Lead singer

Born October 9, 1940 · Liverpool. The acerbic wit and restless intellectual of the group. Lennon drove the Beatles’ avant-garde and confessional impulses – from the raw R&B energy of the early years to the lysergic experiments of 1967 and the naked vulnerability of the White Album. His songwriting evolved from witty pop craft to radical honesty.

Born June 18, 1942 · Liverpool. The melodic architect of the Beatles. McCartney’s bass playing redefined the instrument’s role in rock music, while his songwriting ranged from tender ballads to hard rock and music hall. A supreme craftsman, he pushed the group toward ambition and polish – and kept them grounded in pop when they needed it.

Born February 25, 1943 · Liverpool. The quiet Beatle who proved the most spiritually searching. Harrison’s mastery of the electric guitar defined the band’s sound from their earliest recordings, and his embrace of Indian classical music helped redirect Western pop’s relationship with the East. His songwriting, slow to develop, produced some of the group’s most enduring songs.

Born July 7, 1940 · Liverpool. The rhythmic heartbeat of the Beatles and a more inventive drummer than his modest reputation suggests. Starr’s distinctive backbeat, inventive fills, and impeccable feel underpinned the band’s most complex studio work. His right-handed style on a left-handed kit produced unique, identifiable patterns that shaped the sound of the era.