1960: The Beatles

The 1960's were probably the most influential decade of the last century. Those ten years were a time of great cultural and political changes. The 60's was the time of J. FK and Martin Luther King, the time of student protests, but in the U.K it was also the time of the mini skirt, the Mini and of course of The Beatles. It is not an exaggeration to say that the history of popular music would not be the same, without the Beatles. They are without doubt the most influential pop group of all time.

The band was founded in Liverpool in 1960, it consisted of John Lennon, Paul MCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They had their first number-one hit with "Please Please me" in 1963. John Lennon and Paul MCartney wrote most of the lyrics and music for their songs. The band built their reputation playing in clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg from 1960. They gained popularity in the U.K after "Love me do" in late 1962. They acquired the nickname "Fab Four" and since 1964 they became international stars. From 1965 they produced their finest material. Among their songs: Penny Lane, Yellow Submarine, Yesterday. After their brake up in 1970 they each enjoy successful music careers. Lennon died in 1980 after being shot by a fan and Harrison died of cancer in 2001. They still hold the record for most number 1 hits. They have received seven Grammy awards from the American National Academy Of Recording Arts And Science. They are the best selling band in history with EMI Records estimating sells of over 1000,000,000 units.