While I agree that The Beatles are hailed as the GOAT group of all time by some White people, their music doesn't fly in the Black community. Before you accuse me of "being racist". I'll come out and say it; I've observed differences in the way that Blacks and Whites judge music. Music that doesn't get any play in the Black community is considered exceptional by Whites (i.e. Heavy Metal). You could go to a White wedding and if there's a band or DJ you'd be likely to hear something by The Beatles. You'd never hear anything by the Beatles at a Black wedding. Never.
Nightclubs or bars that cater to the Black community aren't going to play anything by The Beatles. Plain and simply, the Beatles and their music isn't held in high regard by the Black community. We consider it White people music. Their music doesn't have any flavor or soul and would clear a dance floor in 10 seconds flat in any club or party thats predominately African American.
In contrast, there are artists and groups that are held in high regard by the Black community, groups that have classic songs and albums that might not get as much critical acclaim from White music critics and/or editors but you could play them at an all Black party/nightclub and the dance floor will be packed (e.g. Before I Let Go by Frankie Beverly & Maze). This is a fact. Kool & The Gang is one of those groups. You can play Jungle Boogie, Hollywood Swingin, Ladies Night or Celebration at a cookout or a wedding and the dance floor will be packed. There's not one song in the Beatles entire catalog that you could play at an all Black cookout, party, nightclub or wedding that would produce similar results. And that's a scientific fact.
Its really a matter of "culture vultures". White people, as a whole perpetuate the doctrine and/or concept that they produce music that is equal to or better than Black music when deep down we all know that isn't true. At best they imitate Black music.
While I agree that the media has shoved the Beatles down our throats in a feeble attempt to convince the masses that they're the all time greatest band of all time, all one has to do is simply forget what you've been told and listen to the music. Just listen.
You say that The Beatles had a tremendous impact and influence, but just consider how many people have sampled Kool & The Gang. Look at the list of songs I posted in the O/P. Seriously, thats just about every group/rapper you can think of from every region.
Anyway, I remember when Kool & The Gang was hot in the 80s. They had a string of hits when I was a kid. But I didn't know that they had been around since the 60s. When I started making beats I started collecting funk and soul albums from the 70s to sample and I slowly started collecting their albums. I finally completed my Kool & The Gang record collection about last year when I copped their first album. Its self titled and came out in 1969.
This is their discography;
1. Kool & The Gang (1969)
2. The Best of Kool & the Gang (1971)
3. Live at the Sex Machine (1971)
4. Live at P.J.s (1971)
5. Music Is The Message (1972)
6. Good Times (1972)
7. Wild & Peaceful (1973)
8. Kool Jazz (1973)
9. Light of The Worlds (1974)
10. Spirit of The Boogie (1975)
11. Greatest Hits (1975)
^^^ That's their funkier stuff. All of those albums are funky as hell and contain samples from songs that you've probably heard before. The better ones are in bold imo. I'd say the three best are Live at The Sex Machine and Live at P.J.s, and the Greatest Hits album.
Then they switched to more of a dance/disco/top 40 style. They started to cross over and appeal to the top 40 crowd.
12. Love & Understanding (1976)
13. Open Sesame (1976)
14. The Force (1977)
15. Everybody's Dancin (1978)
16. Ladies Night (1979)
17. Celebrate (1980)
18. Something Special (1981)
19. As One (1982)
20. In The Heart (1983)
21. Emergency (1984)
22. Forever (1986)
From Wikipedia
The band first hit the US Billboard R&B chart with the release of their debut eponymous album. Several live and studio albums followed, with 1973's Wild and Peaceful breaking into the mainstream with "Funky Stuff", "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging"."Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging" both sold over one million copies, and each was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. Many reviews see the Gang's 1974 album Light of Worlds and 1975 album Spirit of the Boogie as the greatest achievements of the band, with the 1975 single "Summer Madness" gaining much attention.
The late 1970s saw a lull in Kool & the Gang's output except for the album Open Sesame, which yielded the title track "Open Sesame", achieving some success as part of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and winning a Grammy Award. New lead singer James "J.T." Taylor then joined the group, starting with 1979's Ladies' Night. Their number one hit in 1980s "Celebration" was from Celebrate!, co-produced by Eumir Deodato. More international hits followed in the early 1980s, including "Big Fun", "Get Down on It", and "Joanna". Their 1984 album Emergency yielded four top-20 pop hits, including "Fresh" and "Cherish". Their chart presence stopped after Forever.
When its all said and done, they certainly have a thorough discography. The comparison to The Beatles might seem ill-matched and/or uneven to those that haven't listened to their albums. But I refer any and all naysayers to listen to Live at The Sex Machine (1971), Live at P.J.s (1971) and Greatest Hits (1975). That's their 3 best albums imo.
In conclusion, you've been brainwashed. There's a conspiracy within the media to propagate the idea that White bands such as The Beatles make superior music. The media is powerful. They can convince you to believe things that aren't true.
Last but not least, I'll leave you with this;
Summer Madness - Kool & The Gang
