The Beatles started in 1980.
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 . In 1963 their enormous popularity first emerged as `` Beatlemania '' , and as the group 's music grew in sophistication in subsequent years , led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney , they came to be perceived as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the counterculture of the 1960s . From 1965 onwards , the Beatles produced increasingly innovative recordings , including the albums Rubber Soul ( 1965 ) , Revolver ( 1966 ) , Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band ( 1967 ) , The Beatles ( commonly known as the White Album , 1968 ) and Abbey Road ( 1969 ) . After their break-up in 1970 , they each enjoyed successful musical careers of varying lengths .