 The Beatles In A Nutshell The Beatles were an extraordinary rock band from Liverpool, England that wrote and performed extremely popular music from 1960 to 1970 and still influence musicians and culture today. They sold more records worldwide than any other band. But why were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr so successful and influential? Because of their talent, practice, personality, innovation and timing and probably their iconic mop top hairstyle. When Lennon and McCartney first started playing with Stuart Sutcliffe, Pete Best and George Harrison the two singer-songwriters' talents already showed. Several years of playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg, Germany honed their skills. They started experimenting and their music rooted in skiffle and rock and roll evolved into beat. That's how they got their name. By the time the Beatles recorded their first single, Sutcliffe had died and Best was replaced by Ringo Starr. The Beatles became the funny, attractive and charming Fab Four we know. Finally, they also had perfect timing. The post-war generation wanted to rebel against their parents' authoritative culture. The Beatles with their untraditional aspirations and style were exactly what the kids had been looking for. Youth culture was born. With little competition from other bands, the fan base and enthusiasm grew into the famous Beatlemania. Via the new mass media, the Beatles were suddenly everywhere and helmed the British invasion into America, followed by other British bands like the Rolling Stones. Through the success in the US, Beatlemania rolled across the globe. The Fab Four stayed on top during the rest of the decade by experimenting with songwriting, recording and their visual style. By moving from sweet pop to avant-garde rock, they always kept reinventing themselves and stayed on the cutting edge. The Beatles had dozens of number one hits like Hey Jude and A Hard Day's Night. They recorded 12 core albums, including Abbey Road and Let It Be. Additionally, the band made five feature films, received 10 Grammy Awards and even an Oscar. But in 1970, the Beatles broke up and all four members pursued their individual musical careers, often collaborating with one another. Then only 10 years later, John Lennon was shot. In 2001, George Harrison died of cancer. The Beatles changed the music business forever by writing their own music, recording comprehensive albums instead of just individual songs by introducing music videos and playing large-scale live concerts. Even more far-reaching is the birth of youth and pop culture. The young have driven the media market ever since. Last but not least, these icons of 1960s counterculture opened people's minds to women's liberation, gay rights and environmentalism. The Beatles didn't just provide entertainment, they brought on a revolution.