The Beatles were a highly successful and influential English rock band formed in Liverpool in the 1960s. They were composed of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The Beatles achieved massive commercial success in the US and worldwide in the 1960s with hits like "Love Me Do" and innovative albums like Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. They broke up in 1970 but each member went on to have successful solo careers, though Lennon was tragically shot and killed in 1980 and Harrison died of cancer in 2001. The Beatles are still recognized as the most popular and critically acclaimed band in history.