Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960, comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Originating from the Liverpool and Hamburg club scenes, they rose to fame after being managed by Brian Epstein and signing with EMI's Parlophone in 1962, with production by George Martin.

In 1963 they released Please Please Me, launching Beatlemania and the British Invasion that would spread globally. Through the early 1960s they produced a string of successful albums and singles, developing from pop songs into increasingly ambitious studio work that helped redefine modern popular music.

From 1965 to 1967 their sound evolved with Rubber Soul, Revolver, and especially Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), a landmark in studio technique and concept albums. They incorporated diverse influences, including Indian instruments, and broadened the scope of what pop could express. The White Album (1968) showcased breadth and experimentation, while Abbey Road (1969) and Let It Be (1970) framed their late-1960s arc before the group dissolution.

They stopped touring in 1966, with their final live performance at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. The Beatles ceased as a group in 1970; each member pursued solo careers. Lennon was assassinated in 1980; Harrison died in 2001; McCartney and Starr continued recording and performing.

Their influence is profound in popular music and culture; they have sold hundreds of millions of records, received numerous awards, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. They also established Apple Corps and Apple Records as extensions of their music enterprise.