The Beatles were one of the most successful and influential pop-music groups of the 1960s. The members include rhythm guitarist Lennon, bass guitarist McCartney, lead guitarist Harrison, and drummer Starr.
Lennon formed a band in Liverpool, England, while in high school in the mid-1950s. McCartney and then Harrison joined the group in the late 1950s. In its early years, the band also had several other members. In 1962, they signed a recording contract（合同）with a large music company. At about this time, they chose Starr to replace（替代）drummer Pete Best.
At first, the Beatles' songs were lively and simple. The first song wasLove Me Doin 1962. Their first hitcame the following year, whenPlease Please Meclimbed to the top of the Britishmusic charts（排行榜）.
The Beatles became very famous in Britain. People started calling the excitement over the band Beatlemania. The Beatles became very popular in the United States after appearing on Ed Sullivan's television program in February, 1964. Teenage girls across the country screamed and fainted over them, and boys copied the Beatles' look. By April, the top five hits in the United States were all Beatles' songs.
In the late 1960s, the Beatles began creating more adventurous music with different musical styles. The band recorded the albumsThe Beatles(1968),Abbey Road(1969), andLet it Be(1970).
The pressure of fame led the Beatles to break up in 1970. All four continued their musical careers-Lennon with his wife, Yoko Ono; McCartney with band Wings and later as a solo performer; and Starr and Harrison mainly as solo artists.
