The Beatles

Top Ten Things to Know About The Beatles

The Beatles, one of the most famous bands of all time, are known all over the world. They have produced more award-winning albums than almost any other artist. There are many things people don't know about them; here are some interesting facts about The Beatles.

1. Penny Lane

Penny Lane is one of the most famous songs by the Beatles. After it became a big hit in the UK, the signs for the actual Penny Lane in Liverpool were constantly disappearing. As the signs were always being stolen, the city opted to paint the words "Penny Lane" on the buildings rather than hang more signs just to have them stolen again.

2. Strawberry Fields Forever

The song Strawberry Fields Forever was actually about a real place called Strawberry Field, a Liverpool children's home run by the Salvation Army where John played as a child; it was near his childhood home. Though it is still called Strawberry Field and remains in same the location, the building that was there has changed and been rebuilt . John Lennon sent a large donation to the children's home before his death and they named one of the buildings on the property Lennon Hall.

3. The Name of the Group

The name, The Beatles, came from several different places. The motorcycle gang in the movie The Wild One was called the Beatles. It is also said that the band members were influenced by the name of Buddy Holly's band, the Crickets.

Worldwide pop-rock sensations, The Beatles.

4. Discovering The Beatles

Even though The Beatles weren't popular in the U.S. in 1963, Ed Sullivan learned quickly about their popularity when his flight into London was delayed because of large crowds waiting to welcome the band back from a concert overseas. Ed Sullivan was frustrated by the delay and asked who The Beatles were. It is also interesting to note that The Beatles had never heard of Ed Sullivan before this event either.

5. Hey Jude

One of the most popular songs by The Beatles, Hey Jude, was written by Paul McCartney for Julian Lennon who was John Lennon's son.

6. I Want To Hold Your Hand

The song, I Want To Hold Your Hand, was the first song by The Beatles broadcast in the U.S. on December 17, 1963. The DJ got the record from his girlfriend who was a flight attendant on a flight coming back from Britain where she acquired the record. It became so popular that it was played every hour every day.

7. First Guitar

John received his first guitar from his Aunt Mimi who encouraged him to learn and play the guitar as a hobby. She said that it was a bad idea to pursue a career in music and that it would never earn him any money. He later gave her a plaque with an engraving of her saying on it.

8. Best Known Album

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is probably the most well known album produced by The Beatles. The cover features such people as Karl Marx, Bob Dylan, Shirley Temple, Laurel and Hardy and Marilyn Monroe.

9. The Ed Sullivan Show

The Ed Sullivan Show was the first TV show to host The Beatles in the U.S., but they were previously recorded live in concert by NBC and ABC. The Evening News with Walter Cronkite featured footage of the concert and many people learned about The Beatles from the news.

10. The Rutles

The spoof movie about The Beatles, entitled The Rutles featured Paul Simon, Mick Jagger, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray as cameos in the film. The movie was produced in 1978 and was a spoof on The Beatles in general and they way they lived.