The premier rock group was formed in Liverpool, England in the late 1950's. When they first started out, The Beatles went under such names as The Quarrymen, Johnny and the Moondogs, The Rainbows, and the Silver Beatles, before settling on the Beatles in 1960.
The original lineup consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stu Sutcliffe and Pete Best. In April 1961, Sutcliffe left the group and died of a brain hemorrhage, one year later. Best left in 1962 and was replaced with Richard Starkey, aka Ringo Starr.
From there on, the group remained, until Paul McCartney announced their breakup on April 10, 1970. The group was managed by Brian Epstein, who died of a sleeping pill overdose in 1967 and they were produced by George Martin.
The Beatles first U.S. tour came in February, 1964. That was also the year they won the Best New Artist Grammy Award. They also earned Grammy's Trustees Award in 1972. In 1968 they became owners of the Apple record label.
They appeared in the movies "A Hard Day's Night" in 1964, "Help!" in 1965 and "Magical Mystery Tour" in 1967. They also provided the voices in the 1968 cartoon "Yellow Submarine."
According to Billboard magazine, The Beatles topped the singles charts twenty times and made it onto the weekly Top 40, forty-nine times, between 1964 and 1976. The closest artist to come to this record is Elvis Presley, who went to #1 eighteen times. Below, are The Beatles 20 biggest hits, all number one. Many of the Beatles B-sides also cracked the top 40 and are duly noted.
1. Hey Jude - 1968 - The number one song of 1968 and the B-side, "Revolution" going to #12 on the weekly charts.
2. I Want To Hold Your Hand - 1964 - The Beatles first U.S. hit with the B-side "I Saw Her Standing There" also going Top 20.
3. Get Back - 1969 - This hit featured Billy Preston as well as on the B-side "Don't Let Me Down."
4. Can't Buy Me Love - 1964
5. Yesterday - 1965 - This song has the significance of having more than 2500 recorded versions of it.
6. I Feel Fine - 1964 - The B-side of this song, "She's A Woman" went to #4 on the weekly charts.
7. Help! - 1965 - This song is the title song from the film of the same name. The film "Help!" was originally titled, "Eight Arms to Hold You."
8. We Can Work It Out - 1966 - The flip side, "Day Tripper" went to #5. Stevie Wonder took a cover version of this song to #13 in 1971.
9. Hello Goodbye - 1967
10. She Loves You - 1964 - "Sie Lieb Dicht", the Beatles German version of this song also hit the Billboard charts in 1964.
11. Let It Be - 1970 - The title song from the documentary film.
12. A Hard Day's Night - 1964 - Another title song, this one from The Beatles first movie.
13. Paperback Writer - 1966 - The B-side, "Rain" made it to #23 on the weekly charts.
14. The Long And Winding Road - 1970 - Also from the documentary film "Let It Be" and the Beatles last #1 single.
15. Eight Days A Week - 1965 - "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party" was the B-side of this hit single and just barely cracked the weekly Top 40.
16. Come Together - 1969 - The flip side of this single, "Something" went to #3 on the weekly charts.
17. Love Me Do - 1964 - This song and the B-side, "P.S. I Love You" were both recorded in September 1962 and featured Andy White on drums and newly added band member, Ringo Starr on tambourine.
18. Ticket To Ride - 1965 - Another song featured in the film "Help!"
19. Penny Lane - 1967 - Another two sided hit, this time featuring "Strawberry Fields Forever" going to #8 on the weekly charts.
20. All You Need Is Love - 1967 - Featuring "Baby You're A Rich Man" as the B-side.
The Beatles were able to crack the weekly Top 10 charts one more time. Six years after the dissolution of the band, in 1976, and ten years after the release of their album "Revolver" the single, "Got To Get You Into My Life" went to #7.
All four Beatles had #1 songs, after The Beatles were no more. The Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. They will forever be known as the world's #1 rock group.
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