The Genre John Lennon Hated: “Even More Stupid Than Rock and Roll”
Musical genres often weave in and out of themselves. There is a little pop to be found in rock, hip-hop to be found in pop, and country to be found pretty much everywhere these days…While that melting pot of sound is celebrated by most musicians, there is one genre in particular than John Lennon could never get on board with incorporating. Find out which genre Lennon hated, below.
The Genre John Lennon Hated: “Even More Stupid Than Rock and Roll”
Jazz isn’t a genre for everyone. In fact, it’s likely one of the most hated genres of music. That’s likely due to its unique musical language. In many ways, it’s a genre made for musicians–almost as if you need a whole new vocabulary to be able to understand it. While many rock stars of Lennon’s age infused jazz elements into their music, the former Beatle couldn’t stomach it.
While rock music is certainly not the most austere genre, Lennon once called jazz “even more stupid than rock and roll.” He found that jazz lacked direction and sounded more like a jumbled mess of chords and melodies. While many would likely agree with him, his opinion seemed to be informed by the Beatles’ early days, when they were shut out of many a jazz club…
“We were anti-jazz,” Lennon once said. “I think it is sh** music, even more stupid than rock and roll. Jazz never gets anywhere, never does anything, it’s always the same, and all they do is drink pints of beer. We hated it because in those early days, they wouldn’t let us play at those clubs.”
Source: Alex Hopper/americansongwriter.com
