The Beatles is an English rock band founded in Liverpool in 1960. The group, whose best known line-up consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, is considered the most influential group of all time. They were an integral part of the development of the 1960s counterculture and the recognition of popular music as an art form. Rooted in 1950s skiffle, beat and rock and roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in a novel way; later, the band explored various musical styles, from ballads and Indian music to psychedelic and hard rock. As pioneers in recording, songwriting, and artistic presentation, The Beatles revolutionized many aspects of the music industry and were often touted as leaders of the youth and socio-cultural movements of the era. Led by leading composers Lennon and McCartney, The Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg for three years from 1960, initially with Stuart Sutcliff playing bass. The main trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, passed through a series of drummers, including Pete Best, before asking Starr to join them in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein molded them into a professional performance, and producer George Martin led and expanded his recordings, greatly increasing national success after the first hit "Love Me Do" in late 1962. As their popularity turned into an intense fan craze called "Beatlemania," the band earned the nickname "The Fab Four," with Epstein, Martin and other members of the band's entourage sometimes receiving the informal title of "Fifth Beatles".
In early 1964, the Beatles were international stars, leading "British Invasion" in the American pop music market and breaking numerous sales records. They soon made their debut in A Hard Day's Night (1964). Since 1965, they have produced more complex albums, including the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), and had another commercial success with The Beatles (also known as "The White Album" , 1968) and Abbey Road (1969). In 1968, they founded the Apple Corps, a multi-media corporation that continues to oversee the team's heritage projects. After the group broke up in 1970, all four members became successful solo artists. Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001. McCartney and Starr remain musically active.
The Beatles are the best-selling music band of all time, with estimated sales of 600 million units worldwide. They are the best-selling act in the US, with certified sales of 183 million units. They hold the record for most number one albums on the UK Albums Chart, the most number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and most of the singles sold in the UK. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four main members were inducted individually between 1994 and 2015. In 2008, the group topped the Billboard list of the most successful artists of all time on the Billboard Hot 100. The band received seven Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Oscar (for Best Original Score for a 1970 film Let It Be) and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards. . Time magazine ranked them among the 100 most important people of the 20th century.