Will There Ever Be Another Band as Big as the Beatles or Rolling Stones?

The landscape of popular music has shifted dramatically in the 2020s, with individual pop artists like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Sabrina Carpenter, and Harry Styles dominating the charts. Gone are the days when bands such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Abba defined entire eras of culture. This raises a key question: is the era of the all-conquering group over for good? The Guardian's readers weigh in on whether the music industry's current structure, streaming economics, and cultural fragmentation make it impossible for a band to achieve that level of universal impact. The discussion matters because it reflects broader changes in how we consume music, build fandoms, and share cultural moments. While solo superstars can still sell out stadiums and break records, the collective magic of a band—where distinct personalities and talents merge into something larger—may be a relic of a pre-digital age. As the industry evolves, the odds of another Beatles or Stones seem slimmer, but music has a way of surprising us.