The Beatles have been tagged as the voice of a generation and that they are. They are also the biggest record selling band of all time (meaning that they've sold more records than anyone). The Beatles' effect on music and society is undescribable and has been matched by few artists. The members of the Beatles were guitarist John Lennon (who was shot and killed in 1980), guitarist Paul McCartney, guitarist George Harrison and drummer Ringo Starr. They came together in 1962 in their hometown of Liverpool, England. They quickly developed a local following and their first two singles "Love Me Do" and "Please Please Me" shot them to the top of the British music charts. They were influenced by Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley but they had their own style filled with freshness, energy and pure wit. When "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was released in 1964, the "British Invasion" of music started in the United States and "Beatlemania" captured the world's attention. The group's first US tour was filled with mass adulation from anyone who saw them. Their film "A Hard Day's Night" brought new listeners into rock and roll and created even more Beatles fans. Lennon and McCartney were the creative force behind the group writing almost all of their songs together. They established a precedent for groups to play their own music and were famous for changing their style constantly and being highly experimental. Besides using the usual guitar, drum, piano and bass, they fit trumpets, cellos, violins and even sitars into their music. 1965's "Rubber Soul" earned the Beatles a musical freedom and their concept album "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in 1967 was the first of its kind. The Beatles broke up in 1970 after the release of "Let It Be" to pursue solo careers. All four members eventually put out albums. Paul McCartney also achieved superstardom again with his band Wings. On December 8, 1980, a dark shroud was cast on the Beatles when one of their own, John Lennon was shot and killed outside his apartment building in New York City. The 1990's brought the reunion of the surviving Beatles and the release of 3 anthologies of Beatles music including 2 songs that started out as demo songs by John Lennon and were finished by the rest of the group after his death. To this day, the Beatles have remained the most famous music group in history and hopefully always will.
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