All About The Beatles

From their humble beginnings in the slums of Liverpool, England came the band and sound that would revolutionize every aspect of music and pop culture for generations to come.

The Beatles story begins with John Winston Lennon, a rebellious young boy whose father left him and mother could not support him. During this time a new craze was sweeping through England: skiffle groups. The concept behind this was a couple of kids getting together, using cheap guitars and maybe a tin can for a drum set, trying to sound out their favorite songs. With his group the Quarry Men, named after the school he went to, John met future band members Paul McCartney and George Harrison. There were easily 15 or more temporary members of the group between 1957 and 1961, but the core of the group lay in these three, plus bassist Stuart Sutcliffe and drummer Pete Best. After forming their sound and style playing the 'Cavern' Club in Liverpool a total of 292 times, along with spending two grueling months in Hamburg, their growing fan base gave them their first taste of the insanity that would come.

On November 9, 1961, Brian Epstein went to the Cavern Club during the lunch session to see the band that was growing in local popularity. He was impressed by their sound, beat, onstage humor, and personal charm. On December 10, the Beatles agreed to let Brian be their manager. A five year contract was signed January 24, 1962. Brian proceeded to change their look from their black leather, smoking, swearing tough kids image to the matching suits, no-smoking/swearing on stage, and synchronized bow at the end of each song, "clean" image. This shrewd advice, though reluctantly accepted at first, opened doors to popular British and American television shows of the time.

In June 1962, after being rejected by every major record label, Brian convinced George Martin, head of one of EMI's smallest labels, Parlophone, to sign the Beatles. In August, Pete Best was fired and Ringo Starr joined the band as drummer. Also in August, John Lennon married Cynthia Powell whom he had met while attending the 'Liverpool College of Art'. On September 11, the Beatles entered Abby Road Studios to record "Love Me Do", and having a minor hit with the song the Beatles went on a concert tour of Scotland in January of 1963, and England in February. Also in February their second single "Please Please Me" was released, and on March 22, their first album, "Please Please Me" was released in England, on Parlophone Records. It shot directly to #1 and stayed there for 30 weeks. Beatlemania had begun, and the effect was incredible. With their next albums "With the Beatles" (21 weeks), "A Hard Day's Night" (21 weeks), "Beatles For Sale" (10 weeks), and "HELP!" (9 weeks), they took over the entire world seemingly overnight, breaking sales records and chart time records that they themselves set. These fresh tracks and classic covers gave the Beatles the biggest fan base the world had seen and a larger pop culture movement since Elvis shook his hips.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Beatles are the best selling group of all time (est. 1 billion discs and tapes to date), with the most #1 albums (19), best selling album on the UK charts (Sgt. Pepper, 4.5 million), most simultaneous albums on the US charts (7), greatest advance sales for a single (Can't Buy Me Love, 2.7 million), fastest selling album ("1" - 13.5 million in the first week), most consecutive #1 singles (11 in a row), and most #1 singles on the US charts (20). These are mind boggling figures which are difficult for anyone to hold in their mind. Just consider this: according to EMI, there is approximately 1 Beatles album for every 6-7 people on the face of the earth.

It all changed with "Rubber Soul". Their songs became more soulful, psychedelic, trippier. The Beatles decided to trade in the collarless evening jackets for flowered robes and the twangy guitars for sitars. It is not their best album, but it was possibly the greatest turning point in music ever. The Beatles embraced the "flower power generation". Things in this album were racier, less obvious, and covering a wider variety of topics. Norwegian Wood, Michelle, and In My Life are still radio staples. Directly following this came "Revolver", an album considered to be one of the finest ever recorded.

Now comes "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". The central theme being a band on tour, who could take the place of the Beatles. The name was the result of the new idea of giving a band a long, wacky name (ex. Quicksilver Messenger Service or Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention). So what would be a good acid-band name? What else: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band! It has topped all the lists, including Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. "Pepper" can only be truly understood if listened to. The energy, influence, and prophetic tones in this album are impossible to describe. To say the least, music was never, ever the same again.

Perhaps because of the frenzy that followed "Sgt. Pepper's", "Magical Mystery Tour" was overshadowed and largely forgotten. However, it is still a great disc with classic tracks and deserves high recognition. It did not do well in sales.

Somewhere in all of this, two important and devastating events occurred. First, Brian Epstein, the legendary Beatles manager, died of an accidental sleeping pill overdose. Second, John's meeting and close relationship with Yoko Ono creates a rift between him and the others. Through controversy over group leadership and many failing projects, and above all, the gas tank on the Beatles energy running dangerously low, breakup seemed inevitable.

Yet through this, they made three of their most emotionally touching albums, The "White Album", "Let it Be", and "Abbey Road". Remarkably, their talents for songwriting seem to be unaffected by their tensions and mental wear. In fact, they were just as pioneering and innovative as ever. These three albums are among their best and display their talents away from the psychedelic music scene and focusing more on more rock 'n' roll and piano based music. Also, some of their music gained a new heaviness to it.

Finally, after staring into the eyes of the monster they knew as fame, the Beatles broke up. Paul McCartney announced the official breakup of the Beatles on April 9, 1970. It is easy to understand, though difficult to accept. Just watch footage of the concert at Shea Stadium, with its 56,000 screaming, crying fans. Or their first landing in America, with the mobs of frenzied teenagers, coming just to see the fab four leave their plane. Look at photos of the crowds joining for comfort after John Lennon's murder. Or, most simply, listen to a Beatles album. No one can truly grasp what a huge impact the Beatles had on everyday life, or the way they touched the souls of their fans.

On "Abbey Road", the last album they recorded together, there is a song called The End. It seems to mark the last will of the group. And, in such a Beatle-type prankster way, the resounding message to the world is, in the last lyric to the song:

John Lennon - (1960–1969) guitar, keyboards, harmonica, vocals
Paul McCartney - (1960–1970) bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, drums, vocals
George Harrison - (1960–1970) guitar, sitar, vocals
Ringo Starr - (1962–1970) drums, percussion, vocals

Pete Best - (1960–1962) drums, vocals
Stuart Sutcliffe - (1960–1961) bass guitar, vocals
Chas Newby - (1960–1961) bass guitar
Norman Chapman - (1960) – drums
Tommy Moore - (1960) – drums

Greatest Rock Artists - # 1
Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artists of the 60s - # 1
Greatest Rock Songwriters - # 1 (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
Most Influential Rock 'n' Roll Artists - # 2
Greatest Lyricists Of Rock N' Roll - # 4 (John Lennon), #12 (Paul McCartney), #49 (George Harrison)
Greatest Rock Bass Guitarists - # 8 (Paul McCartney)
Greatest Rock Pianists - # 18 (Paul McCartney)
Greatest 'Male' Rock Vocalists - # 33 (Paul McCartney)
Greatest Rock Drummers - # 47 (Ringo Starr)
Greatest Rock Guitarists - # 57 (George Harrison)
Greatest Rock Albums -
     # 1 (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)
     # 5 (Revolver)
     # 10 (Rubber Soul)
     # 19 (Abbey Road)
     # 26 (The White Album)
     # 71 (A Hard Day's Night)
Greatest Rock Albums Of The 1960s -
     # 1 (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)
     # 3 (Revolver)
     # 5 (Rubber Soul)
     # 8 (Abbey Road)
     # 11 (The White Album)
     # 20 (Please Please Me)
     # 22 (A Hard Day's Night)
     # 39 (Magical Mystery Tour)
     # 46 (With The Beatles)
     # 55 (Help!)
Greatest Rock Albums Of The '70s - # 73 (Let It Be)
Greatest Lyric Albums - # 7 (Rubber Soul), #15 (The White Album), #21 (Abbey Road) #30 (Revolver)
Greatest Rock Songs (top 100) - #11 (Hey Jude), #27 (She Loves You), #34 (A Day In The Life), #57 (Let It Be), #70 (I Want To Hold Your Hand), #80 (Yesterday), #97 (Twist And Shout)
Greatest Rock Ballads - # 3 (Let It Be), #7 (Hey Jude), #10 (Yesterday), #13 (Something), #17 (In My Life)
Greatest Psychedelic Songs -
     # 2 (Tomorrow Never Knows)
     #10 (Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds)
     #46 (Strawberry Fields Forever)