Beatlemania in the 1960s

Beatlemania in the 1960s

The Beatles were a mystical happening that many people still

don't understand. Phenomenoligists had a ball in 1964 with

Beatlemania, a generally harmless form of madness which came from

Britain in 1963. The sole cause of Beatlemania is a quartet of young

Englishmen known as the Beatles. In the less than one year that they

achieved popularity in England to the time they came to America, The

Beatles achieved a popularity and following that is unprecedented in

the history of show business in England. They became the first

recording artists anywhere in the world to have a record become a

million-seller before it's release. They became the target of such

adoration by their fans that they had to cancel all one-night bookings

because of riots in early 1964. Beatlemania had reached unbelievable

proportions in England, it became a form of reverse lend-lease and

spread to the United States.

English: The Beatles wave to fans after arriving a...

English: Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John ...

English: Photograph of The Beatles as they arrive ...

Capitol records followed the Beatles'

single record with the release of an album, "Meet the Beatles," in

late January of 1964. That event was followed by the Beatles

themselves, who arrived in New York February 8, 1964 for three

appearances with Ed Sullivan. The first show was scheduled for Sunday,

February 9, the second was telecast from Miami a week later, and the

third pre-taped for an airing in March. These concerts were the most

watched television programs ever (70 million viewers) until recently.

The Beatles' arrival in the United States was presaged by a deluge of

advance publicity. Newsweek, Time, and Life have chronicled

Beatlemania, UPI, and the AP(Associated Press) had done their part for

the cause (including an AP wirephoto of J. Paul Getty sporting a

Beatle wig), and even Vogue shoved high fashion aside momentarily in

it's January, 1964 issue and carried a full-page photo...