To any other British band or musician they were the Fab Four. More, they epitomized the British Invasion. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr were the four men who assembled what may arguably be the most successful band of all time, The Beatles.

February was the 50th anniversary of their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. A staggering 74 million people tuned in on that day to watch them, a third of the U.S. population at the time.

In Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, The Beatles are the most represented musical act with 23 songs on the list, more if you include their individual solo careers. With the record for most singles on the Billboard at twenty, five of which occupied the top five spots at the same time, and over two billion records sold worldwide, they are also the best selling act of all time, beating out The Eagles, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson.

“Beatlemania” started in the 1960s, and it has yet to cease. Kids and adults of all ages continue to listen to their music. Rock Band made a special Beatles edition of the game in 2009. The 2014 Grammy’s paid homage to the influential band, with such artists as Alicia Keys and John Legend performing “Let It Be” and a performance by the surviving Beatles themselves, McCartney and Starr. N’Sync and One Direction had nothing on this iconic boy band, which needed an entire NYC police force to control screaming crowds and maintaining order when they arrived in the U.S. Injuries, temporary deafness and sore throats ensued all over, despite the NYPD being debriefed on their arrival.

Those are just statistics; The Beatles go so much deeper than that. Culturally, they gained superstardom for having meaning behind their songs, with “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” “Let It Be,” and “Revolution Number 9” speaking out against the Cold War and Vietnam conflict. They were labeled as communists and drug addicted hippies who were in desperate need of haircuts.

However, for those who understood, they were icons that went beyond what traditional musicians were at the time. With their public voices as musicians, they spread messages and ideas in ways that leave the fans to only stare in awe and wonder.

John Lennon has become perhaps the favorite of the Fab Four. Though many McCartney fans would disagree, likely based upon McCartney being the “cute one,” Lennon provided the overwhelming wit and creativity for the group. He and McCartney did the grunt work of composing songs, effectively being the most iconic and successful duo when it comes to collaborative songwriting.

Lennon had a brief yet active life after the Beatles broke up in 1970. His single, “Imagine”, is perhaps his greatest accomplishment as a solo artist. The song speaks of idealized peace and a world without conflict during a time where conflict was everywhere. Lennon was wiretapped and spied on by the government, including Richard Nixon’s administration even attempting to deport him. John Lennon died in 1980 after Mark David Chapman shot him outside of his apartment. He was only forty years old and he was the first of The Beatles to die.

George Harrison was the primary force behind fewer of The Beatles songs, but they were ingenious regardless. “Here Comes the Sun” and “Something” were both composed by him, the later being The Beatles most covered song. He also brought a sense of culture to the group despite often being the quiet one, adopting habits from Asian traditions. After his death in 2001 from complications associated with lung cancer, his cremated ashes were scattered in the Ganges river in India. Lennon paid homage to his interest in the Hare Krishna movement with the song “Give Peace a Chance,” a peaceful group which continues to demonstrate Indian morals and values.

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are the two surviving Beatles and have continued to tour and be active in the industry since the band’s disbandment. McCartney was the top grossing musician on tour in 2013, and has had the recent privileges of performing at Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee, having been knighted by her in 1997, and the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. Ringo Starr was the last to join, having been the drummer and usually more overshadowed member during interviews. However, he has had successful collaborations with drummers such as Phil Collins and Steve Smith.

To speak of these four is to speak of musical legends. Half a century later, their impact is grounded in all forms of music and has influenced every artist and band after them from U2 to Nirvana and beyond.

Books, documentaries, and news specials have been made over the decades to signify their impact, having been the biggest name in music ever since their explosion to fame. Whether it is rock, pop, blues, hip-hop, R&B, or any other genre, The Beatles influenced them all in some form or another. It may have been fifty years since they made it big, but the Fab Four are still recognizable all around the world.