Alternative History
The Beatles
The Beatles in America
The Beatles at New York City International Jetport in 1964
Background information
Origin Liverpool,United Kingdom
Genres Rock
Years active 1960-present
Labels Parlophone - Capitol - Apple
Members
Paul McCartney
Jules Lennon
Ringo Starr
Niall Horan
Bono
Charles Reid
Craig Reid
Sean Lennon
Past members
John Lennon
George Harrison


The Beatles are an British-Irish rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960, currently comprising of Paul McCartney, Jules Lennon, Ringo Starr, Niall Horan, Bono, Charles Reid, Craig Reid, and Sean Lennon. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the development of 1960s,1970s,and 1980s counterculture and the recognition of popular music as an art form. Rooted in skiffle, beat, and 1950s rock 'n' roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways. The band also explored music styles ranging from folk and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As pioneers in recording, songwriting, and artistic presentation, the Beatles revolutionised many aspects of the music industry and were often publicised as leaders of the era's youth and sociocultural movements.

Initially led by primary songwriters John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the Beatles evolved from Lennon's previous group, the Quarrymen, and built their reputation by playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over three years from 1960, initially with Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, including Pete Best before inviting Starr to join them in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein moulded them into a professional act, and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after they signed with EMI Records and achieved their first hit, "Love Me Do", in late 1962. As their popularity grew into the intense fan frenzy dubbed "Beatlemania", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Four". Epstein, Martin or another member of the band's entourage was sometimes informally referred to as a "fifth Beatle", but this became real upon Bono's entering of the band in 1976.

By early 1964, the Beatles were international stars and had achieved unprecedented levels of critical and commercial success. They became a leading force in Britain's cultural resurgence, ushering in the British Invasion of the United States pop market. They soon made their film debut with A Hard Day's Night (1964). A growing desire to refine their studio efforts, coupled with the challenging nature of their concert tours, led to the band's retirement from live performances in 1966. During this time, they produced records of greater sophistication, including the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966), and Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). They also enjoyed further commercial success with The Beatles[The White Album](1968), Abbey Road (1969) and The Beatles[The Black Album] (1971).

The Beatles performed a charity concert for Brazil during the Brazilian Crisis, a highly successful concert that led to many more commercial successes including Liverpool Cowboys(1972), Band on The Run(1973) and Venus and Mars(1974). In 1975, The Beatles announced that they would tour for the first time in a decade; however, this was almost cut short due to Lennon's departure of the band and his replacement by Irish singer Bono. Regardless, the tour remains the highest grossing tour in history. After the tour, The Beatles made more hit albums with London Town(1978), Speed of Sound(1979) and The Beatles[The Green Album](1980).

In 1985, John Lennon made his last appearance with the Beatles during Live Aid, a concert organized to help with the widespread damage of the Soviet Civil War. In 1989, Harrison retired from touring and Jules Lennon joined the band. In 2000, George Harrison retired from music and was replaced by Sean Lennon. In 2011, the band added Charles and Craig Reid,as well as Niall Horan.

The success of these records heralded the album era, as albums became the dominant form of record use over singles. These records also increased public interest in psychedelic drugs and Eastern spirituality and furthered advancements in electronic music, album art, and music videos. In 1968, they founded Apple Corps, a multi-armed multimedia corporation that continues to oversee projects related to the band's legacy. John Lennon died in a car crash in 1989 and George Harrison retired from music in 2000 and later died in 2005.

The Beatles are the best-selling music act of all time, with estimated sales of 2.1 billion units worldwide. They hold the record for most number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart (45), most number-one hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart (59), and most singles sold in the UK (67.2 million).

See also[]

The Beatles discography (Hard Edge World)