3 Bands That Were Called “The Next Beatles” When They Debuted

The Beatles were a once-in-a-generation band. But what about subsequent generations? Has someone else surpassed the fervor the Fab Four enjoyed? Critics and fans seemed to think the three bands below had potential when they first debuted. What do you think, can these groups boast Beatlemania levels of prestige?

[RELATED: Paul McCartney Talks the Famous Beatles Ballad That Started as a Song He’d Play to Impress People at Parties]

3 Bands That Were Called “The Next Beatles”

1. Oasis

Given they also hailed from England and found great success overseas, there was a natural jump from the Beatles to Oasis. Moreover, Oasis made nods to the Fab Four’s music throughout their career and fancied themselves “The next Beatles”–a fact Paul McCartney noted and warned against.

“Even when things happen like Oasis saying, ‘We are the next Beatles,’” McCartney once explained. “I also think, Listen lads you can’t say that. And don’t say that, because it’s probably the kiss of death!”

2. Bee Gees

Before the Bee Gees earned massive success as part of the disco movement, they were lumped in with other foreign acts hoping to make the jump over to America. In fact, their manager released their first U.S. track under the guise of the Beatles banner.

“If you sounded like the Beatles and also could write a hit single, then the hype of the machine would go into action,” Barry Gibb once said. “Your company would make sure people thought you sounded like the Beatles or thought you were the Beatles. And that sold you.”

3. One Direction

The passion behind the Directioners was akin to that of Beatlemania. They filled arenas, lined streets, and caused general pandemonium whenever One Direction came to their city. Given their U.K. origins and the hysteria around them, many took to calling the boyband “The next Beatles.”

“We all sat and watched the film of the Beatles arriving in America,” Harry Styles once said. “And, to be honest, that really was like us. Stepping off the plane, the girls, the madness. It was exactly the same as when we got there – just 50 years earlier. [However] none of us think we’re in the same league as them music-wise. We’d be total fools if we did. Fame-wise, it’s probably even bigger.”

(Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)