says
oh yes. its not even 24hrs in and Ronald Reagan AND Ricky Gervais have already been mentioned. this is growing. i can see parades of moustached suburban dudes with anti-hecklerspray bumper stickers on their F-150s, right between the good old “i’d be nailin’ palin” and the “liberto concerto OK” stickers. come over, we’ll serve you tea’n buns ‘n shag your squinting daughters, like, seriously, like OMG.
Cookie Monster says
Wait a sex, are you pimping me out again, you Randy tart?
Andre the giant says
I saw the Beatles at the Glastonbury reunion gig in 1992. It was really good to see them put there differences behind them just for the love of the music.
ml says
FAR TOO MANY AMERICANS HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET
oatsoda says
I’m afraid idiocy is an international epidemic ml
DatDereDeadLennon says
SCHMICKLES!!!?
Looks like it’s time for a Beatles branded spell checker, these fans don’ half talk a lorrov old shite. I’ll get McCartney on it, the meff!
MollyMoo says
Ahem…
*It’s
*England’s
*Humour (when in, um, Europe…)
*That’s
Seriously – dude!
Jimboeth says
Dear Shane:
http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/tackklee/gifs/whatwhat-1.gif?t=1244847953
Tom J says
Wow, that sure is a lot of comments for such a painfully boring subject matter. My contribution is to note that… who am I kidding, I got nothing. I think it may be John Lennon’s birthday today because a Google doodle told me so but come to think about it I’m pretty sure that John Lennon died at some point so that might be wrong.
Dingus McGee says
THE BEETLES ARE WELL BETTER THAN YOUR SHITY INDIE BANDS IDIOT
whos the idiot now?!??!
http://bit.ly/9h4KM9
ccdude says
Look, I am 11 and I probably know more about The Beates than the average 30 year old. No offense (if its possable) but your post was horrible. Get the names right. Its Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Star, and George Harrison. Not George McCartney, Julian Lennon, Ringle Stark, and Audley Harrison. The only name you got right was Juian Lennon, but that wasn’t even in the right context. I can’t even start to imagine were you got the name Audley.. but anyway lets talk about the mistakes. First of all The Beatles werent even playing back in 1940. They started playing in the cavern when they were 16 or 17 so they would have to have been born sometime in the 1940’s I would imagine. Secondly, besides names, The songs you listed weren’t even by the Beatles. And besides even if you did write Paul McCartney and Julian Lennon, they didn’t even write songs together. Julian would have been to young since he was John Lennons son. And even today, Julian Lennon is probaley 35-45 and Paul is probabley 70, some where around there. Next, “However, since the group broke up, not much has been heard of them. George McCartney probably works in a petrol station and Lennon faded into obscurity, not releasing a record since 1980.” Where’d you come up with that. First of all, Paul McCartney is still having concerts in New York and John Lennon didn’t “fade into obscurity” He was shot and killed in front of his apartment in New York… in 1980. You also say that Glee has done something thing special so therefeore they are better The The Beatles. No. Look, Did glee have approximetly 74 million people (which, by the was was 40% of the american population at that time) watch there last eppisode last Wednesday? And did they hold twelve positions on the Billboard top 100 including the top five? And did they sell 2.6 million coppies in two week? And did Glee have more than 2 movies? I don’t think Glee qualifies for any one of those. Look Glee is fun and intiresting, don’t get me wrong, but is nowhere comparable to The Beatles. Look, I could go on and on about this but I don’t have enough time… So next time you decide to compare The Beatles to a tennage T.V show, get your facts right.
marcus says
@dingus macgee – its not funny to laugh at handicap people. your a bad person and your the idoit here.
i think hecklerspary should apology to beetle fans everywhere for this terrible article.
Santa Fean says
hA-ha.
Si says
Bless you ccdude. Do yourself a favour. Copy and paste the article into a document, name the document “not to be opened for 10 years”. In the interim years, continue with your education and pay attention at school. When you re-open, all will be clear, trust me.
Arthur ASCii says
I actually just strapped myself in and went and read it all through, just to prove you wrong.
Truefax.
animal husband says
Look, people, were missing the point here. Today is a special day and we should all take five minutes out to remeber what happened to John Lydon. So much talent cut short in his prime, A Crying Shame.
steve says
FFS!!! are you all retarded?!?!? the whole article is clearly a joke, and you have to be a class A retard to not see that!! WTF is wrong with you people??
DW says
Is it the guy who’s still spelling The Beatles wrong?
keyla says
this is is jank GLEE BETTER THAN THE BEATLES I THINK NOT its not that hard to sing some songs that other people made and who ever made this is such an idiot
JoeMomma says
Sad and you fail. Can’t read that much crap.
JoeMomma says
How about a Calvin peeing on a Hecklerspray logo?
JoeMomma says
They are beatles fans.
Cherry says
Ive had enough with these people hating, if you have had enough too, please sign my petition to hecklespray management to apologize for these awful articles
http://www.petitiononline.com/hecklenn/petition.html
AnonyMouse says
Really? Are you serious?
Dude, that’s just embarrassing.
Neil says
Wow…
Look at all you desperate saddo’s trying to defend the world’s most gimmicky band. Basically a bunch of greedy drug-addicts from Liverpool’s stage scene who managed to cash in on the obsession of a bunch of idiots.
There is no ‘good’ Beatles song. They’re all shite.
This is a website, this article was intended as a joke.
If you have complained or corrected the author you are an idiot and should consider hanging yourself.
Cheers,
George McCartney and Lohn Jennon
Claire says
I’m a big Beatles fan, but I have to say – the comments here are freaking wonderful. Retards and the internet clearly do not mix well. Luv yoo Hecklerspray – keep it up!
Vahva says
Thanks everyone. Stupid comments and sensible (you know who you are) you have made my day. Absolutely hilarious!
abeatlesfan says
THE BEATLES ARE SO MUCH BETTER THAN GLEE!!! lol No one could beat them besides Glee is a show, not a music band
Dawn Under says
Um…. WTF??!!! What the hell is this? This is one of the biggest wastes of my time in the history of wasteing time. I’m laughing at how stupid this is. Heckler Spray’s writers are retarded and full of BS!!
rose says
write your own music, Glee! stop turn good songs to be so corny!
Beatles Rock says
Beatles are well better than glee and that’s saying something because i love glee but not as much as beatles
carla says
What the fuck is this???
Lol so stupidd!!!
Ricardo says
This is seriously a failed attempt of humor.
Naomi Bloom says
I do understand that this article was written in jest, but it would be much easier to appreciate the humor if it were actually funny. Please google sarcasm next time.