program notes by composition > B > The Beatles: Love

The Beatles: Love

arr. Jay Bocook

The Beatles: Love is a medley of seven hits by the British pop group includes “Because,” “Drive My Car,” “What You’re Doing,” “The Word,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Hey Jude” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

The Beatles were a rock and pop band from Liverpool, England that formed in 1960. During their career, the group primarily consisted of John Lennon (rhythm guitar, vocals), Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals). Although their initial musical style was rooted in 1950s rock and roll and skiffle, the group worked with different musical genres, ranging from Tin Pan Alley to psychedelic rock.

The Beatles burst onto the American scene with a television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964. Their clothes, style and statements made them trend-setters, while their growing social awareness saw their influence extend into the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s.

The group was one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music, selling over one billion records worldwide. Their innovative music and cultural impact helped define the 1960s, and their influence on pop culture is still evident today.

After the band broke up in 1970, all four members embarked upon successful solo careers. John Lennon was murdered in 1980 and George Harrison died of cancer in 2001. Paul McCartney was knighted in 1997.

Last updated on May 4, 2015 by Palatine Concert Band