The Beatles portal

The Beatles were a highly successful and popular British rock band from Liverpool, England. They are widely regarded as the most influential rock band in history and are known world-wide. The Beatles continue to be a major influence on music well into the 21st century, having sold over a billion records overall. The Beatles paved the way for new musical styles and influenced cultural revolutions in the 1960s and 1970s. The members of the most famous line-up of The Beatles were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

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The Beatles, a pop and rock group that formed in Liverpool, England in 1960, were one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music. During their years of stardom, the band consisted of John Lennon (rhythm guitar, vocals), Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals). Although their initial musical style was rooted in 1950s rock and roll and skiffle, the group worked with different musical genres, ranging from Tin Pan Alley to psychedelic rock. Their clothes, style and statements made them trend-setters, while their growing social awareness saw their influence extend into the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s. After the band broke up in 1970, all four members embarked upon successful solo careers.

The Beatles have sold over one billion records internationally. In the United Kingdom, The Beatles released more than 40 different singles, albums, and EPs that reached number one, earning more number one albums (15) than any other group in UK chart history. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, The Beatles have sold more albums in the United States than any other band. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked The Beatles number one in its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. According to that same magazine, The Beatles' innovative music and cultural impact helped define the 1960s, and their influence on pop culture is still evident today. In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of top-selling Hot 100 artists to celebrate the chart's fiftieth anniversary, with The Beatles at #1.

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Did you know...

• ...that Mark David Chapman, the man who killed John Lennon outside The Dakota (pictured), was obsessed with the J.D.Salinger novel, The Catcher in the Rye?
• ...that Beatlemania! With the Beatles was The Beatles' first album released in Canada?
• ...that Germán Valdés was removed from the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band because he requested that Ringo Starr replace him with a Mexican pottery tree of life.

In the news

• 9 September: The Beatles: Rock Band and The Beatles' remastered albums are released
• 27 August: Guardian: Beatles manager Brian Epstein to be focus of Fab Four biopic
• 9 July: NME: Paul McCartney not surprised Michael Jackson didn't leave him Beatles songs
• 19 March: Click Liverpool: Hey Nude! Beatles Bed In crashed by streaker
• 18 March: NME: Dhani Harrison proposes Beatles-only download site

• September 25: Manson Family killer Susan Atkins dies in prison

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John Lennon says that the song "Nowhere Man" was written about himself, and the song was used to describe Jeremy Hilary Boob PhD in the 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine. It first appeared on the Rubber Soul album in the UK, and on Yesterday and Today in the US.

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The Beatles WikiProject

• The Beatles WikiProject is a project that helps to assemble writers and editors interested in The Beatles.
• The aim of this project is to standardize and improve articles related to The Beatles, as well as to create any missing articles.
• To become a member of this WikiProject (anyone may join), simply click here - and add {{user|username}}.

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