The Beatles have sold between 600 and 800 million units—albums, singles, or digital downloads—making them the most successful pop band of all time.

They were a brilliant band and definitely among my favourite acts.

But what if they neither wrote nor recorded much of their music?

Mike Williams is a musician who runs the Sage of Quay website, which is packed with research and in-depth analyses of not only The Beatles but also the broader entertainment industry.

Basically, Mike argues that The Beatles—whether they knew it or not—weren’t the organic counterculture heroes they’re portrayed as. He suggests they were deliberately shaped by forces like the Tavistock Institute to serve a hidden cultural agenda, and a bunch of their music wasn’t even written or recorded by them.

📺 Watch video episode