The Beatles are one of the most popular bands of all time. Everyone knows The Beatles: your mom, your grandma, your best friend, and your weird uncle. It wasn’t always like this, though. The Beatles started as “The Quarrymen” with members John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr.
John Lennon formed the Quarrymen in Liverpool in 1956, which developed into The Beatles in 1960. The Beatles were four young musicians from Liverpool who accomplished nothing less than changing the course of rock and roll and transforming youth culture. In 1962, Ringo Starr joined the band and was the final drummer. Then, in 1963, The Beatles released their first album, Please Please Me. Also in 1963, The Beatles released their second studio album With The Beatles. In February 1964, they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and in August 1964 went on a chaotic first North American tour. They also released their third studio album, A Hard Day’s Night, in 1964.
1965 was the peak of widespread fanaticism for The Beatles, known as “Beatlemania”. The Beatles had their second tour of the United States (with one date in Canada) in the late summer of 1965. At the peak of American Beatlemania, they played at a bunch of outdoor stadiums and indoor stadiums, with historic concerts at Shea Stadium in New York and the Hollywood Bowl. In December 1965, The Beatles released their sixth studio album Rubber Soul. Also in 1965, they released their album Help!. In August 1966, they stopped going on tour for good and released their album Revolver. They also had their last performance in the United States in August 1966. In 1967, The Beatles released their psychedelic album Magical Mystery Tour. That same year, they also released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
In 1968, The Beatles released The White Album. The Beatles also went to India to study Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. In 1969, The Beatles released their album Yellow Submarine and their most popular album, Abbey Road. In 1970, The Beatles released their final album, Let It Be, and they broke up shortly after. Many think The Beatles broke up because of Yoko Ono, Lennon’s wife because she caused a lot of conflict between John and Paul and would always try to push her music into their songs and be “very annoying” in Paul’s eyes.
After The Beatles, John Lennon had a very successful solo career, occasionally making songs with Yoko Ono. Some of his most popular songs are “Imagine”, “Happy Xmas”, “Watching the Wheels”, and “Mind Games”. He became an anti-war activist and focused on his family. Sadly, in 1980, he was shot outside his apartment, and he did not survive. Paul McCartney also had a solo music career and started his band Wings. Wings became one of the most successful bands of the 70s. Paul McCartney still tours to this day and is still very successful. George Harrison also had a very successful solo career. Some of his most popular songs are “My Sweet Lord“, “What Is Life“, “Blow Away“, and “All Things Must Pass“. Sadly, in 2001, George passed away from lung cancer. Ringo Starr also has a solo career. His most popular songs are “I’m the Greatest“, “Photograph“, “Time On My Hands“, and “It Don’t Come Easy“. Ringo is still touring a bit and even showed up at one of Paul’s concerts recently as a surprise and performed with him.
This was the rise and fall of The Beatles. If you haven’t listened to them after reading this article, you should. I promise you will fall in love with their music.
