When Beatlemania took over the world

Following their meteoric rise in the UK the previous year, Beatlemania took over the world in 1964 especially in Australia and the USA. In Australia they had 9 number ones; they had at least one record in the top 20 every week, spent an incredible 39 weeks at number one, and had 165 weeks in total in the Australian top 20.

This is the list of their Australian hits in 1964 with the peak position in the charts.

“I Want to Hold Your Hand” #1

“She Loves You / I’ll Get You” #2

“Love Me do / I Saw Her Standing There” #1

“Roll Over Beethoven / Hold Me Tight” #1

“All My Loving” #1

“Twist and Shout” #5

…..on the 11^th April these were the top 6 in Australia

“Can’t Buy Me Love / You Can’t Do That” #1

“Long Tall Sally / Boys / I Call Your Name” #1

“Ain’t She Sweet” #16

“A Hard day’s Night / Things We Said Today” #1

“Matchbox / Slow Down / Till There Was You” #7

“If I Fell / I Should Have Known Better” #1

“I Feel Fine / She’s A Woman” #1

In the USA they had the same incredible success on Billboard

“I Want To Hold Your Hand / I Saw Her Standing There” #1

“She Loves You” #1

“Please Please Me / From Me To You” #3

“My Bonnie” with Tony Sheridan #26

“Twist and Shout” #2

“Can’t Buy Me Love / You Can’t Do That” #1

“Do You Want To Know A Secret / Thank You Girl” #2

“Love Me do / P.S. I Love You” #1

“A Hard day’s night / I Should Have Known Better “#1

“Ain’t She Sweet” #19

“And I Love Her / If I Fell” #12

“I’ll Cry Instead” #25

“Matchbox / Slow Down” #17

“I Feel Fine / She’s a Woman” #1

So when you hear a group/band being hailed as the greatest thing since The Beatles, show them these facts and say there will never ever be another phenomenon like The Beatles.
Everyone knows about the prolific songwriting of Lennon and McCartney but George Harrison penned one of the most recorded songs and one of the top 20 most performed songs in the world, “Something” for the Abbey Road album in 1969.

It was recorded by artists such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra (who included it in his live performances), Ray Charles, Shirley Bassey, Tony Bennett, Andy Williams, Smokey Robinson, Ike and Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker (Harrison actually wrote it for Cocker), Isaac Hayes, Julio Iglesias, Neil diamond and James Brown which was George’s favourite version. John Lennon thought “Something” was the best song on “Abbey Road” and producer George Martin was surprised that George Harrison could compose a song of great quality and he was feeling guilty that he never treated him on the same level as his two pals Lennon and McCartney.

Coupled with “Come Together” the record reached number one in America and Australia but only number four in the UK.

Tell us, do you ever think there’ll be a band as great as the Beatles?