1967–1968

In 1967, the Beatles reached their high-water mark as a creative force in pop music. With Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, they had blown away all competition with a brilliant record, full of melody, imagery, and musical invention. The record took on a life of its own, becoming a cultural phenomenon and one of the most important achievements of the 1960s. At the time, it seemed that nothing could stop their stay at the summit of fame and success. But there was an event in the summer of 1967 that in many ways would mark the beginning of the end of the Beatles, an end that wouldn't formally occur until three years later. It was the death of their manager, Brian Epstein, of a drug overdose. Agreeing that no one could possibly replace Brian, the Beatles chose not to find a new manager, at least for the time being.