The Beatles 
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Dummipedia, the simplified free online encyclopedia
| Fast Facts | |
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| The Beatles | |
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| The Beatles in 1963. | |
| Also known as | "The Fab Four," "The Lads from Liverpool" |
| Origin | Liverpool, England, United Kingdom 
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| Genre(s) | Rock, pop |
| Years active | 1960–1970 |
| Label(s) | EMI, Parlophone, Capitol, Odeon, Apple, Vee-Jay, Polydor, Swan, Tollie, United Artists Records |
| Associated acts | The Quarrymen, Plastic Ono Band, The Dirty Mac, Wings, Traveling Wilburys, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band |
| Website | www.beatles.com |
| Members | |
| John Lennon Paul McCartney George Harrison Ringo Starr | |
| Former members | |
| Pete Best Stuart Sutcliffe | |
| Beatles: Don't let me down (Video credit: ToxicEmbrace) |
The Beatles were a rock and pop band from Liverpool, England that was formed in 1960, primarily comprising:
- John Lennon (rhythm guitar, vocals);
- Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals);
- George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals); and
- Ringo Starr (drums, vocals).
It was one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music, selling over one billion records internationally by 1985.[1] In the United Kingdom, The Beatles released more than 40 different singles, albums, and EPs that reached number one, earning more number one albums (15) than any other group in UK chart history. This commercial success was repeated in many other countries. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, The Beatles have sold more albums in the United States than any other band.[1] In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of top-selling Hot 100 artists to celebrate the chart's 50th anniversary, with The Beatles topping the list.[1]
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2. Brief history: In March 1957, John Lennon formed a skiffle group called The Quarrymen.[1] He met Paul McCartney on July 6, 1957 and added him to the group a few days later.[1] George Harrison joined the Quarrymen as lead guitarist after a rehearsal in March 1958.[1] After Colin Hanton, the original Quarrymen drummer, left the band in 1959, the band had a high turnover of drummers. Lennon's friend, Stuart Sutcliffe, joined on bass in January 1960.[1] The Quarrymen went through a progression of names, including "Johnny and the Moondogs" and "Long John and The Beetles". Sutcliffe suggested the name "The Beetles" as a tribute to Buddy Holly and The Crickets, and the band finally settled on the name, "The Beatles". The group's unofficial manager was Allan Williams. Although their initial musical style was rooted in 1950s rock and roll and skiffle, the group worked with different musical genres, ranging from Tin Pan Alley to psychedelic rock. Their clothes, style and statements made them trend-setters, while their growing social awareness saw their influence extend into the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s. After the band broke up in 1970, all four members embarked upon successful solo careers.
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3. Online music: Up until 2006, The Beatles were one of the few major artists who had not released their recorded catalogue through online music services such as iTunes and Napster. This was due to Apple Corp's dispute with Apple, Inc. (the owners of iTunes) over the use of the name "Apple". An uneasy truce between the two companies broke when Apple Computers opened the iTunes Store, after which Apple Corp sued Apple, Inc. This was resolved in February 2007, with Apple Computer owning the Apple name but licensing it back to Apple Records. Following the resolution, several solo albums by Lennon and McCartney were released to the iTunes Music Store. As of November 2007, all of the band members' solo catalogues have been released on iTunes. more... at Chronology
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