The Beatles are arguably one of the most popular rock bands of all time. Rising to fame in the early 1960s, the group changed the way artists created music for decades to follow. They also changed the music industry and influenced the culture around them.
Also known as “The Fab Four,” The Beatles was comprised of John Lennon on vocals and guitar, though he would go on to play numerous other instruments, Paul McCartney on vocals and bass, George Harrison on both the acoustic and electric guitar and Ringo Starr on drums.
The band’s first No. 1 hit in the U.K. was “From Me to You” which took the top spot on the charts in April 1963. They would go on to see several other No. 1 hits both in the United States and U.K. before officially parting ways in 1969 through 1970.
Though the band was together only a few years, they released 12 studio albums and are often regarded as the most influential band of all time. Both Lennon and McCartney also went on to have successful solo careers. Though Lennon’s was cut short due to his unexpected death in 1980, McCartney continues to produce and create music today. Additionally, The Beatles are viewed as one of the most popular music artists of all time among baby boomers.
To compile this list of unknown facts about The Beatles, 24/7 Tempo consulted several sources. These include IMDb, Fact Retriever, Britannica, and Facts.net. Information on song rankings was also sourced through Billboard, Official Charts, and Pulse Music Board.
They didn’t always call themselves The Beatles
Originally formed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the group went through various names before settling on The Beatles. The duo picked up George Harrison on guitar and evolved from Lennon’s original group called The Quarrymen to other names like Johnny and the Moodogs, The Rainbows, and The Silver Beatles before settling on their final name. Ringo Starr would later join the group on drums.
The band had more hits in the US than in the U.K.
Though The Beatles originally hailed from Liverpool in the United Kingdom, the group managed to land 20 No. 1 hit songs in the United States as opposed to only 17 No. 1 hit songs in their home country. In fact, according to Billboard, 20 No. 1 hit songs is a record that has yet to be broken by any other artist or group.
Stuart Sutcliffe is referred to as the ‘Fifth Beatle’
Though Sutcliffe was only with The Beatles in the early stages of its formation, he’s considered to this day as one of the founding members of what began as a five-person band. Sutcliffe (pictured wearing sunglasses) was the original bassist for the group before he left in the early 1960s to study art. He later died tragically at the age of 21 from a brain hemorrhage. Lennon remained friends with him until his death.
‘Abbey Road’ was almost given a different name
Released in 1969 as the group’s 11th studio album, “Abbey Road” was an instant success. However, the working title for the album had an entirely different name and visionary process. While producing music, the band considered naming their album “Everest” and having their pictures taken in the Himalayan mountains. Once it was realized that getting to Nepal for a photo shoot wouldn’t work, McCartney came up with the idea for Abbey Road.
The group wanted to create a film version of ‘Lord of the Rings’
After the band had performed in two other films, they desired to star in their own adaptation of “Lord of the Rings.” They saw the movie as an opportunity to create a musical and even sought out Stanley Kubrick to direct it. Kubrick, however, turned down the idea, and the film was never made.
Some songs may help children with disabilities
Some researchers believe that a few of The Beatles’ songs may help children with autism and other disabilities. This is largely due to imaginative lyrics and simple, catchy tunes. Popular songs include “Here Comes the Sun,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Hello Goodbye,” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.”
It took three pianos to master the final chord in ‘A Day in the Life’
“A Day in the Life,” the final track to the group’s album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” has a loud and iconic piano chord at the very end of the tune. It took Lennon, McCarney, Starr, and their road manager Mal Evans on three pianos and nine takes to achieve the sound that rings out for more than 50 seconds.
‘Blackbird’ was released in response to the Civil Rights Movement
According to Today, McCartney states that he wrote and sang the song “Blackbird” after seeing students harassed during the civil rights movement in the ’60s. Specifically, the song is an ode to black girls who were turned away from school at the time. Additionally, “Blackbird” is the only song sung by Paul alone while he was part of The Beatles.
The band held 8 straight No. 1 album releases
The Beatles not only hold the record for the most new No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, but they also topped the charts with eight consecutive albums. This achievement was later shared with rapper Eminem.
The group earned notoriety from Frank Sinatra
Though “Ol’ Blue Eyes” was not a fan of rock ‘n’ roll music, he once said that The Beatles song “Something” was the greatest song ever written. He later covered the song and often sang it live before recording it as a single in 1970.
John Lennon struggled with dyslexia
John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Though Lennon wrote and composed many of The Beatles’ songs, he was known for his troubles with dyslexia as a child. In school, he often excelled in art and music classes but struggled with poor grades due to the condition.
The group received an award from the queen in 1965
According to the U.K. Parliament, Queen Elizabeth II awarded each individual in the band a Member of the British Empire (MBE). This honor was typically bestowed upon civil servants or military veterans, so the Queen’s decision to award a rock ‘n’ roll band was controversial.
The Beatles released the first British rock album with printed lyrics
When “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album was released in 1967, it did something no other rock album had done yet. It sold with the lyrics printed on the sleeve. This took some convincing from the members of the band but soon became the standard for musicians everywhere.
The group nearly reunited in 1979
Though The Beatles’ separation began with Lennon telling the group he was leaving in 1969, the band would not be legally separated until 1974. However, Harrison, McCartney, and Starr were later seen together in 1979 at Eric Clapton’s wedding to Patti Boyd (pictured with Clapton). While Lennon was not present, this was the closest fans had seen The Beatles together in many years.
‘Here Comes the Sun’ was almost launched into space
As the Voyager project took shape in the 1970s, several songs were added to a phonograph record that would be launched with the spacecraft. One song that astronomers wanted to include was The Beatles hit “Here Comes the Sun.” However, EMI, the group’s recording company, did not release the rights to the song, so it never made it to space.
Minor planets have been named after The Beatles
The International Astronomical Union Minor Planet Center has reportedly named four small planets, or asteroids, after the group. Numbered planets 4147 is named Lennon, 4148 is McCartney, 4149 is Harrison, and 4150 is Starr. Additionally, planet number 8749 is named The Beatles.
The band said no to Disney
With the creation of “The Jungle Book” in 1967, Disney reached out to The Beatles asking them to voice the vultures in the animated film. Though the manager of the band, Brian Epstein, met with Disney about the opportunity, Lennon supposedly vetoed the idea.
McCartney and Best were once deported from Germany
In 1960, The Beatles began touring in Germany. Before Ringo Starr was added as the band’s drummer, Pete Best held the role. During their stay in the country, both McCartney and Best were suspected of starting a fire and burning a hole in a wall at a nightclub. The two were immediately arrested on suspicion of arson and deported back to the U.K. the next day.
Ringo felt slighted during the production of ‘The White Album’
During the recording of the group’s album called “The Beatles,” often referred to as “The White Album,” Starr was frustrated. At one point during the recording, he reportedly put down his sticks and left the room. Starr felt excluded from the group and as though his playing wasn’t up to the band’s standards.
Mae West originally rejected the idea of being on an album cover
Many famous artists and notable Hollywood stars grace the cover of the group’s “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album cover. But one star, Mae West, originally didn’t want to be included. However, a personal note from the band explaining that they were all fans eventually changed her mind.
The Beatles composed all their music in later years
The Beatles often included other composers in their music in the earlier days. However, that came to an end after their U.K. album “Help!” was released. Following this album, each new song would be only composed by one or more of the members of the band.
‘Yesterday’ is the group’s most covered song
The Beatles’ song “Yesterday is the group’s most covered song and reportedly has more than 3,000 recorded versions from various artists today. Additionally, This Day in Music reports that this song is the most covered of all time.
Paul is not dead
At some point in 1969, rumors began circulating that Paul McCartney had actually died in a car accident in 1966 and was replaced by a lookalike. While the group denied the rumors and McCartney himself appeared with his family on the cover of “Life” magazine in November 1969, many still believed the rumors. In 2009, “Time” magazine called the “Paul is dead” rumor an “enduring conspiracy theory.”
A hedge-shaped Ringo Starr lost his head
In 2008, a hedge was trimmed and designed to look like the band as a tribute in Liverpool. However, after Ringo Starr reportedly said he missed nothing about his hometown, his head was removed from the hedge.
Some songs were banned by the BBC
As The Beatles began to rise in popularity in the 1960s during a culturally sensitive time, the BBC felt some of their songs were inappropriate for the radio. “Come Together” was removed due to its reference to a specific brand, Coca-Cola. “I Am the Walrus” was not allowed on the radio as the BBC felt the song had sexually explicit lyrics. Additionally, “A Day in the Life” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” weren’t played due to drug references in the lyrics.
More than 20 food references are made in The Beatles’ music
The group often mentions several different food and drink items in their lyrics. Among those referenced are honey, peanuts, wine, pepper, rice, tangerines, strawberries, eggs, onions, cornflakes, marshmallow pies, and coffee.
Backup vocals featured huge names in “All You Need is Love”
The band sourced quite a bit of help in their song “All You Need is Love.” Among those singing backup vocals were Brian Epstein (the group’s manager), Ann Dunbar, Mick Jagger (pictured with McCartney), Eric Clapton, Keith Moon, and Patti Boyd, among others.
‘Now and Then’ was removed from the No. 1 spot in the UK by Jack Harlow
The Beatles’ most recent, and likely last song to ever be released, “Now and Then” moved its way up to the No. 1 spot in the UK in early November 2023. The song used the help of AI and technology to retrieve Lennon’s vocals from a 1970s demo track. However, the song didn’t stay at No. 1 for long. Jack Harlow edged out the song with his hit “Lovin’ On Me.”
‘Here Comes the Sun’ is the band’s most streamed song on Spotify
Though The Beatles have a plethora of beloved songs, “Here Comes the Sun” holds the record for most streamed. Spotify reports that the song has over a Billion streams while “Come Together” and “Let it Be” come in second and third.
The group originally doubted their success in the U.S.
U.S. News and World Report shares that The Beatles originally doubted they would have success in the United States. They felt that since they were foreigners, they would not be well-accepted. However, their views quickly changed when more than 4,000 fans met them at the airport upon their arrival, ultimately leading to what was called the “British Invasion” or “Beatlemania.” (For similar reading, see the most unusual covers of “Imagine” by John Lennon.)