The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With the… Read Full Bio ↴The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With the line-up comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they are regarded as one of the most influential bands of all time. The group was integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and popular music's recognition 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 later explored music styles ranging from ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As pioneers in recording, songwriting and artistic presentation, the group revolutionized many aspects of the music industry and were often publicized as leaders of the era's youth and socio-cultural movements.
Led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over three years from 1960, initially with Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, eventually settling with Pete Best in 1960, who played with them for two years before being replaced with then Rory Storm & The Hurricanes drummer Ringo Starr in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein molded them into a professional act and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after their first hit, "Love Me Do", in late 1962. As their popularity grew into the intense fan frenzy dubbed "Beatlemania", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Four", with Epstein, Martin and other members of the band's entourage sometimes given the informal title of "fifth Beatle".
By early 1964, the Beatles were international stars, leading the "British Invasion" of the United States pop market and breaking numerous sales records. They soon made their film debut with A Hard Day's Night (1964). From 1965 onwards, they produced increasingly innovative recordings, including the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), and enjoyed further commercial success with The Beatles (also known as "the White Album", 1968) and Abbey Road (1969). In 1968, they founded Apple Corps, a multi-armed multimedia corporation that continues to oversee projects related to the band's legacy. After the group's break-up in 1970, all four members enjoyed success as solo artists. Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001. McCartney and Starr remain musically active.
The Beatles are the best-selling music act of all time, with estimated sales of 600 million units worldwide. They hold the record for most number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart, most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and most singles sold in the UK. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four main members were inducted individually between 1994 and 2015. In 2008, the group topped Billboard's list of the all-time most successful artists on the Billboard Hot 100. The band received seven Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award (for Best Original Song Score for the 1970 film Let It Be) and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards. Time magazine named them among the 20th century's 100 most important people.
Former Rolling Stone associate editor Robert Greenfield compared the Beatles to Picasso, as "artists who broke through the constraints of their time period to come up with something that was unique and original "... In the form of popular music, no one will ever be more revolutionary, more creative and more distinctive ..." The British poet Philip Larkin described their work as "an enchanting and intoxicating hybrid of African-American rock-and-roll with their own adolescent romanticism", and "the first advance in popular music since the War".
They not only sparked the British Invasion of the US, they became a globally influential phenomenon as well. From the 1920s, the US had dominated popular entertainment culture throughout much of the world, via Hollywood films, jazz, the music of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley and, later, the rock and roll that first emerged in Memphis, Tennessee. The Beatles are regarded as British cultural icons, with young adults from abroad naming the band among a group of people that they most associated with UK culture.
Their musical innovations and commercial success inspired musicians worldwide. Many artists have acknowledged the Beatles' influence and enjoyed chart success with covers of their songs. On radio, their arrival marked the beginning of a new era; in 1968 the programme director of New York's WABC radio station forbade his DJs from playing any "pre-Beatles" music, marking the defining line of what would be considered oldies on American radio. They helped to redefine the album as something more than just a few hits padded out with "filler", and they were primary innovators of the modern music video. The Shea Stadium show with which they opened their 1965 North American tour attracted an estimated 55,600 people, then the largest audience in concert history; Spitz describes the event as a "major breakthrough ... a giant step toward reshaping the concert business". Emulation of their clothing and especially their hairstyles, which became a mark of rebellion, had a global impact on fashion.
According to Gould, the Beatles changed the way people listened to popular music and experienced its role in their lives. From what began as the Beatlemania fad, the group's popularity grew into what was seen as an embodiment of socio-cultural movements of the decade. As icons of the 1960s counterculture, Gould continues, they became a catalyst for bohemianism and activism in various social and political arenas, fuelling movements such as women's liberation, gay liberation and environmentalism. According to Peter Lavezzoli, after the "more popular than Jesus" controversy in 1966, the Beatles felt considerable pressure to say the right things and "began a concerted effort to spread a message of wisdom and higher consciousness".
Other commentators such as Mikal Gilmore and Todd Leopold have traced the inception of their socio-cultural impact earlier, interpreting even the Beatlemania period, particularly on their first visit to the US, as a key moment in the development of generational awareness. Referring to their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show Leopold states: "In many ways, the Sullivan appearance marked the beginning of a cultural revolution ... The Beatles were like aliens dropped into the United States of 1964.
In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The Beatles won the 1971 Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the film Let It Be (1970). The recipients of seven Grammy Awards and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards, the Beatles have six Diamond albums, as well as 20 Multi-Platinum albums, 16 Platinum albums and six Gold albums in the US. In the UK, the Beatles have four Multi-Platinum albums, four Platinum albums, eight Gold albums and one Silver album. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
The best-selling band in history, the Beatles have sold more than 800 million physical and digital albums as of 2013. They have had more number-one albums on the UK charts, fifteen, and sold more singles in the UK, 21.9 million, than any other act. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Beatles as the most significant and influential rock music artists of the last 50 years. They ranked number one on Billboard magazine's list of the all-time most successful Hot 100 artists, released in 2008 to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary. As of 2017, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with twenty. The Recording Industry Association of America certifies that the Beatles have sold 178 million units in the US, more than any other artist. They were collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. In 2014, they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
There are two holidays celebrated for the Beatles: Global Beatles Day on 25 June each year. On that date in 1967, the band performed "All You Need Is Love" on television. In 2001, UNESCO created World Beatles Day on 16 January each year. This date has direct relation to the opening of The Cavern Club in 1957.
Five asteroids, 4147 Lennon, 4148 McCartney, 4149 Harrison, 4150 Starr and 8749 Beatles are named after the Beatles.
Led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over three years from 1960, initially with Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, eventually settling with Pete Best in 1960, who played with them for two years before being replaced with then Rory Storm & The Hurricanes drummer Ringo Starr in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein molded them into a professional act and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after their first hit, "Love Me Do", in late 1962. As their popularity grew into the intense fan frenzy dubbed "Beatlemania", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Four", with Epstein, Martin and other members of the band's entourage sometimes given the informal title of "fifth Beatle".
By early 1964, the Beatles were international stars, leading the "British Invasion" of the United States pop market and breaking numerous sales records. They soon made their film debut with A Hard Day's Night (1964). From 1965 onwards, they produced increasingly innovative recordings, including the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), and enjoyed further commercial success with The Beatles (also known as "the White Album", 1968) and Abbey Road (1969). In 1968, they founded Apple Corps, a multi-armed multimedia corporation that continues to oversee projects related to the band's legacy. After the group's break-up in 1970, all four members enjoyed success as solo artists. Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001. McCartney and Starr remain musically active.
The Beatles are the best-selling music act of all time, with estimated sales of 600 million units worldwide. They hold the record for most number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart, most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and most singles sold in the UK. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four main members were inducted individually between 1994 and 2015. In 2008, the group topped Billboard's list of the all-time most successful artists on the Billboard Hot 100. The band received seven Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award (for Best Original Song Score for the 1970 film Let It Be) and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards. Time magazine named them among the 20th century's 100 most important people.
Former Rolling Stone associate editor Robert Greenfield compared the Beatles to Picasso, as "artists who broke through the constraints of their time period to come up with something that was unique and original "... In the form of popular music, no one will ever be more revolutionary, more creative and more distinctive ..." The British poet Philip Larkin described their work as "an enchanting and intoxicating hybrid of African-American rock-and-roll with their own adolescent romanticism", and "the first advance in popular music since the War".
They not only sparked the British Invasion of the US, they became a globally influential phenomenon as well. From the 1920s, the US had dominated popular entertainment culture throughout much of the world, via Hollywood films, jazz, the music of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley and, later, the rock and roll that first emerged in Memphis, Tennessee. The Beatles are regarded as British cultural icons, with young adults from abroad naming the band among a group of people that they most associated with UK culture.
Their musical innovations and commercial success inspired musicians worldwide. Many artists have acknowledged the Beatles' influence and enjoyed chart success with covers of their songs. On radio, their arrival marked the beginning of a new era; in 1968 the programme director of New York's WABC radio station forbade his DJs from playing any "pre-Beatles" music, marking the defining line of what would be considered oldies on American radio. They helped to redefine the album as something more than just a few hits padded out with "filler", and they were primary innovators of the modern music video. The Shea Stadium show with which they opened their 1965 North American tour attracted an estimated 55,600 people, then the largest audience in concert history; Spitz describes the event as a "major breakthrough ... a giant step toward reshaping the concert business". Emulation of their clothing and especially their hairstyles, which became a mark of rebellion, had a global impact on fashion.
According to Gould, the Beatles changed the way people listened to popular music and experienced its role in their lives. From what began as the Beatlemania fad, the group's popularity grew into what was seen as an embodiment of socio-cultural movements of the decade. As icons of the 1960s counterculture, Gould continues, they became a catalyst for bohemianism and activism in various social and political arenas, fuelling movements such as women's liberation, gay liberation and environmentalism. According to Peter Lavezzoli, after the "more popular than Jesus" controversy in 1966, the Beatles felt considerable pressure to say the right things and "began a concerted effort to spread a message of wisdom and higher consciousness".
Other commentators such as Mikal Gilmore and Todd Leopold have traced the inception of their socio-cultural impact earlier, interpreting even the Beatlemania period, particularly on their first visit to the US, as a key moment in the development of generational awareness. Referring to their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show Leopold states: "In many ways, the Sullivan appearance marked the beginning of a cultural revolution ... The Beatles were like aliens dropped into the United States of 1964.
In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The Beatles won the 1971 Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the film Let It Be (1970). The recipients of seven Grammy Awards and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards, the Beatles have six Diamond albums, as well as 20 Multi-Platinum albums, 16 Platinum albums and six Gold albums in the US. In the UK, the Beatles have four Multi-Platinum albums, four Platinum albums, eight Gold albums and one Silver album. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
The best-selling band in history, the Beatles have sold more than 800 million physical and digital albums as of 2013. They have had more number-one albums on the UK charts, fifteen, and sold more singles in the UK, 21.9 million, than any other act. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Beatles as the most significant and influential rock music artists of the last 50 years. They ranked number one on Billboard magazine's list of the all-time most successful Hot 100 artists, released in 2008 to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary. As of 2017, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with twenty. The Recording Industry Association of America certifies that the Beatles have sold 178 million units in the US, more than any other artist. They were collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. In 2014, they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
There are two holidays celebrated for the Beatles: Global Beatles Day on 25 June each year. On that date in 1967, the band performed "All You Need Is Love" on television. In 2001, UNESCO created World Beatles Day on 16 January each year. This date has direct relation to the opening of The Cavern Club in 1957.
Five asteroids, 4147 Lennon, 4148 McCartney, 4149 Harrison, 4150 Starr and 8749 Beatles are named after the Beatles.
I'm Loking Through You
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm looking through you,
Where did you go?
I thought I knew you,
What did I know?
You don't look different, but you have changed.
I'm looking through you, you're not the same.
Your lips are moving,
I cannot hear.
Your voice is soothing,
But the words aren't clear.
You don't sound different,
I've learned the game.
I'm looking through you,
You're not the same.
Why, tell me why, did you not treat me right?
Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight.
You're thinking of me,
The same old way.
You were above me,
But not today.
The only difference is you're down there.
I'm looking through you,
Any other way.
Why, tell me why did you not treat me right?
Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight.
I'm looking through you,
Where did you go?
I thought I knew you,
What did I know?
You don't look different,
But you have changed.
I'm looking through you,
You're not the same!
Where did you go?
I thought I knew you,
What did I know?
You don't look different, but you have changed.
I'm looking through you, you're not the same.
Your lips are moving,
Your voice is soothing,
But the words aren't clear.
You don't sound different,
I've learned the game.
I'm looking through you,
You're not the same.
Why, tell me why, did you not treat me right?
Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight.
You're thinking of me,
The same old way.
You were above me,
But not today.
The only difference is you're down there.
I'm looking through you,
Any other way.
Why, tell me why did you not treat me right?
Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight.
I'm looking through you,
Where did you go?
I thought I knew you,
What did I know?
You don't look different,
But you have changed.
I'm looking through you,
You're not the same!
In “I’m Looking Through You”, The Beatles seem to be addressing a person who has gone through some changes and has become a different person altogether. The singer is struggling to understand the change in the person they thought they knew so well. The song captures the feeling of betrayal and uncertainty that comes with realizing someone who you knew intimately is not who they claimed to be. The lines "You don't look different, but you have changed" and "You don't sound different, I've learned the game" suggest that the person is trying to present a façade of normalcy but the singer sees right through it.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm looking through you,
I'm trying to figure out who you really are
Where did you go?
Why did you change so much?
I thought I knew you,
I used to understand you
What did I know?
But I was mistaken
You don't look different, but you have changed.
You appear the same, but your personality has transformed
I'm looking through you, you're not the same.
I'm realizing that the person I knew is gone
Your lips are moving,
You're speaking to me
I cannot hear.
But I can't understand what you're saying
Your voice is soothing,
You sound calm and gentle
But the words aren't clear.
But your message is unclear
You don't sound different,
Your tone hasn't changed
I've learned the game.
But I see through your tactics
Why, tell me why, did you not treat me right?
Why did you mistreat me?
Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight.
Sometimes love fades out suddenly
You're thinking of me,
You remember me
The same old way.
In the same manner as before
You were above me,
You used to be superior to me
But not today.
But now you're not
The only difference is you're down there.
The sole contrast is now you're inferior
I'm looking through you, any other way.
I can see the real you now, no matter how you act
I'm looking through you,
I'm trying to figure out who you really are
Where did you go?
Why did you change so much?
I thought I knew you,
I used to understand you
What did I know?
But I was mistaken
You don't look different,
You appear the same
But you have changed.
But your personality has transformed
I'm looking through you,
I'm realizing that the person I knew is gone
You're not the same!
You've changed too much for me to accept you as the same person
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, JOHN WINSTON LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, PAUL JAMES MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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7JANEWAY
@Scomu The Fab Four and other tribute bands are all of what’s left of the live Beatles experience.
The Fab Four do NOT claim to be EXACTLY like the Beatles—NO ONE can do that—but they serve a purpose. That purpose is to remind us of how the Beatles would have sounded if they were around today, with modern instruments like synthesizers to help recreate their records.
The Fab Four calls themselves “the Ultimate Tribute” to the Beatles. And they are.
If YOU choose NOT to listen to them, that’s YOUR choice.
But don’t put down bands that are doing their best to keep the memory of the Beatles alive. They show THOUSANDS of people, especially the newer generations that were born LONG after the Beatles split up, what it could be like to actually see them in person.
So—THOUSANDS for, YOU—ONE person—against.
I’d say that’s pretty good odds for them, don’t you think???!!
Apo458
The detail they put into this covers is amazing, I mean, they even did the "false start" with the guitar at the beginning, just like the early Capitol US pressings of Rubber Soul
Cristina Anperocri
WOW his voice is quite similar to Paul's !! very good cover, I'm impressed !
dvrsweet1
Ardy kicks butt as Paul.
Jacob Raterman
Damn he looks like Paul too
Pierre Bouchard
@Rae Galaxy My God! His voice is incredible.
Joel Shapiro
And he's a good left-handed bass player!
M Sandoval
Wowww sii que me parece la voz de Paul pero el sonido era full HD y me fijé bien y era una banda tribute!!!! Estoy impresionada!
Aerobob MYOB
Hard to believe sometimes this is NOT the Beatles. And yes, I did see the real thing live in '66. What's nice about the Fab Four is that now we can hear these great old songs LIVE with the clarity of modern technology. At JFK Stadium in Philadelphia in 1966, you could barely hear the band over all the screaming with those little amps they used. The exception was "Yesterday." All 35-40,000 of us sat silent to hear that one. Talk about a memory you'll never forget.
Anyway, hats off to these guys, they obviously have done their homework. The sound, the look, same instruments, same amps, the tones, I'd bet an audio engineer could barely tell the difference by looking at the sound waves on an analyzer. This is as perfect as a tribute band can get.
If you didn't get to see The Beatles, here is your last chance.
<<< DO NOT MISS IT >>>
TubularBow HD
The only difference is the voice, but even then, they're really close to how the Beatles sang in concert.
7JANEWAY
@Scomu The Fab Four and other tribute bands are all of what’s left of the live Beatles experience.
The Fab Four do NOT claim to be EXACTLY like the Beatles—NO ONE can do that—but they serve a purpose. That purpose is to remind us of how the Beatles would have sounded if they were around today, with modern instruments like synthesizers to help recreate their records.
The Fab Four calls themselves “the Ultimate Tribute” to the Beatles. And they are.
If YOU choose NOT to listen to them, that’s YOUR choice.
But don’t put down bands that are doing their best to keep the memory of the Beatles alive. They show THOUSANDS of people, especially the newer generations that were born LONG after the Beatles split up, what it could be like to actually see them in person.
So—THOUSANDS for, YOU—ONE person—against.
I’d say that’s pretty good odds for them, don’t you think???!!