The British band was formed in 1960 in Liverpool. Its members are Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
It all began in March 1957, when 16-year-old John Lennon formed a group with several other friends in Liverpool, which they named The Quarrymen. On July 6 of that year, a member of the band introduced Lennon to 15-year-old Paul McCartney.
A few days later, Paul joined the group. On February 6, 1958, he invited George Harrison to join the group. John Lennon is impressed by the boy, who knows more chords than anyone else but is worried about his age – only 14 years old. However, they decided to include him in the band, and in March Harrison became a solo guitarist.
The band went through several different names until Lennon finally came up with the name “The Beatles” (a mixture of beetles and beat). The band changed several percussion musicians until they finally took Ringo Starr, who had previously been a member of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.
In October 1962, the single “Love Me Do” was released, reaching number 17 on the UK charts. In November of that year, the band recorded their second single, “Please Please Me”, followed by their television debut, a live performance on the regional news program “People and Places”.
The song reached number two on the UK charts. In March 1963, the album “Please Please Me” was released, which reached number one on the British charts.
This marks the beginning of a series featuring 11 of the Beatles’ twelve studio albums, the first in the UK. The band’s third single, “From Me to You”, was released in April and also topped the charts. Over the next 6 years, 17 singles reached number one.
“She Loves You” became the fastest-selling single in the UK to date, with 750,000 copies sold in less than four weeks. It was also their first single, selling more than 1 million copies, and the best-selling record in Britain until 1978.
In 1963, the famous Beatles emblem with the extended letter “T”, drawn by the designer and seller of musical instruments Ivor Arbiter, appeared. At that time, Beatlesmania also appeared.
The release of Beatles music in the United States, the largest market for popular music at the time, initially slowed by nearly a year. The Beatles left for the United States on February 7, 1964. Despite concerns about how they would be accepted, the Beatles managed to occupy 12 positions in the Billboard Hot 100, including the top five. All three first albums reached number one or number two on the US charts. The Beatles’ popularity sparked a genuine interest in British music.
In June 1965, Queen Elizabeth II awarded them the Order of the British Empire.
Until then, the award was given mainly to war veterans and senior politicians, prompting some conservative members of the Order to return the award in protest.
For more than four years, the band has performed over 1,400 concerts in various parts of the world. The Beatles ceased to exist on December 31, 1970. Some blamed Yoko Ono and her relationship with John Lennon for splitting the band, but the alienation between the musicians began much before it, so each member of the band continued on his way.
George Harrison continued his solo career until his death in 2001. He performed with Deep Purple, Bob Dylan, Prince, and at the San Remo Festival.
John Lennon took part in various political rallies, and in 1971 his album “Imagine” was released. On the evening of December 8, 1980, he was shot dead on the doorstep of his New York apartment.
Paul McCartney formed the band Wings and later continued his solo career. He is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most successful musician of all time.
Ringo Starr continues to tour with the All Starr Band, release albums and participate in films.
Sign up for our newsletter to get the best of The Sized delivered to your inbox daily.
