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.
Instant Karma
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna knock you right on the head,
You better get yourself together,
Pretty soon you're gonna be dead,
What in the world you thinking of,
Laughing in the face of love,
What on earth you tryin' to do,
It's up to you, yeah you.Instant Karma's gonna get
Better get yourself together darlin',
Join the human race, How in the world you gonna see,
Laughin' at fools like me,
Who on earth d'you think you are,
A super star, Well, right you are.
Well we all shine on, Like the moon and the stars and
the sun, Well we all shine on,
Ev'ryone come on.Instant Karma's gonna get you,
Gonna knock you off your feet, Better
recognize your brothers, Ev'ryone you meet,
Why in the world are we here,
Surely not to live in pain and fear,
Why on earth are you there,
When you're ev'rywhere, Come and get your share.
Well we all shine on, Like the moon and the stars and
the sun, Yeah we all shine on,
Come on and on and on on on,
Yeah yeah, alright, uh huh,
ah-.Well we all shine on, Like the moon and the stars
and the sun, Yeah we all shine on,
On and on and on on and on.
Well we all shine on, Like the moon and the stars and
the sun.Well we all shine on,
Like the moon and the stars and the sun.
Well we all shine on, Like the moon and the stars and
the sun.Yeah we all shine on, Like the moon and the stars and the sun.
The Beatles released "Instant Karma" as a single in February 1970, and it was written and recorded in less than a day. The song has a powerful message of individual responsibility and the law of cause and effect. The lyrics warn that if you don't get your act together, instant karma, or the consequences of your actions, will catch up with you, knocking you off your ego-driven pedestal.
The opening lines, "Instant Karma's gonna get you, gonna knock you right on the head," is a clear warning that if you don't align your actions to something positive, you will reap negative consequences. The song suggests that everyone is connected, as we all shine on, and it's up to us to recognize our brothers and sisters and come together as one.
The melody features a prominent piano riff and upbeat rhythm, reflecting the positive energy and urgency of the lyrics. This song became an international hit, reaching number three in the UK and number four in the US. In 2013, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, recognizing its cultural significance and lasting influence in popular music.
Line by Line Meaning
Instant Karma's gonna get you,
Your actions will come back to you in one way or another, so be mindful
Gonna knock you right on the head,
You will face the consequences of your actions
You better get yourself together,
Take control of your life and make better decisions
Pretty soon you're gonna be dead,
Time is short, so live life to the fullest while you can
What in the world you thinking of,
Question your motives and intentions
Laughing in the face of love,
Don't take love for granted or make a mockery of it
What on earth you tryin' to do,
Think about the impact of your actions on yourself and others
It's up to you, yeah you.
Ultimately, you are responsible for your own fate
Gonna look you right in the face,
The consequences of your choices will be impossible to ignore
Better get yourself together darlin',
Pull yourself together and make better decisions
Join the human race,
Recognize and embrace our common humanity
How in the world you gonna see,
It's important to see people for who they are, not make assumptions
Laughin' at fools like me,
Don't make fun of others or judge them too quickly
Who on earth d'you think you are,
Don't get too full of yourself or think you're better than others
A super star, Well, right you are.
If you're confident and believe in yourself, you can achieve great things
Well we all shine on, Like the moon and the stars and the sun,
We all have the potential to do great things and make a positive impact
Ev'ryone come on.
Let's all work together to make the world a better place
Gonna knock you off your feet, Better recognize your brothers, Ev'ryone you meet,
Your actions will have consequences, so treat others with respect and recognize our shared humanity
Why in the world are we here,
Reflect on the meaning and purpose of life
Surely not to live in pain and fear,
Life should not be defined by pain and fear
Why on earth are you there, When you're ev'rywhere,
Everyone has the power to make a positive impact, no matter who they are or where they come from
Come and get your share.
There is enough happiness and success to go around if we work together
Writer(s): John Winston Lennon
Contributed by Connor D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Philip Kassabian
on Mother Nature's Son
A really great Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on The Night Before
A really splendid Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on P.S. I Love You
Now this is a really great Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on There's a Place
A seriously underrated Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Do You Want to Know a Secret
A fantastic song by The Beatles.
Philip Kassabian
on When I'm Sixty-Four
A very tuneful Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
An excellent Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on I'm Looking Through You
A beautiful Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
Honestly The Beatles can't stop producing good songs.
Philip Kassabian
on Michelle
A fantastic Beatles song and absolutely beautiful.