The Beatles are rock's classic act in the fullest sense of the term. Their music has spoken not only to its own time but also every generation since. They remain more widely known than any other band of the rock era, and maybe of any era. The group consisted of four Englishmen: George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr. Starr was the drummer and the others usually played electric guitar. All of the Beatles sang occasionally. They became known as the Beatles in 1960.
             During the sixties, the Beatles recordings topped both the singles and album charts. With the Beatles, albums became rock milestones. Before, rock records were promoted mainly as singles. Record sales were only one dimension of their popularity. When their career really took off, "Beatlemania" consumed everyone, including the western world. At concerts, fans would cry and scream so loud the group could not be heard. The Beatles toured the United States in 1964 and created mayhem everywhere they performed. Police and security persons were not prepared for the fan's reaction to the Beatles. The group became the most popular group in rock and achieved not only national but international fame.
             The Beatles starred in two popular movies "A Hard Days Night" and "Help!" A full-length cartoon, "Yellow Submarine" featured the songs and characters of the Beatles. "Beatlemania" exploded when the group performed to some on Ed Sullivan's popular television program. Over 73 million Americans tuned into the show. After the performance, The Beatles would have five singles on the billboard "Hot 100 Charts". Their hair and clothing styles influenced a generation of young people. Fifteen thousand Beatle wigs were sold daily. Still "grown-ups" took the Beatles more seriously as a psychological rather than as a musical phenomenon.
             Drugs were an inescapable fact of musical life in the sixties. The Beatles were among the most prominent drug udders. ...