Beatles

By the second half of 1967, the Beatles were searching for answers to some of life's larger questions. This search would lead them to meditation, Eastern philosophy and, eventually, to Rishikesh, India, where, on Feb. 15, 1968, they began a period of study with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

The notion of artists taking their time in the studio has become so ingrained in the recording process that it's hard to believe that musicians used to bang out killer albums in a hurry. There is perhaps no more famous example of that than the Beatles debut album, 'Please Please Me,' the bulk of which was recorded in less than 13 hours on Feb. 11, 1963.

In October 1963, the word "Beatlemania" was coined in Britain to describe the reactions of screaming young girls every time they heard the Beatles' music, either in performance or on the radio. On Feb. 7, 1964, the U.S. got its first proper taste of Beatlemania, as the group arrived in America for the first time.

The third part of the equation that would become the Beatles fell into place on Feb. 6, 1958. George Harrison joined the Quarry Men, the John Lennon-led group that Paul McCartney had joined as a second guitarist and singer the previous summer.

At the start of Feb. 1968, the Beatles found themselves, after a month-and-a-half break, back in Abbey Road studios to begin work on their next single, their first release for 1968. On Feb. 4, the day after work began on Paul McCartney's newest creation, 'Lady Madonna,' sessions took off on a new John Lennon song called 'Across The Universe.'

"I'd like to say 'Thank you' on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition"

In 1969, terror and paranoia swept through the film and music communities of Los Angeles after actress Sharon Tate, Hollywood hairstylist Jay Sebring, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, aspiring screenwriter Wojciech Frykowski and 18-year-old Steven Parent were brutally murdered in a house on Cielo Drive. In a bizarre twist to an already sensational story, the Beatles' 'White Album' wound up being pla

It seems sort of incredible today, but the Beatles recorded their first album in a single 12-hour session -- and to celebrate its 50th anniversary, an eclectic group of musicians is coming together to try and record a new 'Please Please Me' exactly the same way.

In the tightest race of the 2012 Ultimate Classic Rock Awards, the Beatles' 'Stereo Vinyl Box Set' takes home the prize for Box Set of the Year. The award was voted on by our readers.

British music fans suffered a blow this week when venerable U.K. record store HMV announced it was teetering on the brink of liquidation -- but while the company makes a last-ditch effort to stay in business, it's worth taking a moment to pay tribute to the way it used its clout to help jump-start one of the most important careers in rock history.

Want to own a first pressing of the Beatles' 'Love Me Do,' but don't have thousands of dollars in the bank? Good news: Thanks to European copyright law, the Fab Four's first single is now part of the public domain, meaning anyone can issue new copies for sale.

"Congratulations, gentlemen. You've just made your first No. 1."

It's had a pretty good run at the top, but after two years of dominating the vinyl market, the Beatles' 'Abbey Road' ended 2012 looking up at another LP on the charts.

While the Rolling Stones have spent much of 2012 promoting their intentions to honor their 50th anniversary next year, the Beatles have allowed theirs to mostly fly under the radar. Until now, that is.

George Martin will add one more trophy to his mantelpiece this February. The Music Producers Guild will bestow the Outstanding Contribution to U.K. Music Award to the man often labeled "the fifth Beatle."

It's arguably the most famous failed audition in rock history, and it can be all yours. On Tuesday (Nov. 27), London's Fame Bureau, which specializes in rock memorabilia, will auction off one of the tapes from the Beatles' 1962 tryout for Decca Records.