The Beatles were an English
rock band formed in
Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised
John Lennon,
Paul McCartney,
George Harrison, and
Ringo Starr.
Widely regarded as the most influential band of all time, they were integral to the development of
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 and
traditional pop in innovative ways. The band also explored music styles ranging from
folk and
Indian music to
psychedelia and
hard rock.
As pioneers in recording, songwriting, and artistic presentation, the Beatles revolutionized many aspects of the music industry and were often publicized as leaders of the era's youth and sociocultural movements. This photograph shows the Beatles – from left to right, Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr – waving to a crowd of fans after arriving at
John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on 7 February 1964, at the start of their first visit to the United States. Their visit marked the beginning of the
British Invasion, a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s when rock and pop-music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of British culture became popular in the United States. The band's widespread popularity and the intense reception that greeted them was termed "
Beatlemania".
Photograph credit: United Press International; retouched by Yann Forget
