Terms like ‘greatest band of all time’, ‘most influential’, ‘rock & roll icons’, et al., ad nauseum, abound whenever The Beatles are mentioned. It’s easy to forget that, somewhere behind the stuff of rock’n’roll myth and legend, this was a band that once went by the name of The Quarrymen, and had their youngest member deported for being too young to play in a pub venue. The influence the Beatles have had on the modern cultural landscape is undeniable. From their pioneering use of music videos as an accompaniment to the release of a single, to the way they’ve set the standard for studio ...
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The Beatles Shows and Performances
June 16, 2011
December 31, 2010
November 11, 2010
December 8, 2009
December 2, 2009
September 28, 2009
September 3, 2009
September 1, 2009
August 31, 2009
Full Biography
Terms like ‘greatest band of all time’, ‘most influential’, ‘rock & roll icons’, et al., ad nauseum, abound whenever The Beatles are mentioned.
It’s easy to forget that, somewhere behind the stuff of rock’n’roll myth and legend, this was a band that once went by the name of The Quarrymen, and had their youngest member deported for being too young to play in a pub venue.
The influence the Beatles have had on the modern cultural landscape is undeniable. From their pioneering use of music videos as an accompaniment to the release of a single, to the way they’ve set the standard for studio production, their impact has been lasting and simply incalculable.
After the initial teething problems, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr became what was to be the The Beatles’ final lineup.
It’s hard to believe that the group initially experienced great difficulty in getting a recording contract, but eventually they scored a recording contract in 1962 with EMI’s Parlophone subsidiary – largely thanks to the band’s manager, Brian Epstein.
Epstein reinvented the band, making them over into what became their signature style; sharper outfits and a ‘do which came to be known as ‘a Beatles haircut’.
After recording several singles, the band’s real arrival was signaled by the release of their 1962 album, ‘Please Please Me’.
From there, the group’s popularity grew and grew, becoming something of a phenomenon and, along with Bob Dylan, were bestowed with the unofficial title of ‘voice of a generation’.
In April 1964 ‘Can't Buy Me Love’ became the first record to top American and British charts simultaneously. At the height of ‘Beatlemania’, the band couldn’t travel without police protection on account of the mobs of fans.
They held their audience captive for the better part of a decade, and were the first British group to gain international prominence – as well as crack the notoriously fickle US market.
While their music evolved in sound and production techniques, and their albums set new records in the UK and overseas, it became clear that there were some internal rifts developing.
After the release of Let It Be in 1970, McCartney released his first solo album and announced the band’s break-up.
Hopeful fans implored the group for a reunion, but it was never to be. Speculation about the possibility of the band reforming was put to rest in 1980, when John Lennon was shot to death in New York by Mark David Chapman.
In 1988 the Beatles were inducted to the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame -- the first year they were eligible.
Between 1963 and 1970, The Beatles released 12 studio albums. 1967’s ’Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ sold over 8 million copies, and ’Abbey Road’ (1969) went on to sell more than 9 million copies.
