What kind of holiday is this?

World Beatles Day, which is celebrated every year on January 16. This is a real holiday for the many fans of the Liverpool quartet and for all people who are interested and respectful of world music culture. The Beatles are rightfully considered one of the most popular musical groups of all time. The songs of The Beatles promote the ideas of peace, love, goodness and the search for truth. Four young Britons not only became the authors of many musical innovations, but also changed the world in terms of self-expression, fashion, art. The phenomenon of this band still remains a mystery, because its popularity for many decades is unique.

How the idea of ​​celebrating The Beatles World Day came about?

January 16 is the day the Cavern Club in Liverpool opened. It happened in 1957, and this institution was destined to go down in history thanks to the performances of the young band, which later gained unprecedented world recognition.

The Quarrymen

But it happened later, and in 1956 in Liverpool, sixteen-year-old John Lennon was fascinated by the work of Elvis Presley. The young man, who had just mastered the guitar, decided to create his own musical group with his friends. The young people called themselves The Quarrymen. Lennon’s performances with the company usually took place at school parties. Young musicians received support from John’s mother, who had a large collection of records, taught the boys to tune instruments, and introduced them to chords.

On July 6, 1957, The Quarrymen played a concert organized by a local church. There, Lennon met Paul McCartney, a calm and balanced young man, unlike John himself, who had a rebellious nature. But he conquered Lennon by playing the guitar well, picking up the latest hits by ear. Paul was invited to the band The Quarrymen, and in the end it turned out that the newcomer not only plays well, but also writes songs. Following his example, Lennon also started writing music.

In 1958, McCartney brought his friend George Harrison to the team. George was a good musician, and most importantly, he had experience, because at the age of 15 he had already managed to work in several musical groups. Eventually, Lennon, McCartney and Harrison became the permanent members of The Quarrymen, while the other members changed frequently.

The Beatles

Young people persistently sought recognition, so they performed in all local concerts and music competitions. They experimented with names, and from April 1960 the collective began to be called The Beatles. The word had two meanings at once: aurally it was perceived as “beetles”, and visually it had the meaning of beat music. The Beatles began to play in nightclubs and pubs. Temporary members often came to the group to play on the drum set – there was no permanent drummer in The Beatles.

Gaining self-confidence, the musicians began to include their own songs in the repertoire. By agreement, the authorship of The Beatles’ songs always belonged to McCartney and Lennon together, regardless of which of them wrote this or that song. In 1960, the band went on a foreign tour to Hamburg and returned to Liverpool with valuable experience.

Starting from February 1961, The Beatles began to appear on the stage of the same Cavern club. The owner of the club signed a contract with them, and later the Cavern became a real home for musicians – they performed there 262 times and gained many fans.

In December 1961, The Beatles signed a contract with producer Brian Epstein. Already six months later, the band recorded several songs at Parlophone Records, and in July 1962 a contract was signed for the release of four singles. At that time, the band finally got a permanent drummer. He became Ringo Starr, who previously collaborated with The Beatles.

The first album

On February 11, 1963, the first album was recorded in London. Since that time, The Beatles’ songs have consistently topped the music charts and topped the national charts. The popularity of the quartet was crazy – it was almost impossible for four musicians to get from the car to the house because of the crowd of fans.

Tours of the country and triumphant foreign tours, preparation of new albums, performances in the largest stadiums, work in the studio, television programs – all this filled the life of The Beatles. In 1968, despite the important work on the next album, the relationship between the musicians began to deteriorate. One of the reasons was Yoko Ono, John’s new wife, who constantly interfered in the joint creative process.

McCartney did not want to allow the group to break up, but the concert held on January 30, 1969 was the last live performance The Beatles. Although studio work continued throughout the year, Lennon and McCartney’s views on creativity were now at odds. Finally, on April 17, 1970, Paul McCartney announced that the band was disbanding.

World Beatles Day in history

• 1965

  Four members of the band became Knights of the Order of the British Empire. Four years later, John Lennon refused the award, thus protesting Britain’s intervention in foreign armed conflicts.
• 1967

  The performance of The Beatles became the first in history to be broadcast to the whole world via satellite.
• 1967
  August 27

  The band’s producer Brian Epstein died of an overdose of sleeping pills. Death was associated with the fact that the musicians’ contract with Epstein was coming to an end, and its continuation was uncertain.
• 1969

  The album Abbey Road, known for the best songs by Ringo Starr and George Harrison, was released. This is the last joint album of all four band members.
• 1969
  September

  John Lennon announced his departure from the band, but at the request of other musicians, he remained in The Beatles for a few more months.
• 1997
  March 11th

  Paul McCartney was knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his significant contribution to music culture.
• 2017
  December 30

  Ringo Starr was knighted.

Frequent Questions and answers about World Beatles Day

How to celebrate World Beatles Day?

Creativity of The Beatles knows no borders – the band is loved in all corners of the world, so the celebration is approximately the same everywhere.

For long-time fans of the band, the tradition is obvious – to listen to their favorite songs, enjoying beautiful melodies that never get old. And for those who are not very familiar with the work of the most famous musical group of all time, January 16 can be the occasion for the first, but not the last, immersion in the boundless world of The Beatles.

The legendary four tried to bring love, positivity, and the desire for peace to the world. So on this day it is worth showing only the best, warmest emotions. Usually in World Beatles Day people throw parties where some can feel a pleasant nostalgia, while others are just happy to dance to great music. Parties can also be costume parties – clothes in the style of The Beatles will add the right atmosphere.

Documentary films telling the story of this band will also not be superfluous on this day. Thanks to them, you can learn more about the life and work of The Beatles, and most importantly, see four very young people who at one time managed to change people’s perception of music and the world in general.

Often, interesting flash mobs are held on January 16 – for example, young people gather at road crossings, reproducing the cover of the Abbey Road album.

Why do we love this day?

The work of The Beatles is always a reminder of the interesting era of the 60s of the last century. On the one hand, these are the times of the Cold War and the Caribbean crisis, on the other – a period of rapid economic growth and revolutionary discoveries. In the USSR during those years, a special social group of “sixties” even emerged, consisting mainly of young intellectuals who had hidden or open opposition to the authorities. The Beatles became a cult band for this generation.

The Liverpool quartet somehow inexplicably managed to create music that everyone could understand. You can dream, dance, grieve, fall in love to it. For many of us, the songs of The Beatles are associated with unforgettable moments in life, and this applies not only to older people, but also to the younger generation.

Musicians The Beatles, in addition to everything, are a great example of hard work and a desire for development. After all, in seven years they created 13 albums, while each of them is unique and stands out for something particularly interesting. Compared to today’s musical groups, this is a very high performance, which, obviously, is possible only thanks to the boundless passion for what they love.

After all, The Beatles are a cultural phenomenon in terms of popularity. Neither before nor after them, no one has achieved such record-breaking worldwide recognition and love. Therefore, the band’s work went beyond just music, becoming a symbol of an entire era.

When will we celebrate World Beatles Day?