Why does Lincoln still matter?

[Liz Rosenthal]

It's strange how the "Does Lincoln Still Matter" thread has turned into a Stones v. Beatles discussion!

I'll just pipe in that while I agree that the Beatles had a much greater cultural impact than the Stones, I think the Stones were/are much better musicians. The Stones were the live band that the Beatles never were. And, to me, when it comes to music, the true test of a great musician is his or her live performing prowess, regardless of genre!

Having said that, it's hard not to have a soft spot for John Lennon, but for me it was his personality, and what he stood for, that I admired.

Since we're talking about "faves," I'll note my diehard fandom for Elton John. A lot of people don't realize what an incredibly amazing musician he is... and that's why I became a fan in the first place, well after the costume period had ended. The album purchases immediately followed. Many people like to put down Elton's musical creds, but ask anybody in rock, young or old, and they'll tell you he's a musician's musician. He is greatly admired among his peers. By the way, he and John Lennon were close friends in the 70s, and Elton was named godfather to Lennon's son Sean. Elton and Mick are also pretty chummy.

Bringing this back to Lincoln, the reason that Lincoln still matters is multi-fold. One of the reasons is that he brings disparate people together in conversation, much like rock 'n roll does.