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Formation of The Beatles
The Beatles was formed when Paul McCartney joined John Lennon’s band in 1957. After changes in its members, George Harrison and Ringo Starr joined The Beatles. -
The Beatles Signs its First Contract
In 1962, The Beatles signed a contract with Parlophone, and released their albums. -
The Beatles Gains Popularity in the U.K.
The Beatles had its first hit song, "Love Me Do" in 1962 and it ranked number 17 on UK Singles CHART. Before the rise of the Beatles, Rock and Roll was widely considered as a genre for juveniles. However, after The Beatles, Rock and Roll was no longer confined to the youth, and it received more of an attention as music for all. -
The Beatles Appears on American TV
Slowly, The Beatles gained popularity in the United States. The Beatles started to appear on American TV -
The Beatles Live in American TV and its influence
On February 9, 1964: The Beatles made first live U.S. TV appearance on 'Ed Sullivan Show'. It changed the American youth culture significantly. Countless young people emulated The Beatles’ long hair, fashion, and attitude . -
The Beatles and Hippie Culture
On January 14, 1967, the outdoor Human Be-In in San Francisco popularized hippie culture across the United States. The Beatles played a major role in the Hippie Culture that swept United States in 1960s. The members of the Beatles were influenced by hedonism. They used mind expanding drugs such as LSD in order to receive spiritual experience for their music and their life. Such lifestyle later influenced the Hippie Movement, which emphasized peace, usage of drugs, and hedonism. -
The Beatles and Indian Influence
As the members of the Beatles sought peaceful mindset through hippie culture, the Beatles travelled to Rishikesh in northern India in February 1968. The members of the Beatles adapted transcendental meditation to find inner peace and new way of life. The idea of inner peace and hedonism reflected in their music, and such lifestyle, influenced from India, later left an impact on the hippie movement that emphasized peace. -
The Beatles and the Vietnam War
In 1968, The Beatles released its anti-war song, "Revolution" to oppose Vietnam War. The Beatles were most active during the 1960’s. In 1960’s, there was a global tension between the capitalist West and the communist East. The Cold War was at its peak. Many witnessed the cruelty of the war. Many young Americans died in Vietnam War, and it sparked the anti-war movement.
The youth protested the Vietnam War, and it contributed to the rise of Hippie Culture. -
Bed-ins For Peace
The member of the Beatles, John Lennon was active in Peace Movement. Along with his wife Yoko Ono, In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono held their Bed-ins for Peace. In Amsterdam and Montreal, Lennon and Ono made their hotel bedroom open to the press in an effort to promote world peace. After Bed-ins for Peace, The Beatles’ music became widely used for peaceful protests. Also, John Lennon composed his famous song, “Imagine”, and urged for World Peace and Anti-War Movement. -
The Beatles Disbands
On December 29th, 1974, The Beatles disbanded. However, its influence in music still inspired many artists and changed the geography of the music industry. As songwriters, Lennon and McCartney experimented many musical genres and used them in their songs. Rock, Pop, Folk, Blues, Jazz, and even Indian music were used in their songs. They expanded the musical range and expressive scope of the genre. Even today, countless musicians are inspired by The Beatles and their experimental music.