April 10 marks the 55th anniversary of The Beatles' breakup. We look at their legacy.
Fifty-five years ago – on April 10, 1970 – the Beatles broke up, marking the end of one of rock 'n' roll's most prominent bands.
Between 1962 and 1970, The Beatles – a four-man band from Liverpool, England – were among the most influential bands in music history, inspiring others such as The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, Queen and Nirvana.
Together, the Beatles wrote more than 300 songs, were nominated for 25 Grammy Awards, won eight, and starred in five movies.
There are several theories as to why The Beatles broke up: the death of long-time manager Brian Epstein, disputes with business management, creative differences, or John Lennon's relationship with his future wife, Yoko Ono. The band ultimately drifted apart.
Here’s a look at their albums and interesting facts about the groundbreaking band:
Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them.
Who wrote the majority of The Beatles' songs?
Although The Beatles were together for less than a decade, the songwriting of Paul McCartney and John Lennon pushed the boundaries of music and evolved throughout the 1960s. All four band members composed several songs.
A study published in The Journal of Beatles Studies examined the number of songs written by each of the four Beatles between 1962 and 1970, when the band was with EMI Music Publishing. What they found:
All four members continued making music after the breakup.
Of the original band members, McCartney and Starr are the only surviving members. Both are still performing.
John Lennon's life was cut short at 40 years old on Dec. 9, 1980, when an obsessed fan named Mark David Chapman shot and killed Lennon while outside his New York City apartment. George Harrison died in 2001 of cancer at 58.
The band received their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
SOURCE TheBeatles.com, History.com, Britannica.com, Billboard.com, Liverpool University Press, Journal of Beatles Studies, RecordingAcademy.com and Paste BN research
This story was updated to add new information.