The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960, comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Widely regarded as one of the most influential bands in popular music, they were integral to the development of the 1960s counterculture and the recognition of popular music as an art form. Rooted in skiffle, beat, and 1950s rock and roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music, traditional pop, folk, Indian music, psychedelia, and hard rock. The primary songwriters, Lennon and McCartney, evolved from Lennon's previous group, the Quarrymen. Managed by Brian Epstein and produced by George Martin, they achieved their first hit, "Love Me Do," in late 1962 after signing with EMI.
The Beatles are the best-selling music act of all time, with estimated sales of 600 million units worldwide. They hold the record for the most number-one singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart (20) and the most number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart (15). The band received numerous accolades, including eight Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, and an Academy Award. After disbanding in 1970, each member pursued solo careers. Lennon was murdered in 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001. McCartney and Starr remain musically active. In 2023, they released their final single, "Now and Then". The band's original bass guitarist, Stuart Sutcliffe, suggested naming themselves after an insect, leading to the name "The Beatles".
