. But The Beatles persisted, beginning their career in the cellar of a Liverpool jazz club called The Cavern, where they would play for $20 a week.
It was at The Cavern that they were discovered by Brian Epstein, the man who become their manager and set them on the road to fame. The Beatles quickly become an international phenomenon. Fans and the media mobbed the band wherever they went. Only 15 months after they had debuted, they were getting $10,000 per show, and had earned $17 million. Some said that their popularity wasn’t going to last, but British and American charts simultaneously-before it was even released.
The song “Can’t Buy Me Love” expresses the sentiment that there are more important things in life than money. However, The Beatles had an ambiguous attitude towards money, and sometimes seemed to value it more than those song lyrics would seem to suggest. In fact, years later Paul revealed, “Somebody” said to me, “But the Beatles were anti-materialistic.” That’s a huge myth. John and I literally used to sit down and say, “Now, let’s write a swimming pool.” While The Beatles were known for the many songs they wrote encouraging peace and love, they also wrote a song called “You Never Give Me Your Money,” and recorded another called “Money (That’s What I Want).”
While their fame brought The Beatles wealth beyond their imagination, it also had a less positive side. Female fans would get out of control at their concerts-screaming, pulling their hair, and sometimes even fainting during performances. They used to scream so loudly that the band complained that they couldn’t hear their music as they played. The pressure of such overwhelming fame took a toll on the bandmates, and they found themselves arguing over personal and artistic differences and sometimes, money.
By 1971, the band had broken up. But by this time, The Beatles had become the best-loved Pock band in the world and had achieved incredible fame and fortune. The combined net worth of the bedmates is said to be over $2 billion, with Paul McCartney reported to be the wealthiest musician alive. Not bad for four young men who started out with noting but talent and a dream.