A century of George Martin, the architect of The Beatles’ sound

This month would have been Sir George Martin’s centennial. The celebrated music producer may have died back in March 2016, but he is just as relevant in death as he was during his heyday when he helmed one Beatles masterwork after another, including such landmark releases as “Revolver” (1966), “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1967), and “Abbey Road” (1969).

Debates about his significant role in The Beatles’ story roil into the present day. Sir George is frequently bandied about as the so-called fifth Beatle. Coined by DJ Murray the K at the onset of American Beatlemania, the term has taken on mythical status among die-hard music fans, who often bestow the title on such Beatles insiders as manager Brian Epstein, roadie Mal Evans, or musician Billy Preston.

Yet when it comes to sheer artistic impact, Martin towers above the others. In 1979, no less than John Lennon reminded Beatles fans that when it comes to understanding their legacy, “The music was the thing.” And no one in the group’s orbit exerted as much influence and musical acumen as Martin, who worked tirelessly to transform their mid-1960s demographic from a relatively narrow range of teenyboppers into a brand that appealed to listeners of every generation and from all walks of life.

A forthcoming book by Kevin Ryan and Brian Kehew, the authors of the magisterial “Recording the Beatles” (2026), brings Sir George’s role in The Beatles’ story vividly to life. Entitled “George Martin: The Scores,” the tome will provide readers with full-sized reproductions of the handwritten scores that he compiled during his years with the band, including such standout compositions as “Yesterday,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “A Day in the Life,” and “Here Comes the Sun,” among others.

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More than a decade in the making, Ryan and Kehew’s meticulous reproduction of Martin’s scores will demonstrate his central role in creating The Beatles’ abiding legacy. Sir George challenged the band members to grow their sound beyond their beat-music origins. They responded in kind, producing an evolving and unparalleled music under his tutelage. “George Martin: The Scores,” which will be published in April and feature a foreword by Paul McCartney, highlights Martin’s singular influence in making their corpus a reality for the ages.

It’s also a powerful reminder about The Beatles’ remarkable good fortune in landing a contract with Martin’s Parlophone label back in 1962. While Epstein, Evans, and Preston toiled on the group’s behalf, Sir George’s dogged curation of The Beatles’ sound will ensure a listenership across the centuries. Indeed, it’s difficult to imagine a better case for fifth Beatle status.

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