Listen & Learn: The Beatles

Learn about the most famous band in history

• vocalist: the person in a band who sings
• inspiration: ideas that influence someone’s work
• genre: a category of music with similar sounds
• tour: a trip that a musician or band takes to perform around the world
• disruptive: chaotic, disorderly
• phenomenon: a strange event that is difficult to explain
• solo: individual, by oneself

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

The Beatles were a famous British rock of the 1960s. The four members of the group were lead vocalists John Lennon and Paul McCartney, guitarist George Harrison, and drummer Ringo Starr. The band took inspiration from a British folk genre called “skiffle,” as well as American rhythm and blues. They became known for experimenting with many genres and . Lennon and McCartney were the main , but Harrison and Starr wrote some of the band’s songs too. The Beatles were an important influence on 1960s popular . When they went on tour, they attracted disruptive crowds of —a phenomenon known as “Beatlemania.” The Beatles recorded 14 albums over ten years. After they broke up in 1970, each of the band members began successful solo careers. They are still the best-selling musical group of all time.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. The folk genre that inspired the Beatles was called
   a. samba
   b. skiffle
   c. ska
   
2. The Beatles’ main songwriters were
   a. Lennon and McCartney
   b. Lennon and Harrison
   c. McCartney and Starr
   
3. The term “Beatlemania” described
   a. the frustration that caused the Beatles to break up
   b. the disruptive crowds of fans that the Beatles attracted on tour
   c. the wave of new bands that took inspiration from the Beatles

Discussion/essay questions

1. In the 1960s, Beatlemania was strange and surprising. Television and radio helped the Beatles reach audiences all over the world. This was a new kind of fame. How has the internet changed fan culture? Do you think any living famous people have their own “mania”?

Transcript

The Beatles were a famous British rock band of the 1960s. The four members of the group were lead vocalists John Lennon and Paul McCartney, guitarist George Harrison, and drummer Ringo Starr. The band took inspiration from a British folk genre called “skiffle,” as well as American rhythm and blues. They became known for experimenting with many genres and sounds. Lennon and McCartney were the main songwriters, but Harrison and Starr wrote some of the band’s songs too. The Beatles were an important influence on 1960s popular culture. When they went on tour, they attracted disruptive crowds of fans—a phenomenon known as “Beatlemania.” The Beatles recorded 14 albums over ten years. After they broke up in 1970, each of the band members began successful solo careers. They are still the best-selling musical group of all time.

Answers to comprehension questions

1b 2a 3b