Beatles

Beatles, English rock music group that dominated popular music in the 1960s. Guitarists and composers John Lennon (1940–80), Paul McCartney (1942– ), and George Harrison (1943– ), and drummer Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey; 1940– ), won fame in Britain with their recording “Please Please Me” (1963). The 1964 song “I Want to Hold Your Hand” introduced them to the United States, where their concerts became scenes of mass adulation. Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) are ranked among their finest albums. The group disbanded in 1970. John Lennon's murder by a demented fan in New York City (December 1980) caused mourning around the world. In 1995, the other three members launched a new single “Free as a Bird”, using a demo tape with John Lennon's voice.

See also: Lennon, John; McCartney, (James) Paul.