The Beatles’ Performance Took Over America
Did you know that pretty much half of America got a taste of The Beatles on February 9, 1964, when they first performed on Ed Sullivan? It was the peak of the infamous Beatlemania phase, and there were about 50,000 requests for a studio with only 700 seats. Their performance of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” made history as it was the most widely watched episode of a single show in the history of television.
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That show had an audience of about 74 million, which was during a time when America had only 191 million people. With such ratings, Sullivan signed a deal with The Beatles for three more appearances. The overwhelming response received by the show led Ed Sullivan to invite more ’60s icons onto the show, including The Doors, The Rolling Stones, and Janis Joplin.