With their trademark moptop haircuts and matching tailored suits, The Beatles were known as the “Fab Four,” leading what became known as the British Invasion in the early ‘60s. Comprised of John Lennon, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney—The Beatles would arguably become the most influential and appealing rock and roll group of all time.
Lennon started his first band, The Quarrymen, from which The Beatles would eventually evolve. In 1957, he met Paul McCartney, who joined the group on vocals and guitar. Next came George Harrison, also on guitar. In 1958, The Quarrymen became Johnny and the Moondogs; then for a brief time in 1960, the trio called themselves The Silver Beatles before dropping “Silver” from the name, becoming simply The Beatles. Stuart Sutcliffe, Lennon’s friend from college, joined on bass in 1959, though McCartney filled his spot when, in 1961, Sutcliffe decided to return to art school full time. At this point, The Beatles still included Pete Best, the band’s drummer since 1960. The manager of a local record store, Brian Epstein, took an interest in the foursome and convinced them to sharpen up their bad-boy image—they were sporting an unclean, leather-clad look—in favor of a more tailored, wholesome uniformity. After becoming The Beatles’ manager in 1962, Epstein doggedly pursued his music industry contacts. However, the auditions he arranged for the band were leading nowhere until later that year when a tryout with producer George Martin led to a contract with the British label Parlophone. It was also at this time that Best, according to Martin’s recommendation, was replaced with the more congenial Ringo Starr.

Within weeks of this final adjustment to the band’s lineup, The Beatles recorded their premiere singles, “Love Me Do” and “P.S. I Love You.” Their first album, Please Please Me (1963), was an overwhelming success, staying on top of the British charts for an unprecedented 30 weeks. An appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964 triggered “Beatlemania”—the generally hysterical and screaming hoards of fans that met the group wherever they appeared. It also opened the floodgate for the British Invasion that included the likes of The Rolling Stones, Cream (featuring Eric Clapton), and the Animals.

Throughout their career as a group, The Beatles starred in and produced several films.