The Beatles were a band.
John Winston Ono Lennon , ( born John Winston Lennon ; 9 October 19408 December 1980 ) was an English guitarist , singer , and songwriter who co-founded the Beatles , the most commercially successful and musically influential band in the history of popular music . `` Love Me Do '' is the debut single by the English rock band the Beatles , backed by `` P.S. I Love You '' . Rubber Soul is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles . The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 . Manager Brian Epstein moulded them into a professional act , and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings , greatly expanding their popularity in the United Kingdom after their first hit , `` Love Me Do '' , in late 1962 .