The Beatles

The Beatles
The Beatles in 1964. Clockwise from top left: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison
Background information
Origin	Liverpool, England
Genres	Rock pop beat psychedelia
Years active	1960–1970
Labels	Parlophone Apple Capitol
Past member(s)	John Lennon Paul McCartney George Harrison Ringo Starr See members section for others
Website	thebeatles.com

The Beatles were an English pop / rock band, started in Liverpool, England in 1960. The members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Most people say they are the most successful and influential band in the history of popular music.^[1] The group were a main part of the creation of 1960s counterculture. They began as a skiffle band, and were influenced by 1950s American rock and roll. In their later years, the band was experimental with genres such as different types of rock, classical, and Indian music.

Their main songwriters were Lennon and McCartney. Before The Beatles became popular, they played in clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over three years between 1960 and 1963, with Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass. They went through many drummers, including Pete Best, before finally asking Ringo Starr to join in 1962. Sutcliffe also quit, meaning Paul McCartney started playing the bass instead. Brian Epstein was their manager and George Martin produced most of their music. Their first single was "Love Me Do", in late 1962. It was a hit and they became popular in the United Kingdom. As they became more popular, their popularity was named "Beatlemania".

By 1964, the Beatles were worldwide stars and led the "British Invasion" of the USA. They made some of the best-selling albums of the 1960s, with twelve studio albums. They broke up in 1970. John Lennon was later murdered in New York City in 1980 and George Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001. McCartney and Starr still make music. In 2023, they released their final single "Now and Then".^[2]

1. ↑ Hasted 2017, p. 425. sfn error: no target: CITEREFHasted2017 (help)
2. ↑ Venta, Lance (27 October 2023). "740 iHeartMedia Stations To Simultaneously Debut "Last Beatles Song"". RadioInsight. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.