Today marks 45 years since the Beatles' first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. The Fab Four appeared three consecutive Sundays in February of 1964. According to Beatles News, this first performance was "considered a milestone in American pop culture and the beginning of the British Invasion in music. The broadcast drew an estimated 73 million viewers, at the time a record for an American television program."
Back in those days, there weren't so many channels--and Sunday night in America virtually EVERYONE watched the Ed Sullivan Show, where pop singers vied for your attention with plate spinners and borscht belt comics. The impact of these four longhaired kids from England cannot be overstated, especially to young people who "got it" immediately. Parents were puzzled. "They look like girls," they said. "Every song sounds the same," said others. "Turn that racket off!"They were wrong, of course. The Beatles were the vanguard of a revolution in pop culture that would change the world. Their music, their hair, their joyous exuberance and wisecracking humor influenced everything and there was no turning back.
Here comes the British Invasion!
"Tell Me Why" by the Beatles. Just click button to listen:
2 comments:
Love the Fab Four! I saw them in New York in 1965. They were fabulous, and I still like listening to them and so do my kids.
-Rick Suble
I've seen some great shows, but the closest I came to seeing the Beatles was seeing George Harrison in concert in 1974. That was wonderful.
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