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.
Watching Rainbows
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hand my umbrella, with this dirt I wish she was mine
Everybody doves, think a thing; it didn't come
Instead of watching rainbows I'm gonna make me some
Standin' in the garden, waitin' for the English sun to come and make me brown so I can be someone
Lookin' at the bench of next door neighbours
Cryin' to my mom, I'm tryin' to set sabors
Everybody's got to have something hard to grow
Well, instead of watching rainbows under the sun
You gotta get out son, and make you one
You gotta get out son, and make you run
Because you're not gonna make it if you cry cry, though
Shoot big!
Shoot big!
Whatever you do you gotta kill somebody to get what you wanna get
You gotta shoot big!
You gotta shoot big!
Until you shoot big
I can't stand
Watching Rainbows is a lesser-known song by The Beatles, which appeared on their album, Anthology 3. In this song, John Lennon seems to be reflecting on his childhood memories and using them to deliver a message of inspiration and motivation. The lyrics contain several metaphors, and each verse has a different meaning. The first verse talks about waiting for the sun to shine and wishing to be with someone. However, the sun never comes, and he decides to take matters into his own hands and make his own sunshine. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for creating happiness and success for oneself instead of waiting for it to happen.
The second verse mentions waiting for the English sun to come so he can get a tan and be someone. He then looks at his neighbor's bench and cries to his mother about wanting to succeed. The metaphor here is about working hard to achieve one's goals and not relying on external factors for success. The third verse talks about everyone needing something hard to grow, possibly referring to a difficult challenge or struggle. The line "get out son and make you one," suggests taking action and creating an opportunity for oneself instead of waiting for it to come.
The lyrics also include the repeated phrase "shoot big" which can be interpreted as a call to aim high and dream big. This could also be seen as a reference to the idea that success often involves taking risks and being willing to fail. Overall, Watching Rainbows is an uplifting and motivational song that encourages listeners to take action and create their own success.
Line by Line Meaning
Standin' in the garden, waitin' for the sun to shine
I am standing in a garden, hoping that the sun will come out so that I can feel important.
Hand my umbrella, with this dirt I wish she was mine
I am holding an umbrella and wishing that I owned the land around me.
Everybody doves, think a thing; it didn't come
Everyone puts in their share of work, but no one gets the desired results.
Instead of watching rainbows I'm gonna make me some
I will not wait around for good things to happen, I will make them happen instead.
Standin' in the garden, waitin' for the English sun to come and make me brown so I can be someone
I am waiting for the English sun to make me look better so that I can feel like someone important.
Lookin' at the bench of next door neighbours
I am envious of my neighbors and their possessions.
Cryin' to my mom, I'm tryin' to set sabors
I am complaining to my mom about the situation and trying to create drama.
Everybody's got to have something hard to grow
Everyone needs to face challenges to achieve growth and success.
Well, instead of watching rainbows under the sun
Rather than just waiting around for good things to happen, we need to actively pursue our goals.
You gotta get out son, and make you one
You need to take action and create opportunities for yourself.
You gotta get out son, and make you run
You need to actively pursue your goals and take control of your own life.
Because you're not gonna make it if you cry cry, though
Constant complaining and crying won't lead to success and achievement.
Shoot big!
Set big goals for yourself.
Shoot big!
Set your sights high and aim for success.
Whatever you do you gotta kill somebody to get what you wanna get
You need to be ruthless and work hard to achieve your goals.
You gotta shoot big!
You need to set ambitious goals for yourself.
You gotta shoot big!
Don't settle for mediocrity, aim high and shoot for success.
Until you shoot big
Until you set and pursue ambitious goals,
I can't stand
I can't tolerate or accept a lack of ambition and drive.
Contributed by Charlotte D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Noj Paul
The Beatles would've had a killer 70s decade if they woulda stayed together and moved forward into this sound more and more. They were starting to develop into magnificent musicians and could really perform .
Ken Michaels Radio
@Sugar Daddy I certainly don't agree with Ethan. Their solo-music from all the decades was very strong, and the public agreed by their success on the charts. All 4 Beatles had successful solo-careers. I'm not denying they had magic when they were together, but nobody was complaining about their early successes like All Things Must Pass, Imagine, Ram, or Band On The Run wishing that it was all 4 together. The public accepted their individual styles as they were.
Sugar Daddy
I agree with Ethan Hawke. Listening to their (best) solo albums, it's great, but something is missing. True diversity of styles and personality, some magic. But combine Imagine and Ram, Tug of War and Double Fantasy and you have a knock-out of an album. They would've improved their respective songs. I still think it's a good think they broke up, because eventually the music wouldn't be as fresh, even together. As it is their discography is near perfection, which you can't say about any 60s band that stayed together.
Laura4Cats
I agree wholeheartedly with the first part of your post. Considering the output of the solo Beatles in the early 70s, there is no doubt that if they had stayed together, the music would have been out of this world. As for the second part of your post, surely they were ALREADY "magnificent musicians."
Noj Paul
@Relapsation of course ; I'm speaking of the maturity, experience, and control of their skills at this stage of their careers. Much different then the young boys with bangs playing up tempo in small music halls in Hamburg .
Relapsation
starting to? they were always magnificent 😎
Antonio Luiz Castilho
Always a pleasure hearing from Beatles!
ksfhhnfan
I love this song, it almost sounds like a cross between I’ve Got A Feeling and Hey Bulldog. Too bad they couldn’t get it to work.
tricorn club
Only needs a bit more work. Pity they couldn't finish it. Reminds me a little of the improvised groove of Can.
Alex Melnick
Plus a bit of Dylan's Quinn the Eskimo.