On This Day in 1964, 73 Million Americans Tuned in to Watch the Biggest Act in Music
Teenage girls threw themselves behind the Beatles and helped Ed Sullivan create the most-watched television event of its time
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One hour. Five songs. Seventy-three million viewers. That’s what it took to cement the Beatles in the hearts of Americans and create one of the most iconic moments in television history. On February 9, 1964, John, Paul, George and Ringo achieved just this during their debut performance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
The Beatles had formed four years prior, with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr emerging from Liverpool, England, ready to take the international stage. The “Fab Four” gained acclaim touring clubs around Europe, and by 1962, their single “Love Me Do” made them global heartthrobs. Their first two studio albums, Please Please Me and With the Beatles, put the band on top of the world—and the charts.
During the Beatles’ first four years as a group, they stayed on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, courting American listeners through the radio. But Ed Sullivan had a plan.
The TV executive—the force behind a self-titled Sunday night variety show—had sent a scout to Europe looking for upcoming talent, and the Beatles seemed to fit the bill. Booker Jack Babb connected with the band’s manager Brian Epstein, and the pair spun a story fit for a primetime audience. Epstein sold the foursome based on their youthful good looks and a royal appearance. He billed them as the first “long-haired boys” to perform at the invitation of Elizabeth II, referring to a recent performance for the queen’s sister, Princess Margaret.
The Beatles were already immensely popular with American teenagers, and the days before their “Ed Sullivan Show” appearance created more fanfare for the band. Their single “I Want to Hold Your Hand” leaked in the United States early and quickly topped the charts. Tickets for their upcoming appearance were nearly impossible to come by, and lucky guests prepared by purchasing wigs to match the band’s signature shags.
At 8 p.m., 73 million people tuned in to CBS to see the Beatles’ debut. Accompanied by ear-piercing screams, the band kicked things off with “All My Loving,” a song written by McCartney for their second album. They quickly followed up with “Till There Was You” and “She Loves You.” Other acts, including impressionist Frank Gorshin and Broadway’s Georgia Brown, then took the stage before the Beatles wrapped the show with “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”
The debut episode was a television hit. Its 73 million viewers represented more than 60 percent of all television viewers in the U.S. that evening. The episode instantly became the most-watched TV event of its time.
The aftermath brought more mind-boggling popularity for the Liverpool lads—and a turning point for rock ’n’ roll. The Beatles catered to their audience—masses of teenage girls now empowered as listeners and music trendsetters for the first time. Their buy-in to John, Paul, George and Ringo that night on “The Ed Sullivan Show” thrust the Beatles further on their way to critical success, 12 studio albums and an enduring legacy as one of the world’s most popular—and pioneering—acts. acts.
