The Beatles

The Beatles were a band that was formed in 1960, before then they were known as The Quarrymen, Johnny and the Moondogs, and The Silver Beetles. Their contribution in progressive rock has influenced many bands using orchestral instruments, sound effects, and world music.

Contributions (1964-1966)
The Beatles have used some experimental concepts as early as A Hard Day's Night — the title song by using a guitar and piano simultaneously. George Martin's piano solo was sped-up to sound like a classical piano piece for "In My Life" for the album Rubber Soul. By the time The Beatles released Revolver, they experimented with sound effects and tape loops which would later be a song "Tomorrow Never Knows" featuring a sitar drone, Mellotron, reverse electric guitar solo, and John Lennon singing through a Leslie speaker. Other songs that would be part of Revolver that is progressive rock influenced is "Eleanor Rigby" and "For No One" (baroque pop), "Love You To" (world music), and "I'm Only Sleeping" and "She Said She Said" (Experimental).

Sgt. Pepper era (1967)
Before the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, The Beatles released a double-single called "Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane". John Lennon wrote "Strawberry Fields Forever" which features the Mellotron, trumpets, cellos, and a swarmandal as well as slowed-down vocals and reverse drums. Paul McCartney's "Penny Lane" featured flues, trumpets, and chimes that has more of a baroque pop sound.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is considered rock's first concept album. The album took five months to create. Its inspiration was by Paul McCartney by forming an Edwardian Band and not being The Beatles. It combines psychedelic music ("Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"), baroque pop ("She's Leaving Home"), carnival music ("Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite"), world music ("Within You and Without You"), vaudeville ("When I'm Sixty-Four"), and symphonic rock ("A Day in the Life").

Other recordings during the sessions of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band which would be released on the soundtrack to Yellow Submarine was "Only a Northern Song" and "It's All Too Much" both written by George Harrison and featuring some psychedelic/experimental sounds.

By the end of 1967, The Beatles released Magical Mystery Tour which featured "I Am The Walrus" and used many sound effects as well as lines from William Shakespeare's King Lear.

Later Years (1968-1970)
The Beatles took a short break around 1968 and when all was said and done, they released The Beatles, also known as The White Album. It was less psychedelic, but still experimental, with the most unusual track being "Revolution " written by John Lennon and contributions with Yoko Ono. Around that time, George Harrison released the Wonderwall soundtrack, also experimenting with the Moog synthesizer. John Lennon and Yoko One also recorded some experimental albums during this time, one of them being Two Virgins, featuring nude John and Yoko on its cover.

In 1969, The Beatles were mostly done with experimenting with music until Abbey Road where they would use the Moog synthesizer as well as have Alan Parsons co-produce the album. The final tracks medley is unofficially called "The Abbey Road Medley" and it features "You Never Give Me Your Money", "The Sun King", "Mean Mr. Mustard", "Polythene Pam", "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window", "Golden Slumbers", "Carry That Weight", and "The End". "The Medley" would become a concept for many progressive rock songs afterwards.

In 1970, after the release of Let It Be, Paul McCartney quit The Beatles, though he would still release progressive-style songs during his career, particularly from his first album McCartney where both he and Linda McCartney performed the instrumental "Kreen-Akrore" and "Hot as Sun/Glasses", also recording "Suicide", included on the 2011 remaster. Alan Parsons was involved with the Wings' Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway albums, while Hipgnosis would create the covers for their albums.

Discography
Linked below are only the albums where the Beatles heavily experimented with the instruments (in a way that became significant for the development of progressive/psychedelic rock), as well as recordings with the specific time signatures and elements natural to the progressive rock.


 * Studio albums
 * Please Please Me (1963)
 * With the Beatles (1963)
 * A Hard Day's Night (1964)
 * Beatles for Sale (1964)
 * Help! (1965)
 * Rubber Soul (1965)
 * Revolver (1966)
 * Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
 * Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
 * The Beatles (1968) (also known as The White Album)
 * Yellow Submarine (1969)
 * Abbey Road (1969)
 * Let It Be (1970)