2. Meet The Beatles!
John Lennon Paul McCartney
9 October 1940–8 December 1980 18 June 1942–Present
Rhythm guitar, vocals; Bass guitar, vocals;
occasionally harmonica, occasionally piano, drums,
piano, and various others and various others
George Harrison Ringo Starr
25 February 1943–29 November 2001 7 July 1940–Present
Lead guitar, backing vocals; Drums; occasionally backing
occasionally vocals, sitar vocals, vocals
Real name Richard Starkey
3. Albums
Please Please Me (Parlophone, 1963)
With The Beatles (Parlophone, 1963)
A Hard Day's Night (Parlophone, 1964)
Beatles for Sale (Parlophone, 1964)
Help! (Parlophone, 1965)
Rubber Soul (Parlophone, 1965)
Revolver (Parlophone, 1966)
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Parlophone, 1967)
Magical Mystery Tour (Capitol, 1967)
The Beatles (Apple, 1968)
Yellow Submarine (Apple, 1969)
Abbey Road (Apple, 1969)
Let It Be (Apple, 1970)
4. Films
A Hard Day's Night Help!
1964 1965
Purportedly a ”day in A religious cult tries
the life” of the group to steal Ringo's ring
Magical Yellow Let It Be
Mystery Tour Submarine 1970
1967 1967 The break-up
A journey on A cartoon about and the making
an enchanted a submarine in of their last
tour bus a magical land album
5. Member History
Founded as The Quarrymen in 1957 by John
and Paul, with Stuart Sutcliffe on bass
Harrison joined the following February
Pete Best joined on drums in August 1960, just
in time for a trip to Hamburg
In April 1962, Sutcliffe died of a brain
haemmorhage with his fiancée in Hamburg
Best was fired and Ringo joined in June 1962,
the day first single ”Love Me Do” was recorded.
The band broke up in 1970, following much
animosity
6. Major Events
Founded in 1957
”Love Me Do” released, 1962; band's famous line-up
complete
First UK #1 single, ”From Me to You” released, 1963
Please Please Me released, 1963
”She Loves You” becomes best-selling single of all time,
1963 (a record later broken by Paul McCartney's solo song
”Mull of Kintyre”)
A Hard Day's Night released at the peak of the band's
popularity, 1964
Band gives up touring in 1966 to focus on studio work
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the group's
magnum opus, released, 1967
7. Major Events, contd.
Manager Brian Epstein dies in 1967; group away in India
Magical Mystery Tour film is a commercial and critical flop
Apple Corps is founded to handle the band's affairs, 1968
Release of double album The Beatles marks the group's
most experimental work yet, 1968
Let It Be film documents the making of the album of the
same name, against a backdrop of animosity within the
group, 1968–1969
The band unofficially separates temporarily, but returns to
the studio to record Abbey Road
The Let It Be album is produced by Phil Spector and
released, much to Paul's dismay, in 1970
Paul McCartney officially quits, 1970. The band breaks up.
8. A Selection of Records Held
Most singles on the Billboard Hot 100 at once (12, inc. top 5)
Most #1 albums in the British albums chart (15)
Most #1 hits in the British singles chart (17)
Most weeks in the British singles chart (456)
Most weeks at #1 in the British singles chart (69)
Most weeks at #1 in the British albums chart (174)
...and more
Most top 10 hits in the British singles chart (28)
Most consecutive weeks at #1 in UK albums chart (51)
Most consecutive #1 hits in the UK singles chart (11)
Most complete ever domination of the British charts
Most weeks at #1 in UK albums chart in a year (40, 1964)
Most no. 1 albums in the British albums in a year (3, 1965)
9. Statistics
”Can't Buy Me Love” far surpassed all previous
records by selling 940,225 copies on the day of
its US release.
They sold more than 25 million records in just
the US in 1964 alone.
By the time Abbey Road was released in 1969,
the group had sold more than 300 million
records.
To date, The Beatles' record sales are over 1.3
billion units worldwide.
10. Where Are They Now?
John Lennon was shot five times in the back by
Mark David Chapman outside his New York
home on the night of 8 December 1980. He
died almost instantly. Chapman is currently
incarcerated.
George Harrison died of throat and lung cancer
in December 2001.
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are still
performing, and both have tours planned in the
near future.
