在1962年先後灌製了 Love Me Do,PS I Love You;從第二張唱片Please Please Me (連續30週冠軍)起,他們開始快速走紅。他們對國際流行音樂的影響是史無前例的,既使解散後他們的唱片伋是不斷的發行,歌曲和風格至今仍立久不衰。
1965年,他們獲頒"大英帝國獎章"。披頭四早期的風格可以以She Love You 為代表:雙拍子,幾近催眠的旋律,五聲音階的旋律,32小節的歌曲形式,主音為中音(第三度音);歌詞則和青春期的戀愛有關,帶著儀典式般"Yeah Yeah Yeah"的反覆喊叫。Can't Buy My Love,融合了12小節藍調曲式和動感十足的搖滾節奏。Do You Want To Know A Secret 一曲則驅使了延自藍調的半音過度和聲及技巧。
1965年灌製的"橡皮靈魂"可看出每位團員不同風格的創作路線:藍儂的歌詞包含了更多強力的意象;充滿文字遊戲、反語、嘲諷、悲觀色彩,甚至怪誕的風格。配上濃烈,強重敲擊的音樂,例如Run For Your Life、 Norwegian Wood等。相對的,麥卡尼樂觀的抒情風格,流暢而寬闊的歌曲;和聲、音色、節奏巧妙地融合一體(I Looking Through You)。哈里遜在Thank For Yourself及If I Need Someone中使用了催眠般重複在現的主題。
披頭們在"比柏軍槽"中探究了各種不同的風格:藍調、爵士、電子音樂、印度音樂及大行管絃樂的音響效果(A Day In The Life)。他們的歌詞更富想像、放縱,拍子更為多樣(哈里遜的With you Without you具有印度檯鼓的音型)。整張唱片被規劃為一場演唱會(還有觀眾的西鬧聲喔),並且歌詞內容上(如唱片標題所示)朝孤寂與疏離的的主題發展,因此具有相當的統一性。整個作品的張力從頭到尾一直持續著。到最後,在漸強的管絃樂高潮中得到宣洩。
多樣的實驗是披頭第二階段作品的特色,但他們的第三階段卻是不帶惡意的模擬嘲諷,歸真返璞的回到他們的根源。"白色專輯"這張唱片包括收錄了鄉村音樂、耍雜戲院歌曲、海灘男孩、史托克豪森、濫情民歌及他們自己歌曲嘲弄的模仿。這些模仿絕無貶斥的意味也不至於乏味或喧賓奪主,因為大部分的作品既是模仿之作,也是原創作品。"艾比路"是他們在一起灌錄的最後一張專輯(雖然不是最後一張發行)。第一面是各種風格及音樂特性的大雜燴,收錄了該團員每一個人的作品。這些歌曲各異其趣,充分顯示出各團員的音樂特質。第二面在形式上十分具有獨創性,是連貫、相關的聯篇作品(分三部分)。歌曲都很短,主要是因為歌曲的前後呼應而動人。在"讓他去"這張唱片裡披頭們又回到搖滾。I Have Got Feeling這首歌有他們早期粗獷的搖滾風格,而且帶有些藍調的味道。One After 909是藍儂十七歲所寫的歌曲的修訂版。Get Back 渴望回到基本質素:簡單的歌曲形式、舞蹈節奏與歌詞。麥卡尼所寫的保守、甜美的,Let It Be一曲平衡了此種創作態度。
When I`m feeling small
When it`s cold outside
I don`t know who I should believe
And when I needed someone special just by my side
who was there?
When I`m feeling old
When it`s rain outside
I don`t know who is holding me
And now I need a little kind and tender moment
Who`s with me?
I believe someday I will love
Someone who`s by my side
Oh someday
My special one will come alone
I keep on praying
When I`m lost inside
When I`m down and out
I don`t know I should recall
And when I needed someone precious just by my side
No one there no one was there
I believe someday will love
Someday who`s by my side
Oh someday
My special one will come alone
I`ll pray everyday
Someday I will love
Someone who`s by my side
Oh someday oh someday
I keep on praying everyday
When I`m feeling small
When it`s cold outside
I don`t know who I should believe
And when I needed someone special just by my side
who was there?
When I`m feeling old
When it`s rain outside
I don`t know who is holding me
And now I need a little kind and tender moment
Who`s with me?
I believe someday I will love
Someone who`s by my side
Oh someday
My special one will come alone
I keep on praying
When I`m lost inside
When I`m down and out
I don`t know I should recall
And when I needed someone precious just by my side
No one there no one was there
I believe someday will love
Someday who`s by my side
Oh someday
My special one will come alone
I`ll pray everyday
Someday I will love
Someone who`s by my side
Oh someday oh someday
I keep on praying everyday