In the fall of 1962, the Beatles released their first single, which paired the Lennon-McCartney compositions "Love Me Do" and "P. S. I Love You." A second single, featuring Lennon and McCartney's "Please Please Me," reached the radio airwaves in early 1963 and thereupon became the top song on the charts of Melody Maker. As their prominence rapidly grew in England, the Beatles traveled to the United States for an appearance on television's Ed Sullivan Show. The band, whose members sported matching mop-top haircuts and dress suits, met with hordes of wildly enthusiastic fans at New York City's Kennedy Airport, and the ensuing performance on The Ed Sullivan Show served to increase the Beatles' popularity throughout America. In addition, songs such as "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand”—both written by Lennon and McCartney—reached the record charts in on both sides of the Atlantic. Beatlemania, replete with movies, posters, fan clubs, copycat clothing and haircuts, and even dolls, had begun.

Lennon and McCartney, as principal singers and writers of the Beatles’ material, received most of the attention from media and fans. Harrison, meanwhile, became known as the band's most reserved member. Even his work as lead guitarist proved understated, with his solos exhibiting little of the flash often associated with rock music. His singing and songwriting, meanwhile, were limited within the band. He served as lead vocalist on one song, Lennon and McCartney's "Do You Want to Know a Secret," from the Beatles' first long-playing recording, Please Please Me, and he made his songwriting debut with "Don't Bother Me," which appeared on the band's second release, With The Beatles. The song’s title proved to be an eloquent expression of the quiet Harrison’s attitude toward his band’s growing stardom.

Harrison's next significant contribution as a singer and songwriter came with "I Need You," which appeared in the band's 1965 film, Help!, and its related soundtrack. Three more Harrison compositions appeared on the Beatles' other 1965 release, Rubber Soul. Among these tunes was "If I Needed Someone," which the band included in their concerts performed during the next year as they toured the United States and Asia. Also on Rubber Soul, Harrison introduced Beatles fans to the haunting strains of sitar, which he played on the album’s single “Norwegian Wood.”

Although Harrison prospered as a member of the Beatles, he also became increasingly disappointed by the band's artistic compromises. Heeding manager Epstein's advice, the Beatles had already modified their stage performances, curtailing some of the wild behavior that had characterized their early shows in Hamburg and Liverpool. The band was also compelled to change their repertoire, jettisoning some of their favorite covers in order to promote their own tunes. They also found themselves prisoners of their own image as the zany lads of their madcap comedy A Hard Day's Night. In addition, the band members discovered that fame and success exerted a limiting effect on their freedom. Adoring fans rendered it difficult for individual band members to appear in public without causing a commotion. The press, meanwhile, provided constant attention, rendering even the least significant activities—shopping or merely walking the streets—seemingly newsworthy.