The Beatles' evolution from a Liverpool rock 'n' roll group into one of the twentieth century's defining images has been repeatedly chronicled but rarely analysed; a critical appreciation of their music and career, and the issues and debates they provoked, is long overdue. This book provides the first investigation of some of the many historical, cultural, musical and sociological facets of the group's career. Written by an international group of writers on popular music, it is an essential book for those wishing to understand not only the phenomenon of the Beatles, but the broader social contexts within which popular music continues to be practised and studied.