Farewell, George Martin

Without him, there would have been no Beatles as we know them. George Martin didn't just produce their records--filling such tall orders as John's request that the listener could "smell the sawdust" on the fairground fancy "Being for the Benefit of Mr.Kite"--but also giving the band the thumb's up so they could record for Parlophone in the first place. As a fine musician, his piano skills also brought genuine Rock & Roll life to "Money" or baroque elegance to "In My Life". 

Martin's legacy will forever be tethered to that of The Beatles, but he also produced records for a wide range of artists, including the Goons' comedy discs (which greatly impressed super-fan John), Shirley Bassey's orchestral pop, and Cheap Trick's hard rock. Needless to say, it is very sad that George Martin died yesterday at the age of 90, but he sure used those 90 years well.