The Beatles had owned 1964. They had conquered the U.S., made their film debut with a major motion picture, broken tour attendance records, and after two albums combining their own material with a few covers, they had their first album of all their own songs, all in the same year. The Beatles had maintained a momentum never before seen in an artist's career, and without forgetting all the work of their earlier years.

But their busy schedule was giving rise to signs of burnout. Albums, singles, EPs, and tours were piling on top of each other with hardly a break. The Beatles themselves were changing the way the business worked, and the record industry continued to doubt their stars. They would try to squeeze every last penny before, according to their predictions, the bubble that kept the quartet's fame alive would burst.

The result of all this was Beatles For Sale, an album that even in its title reflected a tired group, looking straight into the lens, almost emotionless. John, Paul, George and Ringo recorded the angriest, and most aggressive album in the Beatles catalog.