In the 1960s a new band known as the Beatles burst on the pop music scene and changed it forever. Band members included George Harrison (born 1943), John Lennon (1940-1980), Paul McCartney (born 1942), and Ringo Starr (born 1940). With the release of three anthologies in the mid-1990s, the group remained one of the best-selling of all time.

On February 7, 1964, the Beatles arrived at Kennedy International Airport in New York City, met by 110 police officers and a mob of more than 10,000 screaming fans. The British Invasion--and in particular, "Beatlemania"--had begun, and the "mop-topped" Beatles--John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr--wasted no time in endearing themselves to American fans and the media, though many adults remained skeptical. According to the February 24, 1964, Newsweek cover story, the Beatles' music, already topping the charts, was "a near disaster" that did away with "secondary rhythms, harmony, and melody." Despite such early criticism...