THE BEATLES

The Beatles were an English rock band, started in Liverpool, England in 1960.

Liverpool is a city in Merseyside, United Kingdom.

It is famous because lots of ships visit it and it is the birthplace of the famous rock group, The Beatles.

It is also famous because of the football teams, Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C.

They were, and still are, one of the most successful and influential bands in the history of modern music.

The Beatles used parts of many music genres through their career, including classical, psychedelic rock and pop music.

The members of the band were:

John Lennon (rhythm guitar, keyboards)

Paul McCartney (bass guitar, keyboards)

George Harrison (lead guitar, sitar)

Ringo Starr (drums, percussion)

John Winston Ono Lennon (October 9 1940 – December 8 1980) was an English musician, and was a member of the rock band The Beatles.

.

JOHN LENNON

Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942 in Liverpool, England) is Britain's most successful musician and composer, and one of the most successful musicians in the world.

He was a member of the rock band The Beatles, and with John Lennon wrote most of the group's songs.

PAUL MCCARTNEY

Ringo Starr (born Richard Starkey on 7 July 1940) is an English musician and actor.

He is most famous as a member of the Beatles.

He joined the group in 1962 as a replacement for their original drummer Pete Best.

He quickly became well-liked and very popular.

He sang lead on some of the band's songs.

George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician.

He was born and grew up in Liverpool, England, and was first famous as a member of The Beatles.

GEORGE HARRISON

Brian Epstein was their manager.

George Martin produced all of their albums and singles except for the album "Let It Be", which was produced by the famous 1960s producer Phil Spector.

Almost all of their music was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Brian Samuel Epstein (19 September 1934 - 27 August 1967) was an English businessman.

Epstein was the manager of The Beatles, who became the most popular rock band in the world during the 1960s.

BRIAN EPSTEIN

Sir George Martin (born 3 January 1926) is a (now-retired) British record producer, composer and musical arranger.

He is most famous work was his recordings with The Beatles.

These were made at Abbey Road Studios during the 1960s.

GEORGE MARTIN

Abbey Road Studios, usually called just "Abbey Road", are the recording studios in EMI's headquarters in St. John's Wood, London, England.

Abbey Road had three different studios for most of its history. Other space was turned into a fourth studio later.

Studio One is large, and used to be a ballroom. Symphony orchestras and very large bands and groups are recorded there.

Studio Two is smaller, and works best for small combos or groups of musicians.

Studio Three is much smaller, and is meant for soloists and duos.

Studio Four is mostly for post-production, where changes are made to earlier recordings.

ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS

Abbey Roads Studios

HISTORY

Starting in 1957, John Lennon and several of his friends played in a British band called the Quarrymen.

Over the next few years, the members of the band changed, and by 1960, the band was called The Beatles.

QUARRYMEN

The Quarrymen

They did not have their first hit until 1962.

In November 1962 their song, "Please Please Me", reached the number 1 position on the British charts.

This was the first of a record 15 British number 1 singles.

HITS

They first came to the United States in 1964.

They were met at the airport by thousands of screaming American teenagers.

The Beatles were so popular that they were attacked by screaming fans everywhere they went around the world.

The effect they had on their fans was known as 'Beatlemania'.

BEATLEMANIA

The Beatles made their first live American television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on 9 February 1964.

About 74 million viewers — about half of the American population — watched the group perform on the show.

Beatles songs soon filled the top 5 places on the American top 40 chart - a record that has never been matched.

ED SULLIVAN SHOW

The Beatles with Ed Sullivan

Towards the mid 1960s, The Beatles became bolder with their style of music.

This largely started in 1965, with the release of the album "Rubber Soul", and hit a peak in 1967 with the release of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", which was named as the greatest album of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine

MORE ALBUMS

They were also named the most influential artists of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, because their music, clothing style, and attitudes shaped much of what was popular among young people in the 1960s.

ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE

The Beatles became so popular that no regular concert venue was big enough for their concerts.

This led to them playing the first ever stadium rock concert at Shea Stadium in America, to around 50,000 people.

The Beatles stopped touring and playing live music in 1966 because they were sick of audiences screaming so loudly that their music could not be heard.

SHEA STADIUM

Shea Stadium

They were also tired of the pressures of touring.

Among other things, they were so popular that thousands of people would gather outside the hotels they stayed in day and night meaning that they could never leave their rooms unless they were playing a concert.

CHAOS

Fans

The Beatles broke up in 1970 because of the pressures of fame and each member becoming more independent both in their personal lives and musically.

In 1973 the two-disc sets "1962-1966" (the "Red Album") and "1967-1970" "(the "Blue Album") were released.

These were both re-released on CD in 1993.

THE END OF THE BEATLES

The band was still very popular all over the world after they broke up. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, they are the highest-selling recording artists ever.

They have sold more than one billion records, including albums and singles.

BEST SELLERS

Their music is still important and still influences many musicians.

Musicians today perform cover versions of Beatles' songs, and people everywhere still listen to their music.

Their song 'Yesterday' is one of the most popular songs for other artists to sing.

It is also the song that has been played the most on radio ever.

YESTERDAY

Please Please Me (1963)

With the Beatles (1963)

A Hard Day's Night (1964)

Beatles for Sale (1964)

Help! (1965)

Rubber Soul (1965)

Revolver (1966)

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

Magical Mystery Tour (1967) (Double EP)

The Beatles (better known as the "White Album") (1968)

Yellow Submarine (1969)

Abbey Road (1969)

Let It Be (1970)

The Beatles made thirteen albums and twenty-six singles together.

ALBUMS

They also started their own record label, Apple Records.

APPLE RECORDS

They made two movies, A Hard Day's Night and Help!, where they appeared as actors.

MOVIES

Later they made Magical Mystery Tour, a television special.

TV SPECIAL

Yellow Submarine was a cartoon movie based on their music.

CARTOON

Let It Be showed them working on a new album.

LET IT BE

John Lennon became a famous peace activist in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

He wrote successful songs including "Give Peace a Chance", "Imagine", and "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)".

John Lennon was murdered on December 8, 1980 outside his home in New York. Part of Central Park in New York and an airport in Liverpool are named in his honor.

JOHN LENNON

Paul McCartney started the band "Wings" with his wife Linda.

In 1977 his song, "Mull of Kintyre", became the biggest selling single in British history.

It sold even more copies than the Beatles' singles.

Paul McCartney was knighted in 1997.

WINGS

George Harrison and Ringo Starr had early success as solo artists but were less successful later on.

George formed the group The Traveling Wilburys in the 80s with other rock legends Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne.

George Harrison died of cancer on November 29, 2001.

Ringo still tours the world with his "All Starr Band".

GEORGE AND RINGO

George and Ringo.