Cameron Stewart
The Beatles
The Beatles were, in my opinion, the most dynamic band throughout the late 19th century. They were composed of four members; John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. They were so spectacular that they even had an effect on fans named after them called “Beatle mania.”
Originally called “The Quarry Men,” after their high school, they were a band formed in Liverpool, England, in 1956. Formed by John Lennon, McCartney joined a year later, and joined by Harrison a year after that. Finally, Stuart Sutcliffe joined along with Pete Best. None knew how to play music. These five became The Beatles. Soon they became managed by Brian Epstein and became sponsored by a company in 1962 owned by George Martin.
The rawness of the band irritated Martin and he urged them to become more structured. He also got rid of Sutcliffe and replaced Best with Richard Starkey A.K.A Ringo Starr. This group became the Beatles. Their first hit, “Love Me Do,” achieved major success in 1962. Their second single, “Please, Please Me,” was an instant hit. It became the top song on the British hit list.
The Beatles’ music, with early influences from Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley, originated as “skiffle” (a combination of jazz, blues, folk and country), and grew over the years to range in genres, from folk rock to psychedelic pop, to rock and roll. They also incorporated classical music. The Beatles influenced social and revolutions in the 1960’s.
The Beatles soon took place in the famous musical event, “The British Invasion.” The Beatles flew over to America in 1964. They appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show which had 70 million viewers that night. They played their fifth single, “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and instantly became the top band in America. Some say the Beatles were a turning-point in American post-war culture. They went on to lead the American singles chart. In addition to their bestselling singes, the Beatles made two feature films -- “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Help.” The Beatles went on to tour extensively in the United States and around the world.
In 1965 Queen Elizabeth II appointed each of the Beatles as Members of the Order of the British Empire. They received seven Grammy Awards and they were included in Time Magazine’s list of 20th century top 100 influential people. In 1988 the Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Beatles’ music took an interesting turn into imaginative songs, with the use of marijuana and LSD, exploring a variety of musical techniques. This can be heard on their albums such as “Revolver,” “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” and “Magical Mystery Tour.” It is said that folk singer, Bob Dylan, introduced the Beatles to marijuana. The Sgt. Pepper album was the first album to include the lyrics to each song, on the back of the album. Their lyrics became closely analyzed, with people thinking some of the songs had hidden meanings.
When band manager, Epstein, passed away, the band lost some of their direction and they began to fall apart until they split up in 1970. The pain of this break-up was reflected in their final film, a documentary called “Let It Be.” Their last album was “Abbey Road.” Once the Beatles split, much to the huge disappointment to their millions of fans, each member of the band went on to solo careers.
John Lennon was shot in 1980. George Harrison died of Cancer in 2001. The two living Beatles are Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. 1, an album which compiled every Beatles’ number one hit, was released in 2000. It soon became the fastest-selling album of all time. As of April, 2009, the album has sold over 30 million copies world-wide.
References:
Oxford Music Online
Wikipedia