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The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960 and one of the most popular, critically acclaimed acts, and commercially successful in the history of popular music. The "Fab Four" George Harrison (guitar, sitar, vocals), John Lennon (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Paul McCartney (bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, percussion, vocals), startled the ears and energized the lives of virtually all who heard them. They simply changed the music world!

The Beatles, one of the biggest musical acts in history. The Beatles were formed in Liverpool, England in 1962 and was also known as The Fab Four. The Fab Four were -John Lennon (rhythm guitar, vocals), Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals). The original group comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best. Stuart Sutcliffe left the group in 1961. Their first recordings were made in Germany in 1961 as the backing group for Tony Sheridan.

Lennon and McCartney began playing together in The Quarrymen in 1957; Harrison joined later that year. Before they became The Beatles, they were also Johnny and the Moondogs and The Silver Beatles, joined at times by band mates including bassist Stuart Sutcliffe and drummer Pete Best; Best was replaced by Ringo to form the final foursome. The early Beatles performed shows in Hamburg, Germany and Liverpool, England, playing covers of early American rock and roll plus original songs by Lennon and McCartney.

Their 1962 release of "Love Me Do" charted in the U. K. Their next record, Please Please Me, reached number one in the UK. Their fourth record, She Loves You, reached number one in Australia. Their fifth record, I Want to Hold Your Hand, was their first US number one. At one point in early 1964, the Beatles had twelve singles in the US top 100, they had five straight number one albums. In the late '60s their songs became more sophisticated and their worldwide celebrity status prompted Lennon to joke "we're bigger than Jesus''.

Their personal charm and charisma helped boost "Beatlemania," and their tour of the U.S. in 1964 led to sold-out concerts and mob scenes. Their movies A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965) capitalized on their humor and youthful exuberance and were box office successes, and the hit songs kept coming: in 1964.

By 1970 they were no longer performing in public and were beginning to pursue individual projects. In December of 1970 McCartney brought a lawsuit to dissolve The Beatles as a legal entity, and the group broke up. Their hits are too numerous to mention, and their impact on pop music can't be overstated. In 1980 Lennon was murdered, and in 2001 Harrison died of cancer, but McCartney and Starr continue to have busy solo careers.

After the Beatles broke up, John Lennon formed the Plastic Ono Band with his wife, Yoko Ono, and various others. Paul McCartney formed a new group, Wings, with his wife Linda, Denny Laine and various others at different times. Wings had a string of hit records during the 1970s.

Subsequently, Paul McCartney has made successful solo recordings and with other stars such as Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson.

By the end of 1970, all four Beatles had recorded solo albums, and, in 1971, McCartney sued for the dissolution of the group. Throughout the seventies, promoters attempted to reunite them without success. The Beatles did perform on Starr's Ringo album in 1973 - though not together in the studio, Lennon, Harrison, and McCartney contributed music, vocals, and backing. The tragic murder of John Lennon on December 8, 1980, quashed any hopes of a reunion among all of the Beatles. In the mid-1990s, however, the Beatles did release new music under the original band name. The living Beatles played over taped instrumentation and vocals left by Lennon. The singles "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love" were released as parts of anthologies featuring rare material and outtakes from Beatles recording sessions. "Free as a Bird" debuted with a music video in the United States as part of a television anthology presented on ABC-TV in 1995.

Selected recordings include Introducing the Beatles, Vee Jay, 1963; Meet the Beatles, Capitol, 1964; The Beatles Second Album, Capitol, 1964; A Hard Day's Night, United Artists, 1964; Something New, Capitol, 1964; The Beatles Story, Capitol, 1964; Beatles '65, Capitol, 1964; The Early Beatles, Capitol, 1965; Beatles VI, Capitol, 1965; Help, Capitol, 1965; Rubber Soul, Capitol, 1965; Yesterday .. and Today; Revolver, Capitol, 1966; Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Capitol, 1967; Magical Mystery Tour, Capitol, 1967; The Beatles (White Album), Apple, 1968; Yellow Submarine, Apple, 1969; Abbey Road, Apple, 1969; Hey Jude, Apple, 1970; Tony Sheridan and the Beatles, Polydor, 1970; Let It Be, Apple, 1970; The Beatles 1962-1966, Apple, 1973; The Beatles 1967-1970, Apple, 1973; Rock 'N' Roll Music, Capitol, 1976; The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl, Capitol, 1976; The Beatles Live! At the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany: 1962, Lingasong, 1977; Love Songs, Capitol, 1977; Rarities, Capitol, 1979; Anthology I; Anthology II, Apple, 1996; Anthology III, Apple, 1996.

George Harrison produced a number of strongly religious and Indian-influenced recordings, interspersed with a few hit singles. Since the mid-1970s, he became involved in motor racing and film production. In 1987, he produced the hit single, Got My Mind Set on You. The following year, he joined with Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne to form the Travelling Wilburys who had a major hit album. Following Roy Orbison's death late that year, the band broke up and George spent much of his time in the garden of his huge mansion outside London. He was stabbed when an intruder broke into his house in December 1999,

George Harrison died from cancer on 30 November 2001. He was 58. George was first diagnosed with lung cancer in 1997 and was treated for a brain tumour early in 2001. He is survived by his wife, Olivia, and son, Dhani.

The Beatles continue to inspire the current generation. Their achievements cannot be equaled . Such as- Total weeks on chart- 1278, Number ones - 15, Total weeks at Number One - 175, Most Number One albums in a year - 3, etc.

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