The Beatles: the Best-Selling Musical Group of All Time

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool England in 1962. They consisted of 4 members; John

Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Star and George Harrison. Once successful in the British music scene they migrated

across the pond and created “Beatlemania” in the United States. They began to define western pop culture, from

the straight cut suits and the bowl cut hair they became the poster boys for what was cool and hip. Throughout

their career as musicians their music, ideology and even appearance adapted to or was the cause of much of the

American social and cultural revolutions. Even though the Beatles as a band broke up in 1971 each member went

on to find success touring solo. It’s difficult to argue which Beatle had more success in the solo act but John Lennon

separates himself from the rest because he wrote “Imagine” and was sub sequentially assassinated in 1980 outside

his New York City apartment. Year’s later Rolling Stone magazine would publish a “top 500 songs ever” list and

John Lennon’s “Imagine” was placed at number three, many people believe it should have been Number one, but

that spot was of course reserved for Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” The Beatles would have also hold spot

number 8 with “Hey Jude” spot 13 with “yesterday” spot 18 with one of their originals “I Want to Hold Your Hand”

spot 20 with “Let it be” and spot 23 with “In My Life” the list goes on and the Beatles have more songs than any

other band, by far. George Harrison died of cancer in 2001 in his Los Angeles home. Ringo Star and Paul McCartney

are still actively touring the world and occasionally putting out new music, McCartney much more then Star as Star

simply plays the drums but McCartney sings and plays the guitar.

Some interesting facts about the Beatles in regards to Billboard charts and critical recognition:

- Worldwide 2.3 billion albums sold. That’s right billion with a “B.”

- Billboard magazine had an “100 Best Artists of a All Time” in 2008 and Beatles came in at number 1.

- As a band they toped Time Magazines “ 100 Most Influential People of the 20th

Century”

- 7 Grammies and 17 Ivor Novello awards ( the British version of Grammys)

- Unlike bands today the Beatles put out albums with all singles not just one good song and a bunch of

album filler, they would regularly hold 3-4 of the top 5 spots on the charts when one of their albums

was released.

- They have 6 diamond albums as well as 24 multi-platinum albums, 39 platinum’s and 45 gold albums.

- The American music academy rewards the diamond albums to prominent

Musicians each diamond album represents 10 million individual units

sold.

- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1988)

- They have held the number one billboard spot for singles for a

collective 174 weeks, more than any other act.

- The Musical film “Let It Be” won an academy award in 1970 for

its music score.

- The Beatles were seen as a major leader of the bohemian movement

of the 1960’s and have been credited with fuelling social, economical

and political change that led to the birth of feminism, environmentalism

and the gay rights movement.

- Just an interesting fact- the municipality of London has to repaint the

cross walk stripes on abbey road bi-weekly because so many people take

their picture there.