What did 73 million people do on February 9th 1964?
On Sunday, February 9, 1964 at 8:00 pm, the course of music history was changed forever after the Beatles took the stage for the first time on The Ed Sullivan Show on American television. In 1964, nearly 73 million people watched the Beatles perform, making it the most highly-viewed television event of its time.
The Beatles continued to break records in America over the next few years, with the release of iconic albums like 1965’s Beatles For Sale and 1966’s Revolver and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Tell me about the ‘1965’s Beatles For Sale’ album
The 1965’s Beatles For Sale album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making it the Beatles’ fourth consecutive album to reach the top spot. The album stayed in the top spot for eight weeks and was eventually certified 4x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Beatles For Sale sold over four million copies in the United States and is considered one of the Beatles’ most successful albums.
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Listen to the Beatles sing “I Feel Fine”
Have you heard of the songs “Eleanor Rigby” and “Yellow Submarine”?
The Beatles’ next album, 1966’s Revolver, debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 but quickly rose to number one, where it stayed for six weeks. The album was certified 3x platinum by the RIAA and is considered one of the Beatles’ best albums. The album features classic Beatles songs like “Eleanor Rigby” and “Yellow Submarine” and is widely regarded as one of the Beatles’ most influential albums.
Is this the “greatest album of all time.”?
With 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Beatles released what has been called the “greatest album of all time.” The album spent 27 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, making it not only one of the Beatles’ most successful albums, but also one of the best-selling albums in music history. Featuring iconic Beatles songs like “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “A Day In The Life”, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was certified 9x platinum by the RIAA and remains an undisputed classic to this day.
5 little known facts about Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band:
1) The album’s original working title was A Long Day’s Journey Into Night.
2) “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” was inspired by a drawing made by John Lennon’s son, Julian.
3) “A Day In The Life” was originally two separate songs that were combined into one.
4) Paul McCartney came up with the idea for the album’s iconic cover art.
5) The album was recorded in just six weeks.
Beatles’ final album, Abbey Road,was released in 1969 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making it the Beatles’ eleventh consecutive album to reach the top spot. The album features classic Beatles songs like “Here Comes the Sun” and “Come Together” and is widely regarded as one of the Beatles’ best albums. Abbey Road was certified 11x platinum by the RIAA and is the Beatles’ second-best selling album in the United States.
5 little known facts about Abbey Road:
1) The working title for the album was Everest.
2) “Come Together” was originally written for Timothy Leary, who was running for governor of California at the time.
3) The album’s iconic cover art was taken by photographer Iain Macmillan.
4) “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” is the longest Beatles song, clocking in at 7:47.
5) Abbey Road was recorded in just six weeks.
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Listen to The Beatles – Here Comes The Sun
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A famous Beatles quote is…
“All you need is love”
The Beatles
