The Beatles

The Beatles were a British pop/rock band, formed in 1960 in Liverpool, England. The main and constant members of the band were John Lennon (1940 – 1980), Paul McCartney (1942), George Harrison (1943 – 2001), and Ringo Starr (1940). The band is considered by many to be the most popular musical act in the history of music, influencing the development of pop culture, and one of the brightest symbols of the counterculture in the 1960s of the 20th century. The Beatles are the best-selling musical group in history with 600 million copies sold worldwide.

Before the formation of The Beatles, Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison played in the band "The Quarrymen," which, after numerous name changes, settled on the name "The Beatles." The new band built its reputation by performing in clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg between 1960 and 1963. At that time, their bassist was Stuart Sutcliffe; various members played drums, with Pete Best staying the longest, replaced by Ringo Starr shortly before the recording of the band's first single. The roots of The Beatles stem from skiffle, beat, and rock and roll music, popular in the second half of the 1950s. Manager Brian Epstein shaped the rock band into a professional act aimed at a pop sound, and producer George Martin developed their studio recordings. In a short time, the band achieved immense popularity and the so-called "Beatlemania" appeared on the island. The band's fame crossed the ocean, where in 1964 they led the "British Invasion" – the establishment of English rock bands in the American pop market. Their popularity was accompanied by their participation in two feature films. In 1966, Lennon caused an international scandal, declaring his band "more popular than Jesus."

After the mid-1960s, the band's music became more complex, experimenting with various genres such as folk, psychedelic rock, and hard rock; they also incorporated elements of classical music, avant-garde music, and even Indian folk music. Some of the members became fascinated with Hinduism and Eastern philosophies. The Beatles ceased their concert performances in 1966 and focused on studio work, which gave birth to a number of innovative albums: Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966), Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), The Beatles (dubbed "The White Album") (1968), and Abbey Road (1969). In 1970, after the release of their last album Let It Be, the band broke up, and each of them began a successful solo career. Lennon was shot in 1980 in New York by an obsessed fan, and Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001. The remaining living members of The Beatles – McCartney and Starr – continue their musical careers.

"The Fab Four" or "The Amazing Four" (as The Beatles are often called) are the best-selling musical group in history with over 600 million records sold worldwide. They have the most number-one albums on the British charts and have sold more singles than any other artist from the island. According to "RIAA," The Beatles are the best-selling musical artists in America with a total of 178 million copies sold. In 2008, the band topped Billboard's list of the most successful artists of all time who appeared on the Hot 100 list, and by 2016, they held the record for the most number-one hits on the Hot 100. The band also ranked first in Rolling Stone magazine's 2004 list of "The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time." The Beatles received ten Grammy Awards, one Academy Award for "Best Original Song from a Film," and 14 Ivor Novello Awards. The entire band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and each member was individually inducted between 1994 and 2015. The Beatles also ranked in Time magazine's "Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century" in the "Artists & Showmen" category.