The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 and one of the
most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of
popular music. The group's best-known lineup consisted of John Lennon (rhythm
guitar, vocals), Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar,
vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals).
Rooted in skiffle and 1950s rock and roll, the group later worked in many genres
ranging from pop ballads to psychedelic rock, often incorporating classical and other
elements in innovative ways. Their enormous popularity first emerged as
"Beatlemania"; as their songwriting grew in sophistication, by the late 1960s they
Came to be perceived by many fans and cultural observers as an embodiment of the
Ideals shared by the era's sociocultural revolutions.
most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of
popular music. The group's best-
vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals).
Rooted in skiffle and 1950s rock and roll, the group later worked in many genres
ranging from pop ballads to psychedelic rock, often incorporating classical and other
elements in innovative ways. Their enormous popularity first emerged as
"Beatlemania"; as their songwriting grew in sophistication, by the late 1960s they
Came to be perceived by many fans and cultural observers as an embodiment of the
Ideals shared by the era's sociocultural revolutions.
