Great Entertainers The Beatles were an English pop band from Liverpool whose members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music. In fact, they revolutionised the music industry and touched the lives of all who heard them. The Beatles are the greatest musical act of all time in the United States of America. They charted 20 Number One singles in the US, a number even greater than Elvis Presley, (1) In the United Kingdom, The Beatles released more than 40 different singles and albums that reached Number One. This commercial success was repeated in many other countries, and it is estimated that by 1995, they had sold over 1 billion records worldwide. Their song "Yesterday" is the most covered song in history, appearing in the Guinness Book of World

Records with over 3000 recorded versions. It is also the most played song in the history of international radio. In the mid-1960s, The Beatles led what is known as the "British Invasion into the United

States, (2) Their extreme worldwide popularity led to the coining of the term "Beatlemania", describing the fan frenzy of teenage girls towards the band. During live concerts, their music was often inaudible (3)_ Consequently, the band stopped touring in 1966 for reasons ranging from safety concerns to frustration that no one could hear or was

listening to their music The Beatles' influence was not only limited to music though. Young people began to imitate the band's style of dress, donning Nehru jackets and psychedelic prints. But the first example of their influence was probably their haircuts. In 1964, men and boys in the US simply did not wear their hair long, and comparatively speaking, the Beatles' hair was scandalously long Nevertheless, many teenagers began to emulate the Beatles' style by growing their hair long (4) The Beatles' clothes and style made them leading trendsetters in the world of fashion.

Ironically, the Beatles did not start any of these fashion trends, but their unparalleled popularity allowed them to reach a vast audience. Sadly, the group broke up on April 10, 1970. (5) Throughout the 1970s, the group

members pursued solo careers. Fans, during this period, were hoping that the band would eventually reunite, although these hopes were destroyed by the murder of John Lennon in New York City in December 1980. The Beatles were inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a band during

their first year of eligibility in 1988. Then, they made it into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. The three surviving members of the group sang together again in 1994 and were all involved in the creation of the Beatles' anthology in 1995. Queen Elizabeth knighted Paul McCartney in March 1997. He dedicated his knighthood to fellow Beatles George Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon, and the people of Liverpool. For almost 50 years, The Beatles have influenced music, culture, politics, and society (6) They were one of a

kind and richly deserve their place in music history, A which is why they are said to be the best-selling rock band ever

B which often got them into trouble C which proves their popularity is well-founded

D

which paved the way for other British bands to cross the Atlantic

E which made little difference to the lives of those around them

F when Paul McCartney announced his departure G due to the deafening screams of fans.

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