The Beatles

The Beatles are arguably the most famous, highly acclaimed, and successful rock band of all time—certainly the leading group of the 20th century. They began as four teenagers playing in grimy basement clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg, but they evolved into world-renowned rock stars who continue to influence the music scene today.

John Lennon initially formed a skiffle group called The Quarrymen in March 1957. A fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney joined shortly after and eventually invited his friend George Harrison to audition for the band. After George finally impressed John with his guitar skills, he was asked to join—but this period was brief, as John's departure to college led the other Quarrymen to disband.

By 1960, Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison had re-branded from ‘Johnny & the Moondogs’ to ‘The Silver Beetles’ at the suggestion of their new bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe. The name later changed to ‘The Silver Beatles’ by July of that year, eventually settling on ‘The Beatles’ by August, just in time for their trip to Hamburg with new drummer Pete Best. While the club residencies in Germany were crucial to the group's development, the tour was both a blessing and a curse, marked by the deportation of a then-seventeen-year-old George Harrison and the tragic death of Stuart Sutcliffe.

Upon returning to Liverpool and regrouping, the band established an ongoing relationship with local record store owner Brian Epstein, starting in late 1961. They eventually signed a five-year contract with him in January 1962. After securing a record deal with George Martin at Parlophone, Ringo Starr replaced Best as the drummer.

After five years and ten thousand hours of practice, the classic Beatles line-up was finally complete:

• Lennon (rhythm guitar/vocals)
• McCartney (bass/vocals)
• Harrison (lead guitar/vocals)
• Starr (drums/percussion)

Early singles, notably "She Loves You," quickly garnered them a massive, devoted following. Beatlemania was officially ignited by their October 13, 1963, performance at the London Palladium.

The band capitalized on this phenomenon by extensively touring and releasing five albums in just over two years. Lennon and McCartney developed a productive songwriting partnership that inspired The Byrds, The Rolling Stones, and The Who to write their own songs. Lennon was crafting increasingly intricate lyrics to rival Bob Dylan's abilities, while McCartney's rivalry with Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys drove the band in new sonic directions. Feeling overshadowed, Harrison began writing his own songs that reflected his mystic interests.

By August 1966, they were exhausted from touring and decided to concentrate their efforts on creating more complex music in the studio. In the following years, they released Revolver and Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, followed by the sudden death of their beloved manager Brian Epstein in 1967. They moved forward with the movie and its accompanying soundtrack, Magical Mystery Tour, in December of that same year, before taking another hiatus to study transcendental meditation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India. They returned with The Beatles—also known as the White Album—and Abbey Road, followed by Let It Be. Individually, these are among the greatest albums ever recorded; together, they form an incomparable discography.

The band's breakup between 1969 and 1970 was a prolonged and complicated process. To this day, fans and historians cannot agree on exactly when the band dissolved, let alone why, but broadly speaking, it was caused by studio tensions, disagreements over management decisions, and increasing creative conflicts.

All four members enjoyed successful solo careers. Lennon was one of the leading musicians of the early 1970s, and Harrison's All Things Must Pass is regarded as a masterpiece. McCartney was the most commercially successful; his albums continued to sell in large numbers well into the 1980s, and his tours remain extremely popular. Starr had the most irregular career—one that included a stint as the narrator for Thomas the Tank Engine in the '80s and '90s—but since 1989, he has also been collaborating with various rock veterans in the supergroup known as Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band.