Sir George Martin

RIP Sir George Martin.

Many people still debate the so-called "5th Beatle" - there was never a doubt in my mind that it was/is George Martin. George taught The Beatles (and the musical industry as a whole) the magic of the studio. It was Sir Martin's influence of the studio - AND MUSIC IN GENERAL - that eventually led to things like Revolver and Rubber Soul, which opened doors for the success of not only The Beatles, but Phil Spector (wall of sound), and The Beach Boys (Pet Sounds). Sure, Martin's work was not as elaborate of what we expect from studio work now, but he did leading edge work with just a 4-track and/or 8-track. Without his foundation, there would have been nothing for The Beatles and others to build on.

And he did this for more than just The Beatles, having worked with Pete Townshend, Kenny Rogers, Cheap Trick, and so many many others. Martin had his hand in over 30 #1 singles and had influence on many arrangements from the Bond movies.

In addition to his studio knowledge, he had that elusive "ear for music". He just knew when a French Horn would work, or when adding just 2 piano key strokes would make a world of difference.
The music world lost a pioneer and a genius.

Thank you George Martin.