When I think about the history of music, some of the most significant bands or performances, the very first thing that comes to mind is The Beatles. I do not think there is any other single band that created such a large impact on music and culture as they did. From pioneering a new sound to inspiring artists and taking a political stance through music. It started in 1956 with John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and has continued today, into 2025, with the solo music or involvement of McCartney on albums such as Cowboy Carter - Beyoncé.
On February 9th 1964, The Beatles made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, performing "I Want to Hold Your Hand." The Ed Sullivan show was a late night television variety show, just like late night shows (Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, etc) of today. The Beatles performance was seen by over 73million viewers and came to be regarded as the performance that launched American Beatlemania. (The name given to the fanaticism surrounding the English rock band the Beatles from 1963 to 1966.)
Sources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles_on_The_Ed_Sullivan_Show
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_McCartney_discography
- https://www.britannica.com/summary/the-Beatles#:~:text=The%20group%20began%20with%20the,left%20the%20group%20in%201961).
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatlemania
Photo Credit: https://www.mojo4music.com/articles/stories/the-beatles-debut-on-the-ed-sullivan-show/