The Beatles
The Beatles were, formed in Liverpool in 1960, and were comprised of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Regarded as the most influential band of all time, they were essential to the development of 1960s counterculture and popular music. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock ‘n’ roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop. The band later explored music styles ranging from ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As pioneers in recording and songwriting, the Beatles revolutionized many aspects of the music industry and were often publicized as leaders of the era’s youth movements.
In July of 1957, Paul McCartney met John Lennon. Both were teenagers. Paul was impressed with John and joined his group. Paul brought in George Harrison, and he joined them in February of 1958. The Beatles toured in Hamburg, Germany. In 1961, George brought in Ringo Starr. They were being paid five pounds per show.
Brian Epstein was invited to be the manager on December 10, 1961, with a 5-year management contract. Since they were all under 21 years of age, the contract wasn’t technically legal. Epstein changed their image, made them wear suits and ties, Cuban Heel Boots, otherwise known as “Beatle Boots”, and of course, get new haircuts.
During the year 1962, they were turned down by Columbia, Philips, Oriole, Decca, and Pye. Brian was persistent and eventually made it to Parlophone where he met with George Martin.
In September of 1962, The Beatles recorded their first hit “Love Me Do”, at the Abbey Road studios, which charted in UK, and reached the top of the U.S. singles chart. In those two and a half years The Beatles had given 262 shows at the Cavern Club in Liverpool.
On February 11, 1963, The Beatles recorded the entire album “Please, Please me” in one day, working non-stop during a ten-hour studio session. Their October 1963 performance at the London Palladium was broadcast live and seen by twelve million viewers. The following month The Beatles gave a charity concert at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London. There, performing for the rich and famous, John Lennon made his fabled announcement: “Would the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And the rest of you, if you’ll just rattle your jewelry.”
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” was released in the U.S. in December 1963. By February of 1964 they had done three TV shows at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York. On June 25, 1967, The Beatles made history becoming the first band globally transmitted on TV to an estimated 400 million people worldwide where their new song “All You Need Is Love” was broadcast live. They endured several years of recording, filming, and touring and by 1985 The Beatles had sold over one billion records. They had created over 240 songs; and in 1995 their Anthology TV documentary was watched by 420 million people.
In July 2012, at the Summer Olympics in London, Paul McCartney delivered a live performance of The Beatles’s timeless hit “Hey Jude” and engaged the people from all over the world in a sing along finale. The show was seen by an estimated TV audience of two billion people worldwide. The Beatles continue to inspire current generations.
Their achievements cannot be equaled. Their music spent 1278 total weeks on the charts, they had 15 number one hits, they spent an unprecedented 175 total weeks at number one, they produced the most number one albums in a year, and on and on and on…