(CNN) Sir George Martin, the music producer whose collaboration with the Beatles helped redraw the boundaries of popular music, died Tuesday, according to his management company. He was 90.

Martin died "peacefully at home" in England, according to Adam Sharp, the founder of C A Management which represents the music producer.

Former U.S. Rep. Mike Oxley -- co-author of a landmark anti-corporate-fraud law that bears his name -- died on January 1. He was 71.

Producer Robert Stigwood , the creative force behind "Saturday Night Fever," "Grease" and other cultural blockbusters of the 1970s, died on January 4. He was 81.

French fashion designer Andre Courreges, famous for his "space age" designs of the 1960s and 1970s, died on January 7, his family told CNN affiliate France 3. He was 92.

French fashion designer Andre Courreges, famous for his "space age" designs of the 1960s and 1970s, died on January 7, his family told CNN affiliate France 3. He was 92.

Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Monte Irvin died January 11 at the age of 96. Irvin was regarded as one of the best hitters and all-around players in the Negro League, making five All-Star teams. He became one of the first African-Americans to play in the majors, and he played a vital role in the New York Giants' World Series runs in 1951 and 1954.

At left is Bob Elliott , half of the TV and radio comedy duo Bob and Ray. He died February 2 at the age of 92. For several decades, Elliott and Ray Goulding's program parodies and deadpan routines were staples of radio and television. Elliott was the father of comedian and actor Chris Elliott and the grandfather of "Saturday Night Live" cast member Abby Elliott.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia , the leading conservative voice on the high court, died at the age of 79, a government source and a family friend told CNN on February 13.

Singer Sonny James , who ruled the country music charts for nearly 20 years, died February 22 at the age of 87.

Former first lady Nancy Reagan , who joined her husband on a storybook journey from Hollywood to the White House, died of heart failure on March 6. She was known as a fierce protector of her husband, President Ronald Reagan, as well as a spokeswoman of the "just say no" anti-drug campaign. She was 94.

Actor Larry Drake , best known for his role as Benny on "L.A. Law," died at his home in Los Angeles on March 17, according to his manager Steven Siebert. Drake was 66.

Malik Taylor, better known to fans as Phife Dawg of the rap group A Tribe Called Quest, died March 23 at the age of 45. He's seen here at center during a performance in 1996. Taylor had long suffered from health issues associated with having Type 1 diabetes. In 2008, he underwent a kidney transplant.

Author and poet Jim Harrison died March 26 at his winter home in Arizona. He was 78. His many books include "Legends of the Fall," which was made into a 1994 movie starring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins.

Actor James Noble , who played Gov. Eugene X. Gatling in the television series "Benson," died from a stroke on March 28. He was 94.

Actress Patty Duke , star of "The Patty Duke Show," died March 29, at the age of 69. Duke won an Academy Award at age 16 for playing Helen Keller in 1962's "The Miracle Worker."

Architect Zaha Hadid , whose designs include the London Olympic Aquatic Centre, died March 31, a spokesperson from Zaha Hadid Design told CNN. She was 65. Hadid died of a heart attack in a Miami hospital where she was being treated for bronchitis, according to her firm's press office.

Country music legend Merle Haggard died on April 6 -- his 79th birthday -- of complications from pneumonia, his agent Lance Roberts told CNN.

Actress Doris Roberts , best known for her role as Marie Barone on the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," died April 17. She was 90.

The musician Prince died at his home in Minnesota on April 21 at age 57. The medical examiner later determined he died of an accidental overdose of the opioid fentanyl.

Grammy-winning songwriter Guy Clark died May 17 at the age of 74. The Texas native died after a long illness, according to a statement from his publicist.

CBS News legend Morley Safer , whose work on "60 Minutes" embodied the show's 50 years on air, died at the age of 84, according to CBS on May 19.

Actor Alan Young , known for his role as Wilbur Post in the television show "Mr. Ed," died on May 19. He was 96.

Drummer Nick Menza , who played on many of Megadeth's most successful albums, died after collapsing on stage during a show with his current band, Ohm, on May 21. He was 51.

Mixed martial arts fighter Kimbo Slice died June 6 at the age of 42. Slice, whose real name was Kevin Ferguson, initially gained fame from online videos that showed him engaging in backyard bare-knuckle fights. He then became a professional fighter with a natural charisma that endeared him to fans.

Hockey legend Gordie Howe , left, scored 801 goals in his NHL career and won four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings. Howe, also known as "Mr. Hockey," died June 10 at the age of 88, his son Marty said.

Singer Christina Grimmie died June 11 from gunshot wounds. The 22-year-old singer, who finished third on season 6 of "The Voice" on NBC, was shot while signing autographs after a concert in Orlando.

Singer Attrell Cordes , known as Prince Be of the music duo P.M. Dawn, died June 17 after suffering from diabetes and renal kidney disease, according to a statement from the group. He was 46.

Actor Ron Lester , who portrayed Billy Bob in the 1999 football movie "Varsity Blues," died June 17 at the age of 45, according to his representative Dave Bradley. Bradley said Lester died of organ failure -- specifically his liver and his kidneys. Lester had openly talked about his struggle with his illness on Twitter.

Bluegrass music pioneer Ralph Stanley died June 23 at the age of 89, publicist Kirt Webster announced on Stanley's official website. Stanley was already famous in bluegrass and roots music circles when the 2000 hit movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" thrust him into the mainstream. He provided a haunting a cappella version of the dirge "O Death" and ended up winning a Grammy.

Scotty Moore, a legendary guitarist credited with helping to launch Elvis Presley's career, died at the age of 84 on June 28. Moore is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he was ranked No. 29 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists.

Scotty Moore, a legendary guitarist credited with helping to launch Elvis Presley's career, died at the age of 84 on June 28. Moore is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he was ranked No. 29 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel died at the age of 87 on July 2. Wiesel's book "La Nuit" is the story of the Wiesel family being sent to Nazi concentration camps.

Director Michael Cimino , whose searing 1978 Vietnam War drama "The Deer Hunter" won five Oscars, including best picture, died July 2. He was 77.

Actress Noel Neill , who played Lois Lane in the 1950s TV version of "Superman," died July 3 at the age of 95.

Actor David Huddleston , perhaps best known for his role in the 1998 film "The Big Lebowski," died August 2 at the age of 85.

British actor Kenny Bake r, best known for playing R2-D2 in the "Star Wars" films, died on August 13, Baker's niece, Abigail Shield, told CNN. He was 81.

Actor Steven Hill , best known for playing District Attorney Adam Schiff on NBC's "Law & Order," died August 23, his son confirmed to CNN. He was 94.

Mexican music icon Juan Gabriel, who wooed audiences with soulful pop ballads that made him a Latin American music legend, died August 28 at the age of 66.

Actor Gene Wilder , who brought a wild-eyed desperation to a series of memorable and iconic comedy roles in the 1970s and 1980s, died August 29 at the age of 83. Some of his most famous films include "Young Frankenstein," "Blazing Saddles" and "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory."

Character actor Jon Polito, who appeared in films such as "American Gangster" and "The Big Lebowski," died September 2, his manager confirmed. He was 65.

Character actor Jon Polito, who appeared in films such as "American Gangster" and "The Big Lebowski," died September 2, his manager confirmed. He was 65.

Actor Hugh O'Brian , best known for his portrayal of the title role in the 1950's TV Western "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp," died on September 5. He was 91.

Legendary playwright Edward Albee -- whose works included "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" -- died at the age of 88 after a short illness, according to his personal assistant Jakob Holder. Albee died September 16 at his home in Montauk, New York.

"L.A. Confidential" director and writer Curtis Hanson , 71, died of natural causes on September 20, Los Angeles police said. He won an Oscar with Brian Helgeland for the screenplay on "L.A. Confidential," and he also directed "8 Mile" and "Wonder Boys."

Grammy and Emmy Award winner Stanley Dural Jr., also known as Buckwheat Zydeco, died September 24 in Lafayette, Louisiana. He was 68.

Veteran actor Bill Nunn, best known for playing Radio Raheem in "Do the Right Thing" and Robbie Robertson in the "Spider-Man" trilogy, died September 24 at age 63.

Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez , one of baseball's brightest stars, was killed in a boating accident September 25, Florida authorities said. He was 24.

Golfing legend Arnold Palmer , who helped turn the sport from a country club pursuit to one that became accessible to the masses, died September 25 at the age of 87, according to the U.S. Golf Association.

Award-winning author Gloria Naylor , whose explorations of the lives of black women in the 1980s and 1990s earned her wide acclaim, died on September 28. She was 66.

Actor Tommy Ford , best known for his role as Tommy in the 1990s hit sitcom "Martin," died in Atlanta, a spokeswoman for his family announced on October 12. Ford was 52.

Actor and comedian Kevin Meaney , who had been a regular on late-night TV and was famous for delivering the line, "That's not right," died, his agent said October 21. Meaney's age and the cause of death weren't immediately known.

Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen died at the age of 82, according to a post on his official Facebook page on November 10. A highly respected artist known for his poetic and lyrical music, Cohen wrote a number of popular songs, including the often-covered "Hallelujah."

Actor Ron Glass , known for his role on the police sitcom "Barney Miller," died November 25, his agent said. Glass also starred in "Firefly" and its film sequel "Serenity."

Actor Alan Thicke , known for his role as the father in the sitcom "Growing Pains," died on December 13, according to his agent, Tracy Mapes. He was 69. Thicke's career spanned five decades -- one in which he played various roles on and off screen, from actor to writer to composer to author.

English novelist Richard Adams , author of the famous children's book "Watership Down," died at the age of 96 on December 24.

Singer George Michael , who shot to fame with the '80s band Wham!, died on Christmas Day, according to Britain's Press Association. He was 53 years old.

Actor and comedian Ricky Harris , who was a regular on the TV sitcom "Everybody Hates Chris" and first gained attention on HBO's "Def Comedy Jam," died December 26, according to his publicist. He was 54.

Actress Carrie Fisher , best known for her role as Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" franchises, died December 27, according to her daughter's publicist. Fisher had suffered a cardiac event on December 23. She was 60 years old.

"In a career that spanned seven decades he was recognized globally as one of music's most creative talents and a gentleman to the end. The family ask that their privacy be respected at this time," Sharp said.

Martin worked with countless others over a career that spanned decades, including Peter Sellers, Shirley Bassey, America, Cheap Trick, Jeff Beck and Celine Dion. But his fame, and his influence, rests on the seven years he spent with the Beatles, the most successful group in music history -- a group Martin helped propel to the top spot with his musical expertise, tasteful arrangements and willing experimentation.

For Paul McCartney, Martin was "like a second father to me."

"If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle it was George," he said in a statement. "From the day that he gave The Beatles our first recording contract, to the last time I saw him, he was the most generous, intelligent and musical person I've ever had the pleasure to know."

Ringo Starr thanked the producer in a tweet: "God bless George Martin peace and love to Judy and his family." Judy refers to Martin's wife of nearly 50 years.

God bless George Martin peace and love to Judy and his family love Ringo and Barbara George will be missed xxx 😎✌️🌟💖☮ — #RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) March 9, 2016

Martin's son, Giles -- who worked with his father on the Beatles remasters and the "Love" album -- also tweeted about the loss.

Started out as my dad. Ended as my best friend. Love is all you need X pic.twitter.com/SVzuCzKKNM — Giles Martin (@mashupmartin) March 9, 2016

"RIP dad. I love you. I'm so proud to have been your son. I'll miss you more than words can say. Thank you for the all times we had together," he tweeted, adding a second tweet with a photo.

"Started out as my dad. Ended as my best friend. Love is all you need," he said.

Martin's partnership with the group he signed to Parlophone Records in 1962 changed all of their lives -- and, by extension, popular culture.

"When I first met the Beatles in 1962, I didn't think much of their songs at all," he told JazzWax.com . "But they learned so quickly how to write a hit. They were like plants in a hothouse. They grew incredibly fast."

The polished, classically trained producer began as a father figure to the four somewhat scruffy lads from Liverpool, capturing their songs on tape with a minimum of fuss or studio gimmickry. But by 1966, he was as much a collaborator as mentor, using his knowledge of both musical structure and recording technology to help the band realize its musical visions.

Typically modest, he described his role as a producer in matter-of-fact terms.

"Put simply, my job was to make sure recordings were artistically exceptional and commercially appealing, maximizing the qualities of artists and songs," he told JazzWax.com.

In Martin's hands, however, that job was both expansive and unobtrusive. Songs produced by George Martin had a distinctive touch but rarely called attention to his work. The spotlight was on the music.

And yet his role cannot be overstated. Working with engineers such as Norman Smith and Geoff Emerick, Martin helped the Beatles turn the studio into another instrument.

He added a string quartet to "Yesterday" -- a decision that McCartney initially balked at, telling Martin: "Oh no, George. We are a rock and roll band."

With a gentle bit of nudging, Martin added the cello in low octave and violin in high octave. "His idea obviously worked because the song subsequently became one of the most recorded songs ever," McCartney said in a statement.

He allowed backward tape loops on "Tomorrow Never Knows," even if he couldn't make John Lennon's voice sound like chanting Tibetan monks -- one of Lennon's characteristically absurd requests.

The work reached a pinnacle in 1967, with Martin's ingenious oversight of the "Penny Lane" / "Strawberry Fields Forever" single and the album that often tops the lists of greatest ever: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

By then, even he wondered whether the group had gone too far.

"As we were getting longer and longer into the album, and more and more avant-garde, I was wondering if we were being a little over-the-top and a little bit, maybe, pretentious," Martin recalled in a 1992 documentary about "Pepper." "Is the public ready for this yet?"

Finding odd harmony

On the surface, the contrast between the patrician-looking Martin and his long-haired musical charges couldn't have been starker. He was movie-star handsome, reserved, establishment; they were casually pretty, energetic, counterculture. He was the World War II generation; they were the ones who helped upend it.

But the two sides had a surprising amount in common. Martin came from a working-class background, as did the Beatles. Moreover, the producer was a keen fan of comedy, having worked with members of "The Goon Show," such as Sellers and Spike Milligan, and produced the satirical "Beyond the Fringe" troupe. Their work was well known to the comedy-loving Beatles.

It was a sense of humor that may have initially bound them together. According to legend, when introduced to Martin at an audition for his record label, the producer asked the band whether there was anything they didn't like. George Harrison quickly responded, "Well, for a start, I don't like your tie."

At EMI's staid Abbey Road Studios, where the studio engineers were required to wear lab coats, Martin could have easily taken offense. Instead, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Music producer Sir George Martin was considered the "fifth Beatle" for his extensive work with the band.

George Henry Martin was born in London on January 3, 1926. He took an interest in music from an early age, teaching himself piano and becoming enraptured by radio broadcasts of orchestras. By the time he was 15, he was running a small band, George Martin and the Four Tune Tellers.

He enlisted in the Royal Navy at 17 and served as a pilot and commissioned officer, though he "managed to evade Japan," he told Rock Cellar magazine . Upon leaving the military in 1947, he enrolled in the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, studying piano and oboe.

After a short stint at the BBC, he joined EMI Records' Parlophone label, a tiny part of the huge record conglomerate. Martin had some success -- he did a hit record with actor Peter Ustinov in 1952 -- but was still caught off-guard when he was asked to take over the label in 1955. He hadn't yet turned 30.

Parlophone was primarily focused on classical music and was forever in danger of being shut down. Martin expanded the repertoire, signing comedy acts such as the Goons and some pop singers. In a pinch, he even performed himself under assumed names.

He liked the freedom to experiment: "I made a lot of what I call 'sound pictures' with actors and comedians because it was fun to do. I'm a person who gets bored quite easily, and I don't like doing the same thing over and over again," he said.

'Something slightly different'

Still, he had his eye on a rock 'n' roll act, a sure entry into the youth market. At the time, Britain was top-heavy with teen idols, ranging from the sublime (Cliff Richard and Billy Fury) to the marginal (Johnny Gentle and Dickie Pride).

In February 1962, Martin received a call from a music publisher who was trying to drum up interest for a band managed by a friend, Brian Epstein. Martin met with Epstein and heard his group, the Beatles.

He was not impressed. The songs were weak and the tempos uneven.

Nevertheless, he liked a few aspects of the group and eventually agreed to sign them.

"I just thought they were interesting and had something slightly different, and I'd like to know more about them," he told the BBC in 1964.

Their humor, typified by Harrison's quip, helped win him over.

JUST WATCHED Beatles photographer shares iconic pics Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Beatles photographer shares iconic pics 01:53

Still, Martin quickly learned the Beatles were not easily moldable like other bands of the era. There was no frontman: Lennon, Harrison and Paul McCartney all sang lead.

Lennon and McCartney were also determined to make it as songwriters and were dismissive of Martin's suggestion, at an early session, that they release a Mitch Murray song called "How Do You Do It." Another producer may have put his foot down, but Martin decided to trust the band's judgment. They soon rewarded him by coming up with "Please Please Me," the group's first UK No. 1.

(Not that Martin was wrong; Gerry and the Pacemakers later took "How Do You Do It" to No. 1 as well.)

Martin was always a valuable partner to the Beatles, but particularly so in the early years. It was Martin who suggested speeding up the tempo of "Please Please Me," originally a Roy Orbison-inspired slow rocker. It was Martin who suggested to Epstein that he meet with Dick James, who became the group's song publisher. And it was Martin who found ways of making the group's experiments work, whether it was feedback on "I Feel Fine," the use of a sitar on "Norwegian Wood" or the harpsichord-sounding piano on "In My Life."

Not one to miss a trick, he also recorded instrumental versions of the band's hits during the height of Beatlemania and provided incidental music to the group's film "A Hard Day's Night."

The golden age

By 1965, Martin was chafing at EMI's oversight and decided to become an independent producer. He established Associated Independent Recording, though he continued to work with the Beatles as well as other EMI acts.

He also entered his most fruitful period. The Beatles were breaking ground, and Martin was right along with them.

On "Strawberry Fields," he recorded two versions: one using more standard rock-band instrumentation, the other with an orchestra. When Lennon asked to put the two together -- despite the versions being in different keys and tempi -- Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick obliged and, by happy accident, found they fit almost perfectly by speeding one version up and slowing the other down.

The "Sgt. Pepper" album was an even bigger challenge. Though overflowing with multitracked harmonies and clever arrangements, it was recorded on a four-track console. Martin would mix four tracks down to one and then record more, careful to limit distortion.

Yet, out of this rudimentary setup came songs such as "A Day in the Life," with its rumbling piano, tweaked Lennon vocal and explosive crescendos.

As the Beatles, beset by legal issues and differing philosophies, started splitting apart, Martin grew weary of the atmosphere. He sat out a number of the "White Album" sessions, entrusting the work to assistants such as Emerick and Ken Scott. He was left out of the troubled "Let It Be" sessions entirely and returned for "Abbey Road" only after assurances that the group would put aside its bickering.

It was the last album he would do with the full band, though the single version of "Let It Be" released in 1970 bears his credit.

A legendary career

After the Beatles' breakup in 1970, Martin worked with a wide variety of artists. He had particular success with the group America, producing their Top 10 hits "Tin Man," "Lonely People" and "Sister Golden Hair."

He also produced Jeff Beck, Cheap Trick, UFO, Ultravox, the original cast recording of the Who's "Tommy" and the movie soundtrack of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Elton John had Martin produce his updated version of "Candle in the Wind," done in honor of Princess Diana, in 1997.

Martin also maintained his relationship with Paul McCartney, overseeing the explosive James Bond theme "Live and Let Die" and one of McCartney's most highly praised solo albums, "Tug of War."

The Beatles, however, were never far away. When the surviving members of the group embarked on the "Anthology" project in the mid-'90s, Martin was back in the producer's chair, overseeing all the old recordings. He brought in his son, Giles, to help with such projects as "The Beatles Love," the soundtrack to a Cirque du Soleil show that mixed and matched snippets to Beatles songs.

By that time, his ears weren't what they used to be, he admitted. Indeed, he became the vice-president of Deafness Research UK, a charity dedicated to hearing issues.

He finally retired, officially, about 2009, when he was 83. Three years later, Giles Martin said he was "enjoying early retirement."

Photos: Beatlemania 50 years on Photos: Beatlemania 50 years on 50 years on, the effects of 'Beatlemania' – Rita Stamp was one of many young people around the world who were caught up in "Beatlemania" when the famous band first visited the United States in February 1964. Stamp, now 67, will never forget finding this photo of the Beatles (complete with facsimile autograph by George Harrison) in a pack of bubble gum. "This photo is my earliest memory of the Beatles because, at least, I was able to see what they looked like and that gave me the ability to connect with their music." Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos: Beatlemania 50 years on 50 years on, the effects of 'Beatlemania' – Diane Salsbery of Phoenix has collected Beatles memorabilia for 50 years. "Most of the memorabilia that I have includes articles from magazines, concert programs, the script from 'A Hard Day's Night,' a Beatles poster from '16' magazine, the Christmas record, and almost all of the original albums and singles including the DJ copy of 'Please, Please Me.'" Hide Caption 2 of 7 Photos: Beatlemania 50 years on 50 years on, the effects of 'Beatlemania' – After many months of following The Beatles' every move, Rebecca James finally got to see them perform live at the Indiana State Fair in September 1964. She still has the ticket stub. Hide Caption 3 of 7 Photos: Beatlemania 50 years on 50 years on, the effects of 'Beatlemania' – "We were in the nosebleed section at the Coliseum and barely heard a note for the screaming," James said. "The amplifiers were very small by today's standards." Hide Caption 4 of 7 Photos: Beatlemania 50 years on 50 years on, the effects of 'Beatlemania' – James snapped this photo of Paul McCartney driving by in August 1964 while visiting her brother in Detroit. "I heard screaming and learned that The Beatles were staying at a nearby hotel," she said. "I took off and hung around the hotel driveway and was lucky enough to get that photo." James recalls a girl fainting right in front of her -- a common sight during the height of Beatlemania. Hide Caption 5 of 7 Photos: Beatlemania 50 years on 50 years on, the effects of 'Beatlemania' – The influence of Beatlemania also reached Venezuela in the 1960s, where Marines Lares says teenage boys formed bands to emulate the "Fab Four." "Many boys started to play electric guitars and they formed rock groups singing in English and in Spanish, sometimes translating the lyrics from English to Spanish, and other times composing their own lyrics in their native language." Hide Caption 6 of 7 Photos: Beatlemania 50 years on 50 years on, the effects of 'Beatlemania' – Lifelong Beatles fan Kurt Bentzen of Denmark got this photo of Paul McCartney playing a concert in London in December 2009. He gives The Beatles some of the credit for his mastery of English. Hide Caption 7 of 7

Over his long career, Martin won pretty much every honor that could be given in the music world -- and elsewhere. "Sgt. Pepper" was the Grammy winner for 1967's album of the year; Martin was later given a Grammy Foundation Leadership Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.

Twenty-three Martin productions hit No. 1 in the United States. Thirty did so in the UK.

And he was knighted in 1996. Indeed, when it came time for someone to serve as musical director for Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee in 2002, Martin was the choice.

Throughout his life, Martin generally played down his accomplishments. But that wasn't to say he didn't know how much he had achieved.