The Beatles were founded as the Quarrymen in 1956 by a 16 year old John Lennon. The Quarrymen were a skiffle/pop band and later on took on Paul McCartney, John's friend from school, and Stuart Sutcliffe, John's childhood friend. 15 year old George Harrison joined the band in 1958 by Paul McCartney's suggestion. By 1962 the Quarrymen had changed names into The Beatles. Stuart Sutcliffe left the band (and later passed away from a brain hemorrhage in April of 1962), and their original drummer Pete Best was fired and 22 year old veteran drummer Richard Starkey, known on stage as Ringo Starr, was hired for his professional nature and near metronomic drumming style. The Beatles manager Brian Epstein managed to secure a record deal for the Beatles in late 1962 with EMI.
The producer of the four lads from Liverpool, Sir George Martin, saw potential in the group and by March of 1963, The Beatles produced their first album, Please Please Me. It became a smash hit almost overnight and by January 1964, Beatlemania had swept the United States, thanks to songs such as Love Me Do, She Loves You, and I Want To Hold Your Hand. The Beatles' appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show remains one of the most watched moments in television history.
By 1966, The Beatles' image had begun to change, their music had gotten progressively more complex, and the band stopped performing concerts in August. They had begun to pave the way for studio music. By 1967, they became a cultural icon for the young socio-political movements of the time, and their music reflected their status.
It was not to last though. Brian Epstein, their manager, passed away in late 1967, and without his guidance, the band began to fragment. In 1969, irreconcilable differences led to The Beatles finally becoming strained beyond repair. After releasing Abbey Road in late September, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr agreed to go their separate ways on April 10, 1970. Their final album, a moratorium on their respective careers, was aptly called Let It Be.
Despite having been broken up for nearly 50 years, The Beatles remain one of the most influential bands of all time. Their millenial album 1, a collection of their 27 Number 1 Hit Singles, was one of the best selling albums of the 2000's. In 2009, the music video game series Rock Band, released a Beatles version. What is it that made the Beatles such a popular band, and what did they do to become so influential to music as a whole? A myriad of answers could be given, but perhaps the easiest was their music.
This thread will be a review of each of their albums, from beginning to end, with thoughts on each song. It's a bit of a new experience, since I'm used to reviewing games, movies, and shows. But here we are.
