The final lineup of The Beatles includes members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Their band name and members were always changing. John Lennon started a rock ‘n’ roll band, The Quarrymen, in high school which later evolved into the Silver Beatles and then just The Beatles. They originated in Liverpool, England but their influence spread much farther than England. Acoustic music from British and American folk and pop music influenced their music. American pop stars from the '50s like Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Little Richard also contributed to their sound.
One of The Beatles’ first huge successes was from their album “Please Please Me” which was released in 1963. The Beatles also appeared in commercially successful and critically acclaimed movies like "A Hard Day’s Night" and "Help."
The Beatles’ first British album was recorded in one thirteen hour session. It kept its number one title on the charts for six months. With Capitol Records fifty thousand dollar promotional campaign in America and The Beatles’ performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show", the band went from nobodies to celebrities and became known for their fun and happy-go-lucky personas.
Their hit “I Want to Hold Your Hand” reached the number one spot in America within three weeks. Unfortunately, after seven weeks, it went down to the number two spot. Fortunately, their song “She Loves You” took its place.
Much of The Beatles’ music combined different styles of music like Eastern, country-western, and soul, which truly broke any shape that the rock and roll genre had to follow. Their sound was constantly changing and possibly the greatest change is seen in their album, "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band," which featured unique melodies and songs about life events, philosophy, and social issues.
Since their earlier songs were usually heartfelt ballads or memorable lovey tunes, this change was quite the shock. The Beatles differing artistic views caused some internal discord and eventually led to the breaking up of the band.
The Beatles’ influence ranges from legendary artists to current popular artists to your average neighborhood garage band. The musicians they inspired the most include Bruce Springsteen, the Byrds, the Bee Gees, KISS, the Mamas and the Papas, and Billy Joel. They’ve even inspired '90s rockers like Nirvana and Foo Fighters.
David Grohl, the drummer of Nirvana and founder of Foo Fighters, said: “When I was young, that’s how I learned how to play music—I had a guitar and a Beatles songbook.” Springsteen had a similar experience and told the audience at his concert in Philadelphia: “The first record that I ever learned was a record called ‘Twist and Shout.’ It was a Beatles record. If it wasn’t for John Lennon, we’d all be someplace very different tonight.”
The Beatles can be called the leaders of the British Invasion which was also driven by artists like the Rolling Stones, the Dave Clark Five, Herman’s Hermits, the Hollies, and many more. The term "Beatlemania" rose because of The Beatles’ passionate and loving fans.
When the band first came to America, they wore sharp suits and were viewed as teen pop idols. But they evolved from being heartthrobs to leaders in youth and cultural movements. They adapted to fashion that fitted the counterculture in the '60s and used their platform to talk about social issues like the Vietnam War, drug culture, and civil rights.
