The Beatles

The Beatles (also called the Liverpool Four; singly members of the ensemble are called the Beatles;) is a British rock band from Liverpool, founded in 1960, which included John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Also, at different times, Stuart Sutcliffe, Pete Best and Jimmy Nicol acted in the group. Most of The Beatles songs were co-written and signed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The discography of the group includes 13 official studio albums published in 1963-1970, and 211 songs.

Starting with imitating the classics of American rock and roll of the 1950s, The Beatles came to their own style and sound. The Beatles have had a significant impact on rock music and are recognized by experts as one of the most successful bands of the 20th century, both in a creative and commercial sense. Many famous rock musicians admit that they became such under the influence of The Beatles songs. Since the release of the single “Please Please Me / Ask Me Why” in 1963, the group began its ascent to success, creating with its work a global phenomenon - Beatlemania. The four became the first British group, whose records gained popularity and first places in the US charts, and with it began the worldwide recognition of British bands, as well as the “Liverpool” (Merseybeat) sound of rock music. The musicians of the group and their producer and sound engineer George Martin own innovative developments in the field of sound recording, combining various styles, including symphonic and psychedelic music, as well as shooting video clips.

Rolling Stone magazine put The Beatles in first place on the list of the greatest artists of all time. In the list of Rolling Stone 500, the first place is occupied by the album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The group has won ten Grammy Awards. The entire four, in recognition of their services to the country, were awarded the Orders of the British Empire (MBE). As of 2001, more than 163 million CDs of the group were sold in the United States alone. The total sales volume of media content units (discs and cassettes) associated with the group at this point exceeded one billion copies.

The Beatles stopped working together in 1970, although Paul and John had been running their own projects since at least 1967. After the breakup, each of the musicians continued his solo career. John Lennon was killed near his home in New York in 1980, and George Harrison died of cancer in 2001. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr continue to be creative and write music.