15 Things We Learned From #Beatles50 "A GRAMMY Salute To The Beatles"

We might not be the biggest The Beatles stans out there, but we do enjoy some of their later material. Abbey Road is actually one of our favorite albums of all time, and Across The Universe was a movie we watched when it came out.

So it’s not too surprising that somehow we got caught up watching this CBS special on TV. “A GRAMMY Salute to The Beatles” was stacked with special guests, all singing classics from the group’s catalog in front of the two surviving Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. They were sitting front row for the action.

The two also got to perform one solo set each and one together to end the show with a bang and close out the night. In between performances from the invited guests (John Legend, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Alicia Keys, Dave Grohl, Katy Perry, etc.), clips from old performances would play for a minute, as well as David Letterman’s interview with McCartney and Starr before the show. The crowd also got to see profiles of where each member got their start, going all the way back to their childhood.

If you missed some of the action when it aired, we got you covered with what we observed throughout the show, and performances from the night.

1. Sir Paul McCartney’s stage game is lightyears ahead of Ringo Starr’s.
2. We already knew this, but Gary Clark Jr. is a BEAST on guitar. His solo for “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was ridiculous. A standing ovation for him and Joe Walsh.
3. Yoko Ono is still TURNT as fuck!
4. John Legend and Alicia Keys make quite the combo while playing the piano. We need to hear them performing together some more.
5. The Beatles got their name from the way they “beat” in rhythm, but in the early days, people thought it was because of the creepy crawler (beetle).
6. Ringo Starr was the most loved Beatle of the 1960’s.
7. Tom Hanks catches the holy ghost when The Beatles come on. He was going ham in the crowd whenever they focused on him.
8. We can’t even recognize Katy Perry when she’s fully covered.
9. The Beliebers have nothing on the groupies outside and inside the Ed Sullivan Show the first time The Beatles performed on there.
10. We need to see a Sir Paul McCartney show before he leaves this earth.
11. Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas might be a show to catch next time we’re there.
12. John Mayer is ungodly when he’s on the guitar.
13. #PharrellHat will never ever ever ever get old.
14. On this day 50 years ago, Beatlemania officially began as the group invaded the United States and made their appearance on the “Ed Sullivan Show.”
15. What made The Beatles? Skills and coincidences, according to Paul McCartney.

15 Things We Learned From #Beatles50 “A GRAMMY Salute To The Beatles”