HISTORY's Moments in Media: The Beatles' Appearance on Ed Sullivan -- February 9, 1964

That39s the moment the Beatles made their American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show It39s hard to understand today just how transformational that evening would become It changed the music industry the country and arguably the worldAnd in large part that was because of the venue Ed Sullivan may have been the biggest cultural influencer in postWorld War II America Nothing today compares to the role his Sunday night show played for most of its 23year runIn 1964 when the Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan there were only three television networks and only 52 million television households in the country Today there is a seemingly endless number of channels and streaming services and nearly two and a half times as many TV households at 121 million Just about everyone tuned in to watch Sullivan who showcased a huge variety of performers rock 39n39 roll bands and opera stars standup comics and ventriloquists Broadway performers and notoriously a plate spinner Sullivan had been a newspaper columnist covering New York39s nightlife and his tastes ran from oldschool vaudeville to thennew teen sensibilities To some degree he told America what to watch and listen toThe night the Beatles were on an estimated 73 million Americans tuned in In a country with a total population of only 191 million Some 60 percent of television sets in the country were tuned to Ed SullivanBut as much as Sullivan used his power to introduce the Beatles to America he also knew he would get a big audienceamp160by riding the cresting surge of Beatlemania a term coined by London39s Daily Mirror after a breakthrough October 1963 appearance on England39s equivalent of Ed Sullivan Val Parnell39s Sunday Night at the London PalladiumAs the coinage suggests the Beatles were already huge stars in England and Europe by the time they came to America Although there was general skepticism that American audiences would respond well to British rock 39n39 rollers in an ofttold story Sullivan was passing through London39s Heathrow Airport in late 1963 when he saw throngs of British teens awaiting a plane bringing the Fab Four back from a tour of Sweden Recognizing that excitement he thought the Beatles could be as big as Elvis whose 1956 and 3957 appearances on his show each had been a sensationIn a triumph of publicity the Beatles were seen off by an estimated 4000 fans when they left Heathrow for New York39s John F Kennedy International Airport aboard Pan Am Flight 1010 on February 4 1964 the Sullivan show paying their way plus a 10000 fee for three performances They arrived to thousands more enthralled teens and they gave their famous press conference at the airport showing themselves to be witty young men in matching suits Reporters couldn39t stop commenting on their shaggy hair quotThe Beatles Invade Complete with Long Hair and Screaming Fansquot ran a New York Times headlineSullivan had contracted three performances from the Beatles On that first broadcast they played two sets live first quotAll My Lovingquot quotTill There Was Youquot and quotShe Loves Youquot then returning later for quotI Saw Her Standing Therequot and quotI Want to Hold Your Handquot They took the week to play their first public US show at the Washington Coliseum then a pair of shows at Carnegie Hall before traveling to Miami Beach to appear live again on a remote episode of Sullivan They also taped a performance for a later broadcastThe trip paid off for everyone and not just the millions of American teens now in thrall to a new sound By the time the Beatles flew back to London on February 22 they had five songs in the Billboard Hot 100 including the top two slots Ed Sullivan had made them superstarsClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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HISTORY's Moments in Media: The Beatles' Appearance on Ed Sullivan -- February 9, 1964

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HISTORY's Moments in Media: The Beatles' Appearance on Ed Sullivan -- February 9, 1964

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