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{{Short description|English rock band (1960–1970)}}
{{About|the band|their eponymous album|The Beatles (album){{!}}''The Beatles'' (album)|other uses|Beatles (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect-multi|2|Beatle|Fab Four|the insect|Beetle|other uses|Fab Four (disambiguation)}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Pp|small=yes}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = The Beatles
| image             = The Fabs.JPG
| caption           = The Beatles in 1964; clockwise from top left: [[John Lennon]], [[Paul McCartney]], [[Ringo Starr]] and [[George Harrison]]
| alt               = A square quartered into four head shots of young men with moptop haircuts. All four wear white shirts and dark coats.
| origin            = [[Liverpool]], England
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Rock music|Rock]]|[[Pop music|pop]]|[[beat music|beat]]|[[Psychedelic music|psychedelia]]}} <!--Based on talk page discussions and consensus. Please do not add other genres or sub-genres without first reaching consensus with other editors on the talk page. Thank you.-->
| years_active      = 1960–1970<!--Please discuss on talk page before changing.-->
| label             = {{hlist|[[Parlophone]]|[[Capitol Records|Capitol]]|[[Apple Records|Apple]]}}
| spinoffs          = [[Plastic Ono Band]]<!-- please discuss on Talk page before adding other acts here -->
| spinoff_of        = [[The Quarrymen]]
| website           = {{URL|thebeatles.com}}
| past_members      = * [[John Lennon]]
* [[Paul McCartney]]
* [[George Harrison]]
* [[Ringo Starr]]
* (see [[#Personnel|Personnel section]] for others)
}}

'''The Beatles''' were<!-- Proper nouns that are plural in form take a plural verb in each of American, Canadian and British English. Please do not change "were" to "was". --> an English [[Rock music|rock]] band formed in [[Liverpool]] in 1960, comprising [[John Lennon]], [[Paul McCartney]], [[George Harrison]] and [[Ringo Starr]]. They are regarded as the [[Cultural impact of the Beatles|most influential band of all time]]{{sfn|Hasted|2017|p=425}} and were integral to the development of [[Counterculture of the 1960s|1960s counterculture]] and the recognition of [[popular music]] as an art form.{{sfn|Frontani|2007|p=125}} Rooted in [[skiffle]], [[beat music|beat]] and 1950s [[rock and roll|rock 'n' roll]], their sound incorporated elements of [[classical music]] and [[traditional pop]] in innovative ways. The band also explored music styles ranging from [[Folk music|folk]] and [[Music of India|Indian music]] to [[Psychedelic music|psychedelia]] and [[hard rock]]. As [[Recording practices of the Beatles|pioneers in recording]], songwriting and artistic presentation, the Beatles revolutionized many aspects of the music industry and were often publicized as leaders of the [[Baby boomers|era's youth]] and sociocultural movements.{{sfn|Frontani|2007|p=157}}

Led by primary songwriters [[Lennon–McCartney|Lennon and McCartney]], the Beatles evolved from Lennon's previous group, [[the Quarrymen]], and built their reputation by playing clubs in Liverpool and [[Hamburg]], Germany, over three years from 1960, initially with [[Stuart Sutcliffe]] playing [[Bass guitar|bass]]. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, including [[Pete Best]], before inviting Starr to join them in 1962. Manager [[Brian Epstein]] moulded them into a professional act, and producer [[George Martin]] guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after they signed with [[EMI Records]] and achieved their first hit, "[[Love Me Do]]", in late 1962. As their popularity grew into the intense fan frenzy dubbed "[[Beatlemania]]", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Four". Epstein, Martin or another member of the band's entourage was sometimes informally referred to as a "[[fifth Beatle]]".

By early 1964, the Beatles were international stars and had achieved unprecedented levels of critical and commercial success. They became a leading force in Britain's cultural resurgence, ushering in the [[British Invasion]] of the United States pop market. They soon made their film debut with ''[[A Hard Day's Night (film)|A Hard Day's Night]]'' (1964). A growing desire to refine their studio efforts, coupled with the challenging nature of their concert tours, led to the band's retirement from live performances in 1966. During this time, they produced albums of greater sophistication, including ''[[Rubber Soul]]'' (1965), ''[[Revolver (Beatles album)|Revolver]]'' (1966) and ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' (1967). They enjoyed further commercial success with ''[[The Beatles (album)|The Beatles]]'' (also known as "the White Album", 1968) and ''[[Abbey Road]]'' (1969). The success of these records heralded the [[album era]], as albums became the dominant form of record use over [[single (music)|single]]s. These records also increased public interest in [[psychedelic drug]]s and Eastern spirituality and furthered advancements in [[electronic music]], [[album art]] and [[music video]]s. In 1968, they founded [[Apple Corps]], a multi-armed multimedia corporation that continues to oversee projects related to the band's legacy. After [[Break-up of the Beatles|the group's break-up]] in 1970, all principal former members enjoyed success as solo artists, and some [[Collaborations between ex-Beatles|partial reunions]] occurred. Lennon [[Murder of John Lennon|was murdered]] in 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001. McCartney and Starr remain musically active.

The Beatles are the [[List of best-selling music artists|best-selling music act of all time]], with estimated sales of 600&nbsp;million units worldwide.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/music-news/yeah-yeah-yeah-rare-footage-of-the-beatles-dublin-performance-34420385.html|title=Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! Rare footage of the Beatles's Dublin performance|last=Siggins|first=Gerard|date=7 February 2016|work=[[Irish Independent]]|access-date=1 December 2017|archive-date=9 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109095328/https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/music-news/yeah-yeah-yeah-rare-footage-of-the-beatles-dublin-performance-34420385.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19800654|title=The Beatles at 50: From Fab Four to fabulously wealthy|last=Hotten|first=Russell|date=4 October 2012|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=28 January 2013|archive-date=12 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312172123/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19800654|url-status=live}}</ref> They are the most successful act in the history of the US [[Billboard charts|''Billboard'' charts]],<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/greatest-of-all-time-artists/|title=Greatest of All Time Artists|magazine=Billboard|access-date=March 21, 2023|archive-date=14 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114170915/https://www.billboard.com/charts/greatest-of-all-time-artists/|url-status=live}}</ref> holding the record for most number-one albums on the [[UK Albums Chart]] (<span class="ltr">15</span>), [[List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones#|most number-one hits]] on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart (<span class="ltr">20</span>), and most singles sold in the UK (21.9 million). The band received [[List of awards and nominations received by the Beatles|many accolades]], including seven [[Grammy Award]]s, four [[Brit Awards]], an [[Academy Award]] (for [[Academy Award for Best Original Score#1970s|Best Original Song Score]] for the 1970 documentary film ''[[Let It Be (1970 film)|Let It Be]]'') and fifteen [[Ivor Novello Awards]]. They were inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in their first year of eligibility, 1988, and each principal member was individually inducted between 1994 and 2015. In 2004 and 2011, the group topped ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s lists of [[Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time|the greatest artists in history]]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine named them among the [[Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century|20th century's 100 most important people]].

== History ==
{{The Beatles history}}

=== 1956–1963: Formation ===
<!-- Please be aware that various former names of the Beatles redirect to {{anchor|Formation}}. -->
====The Quarrymen and name changes====
{{main|The Quarrymen}}
In November 1956, sixteen-year-old [[John Lennon]] formed a [[skiffle]] group with several friends from [[Calderstones School|Quarry Bank High School]] in [[Liverpool]]. They were called [[the Quarrymen]], a reference to their school song "Quarry men old before our birth."{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|pp=104}} Fifteen-year-old [[Paul McCartney]] met Lennon on 6 July 1957, and joined as a [[rhythm guitar]]ist shortly after.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=93–99}} In February 1958, McCartney invited his friend [[George Harrison]], then aged fifteen, to watch the band. Harrison auditioned for Lennon, impressing him with his playing, but Lennon initially thought Harrison was too young. After a month's persistence, during a second meeting (arranged by McCartney), Harrison performed the lead guitar part of the instrumental song "[[Raunchy (instrumental)|Raunchy]]" on the upper deck of a Liverpool bus,<ref>{{harvnb|Miles|1997|p=47}}; {{harvnb|Spitz|2005|p=127}}.</ref> and they enlisted him as [[lead guitar]]ist.{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=47}}{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=13}}

By January 1959, Lennon's Quarry Bank friends had left the group, and he began his studies at the [[Liverpool College of Art]].{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=103}} The three guitarists, billing themselves as Johnny and the Moondogs,{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=17}} were playing [[rock and roll]] whenever they could find a drummer.{{sfn|Harry|2000b|pp=742–743}} They also performed as the Rainbows. Paul McCartney later told ''New Musical Express'' that they called themselves that "because we all had different coloured shirts and we couldn't afford any others!" <ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Alan|title=The Beatles, Paul McCartney: Close-Up on Paul McCartney, a Beatle|work=New Musical Express|publisher=NME Networks|date=9 August 1963 |location=London, England}}</ref>

Lennon's art school friend [[Stuart Sutcliffe]], who had just sold one of his paintings and was persuaded to purchase a bass guitar with the proceeds, joined in January 1960. He suggested changing the band's name to ''Beatals'', as a tribute to [[Buddy Holly]] and [[the Crickets]].{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=18}}{{sfn|Gilliland| 1969|loc=show 27, track 4}} They used this name until May, when they became ''the Silver Beetles'', before undertaking a brief [[The Beat Ballad Show Tour|tour of Scotland]] as the backing group for pop singer and fellow [[Liverpudlian]] [[Johnny Gentle]]. By early July, they had refashioned themselves as ''the Silver Beatles'', and by the middle of August simply ''the Beatles''.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=18–22}}

==== Early residencies and UK popularity ====
[[Allan Williams]], the Beatles' unofficial manager, arranged a residency for them [[The Beatles in Hamburg|in Hamburg]]. They auditioned and hired drummer [[Pete Best]] in mid-August 1960. The band, now a five-piece, departed Liverpool for Hamburg four days later, contracted to club owner [[Bruno Koschmider]] for what would be a {{frac|3|1|2}}-month residency.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=21–25}} Beatles historian [[Mark Lewisohn]] writes: "They pulled into Hamburg at dusk on 17 August, the time when the [[Reeperbahn|red-light area]] comes to life&nbsp;... flashing neon lights screamed out the various entertainment on offer, while scantily clad women sat unabashed in shop windows waiting for business opportunities."{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=22}}

Koschmider had converted a couple of strip clubs in the district into music venues, and he initially placed the Beatles at the [[The Beatles in Hamburg|Indra Club]]. After closing Indra due to noise complaints, he moved them to the [[Kaiserkeller]] in October.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=23}} When he learned they had been performing at the rival [[Top Ten Club]] in breach of their contract, he gave them one month's termination notice,{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=24, 33}} and reported the underage Harrison, who had obtained permission to stay in Hamburg by lying to the German authorities about his age.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=88}} The authorities arranged for Harrison's deportation in late November.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=24}} One week later, Koschmider had McCartney and Best arrested for arson after they set fire to a condom in a concrete corridor; the authorities deported them.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=24–25}} Lennon returned to Liverpool in early December, while Sutcliffe remained in Hamburg until late February with his German fiancée [[Astrid Kirchherr]],{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=25}} who took the first semi-professional photos of the Beatles.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=222–224}}

During the next two years, the Beatles were resident for periods in Hamburg, where they used [[Phenmetrazine|Preludin]] both recreationally and to maintain their energy through all-night performances.{{sfn|Miles|1997|pp=66–67}} In 1961, during their second Hamburg engagement, Kirchherr cut Sutcliffe's hair in the "[[exi (subculture)|exi]]" (existentialist) style, later adopted by the other Beatles.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=32}}{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=76}} Later on, Sutcliffe decided to leave the band early that year and resume his art studies in Germany. McCartney took over bass.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=89, 94}} Producer [[Bert Kaempfert]] contracted what was now a four-piece group until June 1962, and he used them as [[Tony Sheridan]]'s [[backup band|backing band]] on a series of recordings for [[Polydor Records]].{{sfn|Gilliland|1969|loc=show 27, track 4}}{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=249–251}} As part of the sessions, the Beatles were signed to Polydor for one year.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=450}} Credited to "Tony Sheridan & the Beat Brothers", the single "[[My Bonnie]]", recorded in June 1961 and released four months later, reached number 32 on the ''[[Musikmarkt]]'' chart.{{sfn|Everett|2001|p=100}}

After the Beatles completed their second Hamburg residency, they enjoyed increasing popularity in Liverpool with the growing [[beat music|Merseybeat]] movement. However, they were growing tired of the monotony of numerous appearances at the same clubs night after night.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=33}} In November 1961, during one of the group's frequent performances at [[the Cavern Club]], they encountered [[Brian Epstein]], a local record-store owner and music columnist.{{sfn|Miles|1997|pp=84–87}} He later recalled: "I immediately liked what I heard. They were fresh, and they were honest, and they had what I thought was a sort of presence&nbsp;... [<span class="ltr">a</span>] star quality."{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=34–35}}

====First EMI recordings====
Epstein courted the band over the next couple of months, and they appointed him as their manager in January 1962.{{sfn|Miles|1997|pp=84–88}} Throughout early and mid-1962, Epstein sought to free the Beatles from their contractual obligations to Bert Kaempfert Productions. He eventually negotiated a one-month early release in exchange for one last recording session in Hamburg.{{sfn|Winn|2008|p=10}} On their return to Germany in April, a distraught Kirchherr met them at the airport with news of Sutcliffe's death the previous day from a [[intracerebral hemorrhage|brain haemorrhage]].{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=56}} Epstein began negotiations with record labels for a recording contract. To secure a UK record contract, Epstein negotiated an early end to the band's contract with Polydor, in exchange for more recordings backing Tony Sheridan.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=612, 629}} After a New Year's Day audition, [[The Beatles' Decca audition|Decca Records rejected the band]], saying, "Guitar groups are on the way out, Mr. Epstein."{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=67}} However, three months later, producer [[George Martin]] signed the Beatles to [[EMI]]'s [[Parlophone]] label.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=56}}

[[File:Abbey Rd Studios.jpg|thumb|right|Main entrance at [[EMI Studios]] (now Abbey Road Studios, pictured 2007) |alt=A flight of stone steps leads from an asphalt car park up to the main entrance of a white two-story building. The ground floor has two sash windows, the first floor has three shorter sash windows. Two more windows are visible at basement level. The decorative stonework around the doors and windows is painted grey.]]

Martin's first recording session with the Beatles took place at [[Abbey Road Studios|EMI Recording Studios]] (later Abbey Road Studios) in London on 6 June 1962.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=59}} He immediately complained to Epstein about Best's drumming and suggested they use a [[session musician|session drummer]] in his place.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=318, 322}} Already contemplating Best's dismissal,{{sfn|Miles|1998|pp=49–50}} the Beatles replaced him in mid-August with [[Ringo Starr]], who left [[Rory Storm and the Hurricanes]] to join them.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=59}} A 4 September session at EMI yielded a recording of "[[Love Me Do]]" featuring Starr on drums, but a dissatisfied Martin hired drummer [[Andy White (drummer)|Andy White]] for the band's third session a week later, which produced recordings of "Love Me Do", "[[Please Please Me (song)|Please Please Me]]" and "[[P.S. I Love You (Beatles song)|P.S. I Love You]]".{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=59}}

Martin initially selected the Starr version of "Love Me Do" for the band's first single, though subsequent re-pressings featured the White version, with Starr on tambourine.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=59}} Released in early October, "Love Me Do" peaked at number seventeen on the ''[[Record Retailer]]'' chart.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=59–60}} Their television debut came later that month with a live performance on the regional news programme ''[[Granada Reports|People and Places]]''.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=81, 355}} After Martin suggested rerecording "Please Please Me" at a faster tempo,{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=90}} a studio session in late November yielded that recording,{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=62, 84}} of which Martin accurately predicted, "You've just made your first No. 1."{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=875}}

In December 1962, the Beatles concluded their fifth and final Hamburg residency.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=62, 86}} By 1963, they had agreed that all four band members would contribute vocals to their albums – including Starr, despite his restricted vocal range, to validate his standing in the group.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=191}} Lennon and McCartney had established [[Lennon–McCartney|a songwriting partnership]], and as the band's success grew, their dominant collaboration limited Harrison's opportunities as a [[lead vocalist]].{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=494}} Epstein, to maximise the Beatles' commercial potential, encouraged them to adopt a professional approach to performing.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=128, 133–134}} Lennon recalled him saying, "Look, if you really want to get in these bigger places, you're going to have to change – stop eating on stage, stop swearing, stop smoking ...."{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=67}}{{refn|group=nb|Lennon said of Epstein, "We used to dress how we liked, on and off stage. He'd tell us that jeans were not particularly smart and could we possibly manage to wear proper trousers, but he didn't want us suddenly looking square. He'd let us have our own sense of individuality."{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=67}}}}

=== 1963–1966: Beatlemania and touring years ===
{{Main|Beatlemania}}

==== ''Please Please Me'' and ''With the Beatles'' ====
[[File:The Beatles logo.svg|thumb|left|upright=0.7|alt=The logo of the English rock band the Beatles|The band's logo was designed by [[Ivor Arbiter]].{{sfn|Womack|2007|p=76}}]]

On 11 February 1963, the Beatles recorded ten songs during a single studio session for their debut LP, ''[[Please Please Me]]''. It was supplemented by the four tracks already released on their first two singles. Martin considered recording the LP live at The Cavern Club, but after deciding that the building's acoustics were inadequate, he elected to simulate a "live" album with minimal production in "a single marathon session at Abbey Road".{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=147}} After the moderate success of "Love Me Do", the single "Please Please Me" was released in January 1963, two months ahead of the album. It reached number one on every UK chart except ''Record Retailer'', where it peaked at number two.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=88, 351}}

Recalling how the Beatles "rushed to deliver a debut album, bashing out ''Please Please Me'' in a day", [[AllMusic]] critic [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] wrote: "Decades after its release, the album still sounds fresh, precisely because of its intense origins."<ref name="Please Please Me AllMusic">{{cite web |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |title=''Please Please Me'' – The Beatles |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/please-please-me-mw0000649873 |access-date=21 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530202703/http://www.allmusic.com/album/please-please-me-mw0000649873 |archive-date=30 May 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Lennon said little thought went into composition at the time; he and McCartney were "just writing songs ''à la'' [[The Everly Brothers|Everly Brothers]], ''à la'' Buddy Holly, pop songs with no more thought of them than that – to create a sound. And the words were almost irrelevant."{{sfn|Sheff|1981|p=129}}

{{listen
|type=music
|filename=She Loves You (Beatles song - sample).ogg
|title="She Loves You"
|description=Sample of "[[She Loves You]]". The song's repeated use of "yeah" exclamations became a signature phrase for the group at the time.{{sfn|Davies|1968|p=200}}{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=35}}
}}
Released in March 1963, ''Please Please Me'' was the first of eleven consecutive Beatles albums released in the United Kingdom to reach number one.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=90, 351}} The band's third single, "[[From Me to You]]", came out in April and began an almost unbroken string of seventeen British number-one singles, including all but one of the eighteen they released over the next six years.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=89, 350–351}} Issued in August, their fourth single, "[[She Loves You]]", achieved the fastest sales of any record in the UK up to that time, selling three-quarters of a million copies in under four weeks.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=159}} It became their first single to sell a million copies, and remained the biggest-selling record in the UK until 1978.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=990}}{{refn|group=nb|"She Loves You" was surpassed in sales by "[[Mull of Kintyre (song)|Mull of Kintyre]]", by McCartney's post-Beatles band [[Paul McCartney and Wings|Wings]].{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=990}}}}

The success brought increased media exposure, to which the Beatles responded with an irreverent and comical attitude that defied the expectations of pop musicians at the time, inspiring even more interest.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=166–169}} The band toured the UK three times in the first half of the year: a four-week tour that began in February, the Beatles' first nationwide, preceded three-week tours in March and May–June.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=90, 98–105, 109–112}} As their popularity spread, a frenzied adulation of the group took hold. On 13 October, the Beatles starred on ''[[Tonight at the London Palladium|Sunday Night at the London Palladium]]'', the UK's top variety show.{{sfn|Pawlowski|1990|p=146}} Their performance was televised live and watched by 15&nbsp;million viewers. One national paper's headlines in the following days coined the term "[[Beatlemania]]" to describe the riotous enthusiasm by screaming fans who greeted the band – and it stuck.{{sfn|Pawlowski|1990|p=146}}{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=444–445}} Although not billed as tour leaders, the Beatles overshadowed American acts [[Tommy Roe]] and [[Chris Montez]] during the February engagements and assumed top billing "by audience demand", something no British act had previously accomplished while touring with artists from the US.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=88}} A similar situation arose during their May–June [[Roy Orbison/The Beatles Tour|tour with Roy Orbison]].{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=90}}

[[File:The Beatles and Lill-Babs 1963.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Swedish pop singer Lill-Babs and John Lennon on the set of the Swedish television show Drop-In in 1963|McCartney, Harrison, Swedish pop singer [[Lill-Babs]] and Lennon on the set of the [[Sveriges Television|Swedish television]] show ''Drop-In'', 30 October 1963{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=86}}]]

In late October, the Beatles began a five-day tour of Sweden, their first time abroad since the final Hamburg engagement of December 1962.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=1088}} On their return to the UK on 31 October, several hundred screaming fans greeted them in heavy rain at [[Heathrow Airport]]. Around 50 to 100 journalists and photographers, as well as representatives from the [[BBC Television|BBC]], also joined the airport reception, the first of more than 100 such events.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=92–93}} The next day, the band began its fourth tour of Britain within nine months, this one scheduled for six weeks.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=127–133}} In mid-November, as Beatlemania intensified, police resorted to using high-pressure water hoses to control the crowd before a concert in Plymouth.{{sfn|Davies|1968|pp=184–185}} On 4 November, they played in front of the [[Elizabeth II|Queen]] during the [[List of Royal Variety Performances#1960s|Royal Variety Performance]] at the [[Prince of Wales Theatre]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.beatlesbible.com/1963/11/04/live-royal-command-performance |title=The Beatles live: Royal Command Performance |publisher=Beatlesbible.com |date=4 November 1963 |accessdate=9 February 2024 |archive-date=29 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129054350/https://www.beatlesbible.com/1963/11/04/live-royal-command-performance/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

''Please Please Me'' maintained the top position on the ''Record Retailer'' chart for 30 weeks, only to be displaced by its follow-up, ''[[With the Beatles]]'',{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=90, 92, 100}} which EMI released on 22 November to record advance orders of 270,000 copies. The LP topped a half-million albums sold in one week.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=93}} Recorded between July and October, ''With the Beatles'' made better use of studio production techniques than its predecessor.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=187}} It held the top spot for 21 weeks with a chart life of 40 weeks.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=1161}} Erlewine described the LP as "a sequel of the highest order – one that betters the original".<ref>{{cite web |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |title=''With the Beatles'' – The Beatles |publisher=AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/with-the-beatles-mw0000192941 |access-date=21 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530202746/http://www.allmusic.com/album/with-the-beatles-mw0000192941 |archive-date=30 May 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In a reversal of then standard practice, EMI released the album ahead of the impending single "[[I Want to Hold Your Hand]]", with the song excluded to maximise the single's sales.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=187–188}} The album caught the attention of music critic [[William Mann (critic)|William Mann]] of ''[[The Times]]'', who suggested that Lennon and McCartney were "the outstanding English composers of 1963".{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=187}} The newspaper published a series of articles in which Mann offered detailed analyses of the music, lending it respectability.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=1162}} ''With the Beatles'' became the second album in UK chart history to sell a million copies, a figure previously reached only by the 1958 [[South Pacific (soundtrack)|''South Pacific'' soundtrack]].{{sfn|Harry|2000b|p=978}} When writing the [[liner notes|sleeve notes]] for the album, the band's press officer, [[Tony Barrow]], used the superlative the "fabulous foursome", which the media widely adopted as "the Fab Four".{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=402}}
{{clear|left}}

==== First visit to the United States and the British Invasion ====
{{Main|British Invasion}}
EMI's American subsidiary, [[Capitol Records]], hindered the Beatles' releases in the United States for more than a year by initially declining to issue their music, including their first three singles. Concurrent negotiations with the independent US label [[Vee-Jay]] led to the release of some, but not all, of the songs in 1963.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=350}} Vee-Jay finished preparation for the album ''[[Introducing... The Beatles]]'', comprising most of the songs of Parlophone's ''Please Please Me'', but a management shake-up led to the album not being released.{{refn|group=nb|Vee-Jay company president [[Ewart Abner]] resigned after it was disclosed he used company funds to cover gambling debts.{{sfn|Spizer|2004|p=36}}}} After it emerged that the label did not report royalties on their sales, the licence that Vee-Jay had signed with EMI was voided.{{sfn|Spizer|2004|p=40}} A new licence was granted to the [[Swan Records|Swan]] label for the single "She Loves You". The record received some airplay in the [[Tidewater region|Tidewater area]] of Virginia from Gene Loving of radio station [[WGH (<span class="ltr">AM</span>)|WGH]] and was featured on the "Rate-a-Record" segment of ''[[American Bandstand]]'', but it failed to catch on nationally.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=225–226, 228, 1118–1122}}

[[File:The Beatles arrive at JFK Airport.jpg|thumb|alt=A black-and-white image of four men standing in front of a crowd of people at the bottom of an aeroplane staircase|The Beatles arriving at [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]], 7 February 1964]]
Epstein brought a demo copy of "[[I Want to Hold Your Hand]]" to Capitol's [[Brown Meggs]], who signed the band and arranged for a $40,000 US marketing campaign. American chart success began after disc jockey Carroll James of AM radio station [[WQOF|WWDC]], in Washington, DC, obtained a copy of the British single "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in mid-December 1963 and began playing it on-air.<ref>{{cite news|last=Vries|first=Lloyd |title=Beatles' 'Helping Hand' Shuns Fame|publisher=[[CBS News]]|date=16 January 2004|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/beatles-helping-hand-shuns-fame/|access-date=28 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806140924/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/beatles-helping-hand-shuns-fame/|archive-date=6 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Taped copies of the song soon circulated among other radio stations throughout the US. This caused an increase in demand, leading Capitol to bring forward the release of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by three weeks.{{sfn|Everett|2001|p=206}} Issued on 26 December, with the band's previously scheduled debut there just weeks away, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" sold a million copies, becoming a number-one hit in the US by mid-January.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=136, 350}} In its wake Vee-Jay released ''Introducing... The Beatles''{{sfn|Spizer|2004|p=96}} along with Capitol's debut album, ''[[Meet the Beatles!]]'', while Swan reactivated production of "She Loves You".{{sfn|Davies|1968|p=218}}

[[File:The Beatles performing at The Ed Sullivan Show (cropped 2).jpg|thumb|The Beatles performing on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]],'' February 1964]]

On 7 February 1964, the Beatles departed from Heathrow with an estimated 4,000 fans waving and screaming as the aircraft took off.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=457}} Upon landing at New York's [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|John F. Kennedy Airport]], an uproarious crowd estimated at 3,000 greeted them.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=459}} They gave their first live US television performance two days later on ''[[The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show|The Ed Sullivan Show]]'', watched by approximately 73&nbsp;million viewers in over 23&nbsp;million households,{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=137}} or 34 per cent of the American population. Biographer Jonathan Gould writes that, according to the [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen]] rating service, it was "the largest audience that had ever been recorded for an American television {{lang|en-US|program}}".{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=3}} The next morning, the Beatles awoke to a largely negative critical consensus in the US,{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=473–474}} but a day later at their first US concert, Beatlemania erupted at the [[Washington Coliseum]].{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=1134–1135}} Back in New York the following day, the Beatles met with another strong reception during two shows at [[Carnegie Hall]].{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=137}} The band flew to Florida, where they appeared on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' a second time, again before 70&nbsp;million viewers, before returning to the UK on 22 February.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=137, 146–147}}

The Beatles' first visit to the US took place when the nation was still mourning the [[assassination of John F. Kennedy|assassination of President John F. Kennedy]] the previous November.<ref name="Gimore (RS Beatles/Dylan/60s)">{{cite magazine|last1=Gilmore|first1=Mikal|title=Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and the Rock of the Sixties|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bob-dylan-the-beatles-and-the-rock-roll-of-the-60s-19900823|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=19 February 2018|date=23 August 1990|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219151727/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bob-dylan-the-beatles-and-the-rock-roll-of-the-60s-19900823|archive-date=19 February 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Commentators often suggest that for many, particularly the young, the Beatles' performances reignited the sense of excitement and possibility that momentarily faded in the wake of the assassination, and helped pave the way for the revolutionary social changes to come later in the decade.<ref>{{cite web|work=Slate|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2013/11/kennedy_s_assassination_the_beatles_and_phil_spector_nov_22_1963_was_a_bad.html|title=Did JFK's Death Make Beatlemania Possible?|first=Jack|last=Hamilton|date=18 November 2013|access-date=23 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140925143800/http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2013/11/kennedy_s_assassination_the_beatles_and_phil_spector_nov_22_1963_was_a_bad.html|archive-date=25 September 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Their hairstyle, unusually long for the era and mocked by many adults,{{sfn|Gilliland| 1969|loc=show 27, track 4}} became an emblem of rebellion to the burgeoning youth culture.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=345}}

The group's popularity generated unprecedented interest in British music, and many other UK acts subsequently made their American debuts, successfully touring over the next three years in what was termed the [[British Invasion]].{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=9, 250, 285}} The Beatles' success in the US opened the door for a successive string of British [[Beat music|beat groups]] and [[Pop music|pop]] acts such as [[the Dave Clark Five]], [[the Animals]], [[Petula Clark]], [[the Kinks]], and [[the Rolling Stones]] to achieve success in America.<ref name="Puterbaugh (British Invasion)">{{cite magazine|last1=Puterbaugh|first1=Parke|title=The British Invasion: From the Beatles to the Stones, The Sixties Belonged to Britain|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-british-invasion-from-the-beatles-to-the-stones-the-sixties-belonged-to-britain-19880714|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=19 February 2018|date=14 July 1988|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170530194323/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-british-invasion-from-the-beatles-to-the-stones-the-sixties-belonged-to-britain-19880714|archive-date=30 May 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> During the week of 4 April 1964, the Beatles held twelve positions on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] singles chart, including the top five.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=138}}{{refn|group=nb|During the same week in April 1964, a third American Beatles LP joined the two already in circulation; two of the three reached the first spot on the ''Billboard'' [[Billboard 200|albums chart]], the third peaked at number two.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=351}}}}

==== ''A Hard Day's Night'' ====
{{Main|A Hard Day's Night (film){{!}}''A Hard Day's Night'' (film)}}
Capitol Records' lack of interest throughout 1963 did not go unnoticed, and a competitor, [[United Artists Records]], encouraged [[United Artists|its film division]] to offer the Beatles a three-motion-picture deal, primarily for the commercial potential of the soundtracks in the US.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=483–484}} Directed by [[Richard Lester]], ''[[A Hard Day's Night (film)|A Hard Day's Night]]'' involved the band for six weeks in March–April 1964 as they played themselves in a musical comedy.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=230–232}} The film premiered in London and New York in July and August, respectively, and was an international success, with some critics drawing a comparison with the [[Marx Brothers]].{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=489–490}}

United Artists released a [[A Hard Day's Night (album)#North American release|full soundtrack album]] for the North American market, combining Beatles songs and Martin's orchestral score; elsewhere, the group's third studio LP, ''[[A Hard Day's Night (album)|A Hard Day's Night]]'', contained songs from the film on side one and other new recordings on side two.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=47}} According to Erlewine, the album saw them "truly coming into their own as a band. All of the disparate influences on their first two albums coalesced into a bright, joyous, original sound, filled with ringing guitars and irresistible melodies."<ref>{{cite web |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |title=''A Hard Day's Night'' – The Beatles |publisher=AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-hard-days-night-mw0001948685 |access-date=21 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530233822/http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-hard-days-night-mw0001948685 |archive-date=30 May 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> That "ringing guitar" sound was primarily the product of Harrison's [[Rickenbacker 360/12|12-string electric Rickenbacker]], a prototype given to him by the manufacturer, which made its debut on the record.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=286–287}}{{refn|group=nb|Harrison's ringing 12-string inspired [[Roger McGuinn]], who obtained his own Rickenbacker and used it to craft the trademark sound of [[the Byrds]].{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=286–287}}}}

====1964 world tour, meeting Bob Dylan, and stand on civil rights====
[[File:Paul, George & John.png|thumb|upright=1.2|right|alt=Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon of the Beatles performing on Dutch TV in 1964|McCartney, Harrison and Lennon performing on Dutch TV in 1964]]

Touring internationally in June and July, the Beatles staged 37 shows over 27 days in Denmark, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=161–165}}{{refn|group=nb|Starr was briefly hospitalised after a [[tonsillectomy]], and [[Jimmie Nicol]] sat in on drums for the first five dates.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=160–161, 163}}}} In August and September, they returned to the US, with a 30-concert tour of 23 cities.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=249}} Generating intense interest once again, the month-long tour attracted between 10,000 and 20,000 fans to each 30-minute performance in cities from San Francisco to New York.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=249}}

In August, journalist [[Al Aronowitz]] arranged for the Beatles to meet [[Bob Dylan]].{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=252}} Visiting the band in their New York hotel suite, Dylan introduced them to [[cannabis (drug)|cannabis]].{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=185}} Gould points out the musical and cultural significance of this meeting, before which the musicians' respective fanbases were "perceived as inhabiting two separate subcultural worlds": Dylan's audience of "college kids with artistic or intellectual leanings, a dawning political and social idealism, and a mildly [[bohemian style]]" contrasted with their fans, "veritable '[[teenybopper]]s' – kids in high school or grade school whose lives were totally wrapped up in the commercialised popular culture of television, radio, pop records, fan magazines, and teen fashion. To many of Dylan's followers in the [[folk music]] scene, the Beatles were seen as idolaters, not idealists."{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=252–253}}

Within six months of the meeting, according to Gould, "Lennon would be making records on which he openly imitated Dylan's nasal drone, brittle strum, and introspective vocal persona"; and six months after that, Dylan began performing with a backing band and [[Electric Dylan controversy|electric instrumentation]], and "dressed in the height of Mod fashion".{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=253}} As a result, Gould continues, the traditional division between folk and rock enthusiasts "nearly evaporated", as the Beatles' fans began to mature in their outlook and Dylan's audience embraced the new, youth-driven pop culture.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=253}}

During the 1964 US tour, the group were confronted with [[Racial segregation in the United States|racial segregation]] in the country at the time.<ref name="Integration (BBC)">{{cite news|title=The Beatles Banned Segregated Audiences, Contract Shows|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-14963752|date=18 September 2011|access-date=17 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180214193031/http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-14963752|archive-date=14 February 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Integration (Mirken)">{{cite web |last=Mirken |first=Bruce |title=1964, Civil Rights – and the Beatles?|website=Greenling Institute|url=http://greenlining.org/blog/2013/1964-civil-rights-and-the-beatles/|date=11 September 2013|access-date=17 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220034646/http://greenlining.org/blog/2013/1964-civil-rights-and-the-beatles/|archive-date=20 February 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> When informed that the venue for their 11 September concert, the [[Gator Bowl Stadium|Gator Bowl]] in [[Jacksonville, Florida]], was segregated, the Beatles said they would refuse to perform unless the audience was integrated.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=171}}<ref name="Integration (BBC)"/><ref name="Integration (Mirken)"/> Lennon stated: "We never play to segregated audiences and we aren't going to start now ... I'd sooner lose our appearance money."<ref name="Integration (BBC)"/> City officials relented and agreed to allow an integrated show.<ref name="Integration (BBC)"/> The group also cancelled their reservations at the whites-only [[Hotel George Washington (Jacksonville)|Hotel George Washington]] in Jacksonville.<ref name="Integration (Mirken)"/> For their subsequent US tours in 1965 and 1966, the Beatles included clauses in contracts stipulating that shows be integrated.<ref name="Integration (Mirken)"/><ref name="Integration (Huffpost)">{{cite news|title=Beatles Refused to Play for Segregated Audiences, Contract Reveal|newspaper=Huffington Post|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/16/beatles-refused-to-play-segregated-audiences_n_966541.html|date=16 November 2011|access-date=17 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516112443/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/16/beatles-refused-to-play-segregated-audiences_n_966541.html|archive-date=16 May 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== ''Beatles for Sale'', ''Help!'' and ''Rubber Soul'' ====
According to Gould, the Beatles' fourth studio LP, ''[[Beatles for Sale]]'', evidenced a growing conflict between the commercial pressures of their global success and their creative ambitions.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=255–256}} They had intended the album, recorded between August and October 1964,{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=167–176}} to continue the format established by ''A Hard Day's Night'' which, unlike their first two LPs, contained only original songs.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=255–256}} They had nearly exhausted their backlog of songs on the previous album, however, and given the challenges constant international touring posed to their songwriting efforts, Lennon admitted, "Material's becoming a hell of a problem".{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=256}} As a result, six covers from their extensive repertoire were chosen to complete the album. Released in early December, its eight original compositions stood out, demonstrating the growing maturity of the [[Lennon–McCartney]] songwriting partnership.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=255–256}}

In early 1965, following a dinner with Lennon, Harrison and their wives, Harrison's dentist, John Riley, secretly added [[lysergic acid diethylamide|LSD]] to their coffee.<ref>{{cite news|last=Herbert|first=Ian |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/revealed-dentist-who-introduced-beatles-to-lsd-6231654.html|title=Revealed: Dentist who introduced Beatles to LSD|date=9 September 2006|work=The Independent|access-date=13 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180513223841/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/revealed-dentist-who-introduced-beatles-to-lsd-6231654.html|archive-date=13 May 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Lennon described the experience: "It was just terrifying, but it was fantastic. I was pretty stunned for a month or two."{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=316}} He and Harrison subsequently became regular users of the drug, joined by Starr on at least one occasion. Harrison's use of [[psychedelic drug]]s encouraged his path to meditation and Hinduism. He commented: "For me, it was like a flash. The first time I had [[Lysergic acid diethylamide|acid]], it just opened up something in my head that was inside of me, and I realised a lot of things. I didn't learn them because I already knew them, but that happened to be the key that opened the door to reveal them. From the moment I had that, I wanted to have it all the time – these thoughts about the yogis and the Himalayas, and [[Ravi Shankar|Ravi]]'s music."<ref>{{Cite book|title=Glazer|year=1977|pages=41}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/strawberry_fields/george-talks-about-lsd-t7757.html|title=George Talks About LSD|website=Strawberry Fields|date=25 September 2008|access-date=12 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412213016/https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/strawberry_fields/george-talks-about-lsd-t7757.html|archive-date=12 April 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> McCartney was initially reluctant to try it, but eventually did so in late 1966.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=317}} He became the first Beatle to discuss LSD publicly, declaring in a magazine interview that "it opened my eyes" and "made me a better, more honest, more tolerant member of society".{{sfn|Brown|Gaines|2002|p=228}}

[[File:TrailerUSHelp.jpg|thumb|right|alt=The Beatles performing music in a field. In the foreground, the drums are played by Starr (only the top of his head is visible). Beyond him, the other three stand in a column with their guitars. In the rear, Harrison, head down, strikes a chord. In the front, Lennon smiles and gives a little wave toward camera, holding his pick. Between them, McCartney is jocularly about to choke Lennon.|The US trailer for ''[[Help! (film)|Help!]]'' with (from the rear) Harrison, McCartney, Lennon and (largely obscured) Starr]]

Controversy erupted in June 1965 when Queen [[Elizabeth II]] appointed all four Beatles Members of the [[Order of the British Empire]] (MBE) after Prime Minister [[Harold Wilson]] nominated them for the award.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=556}} In protest – the honour was at that time primarily bestowed upon military veterans and civic leaders – some conservative MBE recipients returned their insignia.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=557}}

In July, the Beatles' second film, ''[[Help! (film)|Help!]]'', was released, again directed by Lester. Described as "mainly a relentless spoof of [[Production of the James Bond films|Bond]]",{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=275}} it inspired a mixed response among both reviewers and the band. McCartney said: "''Help!'' was great but it wasn't our film – we were sort of guest stars. It was fun, but basically, as an idea for a film, it was a bit wrong."{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=274}} The soundtrack was dominated by Lennon, who wrote and sang lead on most of its songs, including the two singles: "[[Help! (song)|Help!]]" and "[[Ticket to Ride (song)|Ticket to Ride]]".{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=276–277}}

The ''[[Help!]]'' album, the group's fifth studio LP, mirrored ''A Hard Day's Night'' by featuring soundtrack songs on side one and additional songs from the same sessions on side two.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=62}} The LP contained all original material save for two covers, "[[Act Naturally]]" and "[[Dizzy, Miss Lizzy|Dizzy Miss Lizzy]]"; they were the last covers the band would include on an album, except for ''[[Let It Be (album)|Let It Be]]''{{'s}} brief rendition of the traditional Liverpool folk song "[[Maggie May (folk song)|Maggie Mae]]".{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=276–280}} The band expanded their use of vocal overdubs on ''Help!'' and incorporated classical instruments into some arrangements, including a string quartet on the pop ballad "[[Yesterday (Beatles song)|Yesterday]]".{{sfnm|1a1=Gould|1y=2007|1pp=290–292|2a1=Lewisohn|2y=1988|2pp=59, 62}} Composed and sung by McCartney – none of the other Beatles perform on the recording{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=59}} – "Yesterday" has inspired the most cover versions of any song ever written.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schaal |first=Eric |date=29 June 2019 |title=Is The Beatles' 'Yesterday' Really the Most-Covered Song of All Time? |url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/is-the-beatles-yesterday-really-the-most-covered-song-of-all-time.html/ |access-date=6 January 2020 |website=Cheatsheet |archive-date=7 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200507104239/https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/is-the-beatles-yesterday-really-the-most-covered-song-of-all-time.html/ |url-status=live }}</ref> With ''Help!'', the Beatles became the first rock group to be nominated for a [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newsweek.com/grammy-awards-album-year-winners-steely-dan-426569|first=Zach|last=Schonfeld|title=The Most Ridiculous 'Album of the Year' Winners in Grammy History|work=[[Newsweek]]|date=15 February 2016|access-date=24 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108065752/https://www.newsweek.com/grammy-awards-album-year-winners-steely-dan-426569|archive-date=8 November 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Beatles press conference 1965.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left|alt=The Beatles at a press conference in August 1965|The Beatles at a press conference in [[Minnesota]] in August 1965, shortly after playing at [[Shea Stadium]] in New York]]

The group's third US tour opened with a performance before a world-record crowd of 55,600 at New York's [[Shea Stadium]] on 15 August – "perhaps the most famous of all Beatles' concerts", in Lewisohn's description.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=181}} A further nine successful concerts followed in other American cities. At a show in Atlanta, the Beatles gave one of the first live performances ever to make use of a [[foldback (sound engineering)|foldback]] system of on-stage monitor speakers.<ref>{{cite news |last=Emerson |first=Bo |title=Beatles Atlanta show made history in more ways than one |work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |date=11 August 2009 |url=https://www.accessatlanta.com/news/entertainment/music/beatles-atlanta-show-made-history-in-more-ways-tha/nQyrz/ |access-date=27 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514212710/http://www.accessatlanta.com/news/entertainment/music/beatles-atlanta-show-made-history-in-more-ways-tha/nQyrz/ |archive-date=14 May 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> Towards the end of the tour, they met with [[Elvis Presley]], a foundational musical influence on the band, who invited them to his home in [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]].{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=882–883}}{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=283–284}} Presley later said the band was an example of a trend of anti-Americanism and drug abuse.{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=192}} <ref>{{Cite book |last=Guralnick |first=Peter |title=Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley |publisher=Little, Brown and Co. |year=1999 |pages=419–422}}</ref>   

September 1965 saw the launch of an American [[Saturday-morning cartoon]] series, ''[[The Beatles (TV series)|The Beatles]]'', that echoed ''A Hard Day's Night''{{'s}} slapstick antics over its two-year original run.{{sfn|McNeil|1996|p=82}} The series was the first weekly television series to feature animated versions of real, living people.<ref name="Animators">{{cite web|url=https://www.beatlescartoon.com/animators/animators.html|title=Animators|work=beatlescartoon.com|access-date=12 April 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160329194411/http://www.beatlescartoon.com/animators/animators.html|archive-date=29 March 2016}}</ref>

In mid-October, the Beatles entered the recording studio; for the first time when making an album, they had an extended period without other major commitments.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=202}} Until this time, according to George Martin, "we had been making albums rather like a collection of singles. Now we were really beginning to think about albums as a bit of art on their own."{{sfn|Hertsgaard|1995|pp=149–150}} Released in December, ''[[Rubber Soul]]'' was hailed by critics as a major step forward in the maturity and complexity of the band's music.<ref name="Rubber Soul AllMusic">{{cite web |last=Unterberger |first=Richie |author-link=Richie Unterberger|title=''Rubber Soul'' – The Beatles |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/rubber-soul-mw0000192940 |access-date=21 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191013145500/https://www.allmusic.com/album/rubber-soul-mw0000192940 |archive-date=13 October 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Their thematic reach was beginning to expand as they embraced deeper aspects of romance and philosophy, a development that NEMS executive [[Peter Brown (music industry)|Peter Brown]] attributed to the band members' "now habitual use of marijuana".{{sfn|Brown|Gaines|2002|pp=181–182}} Lennon referred to ''Rubber Soul'' as "the pot album"{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=194}} and Starr said: "Grass was really influential in a lot of our changes, especially with the writers. And because they were writing different material, we were playing differently."{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=194}} After ''Help!''{{'}}s foray into classical music with flutes and strings, Harrison's introduction of a [[sitar]] on "[[Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)]]" marked a further progression outside the traditional boundaries of popular music. As the lyrics grew more artful, fans began to study them for deeper meaning.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=297–298, 423}}

{{listen
|type=music
|filename=Beatles norwegian wood.ogg
|title="Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"
|description=Sample of "Norwegian Wood" from ''Rubber Soul'' (1965). Harrison's use of a [[sitar]] on this song is representative of the Beatles' incorporation of unconventional instrumentation into rock music.<ref name="Rubber Soul AllMusic" />
}}
While some of ''Rubber Soul''{{'}}s songs were the product of Lennon and McCartney's collaborative songwriting,{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=584–592}} the album also included distinct compositions from each,{{sfn|Miles|1997|pp=268, 276, 278–279}} though they continued to share official credit. "[[In My Life]]", of which each later claimed lead authorship, is considered a highlight of the entire Lennon–McCartney catalogue.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=587}} Harrison called ''Rubber Soul'' his "favourite album",{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=194}} and Starr referred to it as "the departure record".{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=591}} McCartney has said, "We'd had our cute period, and now it was time to expand."{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=197}} However, recording engineer [[Norman Smith (record producer)|Norman Smith]] later stated that the studio sessions revealed signs of growing conflict within the group – "the clash between John and Paul was becoming obvious", he wrote, and "as far as Paul was concerned, George could do no right".{{sfn|Harry|2000b|p=780}}

====Controversies, ''Revolver'' and final tour====
Capitol Records, from December 1963 when it began issuing Beatles recordings for the US market, exercised complete control over format,{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=350}} compiling distinct US albums from the band's recordings and issuing songs of their choosing as singles.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=295–296}}{{refn|group=nb|It was not until ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' in 1967 that a Beatles album was released with identical track listings in both the UK and the US.{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|p=59}}}} In June 1966, the Capitol LP ''[[Yesterday and Today]]'' caused an uproar with its cover, which portrayed the grinning Beatles dressed in butcher's overalls, accompanied by raw meat and mutilated plastic baby dolls. According to Beatles biographer [[Bill Harry]], it has been incorrectly suggested that this was meant as a satirical response to the way Capitol had "butchered" the US versions of the band's albums.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=1187}} Thousands of copies of the LP had a new cover pasted over the original; an unpeeled "first-state" copy fetched $10,500 at a December 2005 auction.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gaffney |first=Dennis |title=The Beatles' "Butcher" Cover |work=[[Antiques Roadshow|Antiques Roadshow Online]] |publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service]] |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/fts/chicago_200302A14.html |date=5 January 2004 |access-date=15 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428010433/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/fts/chicago_200302A14.html |archive-date=28 April 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> In England, meanwhile, Harrison met sitar maestro [[Ravi Shankar]], who agreed to train him on the instrument.{{sfn|Lavezzoli|2006|p=176}}

During a tour of the Philippines the month after the ''Yesterday and Today'' furore, the Beatles unintentionally snubbed the nation's first lady, [[Imelda Marcos]], who had expected them to attend a breakfast reception at the [[Malacañang Palace|Presidential Palace]].{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=619}} When presented with the invitation, Epstein politely declined on the band members' behalf, as it had never been his policy to accept such official invitations.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=620}} They soon found that the [[History of the Philippines (1965–1986)|Marcos regime]] was unaccustomed to taking no for an answer. The resulting riots endangered the group and they escaped the country with difficulty.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=623}} Immediately afterwards, the band members visited India for the first time.{{sfn|Lavezzoli|2006|p=177}}

{{quotebox|width=25em|quote=We're [[more popular than Jesus]] now; I don't know which will go first – rock 'n' roll or Christianity.|source=– John Lennon, 1966{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=309}}}}

Almost as soon as they returned home, the Beatles faced a fierce backlash from US religious and social conservatives (as well as the [[Ku Klux Klan]]) over a comment Lennon had made in a March interview with British reporter [[Maureen Cleave]].{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=212–213}} "Christianity will go", Lennon had said. "It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that; I'm right and I will be proved right ... [[Jesus]] was alright but his [[Disciples (Christianity)|disciples]] were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me."{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=307–309}} His comments went virtually unnoticed in England, but when US teenage fan magazine ''Datebook'' printed them five months later, it sparked a controversy with Christians in America's conservative [[Bible Belt]] region.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=212–213}} The [[Holy See|Vatican]] issued a protest, and bans on Beatles' records were imposed by Spanish and Dutch stations and South Africa's [[South African Broadcasting Corporation|national broadcasting service]].{{sfn|Norman|2008|p=449}} Epstein accused ''Datebook'' of having taken Lennon's words out of context. At a press conference, Lennon pointed out, "If I'd said television was more popular than Jesus, I might have got away with it."{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=346}} He claimed that he was referring to how other people viewed their success, but at the prompting of reporters, he concluded: "If you want me to apologise, if that will make you happy, then okay, I'm sorry."{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=346}}

{{listen
|type=music
|filename=Beatles eleanor rigby.ogg
|title="Eleanor Rigby"
|description=Sample of "[[Eleanor Rigby]]" from ''Revolver'' (1966). The album involves innovative compositional approaches, arrangements and recording techniques. This song, primarily written by McCartney, prominently features classical strings in a novel fusion of musical styles.
}}
Released in August 1966, a week before the Beatles' final tour, ''[[Revolver (Beatles album)|Revolver]]'' marked another artistic step forward for the group.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=348}} The album featured sophisticated songwriting, studio experimentation, and a greatly expanded repertoire of musical styles, ranging from innovative classical string arrangements to [[psychedelic music|psychedelia]].{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=348}} Abandoning the customary group photograph, its [[Aubrey Beardsley]]-inspired cover – designed by [[Klaus Voormann]], a friend of the band since their Hamburg days – was a monochrome collage and line drawing caricature of the group.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=348}} The album was preceded by the single "[[Paperback Writer]]", backed by "[[Rain (Beatles song)|Rain]]".{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=350–351}} Short promotional films were made for both songs; described by cultural historian Saul Austerlitz as "among the first true music videos",{{sfn|Austerlitz|2007|p=18}} they aired on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' and ''[[Top of the Pops]]'' in June.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=221–222}}

Among the experimental songs on ''Revolver'' was "[[Tomorrow Never Knows]]", the lyrics for which Lennon drew from [[Timothy Leary]]'s ''[[The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead]]''. Its creation involved eight tape decks distributed about the EMI building, each staffed by an engineer or band member, who randomly varied the movement of a [[tape loop]] while Martin created a composite recording by sampling the incoming data.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=364–366}} McCartney's "[[Eleanor Rigby]]" made prominent use of a [[octet (music)|string octet]]; Gould describes it as "a true hybrid, conforming to no recognisable style or genre of song".{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=350, 402}} Harrison's emergence as a songwriter was reflected in three of his compositions appearing on the record.{{sfn|Schaffner|1978|p=63}} Among these, "[[Taxman]]", which opened the album, marked the first example of the Beatles making a political statement through their music.{{sfn|Turner|2016|p=162}} 

[[File:Candlestick Postcard - 01.JPG|thumb|upright=1.2|right|alt=San Francisco's Candlestick Park in the 1960s|San Francisco's [[Candlestick Park]] (pictured in the early 1960s) was the venue for the Beatles' final concert before a paying audience.]]

As preparations were made for a tour of the US, the Beatles knew that their music would hardly be heard. Having originally used [[Vox AC30]] amplifiers, they later acquired more powerful 100-watt amplifiers, specially designed for them by [[Vox (musical equipment)|Vox]], as they moved into larger venues in 1964; however, these were still inadequate. Struggling to compete with the volume of sound generated by screaming fans, the band had grown increasingly bored with the routine of performing live.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=1093}} Recognising that their shows were no longer about the music, they decided to make the August tour their last.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=210, 230}}

The band performed none of their new songs on the tour.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=361–365}} In Chris Ingham's description, they were very much "studio creations&nbsp;... and there was no way a four-piece rock 'n' roll group could do them justice, particularly through the desensitising wall of the fans' screams. 'Live Beatles' and 'Studio Beatles' had become entirely different beasts."{{sfn|Ingham|2006|p=44}} The band's concert at San Francisco's [[Candlestick Park]] on 29 August was their last commercial concert.{{sfn|Miles|1997|pp=293–295}} It marked the end of four years dominated by almost non-stop touring that included over 1,400 concert appearances internationally.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=5–6, 249, 281, 347}}

===1966–1970: Studio years===
====''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''====
{{Main|Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band{{!}}''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''}}
[[File:Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.jpg|thumb|right|alt=The album artwork of the Beatles' 1967 album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''|Front cover of ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'', "the most famous cover of any music album, and one of the most imitated images in the world"{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=970}}]]

Freed from the burden of touring, the Beatles embraced an increasingly experimental approach as they recorded ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'', beginning in late November 1966.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=232}} According to engineer [[Geoff Emerick]], the album's recording took over 700 hours.{{sfn|Emerick|Massey|2006|p=190}} He recalled the band's insistence "that everything on ''Sgt. Pepper'' had to be different. We had microphones right down in the bells of brass instruments and headphones turned into microphones attached to violins. We used giant primitive oscillators to vary the speed of instruments and vocals and we had tapes chopped to pieces and stuck together upside down and the wrong way around."{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=387–388}} Parts of "[[A Day in the Life]]" featured a 40-piece orchestra.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=387–388}} The sessions initially yielded the non-album [[double A-side]] single "[[Strawberry Fields Forever]]"/"[[Penny Lane]]" in February 1967;{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=221}} the ''Sgt. Pepper'' LP followed with a rush-release in May.{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=123}} The musical complexity of the records, created using relatively primitive [[Multitrack recording|four-track]] recording technology, astounded contemporary artists.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=970}} Among music critics, acclaim for the album was virtually universal.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=420–425}} Gould writes:

{{blockquote|The overwhelming consensus is that the Beatles had created a popular masterpiece: a rich, sustained, and overflowing work of collaborative genius whose bold ambition and startling originality dramatically enlarged the possibilities and raised the expectations of what the experience of listening to popular music on record could be. On the basis of this perception, ''Sgt. Pepper'' became the catalyst for an explosion of mass enthusiasm for album-formatted rock that would revolutionise both the aesthetics and the economics of the record business in ways that far outstripped the earlier pop explosions triggered by the Elvis phenomenon of 1956 and the Beatlemania phenomenon of 1963.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=418}}}}

In the wake of ''Sgt. Pepper'', the underground and mainstream press widely publicised the Beatles as leaders of youth culture, as well as "lifestyle revolutionaries".{{sfn|Frontani|2007|p=157}} The album was the first major pop/rock LP to include its complete lyrics, which appeared on the back cover.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=236}}{{sfn|Inglis|2008|p=96}} Those lyrics were the subject of critical analysis; for instance, in late 1967 the album was the subject of a scholarly inquiry by American literary critic and professor of English [[Richard Poirier]], who observed that his students were "listening to the group's music with a degree of engagement that he, as a teacher of literature, could only envy".{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=423–425}}{{refn|group=nb|Poirier identified what he termed its "mixed allusiveness": "It's unwise ever to assume that they're doing only one thing or expressing themselves in only one style&nbsp;... one kind of feeling about a subject isn't enough&nbsp;... any single induced feeling must often exist within the context of seemingly contradictory alternatives."{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=423–425}} McCartney said at the time: "We write songs. We know what we mean by them. But in a week someone else says something about it, and you can't deny it.&nbsp;... You put your own meaning at your own level to our songs."{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=423–425}}}} The elaborate cover also attracted considerable interest and study.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=394–395}} A collage designed by [[pop art]]ists [[Peter Blake (artist)|Peter Blake]] and [[Jann Haworth]], it depicted the group as the fictional band referred to in the album's [[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (song)|title track]]{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=312}} standing in front of [[List of images on the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band|a crowd of famous people]].{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=248}} The heavy moustaches worn by the group reflected the growing influence of the [[hippie]] movement,{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=236}} while cultural historian Jonathan Harris describes their "brightly coloured parodies of military uniforms" as a knowingly "anti-authoritarian and anti-establishment" display.{{sfn|Harris|2005|pp=12–13}}

''Sgt. Pepper'' topped the UK charts for 23 consecutive weeks, with a further four weeks at number one in the period through to February 1968.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/sgt-pepper's-lonely-hearts-club-band/|title=Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles" > "Chart Facts|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=11 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820102815/http://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/sgt-pepper%27s-lonely-hearts-club-band/|archive-date=20 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> With 2.5&nbsp;million copies sold within three months of its release,{{sfn|Frontani|2007|p=147}} ''Sgt. Pepper''{{'}}s initial commercial success exceeded that of all previous Beatles albums.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=697}} It was the first rock album to win the [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year]].<ref>{{cite web| title=Grammy Award Nominees 1968| url=https://www.awardsandshows.com/features/grammy-awards-1968-218.html}}</ref> It sustained its immense popularity into the 21st century while breaking numerous sales records.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ghoshal|first=Somak|date=21 June 2017|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/06/21/on-world-music-day-a-salute-to-these-guys-who-made-history-50-y_a_22494609/|title=On World Music Day, A Salute To These Guys Who Made History 50 Years Ago|newspaper=[[HuffPost]]|access-date=3 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927122027/https://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/06/21/on-world-music-day-a-salute-to-these-guys-who-made-history-50-y_a_22494609/|archive-date=27 September 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

====''Magical Mystery Tour'' and ''Yellow Submarine''====
{{main|Magical Mystery Tour (film){{!}}''Magical Mystery Tour'' (film)|Yellow Submarine (film){{!}}''Yellow Submarine'' (film)}}
Two Beatles film projects were conceived within weeks of completing ''Sgt. Pepper'': ''[[Magical Mystery Tour (film)|Magical Mystery Tour]]'', a one-hour television film, and ''[[Yellow Submarine (film)|Yellow Submarine]]'', an animated feature-length film produced by [[United Artists]].{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|pp=41, 110–111, 122}} The group began recording music for the former in late April 1967, but the project then lay dormant as they focused on recording songs for the latter.{{sfn|Miles|2001|pp=276–77}} On 25 June, the Beatles performed their forthcoming single "[[All You Need Is Love]]" to an estimated 350&nbsp;million viewers on ''[[Our World (1967 TV program)|Our World]]'', the first live global television link.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=237, 259–260}} Released a week later, during the [[Summer of Love]], the song was adopted as a [[flower power]] anthem.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=428–429}} The Beatles' use of psychedelic drugs was at its height during that summer.{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=129}} In July and August, the group pursued interests related to similar utopian-based ideology, including a week-long investigation into the possibility of starting an island-based [[Intentional community|commune]] off the coast of Greece.{{sfn|Womack|2007|p=197}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Knott |first=Jonathan |date=2023-09-09 |title='Used as propaganda': the Beatles' Greek island plans and international politics |journal=Journal of Beatles Studies |language=en |volume=2023 |issue=Spring/Autumn |pages=109–141 |doi=10.3828/jbs.2023.7 |s2cid=261671152 |issn=2754-7019 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

On 24 August, the group were introduced to [[Maharishi Mahesh Yogi]] in London. The next day, they travelled to [[Bangor, Gwynedd|Bangor]] for his [[Transcendental Meditation]] retreat. On 27 August, their manager's assistant, Peter Brown, phoned to inform them that Epstein had died.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=709, 713–719}} The coroner ruled the death an accidental [[Bromoureide|carbitol]] overdose, although it was widely rumoured to be a suicide.{{sfn|Brown|Gaines|2002|p=249}}{{refn|group=nb|Epstein had been in a fragile emotional state, stressed by personal troubles. It was speculated that he was concerned that the band might not renew his management contract, due to expire in October, over discontent with his supervision of business matters, particularly regarding [[Seltaeb]], the company that handled their US merchandising rights.{{sfn|Brown|Gaines|2002|pp=227–228}}}} His death left the group disoriented and fearful about the future.{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=268}} Lennon recalled: "We collapsed. I knew that we were in trouble then. I didn't really have any misconceptions about our ability to do anything other than play music, and I was scared. I thought, 'We've fuckin' had it now.{{' "}}{{sfn|Norman|2008|p=508}} Harrison's then-wife [[Pattie Boyd]] remembered that "Paul and George were in complete shock. I don't think it could have been worse if they had heard that their own fathers had dropped dead."{{sfn|Boyd|2008|pp=106–107}} During a band meeting in September, McCartney recommended that the band proceed with ''Magical Mystery Tour''.{{sfn|Miles|2001|pp=276–77}}

The [[Magical Mystery Tour|''Magical Mystery Tour'' soundtrack]] was released in the UK as a six-track double [[extended play]] (<span class="ltr">EP</span>) in early December 1967.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=350}}{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=452}} It was the first example of a double EP in the UK.{{sfn|Neaverson|1997|p=53}}{{sfn|Larkin|2006|p=488}} The record carried on the psychedelic vein of ''Sgt. Pepper'',<ref>{{cite web |last=Unterberger |first=Richie |title=''Magical Mystery Tour'' – The Beatles |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/magical-mystery-tour-mw0000651227 |access-date=21 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530212729/http://www.allmusic.com/album/magical-mystery-tour-mw0000651227 |archive-date=30 May 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> though in line with the band's wishes, the packaging reinforced the idea that the release was a film soundtrack rather than a follow-up to ''Sgt. Pepper''.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=452}} In the US, the soundtrack appeared as an identically titled LP that also included five tracks from the band's recent singles.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=351}} In its first three weeks, the album set a record for the highest initial sales of any Capitol LP, and it is the only Capitol compilation later to be adopted in the band's official canon of studio albums.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=699}}

''Magical Mystery Tour'' first aired on [[Boxing Day]] to an audience of approximately 15&nbsp;million.{{sfn|Schaffner|1978|p=90}} Largely directed by McCartney, the film was the band's first critical failure in the UK.{{sfn|Miles|1997|pp=368–69}} It was dismissed as "blatant rubbish" by the ''[[Daily Express]]''; the ''[[Daily Mail]]'' called it "a colossal conceit"; and ''[[The Guardian]]'' labelled the film "a kind of fantasy morality play about the grossness and warmth and stupidity of the audience".{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=455–456}} Gould describes it as "a great deal of raw footage showing a group of people getting on, getting off, and riding on a bus".{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=455–456}} Although the viewership figures were respectable, its slating in the press led US television networks to lose interest in broadcasting the film.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=703}}

The group were less involved with ''Yellow Submarine'', which featured the band appearing as themselves for only a short live-action segment.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=276}} Premiering in July 1968, the film featured cartoon versions of the band members and a soundtrack with eleven of their songs, including four unreleased studio recordings that made their debut in the film.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=485}} Critics praised the film for its music, humour and innovative visual style.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=487–88, 505–506}} A [[Yellow Submarine (album)|soundtrack LP]] was issued seven months later; it contained those four new songs, the title track (already issued on ''Revolver''), "All You Need Is Love" (already issued as a single and on the US ''Magical Mystery Tour'' LP) and seven instrumental pieces composed by Martin.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=304, 350}}

====India retreat, Apple Corps and the White Album====
{{main|Beatles in India|Apple Corps|The Beatles (album){{!}}''The Beatles'' (album)}}
In February 1968, the Beatles travelled to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's [[ashram]] in [[Rishikesh]], India, to take part in a three-month meditation "Guide Course". Their [[The Beatles in India|time in India]] marked one of the band's most prolific periods, yielding numerous songs, including a majority of those on their next album.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=108–109}} However, Starr left after only ten days, unable to stomach the food, and McCartney eventually grew bored and departed a month later.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=463–468}} For Lennon and Harrison, creativity turned to question when an electronics technician known as [[Magic Alex]] suggested that the Maharishi was attempting to manipulate them.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=705–706}} When he alleged that the Maharishi had made sexual advances to women attendees, a persuaded Lennon left abruptly just two months into the course, bringing an unconvinced Harrison and the remainder of the group's entourage with him.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=463–468}} In anger, Lennon wrote a scathing song titled "Maharishi", renamed "[[Sexy Sadie]]" to avoid potential legal issues. McCartney said, "We made a mistake. We thought there was more to him than there was."{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=705–706}}

In May, Lennon and McCartney travelled to New York for the public unveiling of the Beatles' new business venture, [[Apple Corps]].{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=282}} It was initially formed several months earlier as part of a plan to create a tax-effective business structure, but the band then desired to extend the corporation to other pursuits, including record distribution, peace activism, and education.{{sfn|Doggett|2011|pp=20, 26}} McCartney described Apple as "rather like a Western communism".{{sfn|Doggett|2011|p=26}} The enterprise drained the group financially with a series of unsuccessful projects{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|pp=280–281}} handled largely by members of the Beatles' entourage, who were given their jobs regardless of talent and experience.{{sfn|Doggett|2011|p=22}} Among its numerous subsidiaries were [[Apple Electronics]], established to foster technological innovations with Magic Alex at the head, and Apple Retailing, which opened the short-lived [[Apple Boutique]] in London.{{sfn|Doggett|2011|pp=20, 22, 25, 35}} Harrison later said, "Basically, it was chaos ... John and Paul got carried away with the idea and blew millions, and Ringo and I just had to go along with it."{{sfn|Doggett|2011|p=26}}

[[File:TheBeatles68LP.jpg|thumb|alt=The album artwork of the Beatles' self-titled 1968 album, also known as "the White Album"|''The Beatles'', known as "the White Album" for its minimalist cover, conceived by pop artist [[Richard Hamilton (artist)|Richard Hamilton]] "in direct contrast to ''Sgt. Pepper''", while also suggesting a "clean slate"{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=510–511}}]]

From late May to mid-October 1968, the group recorded what became ''[[The Beatles (album)|The Beatles]]'', a double LP commonly known as "the White Album" for its virtually featureless cover.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=510}} During this time, relations between the members grew openly divisive.{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=310}} Starr quit for two weeks, leaving his bandmates to record "[[Back in the U.S.S.R.]]" and "[[Dear Prudence]]" as a trio, with McCartney filling in on drums.{{sfn|Winn|2009|pp=205–207}} Lennon had lost interest in collaborating with McCartney,{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=513, 516}} whose contribution "[[Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da]]" he scorned as "granny music shit".{{sfn|Emerick|Massey|2006|p=246}} Tensions were further aggravated by Lennon's romantic preoccupation with [[avant-garde]] artist [[Yoko Ono]], whom he insisted on bringing to the sessions despite the group's well-established understanding that girlfriends were not allowed in the studio.{{sfn|Harry|2000b|p=103}} McCartney has recalled that the album "wasn't a pleasant one to make".{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=310}} He and Lennon identified the sessions as the start of the band's break-up.{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=237}}{{sfn|Harry|2000b|p=102}}

With the record, the band executed a wider range of musical styles{{sfn|Miles|2001|p=315}} and broke with their recent tradition of incorporating several musical styles in one song by keeping each piece of music consistently faithful to a select genre.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Faust|first1=Edwin|title=On Second Thought: The Beatles – The Beatles|url=http://stylusmagazine.com/articles/on_second_thought/the-beatles-the-beatles.htm|website=Stylus Magazine|access-date=18 December 2016|date=1 September 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223025212/http://stylusmagazine.com/articles/on_second_thought/the-beatles-the-beatles.htm|archive-date=23 December 2008}}</ref> During the sessions, the group upgraded to an eight-track tape console, which made it easier for them to layer tracks piecemeal, while the members often recorded independently of each other, affording the album a reputation as a collection of solo recordings rather than a unified group effort.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|pp=137, 146, 150, 152}} Describing the double album, Lennon later said: "Every track is an individual track; there isn't any Beatle music on it. [It's] John and the band, Paul and the band, George and the band."{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=509}} The sessions also produced the Beatles' longest song yet, "[[Hey Jude]]", released in August as a non-album single with "[[Revolution (Beatles song)|Revolution]]".{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=152}}

Issued in November, the White Album was the band's first [[Apple Records]] album release, although EMI continued to own their recordings.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=278}} The record attracted more than 2&nbsp;million advance orders, selling nearly 4&nbsp;million copies in the US in little over a month, and its tracks dominated the playlists of American radio stations.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=528}} Its lyric content was the focus of much analysis by the counterculture.{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|pp=311–313}} Despite its popularity, reviewers were largely confused by the album's content, and it failed to inspire the level of critical writing that ''Sgt. Pepper'' had.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=528}}

==== ''Abbey Road'', ''Let It Be'' and separation ====
{{see also|Break-up of the Beatles}}
Although ''[[Let It Be (album)|Let It Be]]'' was the Beatles' final album release, it was largely recorded before ''[[Abbey Road]]''. The project's impetus came from an idea Martin attributes to McCartney, who suggested they "record an album of new material and rehearse it, then perform it before a live audience for the very first time – on record and on film".{{sfn|Harry|2000b|p=539}} Originally intended for a one-hour television programme to be called ''Beatles at Work'', in the event much of the album's content came from studio work beginning in January 1969, many hours of which were captured on film by director [[Michael Lindsay-Hogg]].{{sfn|Harry|2000b|p=539}}{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=306–307}} Martin said that the project was "not at all a happy recording experience. It was a time when relations between the Beatles were at their lowest ebb."{{sfn|Harry|2000b|p=539}} Lennon described the largely impromptu sessions as "hell&nbsp;... the most miserable&nbsp;... on Earth", and Harrison, "the low of all-time".{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=310}} Irritated by McCartney and Lennon, Harrison walked out for five days. Upon returning, he threatened to leave the band unless they "abandon[<span class="ltr">ed</span>] all talk of live performance" and instead focused on finishing a new album, initially titled ''Get Back'', using songs recorded for the TV special.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=307}} He also demanded they cease work at [[Twickenham Film Studios]], where the sessions had begun, and relocate to the newly finished [[Apple Studios (recording studio)|Apple Studio]]. His bandmates agreed, and it was decided to salvage the footage shot for the TV production for use in a feature film.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=306–307, 309}}

[[File:Billy Preston perforning in 1971.jpg|alt=American musician Billy Preston in 1971|thumb|left|The American soul musician [[Billy Preston]] (pictured in 1971) was, for a short time, considered a [[fifth Beatle]] during the ''Get Back'' sessions.]]

To alleviate tensions within the band and improve the quality of their live sound, Harrison invited keyboardist [[Billy Preston]] to participate in the last nine days of sessions.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=309–314}} Preston received label billing on the "[[Get Back]]" single – the only musician ever to receive that acknowledgment on an official Beatles release.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=451, 660}} After the rehearsals, the band could not agree on a location to film a concert, rejecting several ideas, including a boat at sea, a lunatic asylum, the Libyan desert, and the [[Colosseum]].{{sfn|Harry|2000b|p=539}} Ultimately, what would be their [[The Beatles' rooftop concert|final live performance]] was filmed on the rooftop of the Apple Corps building at 3 [[Savile Row]], London, on 30 January 1969.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=307–308, 312}} Five weeks later, engineer [[Glyn Johns]], whom Lewisohn describes as ''Get Back''{{'}}s "uncredited producer", began work assembling an album, given "free rein" as the band "all but washed their hands of the entire project".{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=309, 316–323}}

[[File:3 Savile Row.jpg|thumb|upright=.75|alt=A terrace house with four floors and an attic. It is red brick, with a slate roof, and the ground floor rendered in imitation of stone and painted white. Each upper floor has four sash windows, divided into small panes. The door, with a canopy over it, occupies the place of the second window from the left on the ground floor.|Apple Corps building at 3 Savile Row, site of the [[The Beatles' rooftop concert|''Let It Be'' rooftop concert]]]]

New strains developed between the band members regarding the appointment of a financial adviser, the need for which had become evident without Epstein to manage business affairs. Lennon, Harrison and Starr favoured [[Allen Klein]], who had managed [[the Rolling Stones]] and [[Sam Cooke]];{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=612}} McCartney wanted [[Lee Eastman|Lee]] and John Eastman – father and brother, respectively, of [[Linda McCartney|Linda Eastman]],{{sfn|Doggett|2011|pp=70, 132}} whom McCartney married on 12 March.{{sfn|Miles|2001|p=336}} Agreement could not be reached, so both Klein and the Eastmans were temporarily appointed: Klein as the Beatles' business manager and the Eastmans as their lawyers.{{sfn|Doggett|2011|pp=71–72}}{{sfn|Goodman|2015|pp=164–166}} Further conflict ensued, however, and financial opportunities were lost.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=612}} On 8 May, Klein was named sole manager of the band,{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=322}} the Eastmans having previously been dismissed as the Beatles' lawyers. McCartney refused to sign the management contract with Klein, but he was out-voted by the other Beatles.{{sfn|Goodman|2015|pp=174–175}}

Martin stated that he was surprised when McCartney asked him to produce another album, as the ''Get Back'' sessions had been "a miserable experience" and he had "thought it was the end of the road for all of us".{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=560}} The primary recording sessions for ''Abbey Road'' began on 2 July.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=324}} Lennon, who rejected Martin's proposed format of a "continuously moving piece of music", wanted his and McCartney's songs to occupy separate sides of the album.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=563}} The eventual format, with individually composed songs on the first side and the second consisting largely of a [[List of musical medleys|medley]], was McCartney's suggested compromise.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=563}} Emerick noted that the replacement of the studio's [[Vacuum tube|valve]]-based mixing console with a transistorised one yielded a less punchy sound, leaving the group frustrated at the thinner tone and lack of impact and contributing to its "kinder, gentler" feel relative to their previous albums.{{sfn|Emerick|Massey|2006|pp=277–278}}

On 4 July, the first solo single by a Beatle was released: Lennon's "[[Give Peace a Chance]]", credited to the [[Plastic Ono Band]]. The completion and mixing of "[[I Want You (She's So Heavy)]]" on 20 August was the last occasion on which all four Beatles were together in the same studio.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=191}} On 8 September, while Starr was in hospital, the other band members met to discuss recording a new album. They considered a different approach to songwriting by ending the [[Lennon–McCartney]] pretence and having four compositions apiece from Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, with two from Starr and a lead single around Christmas.<ref name="8sep69">{{cite web |last=Williams |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Williams (journalist) |title=This tape rewrites everything we knew about the Beatles |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/sep/11/the-beatles-break-up-mark-lewisohn-abbey-road-hornsey-road |url-status=live |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=11 September 2019 |access-date=12 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190911235132/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/sep/11/the-beatles-break-up-mark-lewisohn-abbey-road-hornsey-road |archive-date=11 September 2019}}</ref> On 20 September, Lennon announced his departure to the rest of the group but agreed to withhold a public announcement to avoid undermining sales of the forthcoming album.{{sfn|Norman|2008|pp=622–624}}

Released on 26 September, ''Abbey Road'' sold four million copies within three months and topped the UK charts for a total of seventeen weeks.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=593}} Its second track, the ballad "[[Something (Beatles song)|Something]]", was issued as a single – the only Harrison composition that appeared as a Beatles A-side.{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=553}} ''Abbey Road'' received mixed reviews, although the medley met with general acclaim.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=593}} Unterberger considers it "a fitting swan song for the group", containing "some of the greatest harmonies to be heard on any rock record".<ref>{{cite web |last=Unterberger |first=Richie |title=''Abbey Road'' – The Beatles |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/abbey-road-mw0000192938 |access-date=21 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120529232715/https://www.allmusic.com/album/abbey-road-mw0000192938 |archive-date=29 May 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Musicologist]] and author [[Ian MacDonald]] calls the album "erratic and often hollow", despite the "semblance of unity and coherence" offered by the medley.{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=367}} Martin singled it out as his favourite Beatles album; Lennon said it was "competent" but had "no life in it".{{sfn|Emerick|Massey|2006|pp=277–278}}

For the still unfinished ''Get Back'' album, one last song, Harrison's "[[I Me Mine]]", was recorded on 3 January 1970. Lennon, in Denmark at the time, did not participate.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=342}} In March, rejecting the work Johns had done on the project, now retitled ''Let It Be'', Klein gave the session tapes to American producer [[Phil Spector]], who had recently produced Lennon's solo single "[[Instant Karma!]]"{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=342–343}} In addition to remixing the material, Spector edited, spliced and overdubbed several of the recordings that had been intended as "live". McCartney was unhappy with the producer's approach and particularly dissatisfied with the lavish orchestration on "[[The Long and Winding Road]]", which involved a fourteen-voice choir and 36-piece instrumental ensemble.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=349}} McCartney's demands that the alterations to the song be reverted were ignored,{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=682}} and he publicly announced his departure from the band on 10 April, a week before the release of his first [[McCartney (album)|self-titled solo album]].{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=349}}{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=853}}

On 8 May 1970, ''Let It Be'' was released. Its accompanying single, "The Long and Winding Road", was expected to be the Beatles' last; it was released in the US, but not in the UK.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=350–351}} The ''[[Let It Be (1970 film)|Let It Be]]'' documentary film followed later that month, and would win the 1970 Academy Award for [[Academy Award for Best Original Score#1970s|Best Original Song Score]].{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|p=96}} ''[[Sunday Telegraph]]'' critic [[Penelope Gilliatt]] called it "a very bad film and a touching one&nbsp;... about the breaking apart of this reassuring, geometrically perfect, once apparently ageless family of siblings".{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=600}} Several reviewers stated that some of the performances in the film sounded better than their analogous album tracks.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=601}} Describing ''Let It Be'' as the "only Beatles album to occasion negative, even hostile reviews", Unterberger calls it "on the whole underrated"; he singles out "some good moments of straight hard rock in '[[I've Got a Feeling]]' and '[[Dig a Pony]]'" and praises "[[Let It Be (song)|Let It Be]]", "Get Back", and "the folky '[[Two of Us (Beatles song)|Two of Us]]', with John and Paul harmonising together".<ref>{{cite web |last=Unterberger |first=Richie |title=''Let It Be'' – The Beatles |publisher=AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/let-it-be-mw0000192939 |access-date=21 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130806194702/http://www.allmusic.com/album/let-it-be-mw0000192939 |archive-date=6 August 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

McCartney filed suit for the dissolution of the Beatles' contractual partnership on 31 December 1970.{{sfn|Harry|2002|p=139}} Legal disputes continued long after their break-up, and the dissolution was not formalised until 29 December 1974,{{sfn|Harry|2002|p=150}} when Lennon signed the paperwork terminating the partnership while on vacation with his family at [[Walt Disney World|Walt Disney World Resort]] in Florida.{{sfn|Pang|2008|p=118}}

== After the breakup ==
{{see also|Collaborations between ex-Beatles}}

=== 1970s ===
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Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr all released solo albums in 1970. Their solo records sometimes involved one or more of the other members;{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=601–604}} Starr's ''[[Ringo (album)|Ringo]]'' (1973) was the only album to include compositions and performances by all four ex-Beatles, albeit on separate songs. With Starr's participation, Harrison staged [[the Concert for Bangladesh]] in New York City in August 1971.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=603–604}} Other than an unreleased jam session in 1974, later [[Bootleg recording|bootlegged]] as ''[[A Toot and a Snore in '74]]'', Lennon and McCartney never recorded together again.{{sfn|Sandford|2006|pp=227–229}}

Two double-LP sets of the Beatles' greatest hits, compiled by Klein, ''[[1962–1966]]'' and ''[[1967–1970]]'', were released in 1973, at first under the Apple Records imprint.{{sfn|Ingham|2006|p=69}} Commonly known as the "Red Album" and "Blue Album", respectively, each has earned a [[Music recording certification|Multi-Platinum certification]] in the US and a Platinum certification in the UK.<ref name="RIAAb">{{cite web |publisher=Recording Industry Association of America |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=The+Beatles&ti=&lab=&genre=&format=&date_option=release&from=&to=&award=&type=&category=&adv=SEARCH#search_section |title=Gold & Platinum Artist Tallies |access-date=16 February 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216002911/https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=The+Beatles&ti=&lab=&genre=&format=&date_option=release&from=&to=&award=&type=&category=&adv=SEARCH |archive-date=16 February 2019}}</ref><ref name="BPI2009">{{cite web |work=[[British Phonographic Industry]] |title=Certified Awards Search |url=https://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115055129/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx |archive-date=15 January 2013 |access-date=6 October 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Between 1976 and 1982, EMI/Capitol released a wave of compilation albums without input from the ex-Beatles, starting with the double-disc compilation ''[[Rock 'n' Roll Music (album)|Rock 'n' Roll Music]]''.{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|p=109}} The only one to feature previously unreleased material was ''[[The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl]]'' (1977); the first officially issued concert recordings by the group, it contained selections from two shows they played during their 1964 and 1965 US tours.{{sfn|Ingham|2006|pp=66, 69}}{{refn|group=nb|The band unsuccessfully attempted to block the 1977 release of ''[[Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962]]''. The independently issued album compiled recordings made during the group's [[The Beatles in Hamburg|Hamburg residency]], taped on a basic recording machine using only one microphone.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=124–126}}}}

The music and enduring fame of the Beatles were commercially exploited in various other ways, again often outside their creative control. In April 1974, the musical ''[[John, Paul, George, Ringo ... and Bert]]'', written by [[Willy Russell]] and featuring singer [[Barbara Dickson]], opened in London. It included, with permission from Northern Songs, eleven Lennon–McCartney compositions and one by Harrison, "[[Here Comes the Sun]]". Displeased with the production's use of his song, Harrison withdrew his permission to use it.{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|pp=109–110}} Later that year, the off-Broadway musical ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the Road]]'' opened.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,945312,00.html|title=The Theater: Contagious Vulgarity|date=2 December 1974|magazine=[[TIME (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=27 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016041739/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,945312,00.html|archive-date=16 October 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[All This and World War II]]'' (1976) was an unorthodox nonfiction film that combined newsreel footage with covers of Beatles songs by performers ranging from [[Elton John]] and [[Keith Moon]] to the [[London Symphony Orchestra]].{{sfn|Rodriguez|2010|pp=306–307}} The Broadway musical ''[[Beatlemania (musical)|Beatlemania]]'', an unauthorised nostalgia revue, opened in early 1977 and proved popular, spinning off five separate touring productions.{{sfn|Ingham|2006|pp=66–67}} In 1979, the band sued the producers, settling for several million dollars in damages.{{sfn|Ingham|2006|pp=66–67}} ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (film)|Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' (1978), a musical film starring the [[Bee Gees]] and [[Peter Frampton]], was a commercial failure and an "artistic fiasco", according to Ingham.{{sfn|Ingham|2006|p=66}}

Accompanying the wave of Beatles nostalgia and persistent reunion rumours in the US during the 1970s, several entrepreneurs made public offers to the Beatles for a reunion concert.{{sfn|Schaffner|1978|pp=169–72}} Promoter Bill Sargent first offered the Beatles $10&nbsp;million for a reunion concert in 1974. He raised his offer to $30&nbsp;million in January 1976 and then to $50&nbsp;million the following month.<ref>{{cite news |first=Peter |last=Brennan |title=$150m Beatles blitz all set to blast U.S. again |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/san-antonio-express-150m-beatles-blitz/135439616 |newspaper=[[San Antonio Express]] |date=9 May 1976 |access-date=19 Nov 2023 |archive-date=19 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119163019/https://www.newspapers.com/article/san-antonio-express-150m-beatles-blitz/135439616/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Cliff |last=Radel |title=Capitol Album May Fuel Beatles Revival |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-enquirer-capitol-album-ma/135439894/ |newspaper=[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]] |date=20 June 1976 |access-date=19 Nov 2023 |archive-date=19 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119163028/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-enquirer-capitol-album-ma/135439894/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On 24 April 1976, during a broadcast of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', producer [[Lorne Michaels]] jokingly offered the Beatles $3,000 to reunite on the show. Lennon and McCartney were watching the live broadcast at Lennon's apartment at [[the Dakota]] in New York, which was within driving distance of the [[Studio 8H|NBC studio]] where the show was being broadcast. The former bandmates briefly entertained the idea of going to the studio and surprising Michaels by accepting his offer, but decided not to.{{sfn|Doggett|2011|p=155}}

=== 1980s ===
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In December 1980, Lennon was [[murder of John Lennon|shot and killed]] outside his New York City apartment. Harrison rewrote the lyrics of his song "[[All Those Years Ago]]" in Lennon's honour. With Starr on drums and McCartney and his wife, [[Linda McCartney|Linda]], contributing backing vocals, the song was released as a single in May 1981.{{sfn|Badman|1999|p=284}} McCartney's own tribute, "[[Here Today (Paul McCartney song)|Here Today]]", appeared on his ''[[Tug of War (Paul McCartney album)|Tug of War]]'' album in April 1982.{{sfn|Harry|2002|pp=412–413}}

In 1984, Starr co-starred in McCartney's film ''[[Give My Regards to Broad Street (film)|Give My Regards to Broad Street]]'',<ref>Snider, Eric (19 September 2012) [https://www.mtv.com/news/2769688/give-my-regards-to-broad-street/ "Eric's Bad Movies: Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211226064113/https://www.mtv.com/news/2769688/give-my-regards-to-broad-street/ |date=26 December 2021 }} ''MTV.com''. Retrieved 2021-12-26.</ref> and played with McCartney on several of the songs on the [[Give My Regards to Broad Street|soundtrack]].<ref>Loder, Kurt (17 January 1985) [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/give-my-regards-to-broad-street-sdtk-102267/ "Give My Regards to Broad Street (Soundtrack)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211226064114/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/give-my-regards-to-broad-street-sdtk-102267/ |date=26 December 2021 }} ''Rolling Stone''. Retrieved 2021-12-26.</ref> In 1987, Harrison's ''[[Cloud Nine (George Harrison album)|Cloud Nine]]'' album included "[[When We Was Fab]]", a song about the Beatlemania era.{{sfn|Doggett|2009|p=292}}

When the Beatles' studio albums were released on CD by EMI and Apple Corps in 1987, their catalogue was standardised throughout the world, establishing a canon of the twelve original studio LPs as issued in the UK plus the US LP version of ''Magical Mystery Tour''.<ref name="EMI 2009" /> All the remaining material from the singles and EPs that had not appeared on these thirteen studio albums was gathered on the two-volume compilation ''[[Past Masters]]'' (1988). Except for the ''Red'' and ''Blue'' albums, EMI deleted all its other Beatles compilations – including the ''Hollywood Bowl'' record – from its catalogue.{{sfn|Ingham|2006|pp=66, 69}}

In 1988, the Beatles were inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]], their first year of eligibility. Harrison and Starr attended the ceremony with Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, and his two sons, [[Julian Lennon|Julian]] and [[Sean Lennon|Sean]].<ref name="R&R HoF">{{cite web |publisher=[[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] |title=Inductees: The Beatles |url=https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/beatles |access-date=14 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827150207/https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/beatles |archive-date=27 August 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Harry|2002|p=753}} McCartney declined to attend, citing unresolved "business differences" that would make him "feel like a complete hypocrite waving and smiling with them at a fake reunion".{{sfn|Harry|2002|p=753}} The following year, EMI/Capitol settled a decade-long lawsuit filed by the band over royalties, clearing the way to commercially package previously unreleased material.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kozinn |first=Allan |author-link=Allan Kozinn|title=Beatles and Record Label Reach Pact and End Suit |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=10 November 1989 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/10/arts/beatles-and-record-label-reach-pact-and-end-suit.html |access-date=27 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124034028/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/10/arts/beatles-and-record-label-reach-pact-and-end-suit.html |archive-date=24 January 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Harry|2002|p=192}}

=== 1990s ===
''[[Live at the BBC (Beatles album)|Live at the BBC]]'', the first official release of unissued Beatles performances in seventeen years, appeared in 1994.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=661–663}} That same year McCartney, Harrison and Starr collaborated on the ''[[The Beatles Anthology|Anthology]]'' project. ''Anthology'' was the culmination of work begun in 1970, when Apple Corps director [[Neil Aspinall]], their former road manager and personal assistant, had started to gather material for a documentary with the working title ''The Long and Winding Road''.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=110–111}}

During 1995–96, the project yielded a television miniseries, an eight-volume video set, and three two-CD/three-LP box sets featuring artwork by [[Klaus Voormann]]. Documenting their history in the band's own words, the ''Anthology'' project included the release of several unissued Beatles recordings. Alongside producer [[Jeff Lynne]], McCartney, Harrison and Starr also added new instrumental and vocal parts to songs recorded as demos by Lennon in the late 1970s,{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=111–112, 428, 907–908}} resulting in the release of two "new" Beatles singles, "[[Free as a Bird]]" and "[[Real Love (Beatles song)|Real Love]]". A third Lennon demo, "[[Now and Then (Beatles song)|Now and Then]]", was also attempted, but abandoned due to the low quality of the recording.<ref name=":0" />

The ''Anthology'' releases were commercially successful and the television series was viewed by an estimated 400&nbsp;million people.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=111–112}} A book, ''[[The Beatles Anthology (book)|The Beatles Anthology]]'', followed in October 2000.

In 1999, to coincide with the re-release of the 1968 film ''Yellow Submarine'', an expanded soundtrack album, ''[[Yellow Submarine Songtrack]]'', was issued.{{sfn|Doggett|2009|p=342}}

=== 2000s ===
The Beatles' ''[[1 (Beatles album)|1]]'', a compilation album of the band's British and American number-one hits, was released on 13 November 2000. It became the fastest-selling album of all time, with 3.6&nbsp;million sold in its first week<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[CNN]] |agency=Reuters |title=Beatles '1' is fastest selling album ever |date=6 December 2000 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/06/beatles.reut/index.html |access-date=26 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302160919/http://edition.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/06/beatles.reut/index.html |archive-date=2 March 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> and 13&nbsp;million within a month.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=9}} It topped albums charts in at least 28 countries.{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|p=204}} The compilation had sold 31&nbsp;million copies globally by April 2009.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Randy |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-beatles8-2009apr08,0,242705.story |title=Beatles' Catalog Will Be Reissued Sept.&nbsp;9 in Remastered Versions |date=8 April 2009 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=2 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411024440/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-beatles8-2009apr08%2C0%2C242705.story |archive-date=11 April 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Harrison died from [[Metastasis|metastatic]] lung cancer in November 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/george-harrisons-death-certificate |title=George Harrison's Death Certificate |work=[[The Smoking Gun]] |access-date=22 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120628104956/http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/george-harrisons-death-certificate |archive-date=28 June 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |agency=BBC |title=George Harrison Dies |date=30 November 2001 |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1492446.stm |access-date=27 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090904001513/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1492446.stm |archive-date=4 September 2009}}</ref>{{sfn|Harry|2003|p=119}} McCartney and Starr were among the musicians who performed at the [[Concert for George]], organised by [[Eric Clapton]] and Harrison's widow, [[Olivia Harrison|Olivia]]. The tribute event took place at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] on the first anniversary of Harrison's death.{{sfn|Harry|2003|pp=138–139}}

In 2003, ''[[Let It Be... Naked]]'', a reconceived version of the ''Let It Be'' album, with McCartney supervising production, was released. One of the main differences from the Spector-produced version was the omission of the original string arrangements.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Naked Truth About The Beatles' Let It {{sic|BeNaked|nolink=y}} |url=https://mixonline.com/recording/interviews/audio_naked_truth_beatles/ |last=Hurwitz |first=Matt |work=[[Mix (magazine)|Mix]] |date=1 January 2004 |access-date=21 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530202935/http://mixonline.com/recording/interviews/audio_naked_truth_beatles/ |archive-date=30 May 2013}}</ref> It was a top-ten hit in both Britain and America. The US album configurations from 1964 to 1965 were released as box sets in 2004 and 2006; ''[[The Capitol Albums, Volume 1]]'' and ''[[The Capitol Albums, Volume 2|Volume 2]]'' included both stereo and mono versions based on the mixes that were prepared for vinyl at the time of the music's original American release.{{sfn|Womack|2007|p=100}}

As a soundtrack for [[Cirque du Soleil]]'s [[Las Vegas Strip|Las Vegas]] Beatles stage revue, ''[[Love (Cirque du Soleil)|Love]]'', George Martin and his son [[Giles Martin|Giles]] remixed and [[Mashup (music)|blended]] 130 of the band's recordings to create what Martin called "a way of re-living the whole Beatles musical lifespan in a very condensed period".<ref>{{cite web |website=[[NME]] |title=Beatles to release new album |date=2 October 2006 |url=https://www.nme.com/news/beatles/24534 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011185624/https://www.nme.com/news/beatles/24534 |archive-date=11 October 2011}}</ref> The show premiered in June 2006, and the ''[[Love (Beatles album)|Love]]'' album was released that November.<ref>{{cite news |last=Collett-White |first=Mike |title=McCartney Hints at Mythical Beatles Track Release |date=17 November 2008 |work=Reuters |url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/music-us-beatles-idUKTRE4AG64Y20081117 |access-date=20 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209013348/http://uk.reuters.com/article/2008/11/17/music-us-beatles-idUKTRE4AG64Y20081117 |archive-date=9 February 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> In April 2009, Starr performed three songs with McCartney at a benefit concert held at New York's [[Radio City Music Hall]] and organised by McCartney.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lustig |first=Jay |title=Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr Perform Together in Support of Transcendental Meditation |website=[[The Star-Ledger]] |date=5 April 2009 |url=https://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2009/04/paul_mccartney_ringo_starr_sin.html |access-date=6 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131115092140/http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2009/04/paul_mccartney_ringo_starr_sin.html |archive-date=15 November 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 9 September 2009, the Beatles' entire back catalogue was reissued following an extensive digital remastering process that lasted four years.<ref name="EMI 2009">{{cite press release |publisher=EMI |title=The Beatles' Entire Original Recorded Catalogue Remastered by Apple Corps Ltd. |date=7 April 2009 |url=https://www.emimusic.com/news/2009/the-beatles-entire-original-recorded-catalogue-remastered-by-apple-corps-ltd-and-emi-music-for-worldwide-release-on-september-9-2009-9-9-09/ |access-date=25 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401100034/http://www.emimusic.com/news/2009/the-beatles-entire-original-recorded-catalogue-remastered-by-apple-corps-ltd-and-emi-music-for-worldwide-release-on-september-9-2009-9-9-09/ |archive-date=1 April 2012}}</ref> Stereo editions of all twelve original UK studio albums, along with ''Magical Mystery Tour'' and the ''Past Masters'' compilation, were released on compact disc both individually and [[The Beatles (The Original Studio Recordings)|as a box set]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Eccleston |first=Danny |title=Beatles Remasters Reviewed |work=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]] |date=9 September 2009 |url=https://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2009/09/beatles_remasters_reviewed.html |access-date=13 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007072418/https://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2009/09/beatles_remasters_reviewed.html |archive-date=7 October 2009}}</ref> A second collection, ''[[The Beatles in Mono]]'', included remastered versions of every Beatles album released in true mono along with the original 1965 stereo mixes of ''Help!'' and ''Rubber Soul'' (both of which Martin had remixed for the 1987 editions).<ref>{{cite news |last=Collett-White |first=Mike |title=Original Beatles digitally remastered |work=Reuters |date=7 April 2009 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-beatles-remastered-idUSTRE5363RN20090407 |access-date=13 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209220852/http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/04/07/us-beatles-remastered-idUSTRE5363RN20090407 |archive-date=9 February 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[The Beatles: Rock Band]]'', a music video game in the ''[[Rock Band]]'' series, was issued on the same day.<ref name="CNN Gross">{{cite news |last=Gross |first=Doug |url=https://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/04/beatles.999/index.html |title=Still Relevant After Decades, The Beatles Set to Rock 9&nbsp;September&nbsp;2009 |date=4 September 2009 |publisher=CNN |access-date=6 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090906145915/http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/04/beatles.999/index.html |archive-date=6 September 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> In December 2009, the band's catalogue was officially released in [[FLAC]] and [[MP3]] format in [[The Beatles (The Original Studio Recordings)#Limited edition USB flash drive|a limited edition of 30,000 USB flash drives]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Martens |first=Todd |title=Meet the Beatles' USB Drive; EMI Files Suit Against BlueBeat for Selling Beatles Downloads |date=4 November 2009 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/11/meet-the-beatles-usb-drive-emi-files-suit-against-bluebeat-for-selling-beatles-downloads.html |access-date=5 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091106052411/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/11/meet-the-beatles-usb-drive-emi-files-suit-against-bluebeat-for-selling-beatles-downloads.html |archive-date=6 November 2009}}</ref>

=== 2010s ===
Owing to a long-running royalty disagreement, the Beatles were among the last major artists to sign deals with online music services.<ref>{{cite news |last=La Monica |first=Paul R. |title=Hey iTunes, Don't Make It Bad&nbsp;... |publisher=[[CNN Money]] |date=7 September 2005 |url=https://money.cnn.com/2005/09/07/technology/personaltech/beatles/index.htm |access-date=25 July 2009|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090904070136/http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/07/technology/personaltech/beatles/index.htm |archive-date=4 September 2009}}</ref> Residual disagreement emanating from [[Apple Corps v Apple Computer|Apple Corps' dispute with Apple, Inc.]], [[iTunes]]' owners, over the use of the name "Apple" was also partly responsible for the delay, although in 2008, McCartney stated that the main obstacle to making the Beatles' catalogue available online was that EMI "want[<span class="ltr">s</span>] something we're not prepared to give them".<ref>{{cite news |last=Kaplan |first=David |title=Beatles tracks not coming to iTunes any time soon; McCartney: Talks at an impasse |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=25 November 2008 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/pda/2008/nov/25/thebeatles-apple |access-date=16 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317050622/http://www.theguardian.com/media/pda/2008/nov/25/thebeatles-apple |archive-date=17 March 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010, the official canon of thirteen Beatles studio albums, ''Past Masters'', and the "Red" and "Blue" greatest-hits albums were made available on iTunes.<ref>{{cite news |last=Aswad |first=Jem |title=Beatles End Digital Boycott, Catalog Now on iTunes |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=16 November 2010 |access-date=17 November 2010 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beatles-end-digital-boycott-catalog-now-on-itunes-20101116 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217060655/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beatles-end-digital-boycott-catalog-now-on-itunes-20101116 |archive-date=17 December 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2012, EMI's recorded music operations were sold to [[Universal Music Group]]. In order for Universal Music to acquire EMI, the [[European Union]], for [[antitrust]] reasons, forced EMI to spin off assets including Parlophone. Universal was allowed to keep the Beatles' recorded music catalogue, managed by [[Capitol Records]] under its [[Capitol Music Group]] division.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ingham |first=Tim |url=https://www.musicweek.com/news/read/steve-barnett-named-chairman-of-universal-s-capitol-records/052695 |title=Universal's Capitol takes shape: Barnett in, Beatles on roster |work=Music Week |date=26 November 2012 |access-date=28 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208190010/http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/steve-barnett-named-chairman-of-universal-s-capitol-records/052695 |archive-date=8 February 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> The entire original Beatles album catalogue was also reissued on vinyl in 2012; available either individually or as a box set.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Randy |url=https://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/27/entertainment/la-et-ms-beatles-vinyl-album-catalog-reissue-20120927 |title=Beatles album catalog will get back to vinyl Nov. 13 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=27 September 2012 |access-date=29 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208143637/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/27/entertainment/la-et-ms-beatles-vinyl-album-catalog-reissue-20120927 |archive-date=8 February 2013}}</ref>

In 2013, a second volume of BBC recordings, ''[[On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2]]'', was released. That December saw the release of another 59 Beatles recordings on iTunes. The set, titled ''[[The Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963]]'', had the opportunity to gain a 70-year copyright extension conditional on the songs being published at least once before the end of 2013. Apple Records released the recordings on 17 December to prevent them from going into the public domain and had them taken down from iTunes later that same day. Fan reactions to the release were mixed, with one blogger saying "the hardcore Beatles collectors who are trying to obtain everything will already have these."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/dec/12/beatles-copyright-apple-release-tracks|title=Beatles for sale: copyright laws force Apple to release 59 tracks|first=Mark|last=Brown|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=12 December 2013|access-date=19 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215094508/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/dec/12/beatles-copyright-apple-release-tracks|archive-date=15 December 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beatles-surprise-with-rare-bootleg-1963-release-20131217|title=Beatles Surprise With 'Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963 Release'|first=Steve|last=Knopper|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=17 December 2013|access-date=19 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219231439/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beatles-surprise-with-rare-bootleg-1963-release-20131217|archive-date=19 December 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 26 January 2014, McCartney and Starr performed together at the [[56th Annual Grammy Awards]], held at the [[Staples Center]] in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/paul-mccartney-and-ringo-starr-share-grammy-stage-for-rare-performance-20140126 |title=Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr Share Grammy Stage for Rare Performance |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=26 January 2014 |access-date=15 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006162213/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/paul-mccartney-and-ringo-starr-share-grammy-stage-for-rare-performance-20140126 |archive-date=6 October 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> The following day, ''[[The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles]]'' television special was taped in the [[Los Angeles Convention Center]]'s West Hall. It aired on 9 February, the exact date of – and at the same time, and on the same network as – the original broadcast of the Beatles' first US television appearance on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', 50 years earlier. The special included performances of Beatles songs by current artists as well as by McCartney and Starr, archival footage, and interviews with the two surviving ex-Beatles carried out by [[David Letterman]] at the [[Ed Sullivan Theater]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/news/grammy-beatles-special-to-air-feb-9-2014 |title=GRAMMY Beatles Special To Air Feb. 9, 2014 |publisher=Grammy Awards |access-date=13 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131116033058/http://www.grammy.com/news/grammy-beatles-special-to-air-feb-9-2014 |archive-date=16 November 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Yarborough|first=Chuck |url=https://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2014/02/paul_mccartney_ringo_starr_to.html |title=Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr to be interviewed by David Letterman for 'Grammy Salute to the Beatles' |newspaper=The Plain Dealer |date=7 February 2014 |access-date=6 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006162126/https://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2014/02/paul_mccartney_ringo_starr_to.html |archive-date=6 October 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> In December 2015, the Beatles released their catalogue for streaming on various streaming music services including [[Spotify]] and [[Apple Music]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Dillet|first1=Romain|title=The Beatles Come To Spotify, Apple Music And Other Streaming Services|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/12/23/the-beatles-come-to-spotify-apple-music-and-other-streaming-services/|website=TechCrunch|date=23 December 2015|access-date=31 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131013342/http://techcrunch.com/2015/12/23/the-beatles-come-to-spotify-apple-music-and-other-streaming-services/|archive-date=31 January 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2016, the documentary film ''[[The Beatles: Eight Days a Week]]'' was released. Directed by [[Ron Howard]], it chronicled the Beatles' career during their touring years from 1961 to 1966, from their performances in Liverpool's the Cavern Club in 1961 to their final concert in San Francisco in 1966. The film was released theatrically on 15 September in the UK and the US, and started streaming on [[Hulu]] on 17 September. It received several awards and nominations, including for Best Documentary at the 70th British Academy Film Awards and the Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special at the 69th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thebeatles.com/news/watch-trailer-beatles-eight-days-week-touring-years|title=Watch the Trailer for 'The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years'|date=20 June 2016|website=thebeatles.com|access-date=15 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015060447/https://www.thebeatles.com/news/watch-trailer-beatles-eight-days-week-touring-years|archive-date=15 October 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> An expanded, remixed and remastered version of ''The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl'' was released on 9 September, to coincide with the release of the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/beatles-release-new-hollywood-bowl-live-album-84822|title=The Beatles to release remixed and remastered recordings from their Hollywood Bowl concerts|work=Uncut|author=Bonner, Michael|date=20 July 2016|access-date=20 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160721115149/http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/beatles-release-new-hollywood-bowl-live-album-84822|archive-date=21 July 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beatles-announce-new-live-at-the-hollywood-bowl-album-w429893|title=Beatles Announce New 'Live at the Hollywood Bowl' Album|magazine=Rolling Stone|author=Grow, Kory|date=20 July 2016|access-date=20 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830112528/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beatles-announce-new-live-at-the-hollywood-bowl-album-w429893|archive-date=30 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 18 May 2017, [[Sirius XM Radio]] launched a 24/7 radio channel, The Beatles Channel. A week later, ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: 50th Anniversary Edition|Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' was reissued with new stereo mixes and unreleased material for the album's 50th anniversary.<ref>{{cite web|last=Deriso|first=Nick |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/beatles-sgt-pepper-reissue-release-date/|title=Release Date and Formats Revealed for Beatles Expanded 'Sgt. Pepper' Reissue|website=Ultimate Classic Rock|date=4 April 2017|access-date=9 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407084255/http://ultimateclassicrock.com/beatles-sgt-pepper-reissue-release-date/|archive-date=7 April 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar box sets were released for ''[[The Beatles: 50th Anniversary Edition|The Beatles]]'' in November 2018,<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Enos|first=Morgan |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8477265/the-beatles-white-album-reissue-giles-martin|title=The Beatles' White Album Remastered: Producer Giles Martin Talks Giving the Classic a Fresh Look at 50|magazine=Billboard|date=1 October 2018|access-date=7 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008005718/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8477265/the-beatles-white-album-reissue-giles-martin|archive-date=8 October 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''[[Abbey Road: 50th Anniversary Edition|Abbey Road]]'' in September 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://abbeyroad.thebeatles.com/ |title=The Beatles Revisit Abbey Road with Special Anniversary Releases |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=8 August 2019 |website=thebeatles.com |publisher=Apple Corps |access-date=8 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808103219/https://abbeyroad.thebeatles.com/ |archive-date=8 August 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> On the first week of October 2019, ''Abbey Road'' returned to number one on the UK Albums Chart. The Beatles broke their own record for the album with the longest gap between topping the charts as ''Abbey Road'' hit the top spot 50 years after its original release.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/04/beatles-abbey-road-returns-number-one-50-years/|title=The Beatles' Abbey Road returns to number one 50 years on|date=4 October 2019|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|access-date=15 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015055010/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/04/beatles-abbey-road-returns-number-one-50-years/|archive-date=15 October 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 2020s ===
In November 2021, ''[[The Beatles: Get Back]]'', a documentary directed by [[Peter Jackson]] using footage captured for the ''Let It Be'' film, was released on [[Disney+]] as a three-part [[miniseries]].<ref>{{Cite web|title='The Beatles: Get Back', a Disney+ Original Documentary Series Directed by Peter Jackson, to Debut Exclusively on Disney+|url=https://www.thebeatles.com/news/%E2%80%9C-beatles-get-back%E2%80%9D-disney-original-documentary-series-directed-peter-jackson-debut-exclusively|access-date=2021-07-07|website=The Beatles|language=en|archive-date=17 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617142958/https://www.thebeatles.com/news/%E2%80%9C-beatles-get-back%E2%80%9D-disney-original-documentary-series-directed-peter-jackson-debut-exclusively|url-status=dead}}</ref> A book also titled ''The Beatles: Get Back'' was released on 12 October, ahead of the documentary.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Beatles Expanded Let It Be/Get Back Release Is Due In October|publisher=noise11.com|url=https://www.noise11.com/news/the-beatles-expanded-let-it-be-get-back-release-is-due-in-october-20210813|date=13 August 2021|access-date=26 August 2021|archive-date=15 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015165755/https://www.noise11.com/news/the-beatles-expanded-let-it-be-get-back-release-is-due-in-october-20210813|url-status=live}}</ref> A [[Let It Be: Special Edition|super deluxe version]] of the ''[[Let It Be (album)|Let It Be]]'' album was released on 15 October.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Sheffield|first=Rob|date=26 August 2021|title=The Unheard 'Let It Be': An Exclusive Guide to the Beatles' New Expanded Classic|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/beatles-let-it-be-special-edition-super-deluxe-1214774/|access-date=26 August 2021|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|archive-date=26 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826131345/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/beatles-let-it-be-special-edition-super-deluxe-1214774/|url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2022, the album ''[[The Beatles' rooftop concert#Set list|Get Back (Rooftop Performance)]]'', consisting of newly mixed audio of the [[The Beatles' rooftop concert|Beatles' rooftop performance]], was released on streaming services.<ref>{{Cite web|title='The Beatles: Get Back-the Rooftop Performance'|url=https://www.thebeatles.com/beatles-get-back-rooftop-performance-0|access-date=2022-03-25|website=www.thebeatles.com|archive-date=30 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430054941/https://www.thebeatles.com/beatles-get-back-rooftop-performance-0|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2022, McCartney and Starr collaborated on a new recording of "[[Let It Be (song)|Let It Be]]" with [[Dolly Parton]], [[Peter Frampton]] and [[Mick Fleetwood]], which was released on Parton's album ''[[Rockstar (Dolly Parton album)|Rockstar]]'' in November 2023.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/dolly-parton-love-note-paul-mccartney-ringo-starr-rockstar-collaboration-1235504979/|title=Dolly Parton Says She Sent 'Love Note' to Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr to Ask Them for 'Rockstar' Collaboration|first=Rania|last=Aniftos|publisher=Billboard|date=November 21, 2023|accessdate=January 11, 2024|archive-date=11 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111174226/https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/dolly-parton-love-note-paul-mccartney-ringo-starr-rockstar-collaboration-1235504979/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite magazine |last=Nicholson |first=Jessica |date=2023-05-09 |title=Dolly Parton's Star-Studded Album 'Rockstar' Finally Has a Release Date |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/country/dolly-parton-rock-album-rockstar-release-date-1235325131/ |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US |access-date=2023-05-09 |archive-date=13 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231213082841/https://www.billboard.com/music/country/dolly-parton-rock-album-rockstar-release-date-1235325131/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In October, a [[Revolver: Special Edition|special edition]] of ''Revolver'' was released, featuring unreleased demos, studio outtakes, the original mono mix and a new stereo remix using [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] de-mixing technology developed by Peter Jackson's [[WingNut Films]], which had previously been used to restore audio for the documentary ''Get Back''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Aswad |first1=Jem |title=The Beatles' 'Revolver' Box Brings a 'Get Back' Treatment to the Group's Creative Breakthrough: Album Review |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/album-reviews/the-beatles-revolver-deluxe-box-album-review-1235417007/ |website=Variety |access-date=18 November 2022 |date=28 October 2022 |archive-date=18 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118120644/https://variety.com/2022/music/album-reviews/the-beatles-revolver-deluxe-box-album-review-1235417007/ |url-status=live}}</ref> New music videos were produced for "[[Here, There and Everywhere]]" and "[[I'm Only Sleeping]]", the latter of which won the [[Grammy Award for Best Music Video]] at the [[66th Annual Grammy Awards]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Taylor |first=Tom |date=2024-02-05 |title=Grammys 2024: The Beatles claim 'Best Music Video' win |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/grammys-2024-the-beatles-claim-best-music-video-win/ |magazine=Far Out |language=en-US |access-date=2024-02-10 |archive-date=5 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240205175700/https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/grammys-2024-the-beatles-claim-best-music-video-win/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In June 2023, McCartney announced plans to release "the final Beatles record" later in the year, using Jackson's de-mixing technology to extract Lennon's voice from an old demo of a song that he had written as a solo artist.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2023-06-13 |title=Sir Paul McCartney says artificial intelligence has enabled a 'final' Beatles song |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65881813 |access-date=2023-06-13 |archive-date=5 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230805102233/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65881813 |url-status=live }}</ref> In October 2023, the song was revealed to be "[[Now and Then (Beatles song)|Now and Then]]", with a physical and digital release date of 2 November 2023.<ref name="NowAndThen2023">{{cite web |last=Ruggieri |first=Melissa |date=26 October 2023 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/10/26/beatles-last-song-now-and-then-release-date-ai-explained/71315449007/ |title=The last Beatles song, 'Now and Then,' finally arrives after more than 40 years |work=USA Today |publisher=Gannett |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026221203/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/10/26/beatles-last-song-now-and-then-release-date-ai-explained/71315449007/ |archivedate=October 26, 2023}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=McIntyre |first=Hugh |title=The Beatles Dethrone Taylor Swift On Spotify |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/11/03/the-beatles-dethrone-taylor-swift-on-spotify/ |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=Forbes |language=en |archive-date=6 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106190504/https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/11/03/the-beatles-dethrone-taylor-swift-on-spotify/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The official music video for "Now and Then" was released the following day, garnering upwards of 8 million views in its first 12 hours,<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Watercutter |first1=Angela |title='Now and Then,' the Beatles' Last Song, Is Here, Thanks to Peter Jackson's AI |url=https://www.wired.com/story/the-beatles-now-and-then-last-song-artificial-intelligence-peter-jackson/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=4 November 2023 |date=3 November 2023 |archive-date=4 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104002316/https://www.wired.com/story/the-beatles-now-and-then-last-song-artificial-intelligence-peter-jackson/ |url-status=live }}</ref> as the song arrived on Spotify's rankings as one of the most-streamed current songs.<ref name=":2" /> "Now and Then" debuted simultaneously across music, alternative, news/talk and sports stations. The song's premiere achieved the record for the most radio stations to simulcast a music track.<ref>{{Cite web |last=White |first=Matthew |date=6 November 2023 |title=The Beatles' last single "Now and Then" breaks radio record as AI revives Lennon recording |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2023/11/the-beatles-last-single-now-and-then-breaks-radio-record-as-ai-revives-lennon-760660 |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=Guinness world records |archive-date=9 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109132259/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2023/11/the-beatles-last-single-now-and-then-breaks-radio-record-as-ai-revives-lennon-760660 |url-status=live }}</ref> The song became their first UK number one single since 1969.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beaumont-Thomas |first1=Ben |title=The Beatles set record 54-year gap between No 1 singles as Now and Then tops UK chart |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/nov/10/the-beatles-54-years-no-1-singles-now-and-then-uk-chart |access-date=28 November 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=10 November 2023 |archive-date=11 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231111080219/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/nov/10/the-beatles-54-years-no-1-singles-now-and-then-uk-chart |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 8 May 2024 the 1970 film ''[[Let It Be (1970 film)|Let It Be]]'', digitally restored by [[Peter Jackson]]{{'}}s [[Park Road Post]], was released on [[Disney+]], marking the first time it has been publicly screened since its original theatrical release.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tingley |first=Anna |date=8 May 2024 |title=Beatles' 1970 'Let It Be' Documentary Is Now Streaming on Disney+ |url=https://variety.com/2024/music/news/beatles-let-it-be-documentary-how-to-watch-online-streaming-1235996229/ |access-date=10 May 2024 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Musical style and development ==
{{See also|Lennon–McCartney}}

In ''Icons of Rock: An Encyclopedia of the Legends Who Changed Music Forever'', Scott Schinder and Andy Schwartz describe the Beatles' musical evolution:

{{blockquote|In their initial incarnation as cheerful, wisecracking moptops, the Fab Four revolutionised the sound, style, and attitude of popular music and opened rock and roll's doors to a tidal wave of British rock acts. Their initial impact would have been enough to establish the Beatles as one of their era's most influential cultural forces, but they didn't stop there. Although their initial style was a highly original, irresistibly catchy synthesis of early American rock and roll and R&B, the Beatles spent the rest of the 1960s expanding rock's stylistic frontiers, consistently staking out new musical territory on each release. The band's increasingly sophisticated experimentation encompassed a variety of genres, including [[folk-rock]], [[country music|country]], [[psychedelic music|psychedelia]], and [[baroque pop]], without sacrificing the effortless mass appeal of their early work.{{sfn|Schinder|Schwartz|2007|p=160}}}}

In ''The Beatles as Musicians'', [[Walter Everett (musicologist)|Walter Everett]] describes Lennon and McCartney's contrasting motivations and approaches to composition: "McCartney may be said to have constantly developed – as a means to entertain – a focused musical talent with an ear for counterpoint and other aspects of craft in the demonstration of a universally agreed-upon common language that he did much to enrich. Conversely, Lennon's mature music is best appreciated as the daring product of a largely unconscious, searching but undisciplined artistic sensibility."{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=9}}

Ian MacDonald describes McCartney as "a natural melodist – a creator of tunes capable of existing apart from their harmony". His melody lines are characterised as primarily "vertical", employing wide, [[Consonance and dissonance|consonant]] intervals which express his "extrovert energy and optimism". Conversely, Lennon's "sedentary, ironic personality" is reflected in a "horizontal" approach featuring minimal, dissonant intervals and repetitive melodies which rely on their harmonic accompaniment for interest: "Basically a realist, he instinctively kept his melodies close to the rhythms and cadences of speech, colouring his lyrics with bluesy tone and harmony rather than creating tunes that made striking shapes of their own."{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=12}} MacDonald praises Harrison's lead guitar work for the role his "characterful lines and textural colourings" play in supporting Lennon and McCartney's parts and describes Starr as "the father of modern pop/rock drumming".{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|pp=382–383}}

=== Influences ===
The Beatles' earliest influences include Elvis Presley, [[Carl Perkins]], [[Little Richard]], [[Chuck Berry]] and [[Gene Vincent]].{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=140, 660, 856–858, 881}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/02/beatles-tune-in-mark-lewisohn-review|title=The Beatles – All These Years: Volume One: Tune in by Mark Lewisohn – review|date=2013|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=4 May 2023|archive-date=4 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230504231227/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/02/beatles-tune-in-mark-lewisohn-review|url-status=live}}</ref> During the Beatles' co-residency with Little Richard at the [[Star-Club]] in Hamburg, from April to May 1962, he advised them on the proper technique for performing his songs.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=660}} Of Presley, Lennon said, "Nothing really affected me until I heard Elvis. If there hadn't been Elvis, there would not have been the Beatles."{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=881}} Chuck Berry was particularly influential in terms of songwriting and lyrics. Lennon noted, "He was well advanced of his time lyric-wise. We all owe a lot to him."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.johnlennon.com/music/interviews/rolling-stone-interview-1970/|title=The Rolling Stone Interview, December 1970.|date=1970|newspaper=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=11 May 2023|archive-date=8 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408222419/https://www.johnlennon.com/music/interviews/rolling-stone-interview-1970/|url-status=live}}</ref> Other early influences include Buddy Holly, [[Eddie Cochran]], [[Roy Orbison]],{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=289, 526, 830}} [[the Everly Brothers]]{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=111, 123, 131, 133}} and [[Jerry Lee Lewis]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/john-lennon-the-last-interview-179443/|title=John Lennon: The Last Interview|date=2010|newspaper=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=4 May 2023|archive-date=24 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724205328/https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/john-lennon-the-last-interview-179443/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Beatles continued to absorb influences long after their initial success, often finding new musical and lyrical avenues by listening to their contemporaries, including [[Bob Dylan]], [[Smokey Robinson and the Miracles]], [[the Who]], [[Frank Zappa]], [[the Lovin' Spoonful]], [[the Byrds]] and [[the Beach Boys]], whose 1966 album ''[[Pet Sounds]]'' amazed and inspired McCartney.{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=99, 217, 357, 1195}}{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=333–335, 359}}{{sfn|Lavezzoli|2006|pp=147, 150, 162, 169}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/feb/01/thebeatles.popandrock|title=Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!|date=2004|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=1 May 2023|archive-date=1 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501235518/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/feb/01/thebeatles.popandrock|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Miles |first=Barry |date=November 1966 |title=A Conversation with Paul McCartney |newspaper=International Times |location=London}}</ref> Referring to the Beach Boys' creative leader, Martin later stated: "No one made a greater impact on the Beatles than Brian [Wilson]."{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=17}} Ravi Shankar, with whom Harrison studied for six weeks in India in late 1966, had a significant effect on his musical development during the band's later years.{{sfn|Lavezzoli|2006|pp=147, 165, 177}}

=== Genres ===
Originating as a skiffle group, the Beatles quickly embraced 1950s rock and roll and helped pioneer the Merseybeat genre,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/style/merseybeat-ma0000012018/songs|title=Merseybeat – Significant Albums, Artists and Songs|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=27 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016041739/http://www.allmusic.com/style/merseybeat-ma0000012018/songs|archive-date=16 October 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> and their repertoire ultimately expanded to include a broad variety of pop music.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=30–32, 100–107}} Reflecting the range of styles they explored, Lennon said of ''Beatles for Sale'', "You could call our new one a Beatles country-and-western LP",{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=255}} while Gould credits ''Rubber Soul'' as "the instrument by which legions of folk-music enthusiasts were coaxed into the camp of pop".{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=296}}

[[File:Guitarras de McCartney y Harrison.jpg|upright=.75|thumb|A [[Höfner 500/1|Höfner "violin" bass guitar]] and [[Gretsch|Gretsch Country Gentleman guitar]], models played by McCartney and Harrison, respectively; the [[Vox AC30]] amplifier behind them is the model the Beatles used during performances in the early 1960s.|alt=Two electric guitars, a light brown violin-shaped bass and a darker brown guitar resting against a Vox amplifier]]

Although the 1965 song "Yesterday" was not the first pop record to employ orchestral strings, it marked the group's first recorded use of classical music elements. Gould observes, "The more traditional sound of strings allowed for a fresh appreciation of their talent as composers by listeners who were otherwise allergic to the din of drums and electric guitars."{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=278}} They continued to experiment with string arrangements to various effect; ''Sgt. Pepper''{{'}}s "[[She's Leaving Home]]", for instance, is "cast in the {{lang|en-US|mold}} of a sentimental Victorian ballad", Gould writes, "its words and music filled with the clichés of musical melodrama".{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=402}}

The band's stylistic range expanded in another direction with their 1966 B-side "Rain", described by [[Martin C. Strong|Martin Strong]] as "the first overtly psychedelic Beatles record".{{sfn|Strong|2004|p=108}} Other psychedelic numbers followed, such as "Tomorrow Never Knows" (recorded before "Rain"), "Strawberry Fields Forever", "[[Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds]]", and "[[I Am the Walrus]]". The influence of [[Indian classical music]] was evident in Harrison's "[[The Inner Light (song)|The Inner Light]]", "[[Love You To]]", and "[[Within You Without You]]" – Gould describes the latter two as attempts "to replicate the [[raga]] form in miniature".{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=406, 462–463}}

Innovation was the most striking feature of their creative evolution, according to music historian and pianist Michael Campbell: {{"'}}A Day in the Life' encapsulates the art and achievement of the Beatles as well as any single track can. It highlights key features of their music: the sound imagination, the persistence of tuneful melody, and the close coordination between words and music. It represents a new category of song – more sophisticated than pop&nbsp;... and uniquely innovative. There literally had never before been a song – classical or vernacular – that had blended so many disparate elements so imaginatively."{{sfn|Campbell|2008|p=196}} Philosophy professor Bruce Ellis Benson agrees: "The Beatles&nbsp;... give us a wonderful example of how such far-ranging influences as Celtic music, rhythm and blues, and country and western could be put together in a new way."{{sfn|Benson|2003|p=43}}

Author Dominic Pedler describes the way they crossed musical styles: "Far from moving sequentially from one genre to another (as is sometimes conveniently suggested) the group maintained ''in parallel'' their mastery of the traditional, catchy chart hit while simultaneously forging rock and dabbling with a wide range of peripheral influences from country to vaudeville. One of these threads was their take on folk music, which would form such essential groundwork for their later collisions with Indian music and philosophy."{{sfn|Pedler|2003|p=256}} As the personal relationships between the band members grew increasingly strained, their individual tastes became more apparent. The minimalistic cover artwork for the White Album contrasted with the complexity and diversity of its music, which encompassed Lennon's "[[Revolution 9]]" (whose [[musique concrète]] approach was influenced by Yoko Ono), Starr's [[country music|country]] song "[[Don't Pass Me By]]", Harrison's [[rock ballad]] "[[While My Guitar Gently Weeps]]", and the "[[Heavy metal music#Origins: late 1960s and early 1970s|proto-metal]] roar" of McCartney's "[[Helter Skelter (song)|Helter Skelter]]".<ref name="White Album AllMusic">{{cite web |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |title=''The Beatles [White Album]'' – The Beatles |publisher=AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-beatles-white-album-mw0000418113 |access-date=21 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530202730/https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-beatles-white-album-mw0000418113 |archive-date=30 May 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Contribution of George Martin ===
[[File:Beatles and George Martin in studio 1966.JPG|thumb|alt=The Beatles with George Martin in the studio in the mid-1960s|[[George Martin]] (second from right) in the studio with the Beatles in the mid-1960s]]
[[George Martin]]'s close involvement in his role as producer made him one of the leading candidates for the informal title of the "[[fifth Beatle]]".{{sfn|Harry|2000a|p=721}} He applied his classical musical training in various ways, and functioned as "an informal music teacher" to the progressing songwriters, according to Gould.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=121, 290}} Martin suggested to a sceptical McCartney that the arrangement of "Yesterday" should feature a string quartet accompaniment, thereby introducing the Beatles to a "hitherto unsuspected world of classical instrumental colour", in MacDonald's description.{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=158}} Their creative development was also facilitated by Martin's willingness to experiment in response to their suggestions, such as adding "something [[baroque music|baroque]]" to a particular recording.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=290}} In addition to scoring orchestral arrangements for recordings, Martin often performed on them, playing instruments including piano, organ and [[Brass instrument|brass]].{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=382, 405, 409, 443, 584}}

Collaborating with Lennon and McCartney required Martin to adapt to their different approaches to songwriting and recording. MacDonald comments, "while [<span class="ltr">he</span>] worked more naturally with the conventionally articulate McCartney, the challenge of catering to Lennon's intuitive approach generally spurred him to his more original arrangements, of which "[[Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!]]" is an outstanding example."{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=238}} Martin said of the two composers' distinct songwriting styles and his stabilising influence:

{{blockquote|Compared with Paul's songs, all of which seemed to keep in some sort of touch with reality, John's had a psychedelic, almost mystical quality&nbsp;... John's imagery is one of the best things about his work&nbsp;– 'tangerine trees', 'marmalade skies', 'cellophane flowers' ...&nbsp;I always saw him as an aural [[Salvador Dalí]], rather than some drug-ridden record artist. On the other hand, I would be stupid to pretend that drugs didn't figure quite heavily in the Beatles' lives at that time&nbsp;... they knew that I, in my schoolmasterly role, didn't approve&nbsp;... Not only was I not into it myself, I couldn't see the need for it; and there's no doubt that, if I too had been on dope, ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band|Pepper]]'' would never have been the album it was. Perhaps it was the combination of dope and no dope that worked, who knows?{{sfn|Martin|1979|pp=205–206}}}}

Harrison echoed Martin's description of his stabilising role: "I think we just grew through those years together, him as the straight man and us as the loonies; but he was always there for us to interpret our madness – we used to be slightly avant-garde on certain days of the week, and he would be there as the anchor person, to communicate that through the engineers and on to the tape."{{sfn|Harry|2003|p=264}}

=== In the studio ===
{{See also|Recording practices of the Beatles}}

Making innovative use of technology while expanding the possibilities of recorded music, the Beatles urged experimentation by Martin and his recording engineers. Seeking ways to put chance occurrences to creative use, accidental guitar feedback, a resonating glass bottle, a tape loaded the wrong way round so that it played backwards – any of these might be incorporated into their music.{{sfn|Hertsgaard|1995|p=103}} Their desire to create new sounds on every new recording, combined with Martin's arranging abilities and the studio expertise of EMI staff engineers Norman Smith, [[Ken Townsend]] and Geoff Emerick, all contributed significantly to their records from ''Rubber Soul'' and, especially, ''Revolver'' onwards.{{sfn|Hertsgaard|1995|p=103}}

Along with innovative studio techniques such as [[audio signal processing|sound effects]], unconventional microphone placements, tape loops, [[double tracking]], and [[vari-speed]] recording, the Beatles augmented their songs with instruments that were unconventional in rock music at the time. These included string and brass ensembles as well as Indian instruments such as the sitar in "Norwegian Wood" and the [[swarmandal]] in "Strawberry Fields Forever".{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=212}} They also used novel electronic instruments such as the Mellotron, with which McCartney supplied the flute voices on the "Strawberry Fields Forever" intro,{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=219}} and the [[clavioline]], an electronic keyboard that created the unusual oboe-like sound on "[[Baby, You're a Rich Man]]".{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=259}}

== Legacy ==
{{Main|Cultural impact of the Beatles}}
{{multiple image
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| image1    =
| width1    =
| alt1      =
| caption1  = ''[[The Beatles Monument (Almaty)|The Beatles Monument]]'' in [[Almaty]], Kazakhstan
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| image2    = The Beatles Statues.jpg
| width2    =
| alt2      = Statue in Liverpool
| caption2  = The Beatles statue at [[Pier Head]] in [[Liverpool]], their home city
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| image3    = Alistar and Alfio from The Cairos cross Abbey Road with Jesse Davidson and Dj Sammy T.jpg
| width3    =
| alt3      = Road crossing in London
| caption3 = [[Abbey Road#Abbey Road crossing and "Paul is dead"|Abbey Road crossing]] in London is a popular destination for Beatles fans. In December 2010 it was given [[Listed building#Grade II|grade II listed]] status for its "cultural and historical importance"; the Abbey Road studios themselves had been given similar status earlier in the year.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12059385|title=Beatles' Abbey Road zebra crossing given listed status|date=22 December 2010|work=BBC News|access-date=27 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720174732/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12059385|archive-date=20 July 2011}}</ref>
}}

Former ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine associate editor [[Robert Greenfield]] compared the Beatles to [[Pablo Picasso|Picasso]], as "artists who broke through the constraints of their time period to come up with something that was unique and original&nbsp;... [<span class="ltr">I</span>]n the form of popular music, no one will ever be more revolutionary, more creative and more distinctive ..."<ref name="CNN Gross" /> The British poet [[Philip Larkin]] described their work as "an enchanting and intoxicating hybrid of Negro rock-and-roll with their own adolescent romanticism" and "the first advance in popular music since the War".<ref>{{cite book|last=Drabble|first=Margaret |author-link=Margaret Drabble|title=The Oxford Companion to English Literature |edition=6th|pages=76–77|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2000|isbn=978-0-19-866244-0|url=https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=16096298022&searchurl=isbn%3D0198662440|access-date=6 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202025140/http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=16096298022&searchurl=isbn%3D0198662440|archive-date=2 February 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1964, the Beatles' arrival in the U.S. is credited with initiating the [[album era]];<ref>{{cite web|first=Ann|last=Powers|authorlink=Ann Powers|title=A New Canon: In Pop Music, Women Belong at the Center of the Story|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/07/24/538601651/a-new-canon-in-pop-music-women-belong-at-the-center-of-the-story|publisher=[[NPR]]|date=July 24, 2017|access-date=March 10, 2020|archive-date=22 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122040554/https://www.npr.org/2017/07/24/538601651/a-new-canon-in-pop-music-women-belong-at-the-center-of-the-story|url-status=live}}</ref> the music historian [[Joel Whitburn]] says that LP sales soon "exploded and eventually outpaced the sales and releases of singles" in the music industry.<ref>{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|authorlink=Joel Whitburn|year=2003|title=Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–2002|publisher=[[Record Research]]|isbn=9780898201550|page=xxiii}}</ref> They not only sparked the British Invasion of the US,{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=277}} they became a globally influential phenomenon as well.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=8}} From the 1920s, the US had dominated popular entertainment culture throughout much of the world, via [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] films, [[jazz]], the music of Broadway and [[Tin Pan Alley]], and later, the rock and roll that first emerged in [[Memphis, Tennessee]].{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=9}} The Beatles are regarded as British cultural icons, with young adults from abroad naming the band among a group of people whom they most associated with UK culture.<ref>{{cite news|title=Shakespeare 'a cultural icon' abroad|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27110234|agency=BBC|date=9 April 2017|access-date=6 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913230807/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27110234|archive-date=13 September 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Culture, attraction and soft power|url=https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/as-others-see-us-report.pdf|publisher=British Council|date=9 April 2017|access-date=9 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403042324/https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/as-others-see-us-report.pdf|archive-date=3 April 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Their musical innovations and commercial success inspired musicians worldwide.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=8}} <ref>{{Cite web |last=Vega |first=Luis Daniel |title=Una idea descabellada: instantáneas del rock en Bogotá (1957 - 1975) |url=https://bibliotecadigitaldebogota.gov.co/resources/3648839/ |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=bibliotecadigitaldebogota.gov.co |language=es}}</ref>Many artists have acknowledged the Beatles' influence and enjoyed chart success with [[List of cover versions of Beatles songs|covers of their songs]].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=BBC Radio 2 |title=60s Season&nbsp;– Documentaries |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/events/60sseason/documentaries/sgtpeppers.shtml#tracklist |access-date=25 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211073431/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/events/60sseason/documentaries/sgtpeppers.shtml#tracklist |archive-date=11 February 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> On radio, their arrival marked the beginning of a new era; in 1968 the programme director of New York's [[WABC (<span class="ltr">AM</span>)|WABC]] radio station forbade his DJs from playing any "pre-Beatles" music, marking the defining line of what would be considered [[oldies]] on American radio.{{sfn|Fisher|2007|p=198}} They helped to redefine the album as something more than just a few hits padded out with "[[filler (media)|filler]]",{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=91}} and they were primary innovators of the modern music video.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=609–610}} The Shea Stadium show with which they opened their [[The Beatles' 1965 US tour|1965 North American tour]] attracted an estimated 55,600 people,{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=181}} then the largest audience in concert history; Spitz describes the event as a "major breakthrough&nbsp;... a giant step toward reshaping the concert business".{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=576–578}} Emulation of their clothing and especially their hairstyles, which became a mark of rebellion, had a global impact on fashion.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=345}}

According to Gould, the Beatles changed the way people listened to popular music and experienced its role in their lives. From what began as the Beatlemania fad, the group's popularity grew into what was seen as an embodiment of sociocultural movements of the decade. As icons of the [[Counterculture of the 1960s|1960s counterculture]], Gould continues, they became a catalyst for [[bohemianism]] and activism in various social and political arenas, fuelling movements such as [[feminist movement|women's liberation]], [[gay liberation]] and [[environmental movement|environmentalism]].{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=8–9}} According to Peter Lavezzoli, after the "more popular than Jesus" controversy in 1966, the Beatles felt considerable pressure to say the right things and "began a concerted effort to spread a message of wisdom and higher consciousness".{{sfn|Lavezzoli|2006|p=176}}

Other commentators such as Mikal Gilmore and Todd Leopold have traced the inception of their socio-cultural impact earlier, interpreting even the Beatlemania period, particularly on their first visit to the US, as a key moment in the development of generational awareness.<ref name="Gimore (RS Beatles/Dylan/60s)"/><ref name="Leopold (Beatlemania/CNN)">{{cite web|last1=Leopold|first1=Todd|title=Beatles + Sullivan = Revolution: Why Beatlemania Could Never Happen Today|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/30/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/beatles-ed-sullivan-50-years-anniversary/|publisher=CNN|access-date=23 February 2018|date=31 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180223110942/https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/30/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/beatles-ed-sullivan-50-years-anniversary/|archive-date=23 February 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Referring to their appearance on ''the Ed Sullivan Show'' Leopold states: "In many ways, the Sullivan appearance marked the beginning of a cultural revolution ... The Beatles were like aliens dropped into the United States of 1964."<ref name="Leopold (Beatlemania/CNN)"/> According to Gilmore:
{{blockquote|Elvis Presley had shown us how rebellion could be fashioned into eye-opening style; the Beatles were showing us how style could have the impact of cultural revelation&nbsp;– or at least how a pop vision might be forged into an unimpeachable consensus.<ref name="Gimore (RS Beatles/Dylan/60s)"/>}}

Established in 2009, [[Global Beatles Day]] is an annual holiday on 25 June each year that honours and celebrates the ideals of the Beatles.<ref>{{cite web | last=Desk | first=Lifestyle | title=Global Beatles Day: What is it and why is it celebrated | website=[[The Indian Express]] | date=25 June 2018 | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/global-beatles-day-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-celebrated-5232622/ | access-date=26 July 2020 | archive-date=4 August 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804084855/https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/global-beatles-day-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-celebrated-5232622/ | url-status=live }}</ref> The date was chosen to commemorate the date the group participated in the [[BBC]] programme ''[[Our World (1967 TV program)|Our World]]'' in 1967, performing "[[All You Need Is Love]]" broadcast to an international audience.<ref>{{cite web | last=Christensen | first=Doreen | title=World Beatles Day: Free streaming of all 12 Beatles albums for Prime members | website=[[Sun-Sentinel]] | date=25 June 2018 | url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/deals-shopping/fl-bz-world-beatles-day-free-streaming-free-music-20180625-story.html | access-date=26 July 2020 | archive-date=26 July 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726073851/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/deals-shopping/fl-bz-world-beatles-day-free-streaming-free-music-20180625-story.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

== Awards and achievements ==
{{see also|List of awards and nominations received by the Beatles}}
In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr Members of the [[Order of the British Empire]] (MBE).{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=556}} The Beatles won the 1971 Academy Award for [[Academy Award for Best Original Score#1970s|Best Original Song Score]] for the film ''[[Let It Be (1970 film)|Let It Be]]'' (1970).{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|p=96}} The recipients of seven Grammy Awards<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences]] |title=Grammy Past Winners Search |url=https://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=Beatles&title=&year=All&genre=All |access-date=25 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510104927/http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=Beatles&title=&year=All&genre=All |archive-date=10 May 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> and fifteen [[Ivor Novello Awards]],{{sfn|Harry|2000a|pp=559–560}} the Beatles have six [[Music recording certification|Diamond albums]], as well as 20 Multi-Platinum albums, 16 Platinum albums and six Gold albums in the US.<ref name="RIAAb" /> In the UK, the Beatles have four [[Music recording certification|Multi-Platinum albums]], four [[Music recording certification|Platinum albums]], eight [[Music recording certification|Gold albums]] and one [[Music recording certification|Silver album]].<ref name="BPI2009" /> They were inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1988.<ref name="R&R HoF" />

The [[List of best-selling music artists|best-selling band]] in history, the Beatles have sold more than 600&nbsp;million units {{as of|2012|lc=y}}.<ref name="bbc41012">{{cite web|last=Hotten|first=Russell|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-19800654|title=The Beatles at 50: From Fab Four to fabulously wealthy|work=BBC Business|date=4 October 2012|access-date=20 August 2020|archive-date=23 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923142215/http://www.bbc.com/news/business-19800654|url-status=live}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Another estimate gives total international sales of over 1 billion units,{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=9}} a figure based on EMI's statement and recognised by ''[[Guinness World Records]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/best-selling-group|title=Best-selling group|work=[[Guinness World Records]]|date=19 March 2001 |access-date=23 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191122220820/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/best-selling-group|archive-date=22 November 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>}} From 1991 to 2009 the Beatles sold 57 million albums in United States, according to Nielsen Soundscan.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-apr-08-et-beatles8-story.html|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|first=Randy|last=Lewis|title=Delayed arrival|date=8 April 2009|access-date=14 October 2022|archive-date=11 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411024440/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-beatles8-2009apr08,0,242705.story|url-status=live}}</ref> They have had more [[List of artists by number of UK Albums Chart number ones|number-one albums on the UK charts]], fifteen,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/BEATLES/#albums|title=Beatles|year=2010|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|location=[[London]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103114845/http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/BEATLES/|archive-date=3 November 2013}}</ref> and sold more singles in the UK, 21.9&nbsp;million, than any other act.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Official Chart Company |title=The Official Singles Charts' Biggest Selling Artists of All Time Revealed |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-official-singles-charts-biggest-selling-artists-of-all-time-revealed-1431/ |date=4 June 2012 |access-date=24 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120703073546/http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-official-singles-charts-biggest-selling-artists-of-all-time-revealed-1431/ |archive-date=3 July 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked the Beatles as the most significant and influential rock music artists of the last 50 years.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Costello |first=Elvis |author-link=Elvis Costello |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/the-beatles-20110420 |title=100 Greatest Artists: The Beatles |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |year=2004 |access-date=25 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621173923/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/the-beatles-20110420 |archive-date=21 June 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> They ranked number one on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine's list of the all-time most successful Hot 100 artists, released in 2008 to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists (20-01) |date=11 September 2008 |magazine=Billboard |url=https://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-artists-20.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913150551/https://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-artists-20.shtml |archive-date=13 September 2008 |access-date=13 September 2008}}</ref> {{As of|2017}}, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, with twenty.<ref name="hot100">{{cite magazine|first=Kevin|last=Rutherford|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7744226/the-beatles-come-together-chart-history-aerosmith-godsmack|title=The Beatles, Aerosmith & Godsmack: A History of 'Come Together' on the Charts|date=30 March 2017|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=31 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170330213322/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7744226/the-beatles-come-together-chart-history-aerosmith-godsmack|archive-date=30 March 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Recording Industry Association of America]] certifies that the Beatles have sold 183&nbsp;million units in the US, more than any other artist.<ref name="insider">{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/best-selling-music-artists-of-all-time-2016-9|title=The 50 best-selling music artists of all time|last=Clark|first=Travis|date=10 March 2020|work=Business Insider|access-date=20 August 2020|archive-date=30 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200830191133/https://www.businessinsider.com/best-selling-music-artists-of-all-time-2016-9|url-status=live}}</ref> They were collectively included in ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine's compilation of the [[Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century|20th century's 100 most influential people]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Loder |first=Kurt |author-link=Kurt Loder |title=The Time 100 |url=https://www.time.com/time/time100/artists/profile/beatles.html |date=8 June 1998 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=31 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080822101414/http://www.time.com/time/time100/artists/profile/beatles.html |archive-date=22 August 2008}}</ref> In 2014, they received the [[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/paul-mccartney-and-ringo-starr-share-grammy-stage-for-rare-performance-20140126|title=Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr Share Grammy Stage for Rare Performance|date=26 January 2014|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=30 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140129235323/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/paul-mccartney-and-ringo-starr-share-grammy-stage-for-rare-performance-20140126|archive-date=29 January 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 16 January each year, beginning in 2001, people celebrate World Beatles Day under [[UNESCO]]. This date has direct relation to the opening of [[the Cavern Club]] in 1957.<ref>{{cite news |title=Мир отмечает день The Beatles|trans-title=The world is celebrating the Beatles Day |url=https://rg.ru/2013/01/16/beatles.html |newspaper=[[Rossiyskaya Gazeta]] |access-date=4 January 2020 |language=ru |date=16 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203022710/https://rg.ru/2013/01/16/beatles.html |archive-date=3 December 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Aghadadashov |first1=Jafar |title=World marks January 16 The Beatles Day |url=https://report.az/en/show-business/world-marks-january-16-the-beatles-day/ |website=report.az |access-date=4 January 2020 |date=16 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203022708/https://report.az/en/show-business/world-marks-january-16-the-beatles-day/ |archive-date=3 December 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2007, the Beatles became the first band to feature on a [[Great Britain commemorative stamps 2000–2009|series of UK postage stamps]] issued by the [[Royal Mail]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Queen – not that one – to appear on postage stamps |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jun/23/queen-to-appear-on-postage-stamps |access-date=28 June 2020 |newspaper=The Guardian |archive-date=28 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628004306/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jun/23/queen-to-appear-on-postage-stamps |url-status=live}}</ref> Earlier in 1999, the [[United States Postal Service]] issued a stamp dedicated to the Beatles and ''Yellow Submarine''.<ref>[https://postalmuseum.si.edu/us-postage-and-the-beatles-the-1999-stamp-the-2003-proofs-and-future-expectations U.S. Postage and the Beatles: The 1999 Stamp, the 2003 Proofs and Future Expectations] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112012018/https://postalmuseum.si.edu/us-postage-and-the-beatles-the-1999-stamp-the-2003-proofs-and-future-expectations |date=12 January 2023}}. Smithsonian's National Postal Museum. 27 March 2014</ref> In 2004 and 2011, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' named them the greatest artist of all time.<ref>{{cite news| last=Costello| first=Elvis| title=The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time| date=April 15, 2004| url=https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Rolling_Stone,_April_15,_2004| access-date=31 January 2024| archive-date=31 January 2024| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131193110/https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Rolling_Stone,_April_15,_2004| url-status=live}}</ref>

== Personnel ==
{{Further|List of members of bands featuring members of the Beatles}}
{{col-float-begin}}
'''Principal members'''
* [[John Lennon]]&nbsp;– vocals, guitars, keyboards, harmonica, bass <small>(1960–1969; died 1980)</small>
* [[Paul McCartney]]&nbsp;– vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards, drums <small>(1960–1970)</small>
* [[George Harrison]]&nbsp;– guitars, vocals, sitar, keyboards, bass <small>(1960–1970; died 2001)</small>
* [[Ringo Starr]]&nbsp;– drums, percussion, vocals <small>(1962–1970)</small>
{{col-float-break}}
'''Early members'''
* [[Stuart Sutcliffe]]&nbsp;– bass, vocals <small>(1960–1961; died 1962)</small>
* [[Tommy Moore (musician)|Tommy Moore]]&nbsp;– drums <small>(1960; died 1981)</small>
* [[Norman Chapman]]&nbsp;– drums <small>(1960; died 1995)</small>
* [[Pete Best]]&nbsp;– drums, vocals <small>(1960–1962)</small>
* [[Chas Newby]]&nbsp;– bass <small>(1960–1961; died 2023)</small>

'''Touring musicians'''
* [[Jimmie Nicol]]&nbsp;– drums <small>(1964)</small>
{{col-float-end}}

=== Timeline ===
{{#tag:timeline|ImageSize=width:800 height:auto barincrement:26
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  bar:Norman text:Norman Chapman
  bar:Best    text:Pete Best
  bar:Ringo  text:Ringo Starr

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  bar:Stu    from:15/01/1961 till:01/07/1961 color:bvoc     width:3
  bar:Stu    from:15/01/1961 till:01/07/1961 color:bass

  bar:Tommy    from:10/05/1960 till:11/06/1960 color:drums
  bar:Norman from:25/06/1960 till:14/07/1960 color:drums
  bar:Chas   from:17/12/1960 till:15/01/1961 color:bass 

LineData =
 color:studio
 layer:back
 at:22/03/1963
 at:22/11/1963
 at:10/07/1964
 at:04/12/1964
 at:06/08/1965
 at:03/12/1965
 at:05/08/1966
 at:26/05/1967
 at:27/11/1967
 at:22/11/1968
 at:13/01/1969
 at:26/09/1969
 at:08/05/1970}}

== Discography ==
{{Main|The Beatles discography|List of songs recorded by the Beatles}}

The Beatles have a core catalogue consisting of thirteen studio albums and a compilation of UK singles and [[Extended play|EP]] tracks:{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|pp=200–201}}{{refn|group=nb|According to Lewisohn on pg. 201, the ''Past Masters'' compilation of singles and EP tracks was originally released as two separate albums, Volumes One and Two in 1988. However, they were later merged into one compilation.}}
{{div col}}
* ''[[Please Please Me]]'' (1963)
* ''[[With the Beatles]]'' (1963)
* ''[[A Hard Day's Night (album)|A Hard Day's Night]]'' (1964)
* ''[[Beatles for Sale]]'' (1964)
* ''[[Help!]]'' (1965)
* ''[[Rubber Soul]]'' (1965)
* ''[[Revolver (Beatles album)|Revolver]]'' (1966)
* ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' (1967)
* ''[[Magical Mystery Tour]]'' (1967)
* ''[[The Beatles (album)|The Beatles]]'' ("The White Album") (1968)
* ''[[Yellow Submarine (album)|Yellow Submarine]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Abbey Road]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Let It Be (album)|Let It Be]]'' (1970)
* ''[[Past Masters]]'' (1988, compilation)
{{div col end}}

== Song catalogue ==
Until 1969, the Beatles' catalogue was published almost exclusively by [[Northern Songs|Northern Songs Ltd]], a company formed in February 1963 by music publisher [[Dick James]] specifically for Lennon and McCartney, though it later acquired songs by other artists. The company was organised with James and his partner, Emmanuel Silver, owning a controlling interest, variously described as 51% or 50% plus one share. McCartney had 20%. Reports again vary concerning Lennon's portion – 19 or 20% – and Brian Epstein's – 9 or 10% – which he received in lieu of a 25% band management fee.{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|pp=15–17}}{{sfn|Norman|1996|pp=169–71, 368–369}}{{sfn|Brown|Gaines|2002|p=178}} In 1965, the company went public. Five million shares were created, of which the original principals retained 3.75&nbsp;million. James and Silver each received 937,500 shares (18.75% of 5&nbsp;million); Lennon and McCartney each received 750,000 shares (15%); and Epstein's management company, NEMS Enterprises, received 375,000 shares (7.5%). Of the 1.25&nbsp;million shares put up for sale, Harrison and Starr each acquired 40,000.{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|pp=37–38}} At the time of the stock offering, Lennon and McCartney renewed their three-year publishing contracts, binding them to Northern Songs until 1973.{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|p=42}}

Harrison created [[Harrisongs]] to represent his Beatles compositions, but signed a three-year contract with Northern Songs that gave it the copyright to his work through March 1968, which included "[[Taxman]]" and "[[Within You Without You]]".{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|p=45}} The songs on which Starr received co-writing credit before 1968, such as "[[What Goes On (Beatles song)|What Goes On]]" and "[[Flying (Beatles instrumental)|Flying]]", were also Northern Songs copyrights.{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|pp=46–47}} Harrison did not renew his contract with Northern Songs when it ended, signing instead with [[Apple Corps|Apple Publishing]] while retaining the copyright to his work from that point on. Harrison thus owns the rights to his later Beatles songs such as "[[While My Guitar Gently Weeps]]" and "Something". That year, as well, Starr created [[Startling Music]], which holds the rights to his Beatles compositions, "Don't Pass Me By" and "[[Octopus's Garden]]".{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|pp=60–61}}{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=351}}

In March 1969, James arranged to sell his and his partner's shares of Northern Songs to the British broadcasting company [[Associated Television]] (ATV), founded by impresario [[Lew Grade]], without first informing the Beatles. The band then made a bid to gain a controlling interest by attempting to work out a deal with a consortium of London brokerage firms that had accumulated a 14% holding.{{sfn|Norman|1996|pp=369–372}} The deal collapsed over the objections of Lennon, who declared, "I'm sick of being fucked about by men in suits sitting on their fat arses in [[City of London|the City]]."{{sfn|Norman|1996|p=372}} By the end of May, ATV had acquired a majority stake in Northern Songs, controlling nearly the entire Lennon–McCartney catalogue, as well as any future material until 1973.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=296}} In frustration, Lennon and McCartney sold their shares to ATV in late October 1969.{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=236}}

In 1981, financial losses by ATV's parent company, [[Associated Communications Corporation]] (ACC), led it to attempt to sell its music division. According to authors Brian Southall and Rupert Perry, Grade contacted McCartney, offering ATV Music and Northern Songs for $30&nbsp;million.{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|p=129}} According to an account McCartney gave in 1995, he met with Grade and explained he was interested solely in the Northern Songs catalogue if Grade were ever willing to "separate off" that portion of ATV Music. Soon afterwards, Grade offered to sell him Northern Songs for £20&nbsp;million, giving the ex-Beatle "a week or so" to decide. By McCartney's account, he and Ono countered with a £5&nbsp;million bid that was rejected.{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|p=130}} According to reports at the time, Grade refused to separate Northern Songs and turned down an offer of £21–25&nbsp;million from McCartney and Ono for Northern Songs. In 1982, ACC was acquired in a [[takeover]] by Australian business magnate [[Robert Holmes à Court]] for £60&nbsp;million.{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|pp=130, 139}}

In 1985, [[Michael Jackson]] purchased ATV for a reported $47.5&nbsp;million. The acquisition gave him control over the publishing rights to more than 200 Beatles songs, as well as 40,000 other copyrights.{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|pp=140, 174, 176}} In 1995, in a deal that earned him a reported $110&nbsp;million, Jackson merged his music publishing business with [[Sony]], creating a new company, [[Sony/ATV Music Publishing]], in which he held a 50% stake. The merger made the new company, then valued at over half a billion dollars, the third-largest music publisher in the world.{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|p=198}} In 2016, Sony acquired Jackson's share of Sony/ATV from the Jackson estate for $750&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news |last=Christman |first=Ed |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7526542/sony-atv-michael-jackson-publishing-acquisition-completed |title=Sony Finalizes Acquisition of Michael Jackson Estate's Stake in Sony/ATV Publishing |magazine=Billboard |date=30 September 2016 |access-date=2 June 2020 |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112021346/https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7526542/sony-atv-michael-jackson-publishing-acquisition-completed |url-status=live }}</ref>

Despite the lack of publishing rights to most of their songs, Lennon's estate and McCartney continue to receive their respective shares of the writers' royalties, which together are 33{{frac|3}}% of total commercial proceeds in the US and which vary elsewhere around the world between 50 and 55%.{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|p=195}} Two of Lennon and McCartney's earliest songs – "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You" – were published by an EMI subsidiary, Ardmore & Beechwood, before they signed with James. McCartney acquired their publishing rights from Ardmore{{sfn|Southall|Perry|2006|pp=192–193}} in 1978,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=13&ti=1,13&SC=Author&SA=Ardmore%20%26%20Beechwood%2C%20Ltd%2E&PID=Upy2LYQ_qgX3JEfWR3-tuPzH0eAB&SEQ=20190215123104&SID=4 |title=Public Catalog |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=19 May 1978 |website=cocatalog.loc.gov |publisher=U.S. Copyright Office |access-date=15 February 2019 |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613172517/https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=13&ti=1,13&SC=Author&SA=Ardmore%20%26%20Beechwood%2C%20Ltd%2E&PID=Upy2LYQ_qgX3JEfWR3-tuPzH0eAB&SEQ=20190215123104&SID=4 |url-status=live }}</ref> and they are the only two Beatles songs owned by McCartney's company MPL Communications.{{sfn|Harry|2002|p=536}} On 18 January 2017, McCartney filed a suit in the [[United States district court]] against Sony/ATV Music Publishing seeking to reclaim ownership of his share of the Lennon–McCartney song catalogue beginning in 2018. Under US copyright law, for works published before 1978 the author can reclaim copyrights assigned to a publisher after 56 years.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jan/18/paul-mccartney-sue-sony-rights-beatles-songs|title=We can't work it out: Paul McCartney to sue Sony for rights to Beatles classics|date=18 January 2017|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=19 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119012029/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jan/18/paul-mccartney-sue-sony-rights-beatles-songs|archive-date=19 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38675147|title=Sir Paul McCartney sues Sony over Beatles songs|date=19 January 2017|agency=BBC|access-date=19 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119114251/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38675147|archive-date=19 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> McCartney and Sony agreed to a confidential settlement in June 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jul/04/beatles-song-rights-dispute-paul-mccartney-and-sony-atv-work-it-out|title=Beatles song rights dispute: Paul McCartney and Sony ATV work it out|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=4 July 2017|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=13 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504082753/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jul/04/beatles-song-rights-dispute-paul-mccartney-and-sony-atv-work-it-out|archive-date=4 May 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://fortune.com/2017/06/30/sony-beatles-copyright/|title=Paul McCartney Settles with Sony/ATV to Reclaim Beatles' Song Copyright|agency=Reuters| work=Fortune |date=30 June 2017|access-date=13 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616153758/http://fortune.com/2017/06/30/sony-beatles-copyright/|archive-date=16 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Selected filmography==
{{Main|The Beatles in film}}

'''Fictionalised'''
* ''[[A Hard Day's Night (film)|A Hard Day's Night]]'' (1964)
* ''[[Help! (film)|Help!]]'' (1965)
* ''[[Magical Mystery Tour (film)|Magical Mystery Tour]]'' (1967)
* ''[[Yellow Submarine (film)|Yellow Submarine]]'' (1968) (brief cameo)

'''Documentaries and filmed performances'''
* ''[[The Beatles at Shea Stadium]]'' (1966)
* ''[[Let It Be (1970 film)|Let It Be]]'' (1970)
* ''[[The Compleat Beatles]]'' (1982)
* ''[[It Was Twenty Years Ago Today (film)|It Was Twenty Years Ago Today]]'' (1987) (about ''Sgt. Pepper'')
* ''[[The Beatles Anthology (TV series)|The Beatles Anthology]]'' (1995)
* ''[[1 (Beatles album)#1+|The Beatles: 1+]]'' (2015) (collection of digitally restored music videos)
* ''[[The Beatles: Eight Days a Week]]'' (2016) (about Beatlemania and touring years)
* ''[[The Beatles: Get Back]]'' (2021)
* ''Now And Then: The Last Beatles Song'' (2023) (short film about the creation of '[[Now and Then (Beatles song)|Now And Then]]')

==Concert tours==
{{Main|List of the Beatles' live performances}}
{{col-float-begin}}
'''Headlining'''
* 1963 UK tours (winter–autumn)
* Autumn 1963 Sweden tour
* Winter 1964 North American tour
* Spring 1964 UK tour
* [[The Beatles' 1964 world tour|1964 world tour]]
* [[The Beatles' 1964 North American tour|1964 North American tour]]
* [[The Beatles' 1965 European tour|1965 European tour]]
* [[The Beatles' 1965 US tour|1965 US tour]]
* [[The Beatles' 1965 UK tour|1965 UK tour]]
* [[The Beatles' 1966 tour of Germany, Japan and the Philippines|1966 tour of Germany, Japan and the Philippines]]
* [[The Beatles' 1966 US tour|1966 US tour]]
{{col-float-break}}
'''Co-headlining'''
* [[The Beatles Winter 1963 Helen Shapiro Tour|Winter 1963 Helen Shapiro Tour]]
* Spring 1963 [[Tommy Roe]]/[[Chris Montez]] UK tour
* [[Roy Orbison/The Beatles Tour]]
{{col-float-end}}

==See also==
* [[Outline of the Beatles]]
* [[The Beatles timeline]]
* [[Grammy Award records#Most Grammys won by a group|Grammy Award records – most Grammys won by a group]]
* [[List of songs recorded by the Beatles]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=nb}}

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |last=Austerlitz |first=Saul |year=2007 |title=Money for Nothing: A History of the Music Video, from The Beatles to The White Stripes |publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]] |location=Ann Arbor |isbn=978-0-7119-7520-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Badman |first=Keith |year=1999 |edition=2001 |title=The Beatles After the Breakup 1970–2000: A Day-by-Day Diary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wTZRwz8N9jIC&pg=PP1 |publisher=Omnibus |location=London |isbn=978-0-7119-8307-6 |access-date=31 March 2014 |archive-date=22 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122040554/https://books.google.com/books?id=wTZRwz8N9jIC&pg=PP1 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |author=The Beatles |year=2000 |title=The Beatles Anthology |publisher=[[Chronicle Books]] |location=San Francisco |isbn=978-0-8118-2684-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HWuQu8EMDKcC |access-date=31 March 2014 |archive-date=21 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230121092524/https://books.google.com/books?id=HWuQu8EMDKcC |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Benson |first=Bruce Ellis |year=2003 |title=The Improvisation of Musical Dialogue: A Phenomenology of Music |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qJ1Q7ZeRr5EC&pg=PP1 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |location=Cambridge and New York |isbn=978-0-521-00932-4 |access-date=31 March 2014 |archive-date=22 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122040553/https://books.google.com/books?id=qJ1Q7ZeRr5EC&pg=PP1 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Boyd |first=Pattie |date=2008 |author-link=Pattie Boyd |title=Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me |url=https://archive.org/details/wonderfultonight00boyd_0 |publisher=[[Three Rivers Press]] |isbn=978-0-307-40783-2 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Peter |year=2002 |author-link=Peter Brown (music industry) |last2=Gaines |first2=Steven |author-link2=Steven Gaines |title=[[The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of The Beatles]] |publisher=[[New American Library]] |location=New York |isbn=978-0-451-20735-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Campbell |first=Michael |year=2008 |title=Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes On |publisher=Wadsworth |location=East Windsor, CT |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nIZSM3zxNUEC |isbn=978-0-495-50530-3 |access-date=31 March 2014 }}
* {{cite book |last=Davies |first=Hunter |year=1968 |title=The Beatles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WpsszVLFsMEC&pg=PP1 |edition=Revised 2009 |location=New York & London |publisher=[[W. W. Norton & Company|W. W. Norton]] |author-link=Hunter Davies |isbn=978-0-393-33874-4 |access-date=31 March 2014 |archive-date=22 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122040554/https://books.google.com/books?id=WpsszVLFsMEC&pg=PP1 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Doggett |first=Peter |year=2009 |title=You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=luOMJFxe-bYC |edition=1st US hardcover |location=New York |publisher=[[Harper (publisher)|Harper]] |isbn=978-0-06-177446-1 |access-date=31 March 2014 }}
* {{cite book |last=Doggett |first=Peter |title=You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup |publisher=It Books |location=New York |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-06-177418-8}}
* {{cite book |last1=Emerick |first1=Geoff |year=2006 |author-link=Geoff Emerick |last2=Massey |first2=Howard |title=Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles |location=New York |publisher=[[Gotham Books|Gotham]] |isbn=978-1-59240-179-6}}
* {{cite book |last=Everett |first=Walter |year=1999 |title=The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eTkHAldi4bEC&pg=PP1 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford and New York |isbn=978-0-19-512941-0 |access-date=31 March 2014 |archive-date=21 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230121092004/https://books.google.com/books?id=eTkHAldi4bEC&pg=PP1 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Everett |first=Walter |year=2001 |title=The Beatles As Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul |url=https://archive.org/details/beatlesasmusicia00ever |url-access=registration |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford and New York |isbn=978-0-19-514105-4 |access-date=31 March 2014 }}
* {{cite book |last=Fisher |first=Marc |year=2007 |title=Something in the Air |url=https://archive.org/details/somethinginairra00fish |url-access=registration |publisher=[[Random House]] |location=New York |isbn=978-0-375-50907-0 |access-date=31 March 2014 }}
* {{cite book |last = Frontani |first = Michael R. |year = 2007 |title = The Beatles: Image and the Media |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=QHtMYEl4QxsC&pg=PP1 |publisher = University Press of Mississippi |isbn = 978-1-57806-965-1 |access-date = 31 March 2014 |archive-date = 22 January 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230122040554/https://books.google.com/books?id=QHtMYEl4QxsC&pg=PP1 |url-status = live }}
* {{Gilliland |show=27 |title=The British Are Coming! The British Are Coming!: The U.S.A. is invaded by a wave of long-haired English rockers}}
* {{cite book |last=Goodman |first=Fred |location=Boston, New York |year=2015 |title=Allen Klein: The Man Who Bailed Out the Beatles, Made the Stones, and Transformed Rock & Roll |publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]] |isbn=978-0-547-89686-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Gould |first=Jonathan |year=2007 |title=Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain and America |publisher=Three Rivers Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-307-35338-2}}
* {{cite book |last=Granata |first=Charles L. |title=I Just Wasn't Made for These Times: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds |date=2003 |publisher=Unanimous |location=London |isbn=978-1-55652-507-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/wouldntitbenice00char }}
* {{cite book |last=Harris |first=Jonathan |year=2005 |chapter=Introduction: Abstraction and Empathy – Psychedelic Distortion and the Meaning of the 1960s |editor-last=Grunenberg |editor-first=Christoph |editor2=Jonathan Harris|title=Summer of Love: Psychedelic Art, Social Crisis and Counterculture in the 1960s |publisher=[[Liverpool University Press]] |location=Liverpool |isbn=978-0-85323-919-2}}
* {{cite book |last=Harry |first=Bill |year=2000a |author-link=Bill Harry |title=The Beatles Encyclopedia: Revised and Updated |publisher=[[Virgin Books|Virgin]] |location=London |isbn=978-0-7535-0481-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Harry |first=Bill |year=2003 |title=The George Harrison Encyclopedia |publisher=Virgin |location=London |isbn=978-0-7535-0822-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Harry |first=Bill |year=2000b |title=The John Lennon Encyclopedia |publisher=Virgin |location=London |isbn=978-0-7535-0404-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Harry |first=Bill |year=2002 |title=The Paul McCartney Encyclopedia |publisher=Virgin |location=London |isbn=978-0-7535-0716-2}}
* {{cite book |first=Nick|last=Hasted|title=You Really Got Me: The Story of The Kinks|publisher=Omnibus Press|year=2017|isbn=978-1-7855-8851-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Hertsgaard |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Hertsgaard |year=1995 |chapter=We All Want to Change the World: Drugs, Politics, and Spirituality |title=A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of the Beatles |chapter-url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/67755284/We-All-Want-to-Change-the-World-Drugs-Politics-and-Spirituality |publisher=[[Dell Publishing|Delacorte Press]] |location=New York |isbn=978-0-385-31517-3 |access-date=31 March 2014 |archive-date=17 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317015412/http://www.scribd.com/doc/67755284/We-All-Want-to-Change-the-World-Drugs-Politics-and-Spirituality |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Ingham |first=Chris |year=2006 |title=The Rough Guide to The Beatles |location=London |publisher=[[Rough Guides]] |isbn=978-1-84353-720-5}}
* {{cite book |last=Inglis |first=Ian |year=2008 |chapter=Cover Story: Magic, Myth and Music |title=Sgt. Pepper and the Beatles: It Was Forty Years Ago Today |editor-last=Julien |editor-first=Olivier |location=Aldershot, UK, and Burlington, VT |publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing|Ashgate]] |isbn=978-0-7546-6249-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|year=2006|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York, NY|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|isbn=978-0-19-531373-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Lavezzoli |first=Peter |year=2006 |title=The Dawn of Indian Music in the West: Bhairavi |location=New York and London |publisher=[[Continuum International Publishing Group|Continuum]] |isbn=978-0-8264-1815-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OSZKCXtx-wEC |access-date=31 March 2014 |archive-date=22 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122040555/https://books.google.com/books?id=OSZKCXtx-wEC |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Lewisohn |first=Mark |year=1988 |author-link=Mark Lewisohn |title=The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions |publisher=Harmony |location=New York |isbn=978-0-517-57066-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Lewisohn |first=Mark |year=1992 |edition=2010 |location=Chicago |title=The Complete Beatles Chronicle:The Definitive Day-By-Day Guide To the Beatles' Entire Career |publisher=[[Chicago Review Press]] |isbn=978-1-56976-534-0 }}
* {{cite book|last=Lewisohn |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Lewisohn |title=The Beatles – All These Years, Volume One: Tune In |publisher=Crown Archetype |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-4000-8305-3 }}
* {{cite book |last=MacDonald |first=Ian |year=2005 |author-link=Ian MacDonald |title=Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties |edition=2nd revised |publisher=Pimlico |location=London |isbn=978-1-84413-828-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Martin |first=George |author-link=George Martin |year=1979 |title=All You Need Is Ears |publisher=St. Marten's Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-312-11482-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Yoio9MewhcC |access-date=31 March 2014 }}
* {{cite book |last=McNeil |first=Alex |year=1996 |title=Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present |location=New York City |publisher=Penguin Books |edition=4th |isbn=978-0-14-024916-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Miles |first=Barry |year=1997 |author-link=Barry Miles |title=Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now |publisher=[[Henry Holt and Company]] |location=New York |isbn=978-0-8050-5249-7|title-link=Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now }}
* {{cite book |last=Miles |first=Barry |year=1998 |title=The Beatles: A Diary – An Intimate Day by Day History |location=London |publisher=Omnibus |isbn=978-0-7119-9196-5}}
* {{cite book |last=Miles |first=Barry |title=The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years |publisher=Omnibus Press |location=London |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-7119-8308-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Neaverson|first=Bob|title=The Beatles Movies|publisher=Cassell|location=London|year=1997|isbn=978-0-304-33796-5|url=http://www.beatlesmovies.co.uk/magical-mystery-tour/background.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091002072940/http://www.beatlesmovies.co.uk/magical-mystery-tour/background.asp|archive-date=2 October 2009|via=beatlesmovies.co.uk (chapter: "Magical Mystery Tour Part 1 – Background and Production")}}
* {{cite book |last=Norman |first=Philip |author-link=Philip Norman (author) |title=Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation |location=New York |publisher=Fireside |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-684-43254-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Norman |first=Philip |title=John Lennon: The Life |location=New York |publisher=Ecco/HarperCollins |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-06-075401-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/johnlennonlife00norm_0 }}
* {{cite book|last1=Pang|first1=May|title=Instamatic Karma: Photographs of John Lennon|date=2008|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=978-1-4299-9397-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YLCmcCgjvfYC&q=in+the+unlikely+backdrop+of+the+Polynesian+Village+Hotel+at+Disney+World%2C+ended+the+greatest+rock+%27n%27+roll+band+in+history&pg=PT118|access-date=7 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160111145120/https://books.google.cl/books?id=YLCmcCgjvfYC&pg=PT118#v=onepage&q=in%20the%20unlikely%20backdrop%20of%20the%20Polynesian%20Village%20Hotel%20at%20Disney%20World%2C%20ended%20the%20greatest%20rock%20'n'%20roll%20band%20in%20history|archive-date=11 January 2016|url-status=live}}
* {{cite book | author=Pawlowski, Gareth L. | title=How They Became The Beatles | publisher=McDonald & Co (Publishers) Ltd | year=1990 | isbn=978-0-356-19052-5|ref={{SfnRef|Pawlowski|1990}}}}
* {{cite book |last=Pedler |first=Dominic |year=2003 |title=The Songwriting Secrets of The Beatles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fts1uK4ceJ8C&pg=PP1 |publisher=Omnibus |location=London |isbn=978-0-7119-8167-6 |access-date=31 March 2014 |archive-date=22 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122041059/https://books.google.com/books?id=fts1uK4ceJ8C&pg=PP1 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Rodriguez |first=Robert |year=2010 |title=Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980 |location=New York |publisher=Backbeat |isbn=978-0-87930-968-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Sandford |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Sandford (biographer) |year=2006 |title=McCartney |location=New York |publisher=[[Carroll & Graf Publishers|Carroll & Graf]] |isbn=978-0-7867-1614-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/mccartney00sand }}
* {{cite book|last=Schaffner|first=Nicholas|author-link=Nicholas Schaffner|title=The Beatles Forever|publisher=McGraw-Hill|location=New York, NY|year=1978|isbn=978-0-07-055087-2|url=https://archive.org/details/beatlesforever00scha}}
* {{cite book |last1=Schinder |first1=Scott |year=2007 |last2=Schwartz |first2=Andy |title=Icons of Rock: An Encyclopedia of the Legends Who Changed Music Forever |publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group|Greenwood Press]] |location=Westport, CT |isbn=978-0-313-33845-8}}
* {{cite book |last1=Southall |first1=Brian |first2=Rupert |last2=Perry |year=2006 |title=Northern Songs: The True Story of the Beatles Song Publishing Empire |publisher=Omnibus |location=London |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HWSRvGfa3-sC |isbn=978-1-84609-237-4 |access-date=31 March 2014 |archive-date=21 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230121092522/https://books.google.com/books?id=HWSRvGfa3-sC |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Sheff |first=David |editor-last=Golson |editor-first=G. Barry |publisher=Playboy |year=1981 |title=The Playboy Interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono |isbn=978-0-87223-705-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/playboyinterview00lenn_0 }}
* {{cite book |last=Spitz |first=Bob |year=2005 |author-link=Bob Spitz |title=The Beatles: The Biography |publisher=[[Little, Brown and Company|Little, Brown]] |location=New York |isbn=978-0-316-80352-6|title-link=The Beatles: The Biography }}
* {{cite book |last=Spizer |first=Bruce |year=2004 |title=The Beatles Are Coming! The Birth of Beatlemania in America |publisher=498 Productions |location=New Orleans |isbn=978-0-9662649-9-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Strong |first=Martin |year=2004 |title=The Great Rock Discography |publisher=[[Canongate Books|Canongate]] |location=Edinburgh and New York |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_WoRAPJQ58sC |isbn=978-1-84195-615-2 |access-date=31 March 2014 |archive-date=22 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122041057/https://books.google.com/books?id=_WoRAPJQ58sC |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book|last=Turner|first=Steve|author-link=Steve Turner (writer)|title=Beatles '66: The Revolutionary Year|year=2016|publisher=Ecco|location=New York, NY|isbn=978-0-06-247558-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Winn |first=John C. |year=2008 |title=Way Beyond Compare: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume One, 1957–1965 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UwvYhxcBr5oC |publisher=Three Rivers Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-307-45157-6 |access-date=31 March 2014 |archive-date=22 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122041057/https://books.google.com/books?id=UwvYhxcBr5oC |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Winn |first=John C. |year=2009 |title=That Magic Feeling: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume Two, 1966–1970 |publisher=Three Rivers Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-307-45239-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LdsMqbAQJWgC |access-date=31 March 2014 }}
* {{cite book |last=Womack |first=Kenneth |year=2007 |title=Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles |publisher=Continuum |location=London & New York |isbn=978-0-8264-1746-6}}
{{refend}}

== Further reading ==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |last=Astley |first=John |year=2006 |title=Why Don't We Do It In The Road? The Beatles Phenomenon |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_JZzwWc6bOlIC |publisher=The Company of Writers |isbn=978-0-9551834-7-8 }}
* {{cite book|last=Barrow |first=Tony |year=2005 | title = John, Paul, George, Ringo & Me: The Real Beatles Story |publisher=Thunder's Mouth |location=New York|isbn=978-1-56025-882-7 }}
* {{cite book|last1=Bramwell |first1=Tony |year=2006|last2=Kingsland |first2=Rosemary | title = Magical Mystery Tours: My Life with the Beatles |location=New York |publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=978-0-312-33044-6 }}
* {{cite book|last=Braun |first=Michael |year=1964 | title = Love Me Do: The Beatles' Progress |location=London |publisher=Penguin |edition=1995 reprint |isbn=978-0-14-002278-0}}
* {{cite book|last1=Carr |first1=Roy |year=1975 |last2=Tyler |first2=Tony |location=New York | title = The Beatles: An Illustrated Record |publisher=Harmony Books |isbn=978-0-517-52045-1}}
* {{cite book| title=A Cellarful of Noise| last=Epstein| first=Brian| author-link = Brian Epstein| year=1964| publisher=[[Byron Preiss]]| isbn=978-0-671-01196-3|oclc=39211052| title-link= A Cellarful of Noise}}
* {{cite book |author=((Federal Bureau of Investigation)) |author-link=FBI |year=2007 |title=The Beatles: The FBI Files |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q-StswEACAAJ&pg=PA1 |publisher=Filiquarian |isbn=978-1-59986-256-9 |access-date=5 November 2023 |archive-date=5 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105155731/https://books.google.com/books?id=q-StswEACAAJ&pg=PA1 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book|last=Greene|first=Doyle|year=2016|title=Rock, Counterculture and the Avant-Garde, 1966–1970: How the Beatles, Frank Zappa and the Velvet Underground Defined an Era|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, NC|isbn=978-1-4766-6214-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Harry |first=Bill |location=Poole, Dorset | title = The Book Of Beatle Lists |publisher=Javelin |year=1985 |isbn=978-0-7137-1521-7}}
* {{cite book|last=Kirchherr |first=Astrid |author-link=Astrid Kirchherr |author2=Voormann, Klaus | title = Hamburg Days |location=Guildford, Surrey |publisher=Genesis Publications |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-904351-73-6|author2-link=Klaus Voormann }}
* {{cite book |last=Lennon |first=Cynthia |year=2005 |author-link=Cynthia Lennon |title=John |url=https://archive.org/details/john0len20lenn |url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher=Crown Publishers |isbn=978-0-307-33855-6 }}
* {{cite book |last=Mansfield |first=Ken |author-link=Ken Mansfield |title=The White Book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Je7C3JHRs7UC&q=The%20White%20Book&pg=PP1 |publisher=Thomas Nelson |location=Nashville, TN |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-59555-101-6 |access-date=31 March 2014 |archive-date=22 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122041059/https://books.google.com/books?id=Je7C3JHRs7UC&q=The%20White%20Book&pg=PP1 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book|last1=Martin |first1=George |author-link=George Martin |last2=Pearson |first2=William | title = Summer of Love: The Making of Sgt. Pepper |publisher=Macmillan |location=London |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-333-60398-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Riley |first=Tim |title=Lennon: The Man, the Myth, the Music – The Definitive Life |url=https://archive.org/details/lennonmanmythmus00rile |url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher=Hyperion/HarperCollins |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-4013-2452-0 }}
* {{cite book|last1=Sheffield|first1=Rob|title=Dreaming the Beatles|date=2017|publisher=Harper Collins|location=New York|isbn=978-0-06-220765-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Turner |first=Steve |author-link=Steve Turner (writer) | title = A Hard Day's Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles Song |edition=3rd |publisher=Harper Paperbacks |location=New York |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-06-084409-7 }}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|date=3 July 2015|The Beatles, Part 1.ogg|The Beatles, Part 2.ogg|The Beatles - Part 3.ogg}}
{{Sister project links
 |b= no|c= Category:The Beatles|d= Q1299|m= no|mw= no|n= Category:The Beatles|q= The Beatles|s=no |species=no |v=no |voy=no |wikt=Beatles}}
* {{official website}}
* {{Amazon Music artist|B00GB0QTOY}}
* [https://archive.org/search?query=the+Beatles+ The Beatles] on the [[Internet Archive]]
* {{Twitter}}
* {{Curlie|Arts/Music/Bands_and_Artists/B/Beatles/}}
* [https://vault.fbi.gov/The%20Beatles The Beatles] – [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] file
* {{citation|hdl=1903.1/4593|title=The Hugo Keesing Collection on the Beatles|publisher=University of Maryland}}
<!--Please discuss on the talk page before adding any more links. Thank you. -->

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