The Beatles were an English
rock band, formed in
Liverpool in 1960 and one of the most
commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. From 1962 the group consisted of
John Lennon (rhythm guitar, vocals),
Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals),
George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and
Ringo Starr (drums, vocals). Rooted in
skiffle and 1950s
rock and roll, the group later worked in many
genres ranging from
folk rock to
psychedelic pop, often incorporating
classical and other elements in innovative ways. The nature of their enormous popularity, which first emerged as the "
Beatlemania" fad, transformed as their songwriting grew in sophistication. The group came to be perceived as the embodiment of progressive ideals, seeing their influence extend into the
social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s.