The Beatles
The Beatles grew up in Liverpool, England, and became popular during the early 1960s, performing original music and covers of popular American rock musicians, such as Carl Perkins (1932–1998), Little Richard, and Chuck Berry. “Beatlemania” swept the globe from 1963 to 1966 as many of the Beatles’ records dominated the popular music charts around the world. They had sixteen No. 1 singles during this period, including “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963), “She Loves You” (1963), “Can’t Buy Me Love” (1964), “A Hard Day’s Night” (1964), “Eight Days a Week”(1964), and “Help!” (1965). Their 1965 No. 1, “Yesterday,” is cited by the Guinness Book of World Records as having the most recorded cover versions of any song in popular music history. They made two self-satirizing films, A Hard Day’s Night (1964) and Help! (1965) that were quite successful and strengthened their international appeal. The group gave concert tours throughout Europe and the United States, as well as Asia, and appeared on numerous television broadcasts, such as The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. The Beatles were awarded the prestigious MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by the Queen of England in 1965 and received several Grammy nominations and awards from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.