The Beatles (The Beatles, also translated as The Beatles) is undoubtedly the greatest, most influential, most successful band in the history of pop music. The Beatles' revolutionary development and influence on popular music is unparalleled. They made a huge contribution to the development of rock music around the world and influenced the music of several generations of rock bands since the 1960s. and ideas, directly affected the reform and development of rock music. In the UK, the Beatles have influenced the formation and development of almost every band from the 1960s to the present. The four great musicians in the band, especially John Lennon and Paul McCartney, have continued to influence future generations of rock singers and music creators in all corners of the world to this day. In the 1960s, the Beatles led a vigorous wave of musical and cultural invasion known as the "British Invasion" in the United States, which fundamentally impacted the foundation of American music and completely buried "Elvis Presley". "The dynasty of Elvis Presley dominated the American record market and influenced the development of American pop music. It had an impact on the American record industry forty years later. Traces can still be found today.

Although the Beatles only existed for ten years from their establishment to their disbandment, as a revolutionary music culture, the band not only has the highest records in the world, but also has records that are difficult for future generations to match. sales records, and their cultural influence has long exceeded their art itself. Over the past few decades, the Beatles have become a symbol of popular music and culture, and have also become a trademark of British culture and British history. Some of their members have also been knighted by the Queen of England. The Beatles led the direction of popular culture in various countries around the world in the 1960s and 1970s, becoming a fashion icon. Everything about the Beatles has become a commodity with the most cultural connotation. The Beatles once Anything used can be auctioned off for astonishing amounts of money. In addition to being on countless covers of various magazines, the Beatles are often featured on stamps, postcards and other souvenirs from many countries around the world. They have countless related themed museums and documentaries, movies and other related cultural materials. Storage organization. In addition, there are still a large number of professional imitators of Beatles members in the world, as well as institutions and organizations that professionally organize and judge imitation competitions. The Beatles and Beatle culture have long since become an important part of human culture in the 20th century and will be forever engraved. As a trademark of the popular culture of the last century, they have never been challenged by any challenge.

It is very difficult to trace back the formation, development and countless glorious achievements of The Beatles. Initially, this mythical band began in the famous British city of Liverpool. As early as five or six years before the Beatles recorded an album that shocked the world, this music group, which did not look much different from other unknown bands, had already begun their legendary experience. In the 1950s, noise jazz became popular in the UK. John Lennon (born on October 9, 1940, assassinated in New York, USA on December 8, 1980), who was only a teenager at the time, was chasing the trend at that time. A rebellious youth, in 1956, 16-year-old John Lennon met Paul McCartney (born on June 18, 1942), who was two years younger than him, in a church in Liverpool. Both of them left each other A very deep impression, two of the greatest pop stars in the history of pop music came together. In March 1957, Lennon, who was in high school, purchased a guitar and formed a noise jazz band called the Quarrymen on the high school campus. The band's name came from their school, Quarry Bank High School.

Paul McCartney immediately joined Lennon's band as another guitarist, and soon McCartney's good friend George Harrison (born February 25, 1943, November 2001) Died of malignant brain tumor in Los Angeles, USA on September 29th) also joined the band and became the third guitarist. At the same time, other musicians gradually joined and quit the band on the high school campus. Among them, they stayed in the band. The longer-term member was drummer Colin Hanton, who joined in 1957 and quit in 1958. Eventually, three Liverpool guitarists, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, formed the core stable lineup of the Quarrymen in the late 1950s.

In March 1960, John Lennon’s college classmate and good friend, the talented bassist Stuart Sutcliffe (born June 23, 1940, 1962 died of sudden cerebral hemorrhage on April 10) joined the Quarrymen, and he suggested that the band change its name to the Beatles. In the summer of 1960, the Quarrymen changed their name to the Silver Beatles. , the band, which had been lacking a permanent drummer, also found a suitable drummer, Pete Best (born on November 24, 1941, in Madras, India) to join. In August of the same year, the band was officially named The Beatles. ). The Beatles then went to Hamburg in the Federal Republic of Germany as the band's starting point in Europe, but the experience in Hamburg poured cold water on the Beatles. In Hamburg, although the Beatles were very successful in some local clubs and became a well-known and popular local band, at the end of 1960, because George Harrison was underage, they After being deported by West Germany, the Beatles returned to Liverpool, England, but the band gradually became a well-known small band in the local area through some performances in Liverpool.

In March 1961, the Beatles returned to Hamburg, Germany, to participate in the recording of the album as the back-up band for Hamburg singer Tony Sheridan. During this period, the Beatles The band also wrote some songs, but they were not published, but these songs were released one after another after the Beatles became famous. These early works proved that they had begun to show their talents from this time on. At the same time, the Beatles' career in Liverpool became increasingly brilliant. Performances in local clubs and bars gradually brought them from an underground band to the forefront of local music culture. In Liverpool and Merseyside In the Merseyside area, the Beatles already had a large number of loyal fans and listeners, and their regular performances at the Cavern Club had already become a legend in the pop music industry. Throughout 1961, The Beatles' series of activities laid a very solid foundation for their future success, but also in 1961, the band's bassist Stuart Sutslieffe returned to college to complete his studies. , Paul McCartney became the band's new bassist, George Harrison became the lead guitarist, John Lennon served as rhythm guitar, and Peter Best served as drummer, but at the same time they sang and performed. From time to time, they often exchange and play various other instruments, and almost everyone is the lead singer of the band.

In 1961, when the Beatles played and performed in Liverpool, the band went from singing only cover songs to later writing their own songs, especially John Lennon and Paul The two McCartneys collaborated with each other to create a large number of songs that would become popular in the future. At the same time, they also began to explore their own musical styles, from the initial noise jazz to gradually drawing from folk, blues, R&B music and rock music. The essence was integrated to form his own style. At the same time, he began to explore the playing skills of various instruments and integrate them into the band's music. In the same year, Astrid Kirchherr, a loyal fan of the Beatles and the girlfriend of the band's former bassist Suzlieffe, suddenly had the idea to let all members of the band cut their hair into a mop-top hairstyle. The weird idea became a reality, and this hairstyle became one of the trademarks of the Beatles after they became famous, and led to the subsequent popular direction. However, not every member of the band is very willing to cut their hair into a mop-top hairstyle. The band's drummer Best has a completely different hairstyle from the other members of the band. At the end of 1961, the great potential of the Beatles was recognized by Liverpool record store owner Brian Epstein (born September 19, 1934, died of a drug overdose at his home in London on August 27, 1967) Discovered and soon became the Beatles' manager, his successful operation was about to bring the Beatles to the pinnacle of world music.

On January 1, 1962, the Beatles went to Decca Records to audition, but were eventually rejected by record company manager Mike Smith, who claimed that the guitar band had no future. . They had been rejected by many record companies before, but under the leadership of Epstein, the Beatles once again went to Parlophone, a subsidiary of EMI Records, to try their luck. After auditioning, record company producer George George Martin officially signed with The Beatles on May 9, 1962. In addition to being busy negotiating with the record company, the Beatles also continued to perform in Germany and the United Kingdom. After successfully signing with the record company, Epstein began to concentrate on packaging the band's image. In addition to the hairstyle that had been formed, he also On August 16, 1962, the unsociable drummer Peter Best was expelled from the band by Epstein. This decision caused widespread and lasting controversy, and his expulsion The reasons are also rumored to be various. Some say that Best left the band because of his unsuitable dress and hairstyle. Others say that Best left the band because of his eccentric and changeable personality and other members of the band being jealous of his good image. He was fired especially because of his status among female fans, and there are also claims that producer George Martin was dissatisfied with his drumming skills. In the end, Liverpool-born drummer Ringo Starr (formerly known as Richard Starkey, born July 7, 1940) was recruited into the band to replace Peter Best, and the band members also achieved uniformity. Liverpool local. Another important event for the Beatles in 1962 was the death of the band's former bassist Stuart Sutslifay due to cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 22. After Ringo Starr joined, the Beatles immediately began recording the band's first single, "Love Me Do/PS I Love You." After the single was released, it successfully ranked in the top 20 of the British singles chart. It is said that Epstein spent his own money to buy 10,000 copies of the band's single to make it into the chart. At the same time, the Beatles also Officially becoming a regular guest performer on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), from 1962 to 1964, the Beatles performed more than 50 performances on the BBC.

In 1963, the Beatles' second single "Please Please Me" quickly became the number one single on the British singles chart. At the same time, this single was also recognized as the "British Invasion" ” Wave’s iconic single. The Beatles then released their third single "From Me to You" which also became number one on the UK singles chart. On March 22, 1963, the Beatles released their first album "Please Please Me". After its release, the album quickly became the number one on the British album chart and dominated the charts for an amazingly long time. For 30 weeks, this caused a sensation in the UK. From the royal family to the common people, everyone was attracted by the music of the Beatles. Both male and female fans were fascinated by it. These fanatics also had their own The proper noun "Beatlemania (Beatlemania)". The Beatles' music had initially taken shape at this time. Their energetic music catered to the new generation of young people in post-war Britain who were demanding cultural liberation, and drove the development of this trend. At the same time, their music incorporated different Style and musical elements, impeccable musical melody and harmonious musical fusion, combined with energetic guitar playing, poetic lyrics and extremely infectious singing, quickly dominated the British music market and also drove With the development of the entire British culture, Paul McCartney and John Lennon became the core of the band's music creation. The perfect cooperation between the two geniuses became a legend in the music industry. Producer George Martin's outstanding production talents have also been recognized by people. His perfect understanding of the Beatles' music, and his exquisite music and instrumental arrangements have become an important factor in the brilliant achievements of the Beatles' music. The greater thing about the Beatles is that they did not let their music fall into a formulaic cycle. They did not let their music stagnate. Instead, they continued to explore and move forward to further develop and improve their music. Music style, and further improve in arrangement, composition, and instrumental performance. The Beatles' second album "With the Beatles", released at the end of 1963, not only further consolidated their status, but also fully demonstrated the band's maturity in composition, coordination and arrangement of various instruments. They used a variety of different instruments to create and perfectly perform many different musical melodies and arrange them harmoniously together. At this time, the Beatles already had the power to be kings superior to anyone else. By 1963 By the end of the year, the Beatles had initially dominated British music, with fanatical fans spread across every corner of the UK. They had only released two albums, but the Beatles had become a cultural phenomenon.

The United States on the other side of the Atlantic will obviously not turn a deaf ear to the madness in the United Kingdom. Capitol, EMI’s partner in the United States, became the first beneficiary. The single they released quickly swept the American singles chart. In early 1964, Capitol released the Beatles' first American album "Meet the Beatles". As a result, they caused even more intense madness in the United States and the United Kingdom. Shortly after the album was released, the Beatles appeared on the TV program "The Ed." Sullivan Show", which attracted more than 73 million viewers across the United States. A large number of Beatle fanatics also appeared in the United States. The Beatles became the most popular and sensational band in the United States. . Similarly, the emergence of the Beatles also set off the "British Invasion" wave. Since then, every Beatles album and every single has easily topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Their dominance of the record market is such that no one or band can have any impact on them. In 1964, the Beatles starred in their first movie "A Hard Day's Night." In this autobiographical film, in addition to the cheerful and lively musical comedy format, it won huge box office results and critical acclaim. In addition to widespread acclaim, the film soundtrack contributed by the band was even more revolutionary.

The perfection of Lennon and McCartney continues. In addition to leading the development of music in the UK, British rock-style music also forced some slow-paced folk song-style bands and singers in the United States to devote themselves to rock music. Even Elvis, the symbol of American music, began to make changes in a desperate struggle to save his own music market. In the soundtrack of this movie, George Harrison was influenced by Bob Dylan, the "revolutionary music poet" in the United States, who threw away his acoustic guitar and picked up an electric guitar to sing rock and roll. The second person picked up an electric guitar. The use of guitar to play rock songs had a huge impact, directly promoting the revolutionary change of rock music and affecting the future development of rock music.

As the Beatles successfully opened the door to the American record market, many British bands such as the Rolling Stones swarmed in, fundamentally impacting the American music market. "British "Invasion" launched with great fanfare on a larger scale, but no band ever posed a threat to the Beatles' status, and the Beatles, together with Bob Dylan, became the godfathers of the subsequent development of rock music. The many bands influenced the styles and ideas of subsequent generations of American rock music singers and bands. From 1964 to 1965, the Beatles released "Something New", "Beatles for Sale", "Beatles '65", "Beatles VI", "Help!", "Rubber Soul" and many other albums and Movie soundtracks, in addition to continuing to easily obtain huge sales, although some parts have a commercial-induced color, most of them are also making continuous progress in music. In terms of the integration of guitar playing and the use of other instruments from various countries, The band is still the world's leader, and they continue to absorb the essence of other musicians. Lennon learned a lot of excellent experience from Bob Dylan's lyric creation, and reflected it in his own music. This kind of The Beatles' constant pursuit of progress allowed them to maintain their glorious achievements in the field of music. Some of their singles during this period also showed folk and country styles, and paid more attention to the personal feelings of Lennon and McCartney. Express. In addition to releasing albums, the Beatles also increased their global tours, which gradually made their glory and huge influence global, and their fans began to spread to every corner of the world. At the same time, the movie "Help!" in which they starred achieved even greater success at the box office.

In 1966, the Beatles released the album "Revolver". This album is still selling well around the world, but the style of this album has begun to become more psychedelic. Although this album This change is very successful. The arrangement, melody, and guitar performance are all still perfectly coordinated and organized. However, some fans who have listened to the Beatles' rock style before have some voices who think that the Beatles should continue their own style. The instrumental and vocal music express a very perfect rock and roll style, and should not tend to be psychedelic. Despite the different voices, the vast majority of Beatles fanatics still continue their fanaticism. Many singles in the album still easily top the charts in various countries around the world, continuing the Beatles' previous glory. The cover of another album "Yesterday...And Today" released in 1966 caused considerable controversy because the cover featured raw meat and butchered dolls to protest Capitol Records' control of the production and sale of their records in the American market. As a result, these records were sealed and banned from sale shortly after they were sent to the record store before they were released. They were not put on sale again until a week later when the covers were changed to ordinary patterns. Now, he has the original cover of the album in his collection. The value has already exceeded tens of thousands of dollars. In the same year, the band was once banned by radio stations and media because of Lennon's remarks that "The Beatles are more popular than Jesus", but this only lasted for a short time before the media compromised. After the Beatles apologized, They reopened their doors to the Beatles, who indeed seemed more popular than Jesus.

However, after the band concluded their concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on August 29, 1966, they announced that they would suspend touring and concentrate on music creation in the recording studio. However, the media widely believed that the band was about to disband, especially since the band members began to develop their own music while focusing on the development of the band, which further stimulated the spread of this theory. However, the Beatles finally released the new single core album The release completely dispelled all speculations in the media.

In 1967, the Beatles released the album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". This album not only allowed the Beatles to continue their dominant position in the pop and rock world, but also became the Beatles' Shi's excellent psychedelic music album, the mixture of multiple instruments and the remix of multiple songs, etc., the melody, arrangement, lyrics, instrumental music and other aspects are still impeccable. At the same time, the hippie attitude revealed in the lyrics of the album, The Beatles once again represented the thoughts of young people in society at that time, and the Beatles once again represented the cultural trends of the younger generation. Therefore, although their psychedelic music and the practice of taking psychedelic drugs in life came under certain pressure, the Beatles The Beatles still play the role of pioneers for young people, and the Beatles are still cultural pioneers, but their music has gradually begun to leave rock music and develop and change in the direction of pop music. On August 27, 1967, Epstein, the manager of the Beatles and who had made outstanding contributions to the band, died of a drug overdose at his home in London. There are various signs that Epstein may have deliberately committed suicide by overdose. The Beatles, who had lost their manager, suddenly became a little confused. The first movie they wrote, directed and shot, "Magical Mystery Tour", was broadcast on the BBC, but was eventually criticized by critics and made things difficult by the media. Although The soundtrack album of the movie was still wildly welcomed by fans, but it became the beginning of the collapse of the Beatles.

In 1968, the Beatles established their own record company, Apple Records, after Epstein's death to manage and organize the band's financial problems. However, the Beatles' pursuit of Indian religion over the years reached its peak at this time. They secretly came to India and devoted themselves to practicing Indian religion. However, with the media making things difficult and chasing after them, the band members were eventually forced to leave. India, and gave up religious studies. At the same time, another animated film "Yellow Submarine" with music produced by The Beatles was once again criticized by the media and critics, but the fanaticism of fans has not weakened at all. The theme song of the same name of the film "Yellow Submarine" has also become one of the Beatles' classic works. At the end of 1968, the Beatles released the double album "The Beatles [White Album]". This album not only further consolidated their influence among the fan base, but also won praise from all parties and once again proved that Master class from the band members. In this album, the Beatles abandoned psychedelic music and continued to stick to guitar-based rock and roll, and continued to showcase their multi-style fusion and multi-instrument playing abilities and arrangement talents. This album has also become one of the Beatles' most classic albums.

But behind the glory of the album, the irreconcilable reasons for the Beatles were gradually exposed. Compared with the early music creation and performance, the Beatles' music at this time had begun to appear overly personal. A song is not composed by a group or an individual and then performed by a band. It is a song created by a person that is completely suitable for him or her to sing or perform. The individual shows his talent and the other members of the band are just accompaniment. There are no opportunities for performance in the songs. The most prominent phenomenon of this phenomenon is the two geniuses Lennon and McCartney. The two only wrote singles suitable for themselves, and less and less composed music for the band as a whole. This is The band's collective music became less and less, and there was even vicious competition between Lennon and McCartney, who each created their own music. After Epstein's death, both Lennon and McCartney hoped to He led the band by himself, but the two sides could not convince each other and could only fight secretly and quarreled in the recording studio many times. Lennon also released his first solo album during this period. What's even more troublesome is that while Lennon and McCartney were fighting openly and secretly, George Harrison, who was equally talented in creation, especially extremely talented in arranging, composing, and playing, was gradually being criticized during the production of the album because he was the youngest. He was dissatisfied with some unfair treatment, such as being less of a lead singer and having fewer singles included in the album. At the same time, the band's relatively reserved drummer Ringo Starr also began to be unable to tolerate the situation. There are all kinds of unequal treatment due to not being the original member of the band. For example, Starr is rarely seen as the lead singer. Even in the band's group photo, Starr's solo photo is the least among the four members. The Beatles' irreconcilable problems gradually surfaced, and the crisis of the band's unity was about to break out. Fortunately, the media at the time was not aware of these problems at this time. At the same time as these conflicts, there were also Lennon's love problems. Lennon had fallen deeply in love with Japanese actress Yoko Ono at this time, despite being unanimously criticized by other band members and a large number of fans. , but Lennon was still persistent with this Japanese woman, and this often affected the band's plans.

In early 1969, differences emerged again among the members of the Beatles. McCartney advocated that the band resume large-scale tours, but others decided to continue recording the new album in the studio and temporarily Named "Get Back". However, the band's recording plan was very unsatisfactory. McCartney disagreed, and Harrison temporarily left the band. After returning to the band, he brought American keyboardist Billy Preston as the band. A fixed keyboard player, and at the same time in order to alleviate the disharmony among the four members of the band. Unfortunately, the band's plan for a new album ultimately fell through, and the band only recorded a few singles for some movies and TV shows. Then on January 30, 1969, the Beatles held an impromptu small singing performance on the roof of Apple Records in London, but after the performance, no one would have thought that this would be the last time they performed. Public performance. But in the spring of 1969, the two best singles from the album that The Beatles were originally planning to record, "Get Back" and "Don't Let Me Down" were released as singles and became the most popular singles all over the world. A catchy song, the world's Beatlemania hasn't cooled down yet, and legions of Beatlemaniacs are still going strong. But a bigger conflict came soon after. Paul McCartney married American photographer Linda Eastman on March 12. A few days later, John Lennon also officially married a Japanese photographer. Actress Yoko Ono, critical issues then arose, McCartney insisted on his father-in-law Lee Eastman (Lee Eastman) as the band's new manager, but the other members of the band eventually hired American businessman Alan Klein (Allen Klein) served as the band's manager.

The Beatles entered EMI studios for the last time in mid-1969 to record the album "Abbey Road" with producer George Martin. In this album, although many parts were recorded separately by the four members, the band achieved a very amazing unity. During this time, the four musicians once again played the highest artistic level while playing the melody in the music. , arrangement and other aspects have achieved perfect harmony, and in terms of music creation of the song, Harrison is equally matched with Lennon and McCartney. It was a last-ditch effort between the band members that resulted in this perfect album. In the end, this album continued the Beatles era in the market. Crazy Beatles fans continued to exert their enthusiasm without limit. However, no one would have thought that it was only time for the Beatles to disband at this time. question. At this time, because the Beatles had not performed in public for a long time, many rumors arose in the United States. One theory was that McCartney had died in a car accident a few years ago and was only now performing. But a brilliant imitator took his place, and these imaginative ones were judged by the artistic abstraction of the record covers. However, what is true is that in September 1969, John Lennon proposed to quit the Beatles. However, because the Beatles were negotiating with EMI to renew their contract at this time, Lennon's withdrawal was temporarily put on hold. Put it down.

In 1970, the Beatles never recorded a song again. The members of the band just separated and were busy with their own things alone. Lennon and Yoko Ono worked hard on their own band, and McCarter Nick was preparing his first solo album, Harrison was touring with other bands, and Starr was filming a movie, only making a few public appearances together and formally denying rumors of a breakup. The world didn't really realize that this great band at the height of their career was about to break up. In the spring of 1970, the single recorded in early 1969 that needed to be remixed was completed and officially released as the movie soundtrack "Let It Be". However, due to the recording time and other reasons, "Abbey Road" is usually considered to be a release. The final album of the Beatles, but this album still achieved very impressive results around the world, because Beatlemania at this time had not abated. But before the album was released, on April 10, 1970, Paul McCartney announced a news that shocked the world. He would quit the Beatles, which also announced that the great Beatles were about to enter history. . At first, because people didn't understand the situation, McCartney, who was the first to propose leaving the band, was under tremendous pressure from fans and the media. But when everything gradually became clear, people seemed to think that the irreconcilable conflicts between the four great musicians were doomed. The breakup of the band. Since the disbandment of the band, Apple Records has been in name only. On October 31, 1970, McCartney filed a lawsuit in court, requesting the complete disbandment of the Beatles and prohibiting the band from reuniting. After a year-long trial and debate, the lawsuit was finally approved by the court, and the Beatles have since There is no hope of getting back together again.

After the Beatles disbanded, the members of the band also developed their careers in their own directions. Harrison's talent, which had not been able to be used in the shadow of Lennon and McCartney, was finally able to In front of the world, he formed the band All Things Must Pass, while Lennon and his wife continued to run their own band (Plastic Ono Band). McCartney's solo career was the most successful, and his Band on the Run band was commercially successful. Both have achieved great success in both pop music and rock music circles. The most unlucky one was Starr, who did not have much creative talent in the early 1970s. I can only help various former teammates frequently and do some accompaniment work, but there are not many impressive works released.

After the 1970s, Lennon's music developed increasingly with great ideas and profound meanings after his independent development, and his lyrics became more and more profound, while McCartney still maintained the beautiful melody of the music, and Harrison still played instrumental music. His performance exceeded that of other former teammates, while Starr could only create relatively good music, gradually becoming mediocre, but he was still an excellent musician, and his singles and works had reached very brilliant heights. . It should be said that in the 1970s, the members of the Beatles were still able to continue to write the legend and glory of their band and achieve great commercial achievements due to the continuation of Beatlemania?/cagt;