The English rock band the Beatles, comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, are commonly regarded as the foremost and most influential band in popular music history. They sparked the "Beatlemania" phenomenon in 1963, gained international superstardom in 1964, and remained active until their break-up in 1970. Over the latter half of the decade, they were often viewed as orchestrators of society's developments. Their recognition concerns their effect on the era's youth and counterculture, British identity, popular music's evolution into an art form, and their unprecedented following.
Cover of The Beatles (also known as the "White Album"). The double LP was recognised by Guinness World Records as the fastest-selling album of all time.
The Beatles in Stockholm, October 1963. Due to the crowds of screaming fans who attended the band's arrival in Sweden, the local press described the scene as "The Battle of Stockholm Airport".
Harold Wilson, Britain's Labour prime minister from 1964 to 1970. Pundits viewed him as representing a change to the established order and part of the same progressive influence that included the Beatles.
The Beatles outside the Birmingham Hippodrome, November 1963. Because the crowds were so thick, they had to be smuggled into the venue with assistance from local police.
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Released on 26 May 1967, Sgt. Pepper is regarded by musicologists as an early concept album that advanced the roles of sound composition, extended form, psychedelic imagery, record sleeves, and the producer in popular music. The album had an immediate cross-generational impact and was associated with numerous touchstones of the era's youth culture, such as fashion, drugs, mysticism, and a sense of optimism and empowerment. Critics lauded the album for its innovations in songwriting, production and graphic design, for bridging a cultural divide between popular music and high art, and for reflecting the interests of contemporary youth and the counterculture.
The group, with disc jockey Jim Stagg, while on their final tour in August 1966
Abbey Road Studio Two, where nearly every track on Sgt. Pepper was recorded
Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Studios) in 2005