Career: Waters' early short films gained a cult following in Baltimore during the 1960s thanks to their controversial subject matter. He eventually moved onto feature-length projects, and it was 1972's Pink Flamingos, starring Milstead (who was by then known professionally as drag artist Divine), which made his name. Female Trouble, Desperate Living and Polyester followed before Hairspray marked a move into more mainstream productions. It launched the career of Ricki Lake, and his next film, Cry-Baby, boosted Johnny Depp's profile. Since then, Waters' projects have included Serial Mom, Cecil B Demented and A Dirty Shame. He now only acts occasionally and runs lectures in film and subculture at the European Graduate School.

Career: The band returned to Liverpool - minus Sutcliffe, who later died of a brain haemorrhage - where local businessman Brian Epstein became their manager. Producer George Martin signed them to EMI and the group replaced Best with a new drummer, Ringo Starr. The Beatles took the world by storm, becoming one of the most successful acts in pop history, before acrimoniously splitting in 1970. McCartney formed the group Wings with first wife Linda and has since embarked on various solo projects, with mixed critical and commercial results. He was knighted in 1997 and continues to perform live and record.

Career: The classic Rolling Stones line-up of Jagger, Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts was in place by May 1963 when they signed their first recording deal. They were a success by 1964, although their wild behaviour didn't endear them to the media. Despite numerous personnel changes and Jones's death in 1969, the band are still going strong. Jagger has also recorded solo projects with mixed results. He began acting in 1970 in cult movie Performance, and has also appeared in Ned Kelly (1970), Bent (1997) and Freejack (1992). He produced the film Enigma in 2001 and was knighted a year later. He is still the oldest swinger in town.

Career: In 1963, Jones joined forces with songwriter Gordon Mills, who was beginning a career in management. A year later, his single, It's Not Unusual, written by Mills, topped the chart. Other early hits include She's a Lady, Help Yourself, Delilah, What's New Pussycat? and Without Love. His record sales waned during the 1970s, but he made a successful comeback in 1987, scoring a top 10 hit with The Boy from Nowhere. These days he's as popular as ever and his 1999 best-selling album, Reload, featured duets with some of the world's biggest contemporary acts, including Robbie Williams and Stereophonics. He continues to be one of the most successful recording artists in the world. He was knighted in 2006, and has been a judge on The Voice since 2012.