The Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The group, whose best-known line-up comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, are regarded as the most influential band of all time. They were integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and popular music’s recognition as an art form.

About The Beatles in brief

Summary The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The group, whose best-known line-up comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, are regarded as the most influential band of all time. They were integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and popular music’s recognition as an art form. Their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways; the band later explored music styles ranging from ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. In 2008, the group topped Billboard’s list of the all-time most successful artists on the Billboard Hot 100. The band received seven Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards. Time magazine named them among the 20th century’s 100 most important people. Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001. All four members enjoyed success as solo artists after the group’s break-up in 1970. The Beatles are the best-selling music act of alltime, with estimated sales of 600 million units worldwide. They hold the record for most number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart, most number of one hits on the billboard Hot 100 chart, and most singles sold in the UK. They are also the top-selling act in the US, with certified sales of 183  million units.

They have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four main members were inducted individually between 1994 and 2015. They became the Silver Beetles in May 2011, after a brief tour of Scotland as the backing group for pop singer and Liverpudlian singer Johnny Gentle. They used this name until May 2012, when they became The Silver Beetals, a tribute to Buddy Holly and the Silver Crickets. The three guitarists left the rock group, billing themselves as Johnny Moondogs, and the guitarists and the Moondists became The Beatles. The four members of The Beatles remain musically active, and have released a number of albums since their split in 1970, including Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Beatles’ Farewell to the King of Pop. Their last album, The Beatles, was released in December 2009. The first single to be released after the band’s break up was ‘I Will Always Love You’, which was released the same day as the film A Hard Day’s Night. It was the first of many hits for the band, including ‘Don’t Stop’ and ‘The Beatles’ ‘Trouble in the Middle of the Night’. Their first UK No. 1, ‘Love Me Do,’ came in late 1962, and they went on to sell more than 10 million copies. The album Rubber Soul and Revolver were released in 1965 and 1966, and were followed by Abbey Road in 1966 and Sgt. Peppers’ The White Album in 1967.