Page 27 - Reading Success B6

The Beatles were an English rock band from Liverpool whose members were
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are one of

the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of
popular music. Their innovative music made them trendsetters in the rock music

industry and helped to define the 1960s.
According to the Recording Industry Association of America, the Beatles are

the best selling musical act ever in the U.S. They were certified as the highest
selling band of all time based on American sales of their albums and singles. In

the United Kingdom, more than 40 of the Beatles’ singles and albums reached
number one. Their commercial success was repeated in many countries around

the world. EMI, the Beatles’ record company, estimates that worldwide they had
sold more than one billion compact discs and audio tapes by 1985. Rolling Stone

Magazine ranked the Beatles number one on their list of 100 Greatest Artists of All
Time in 2004.

In the mid 1960s there was a so called musical ‘British Invasion’ in the U.S.
This musical invasion was led by the Beatles. The Beatles’ early musical style was

rooted in 1950s rock, but the group explored other genres including, Tin Pan Alley
and psychedelic rock. Not only their music made them trendsetters, but their

clothing, styles and statements as well. As their social awareness grew, their
influence expanded into the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s.

Main Idea

What is the main idea of this story?

a. the fame and achievements of the Beatles

b. musical styles of the Beatles
c. The Beatles’ fame in the United States

d. The Beatles’ music tour around the world

30_Reading Success B 6