When The Beatles arrived in postwar America, Beatlemania swept the nation as hysterical girls flocked to the band and young men grew out their hair. In this book Andrew Hunt explores this wildly enthusiastic fandom from the bottom-up. Showcasing oral histories, fan magazines, club newsletters, newspapers and personal memoirs, he uncovers The Beatles' fan culture from the perspective of Beatlemaniacs, Beatlephobes and ordinary Americans to understand the impact it had on society at large. Offering a cultural history from below, Beatlemania in America highlights previously neglected voices of fans, critics, parents, teachers and politicians. It contextualises the Beatles fandom against a wider, global perspective of changing cultures and shows how this band was part of a wider shift of social change. It delves into who Beatles fans were and shows how their collective voice gave them power. Exploring themes of gender and race in this turbulent and tumultuous era of American history, it highlights the social issues and debates provoked by this subculture which foreshadowed the arrival of an increasingly polarized society.

This book traces the musical and cultural achievements of this contemporary musical phenomenon to its origin in the Romantic revolution of the 1790's in England when traditional concepts of literature, politics, education and social relationships were challenged as they were in the 1960's.

Paul McCartney has lived an extraordinary life in popular music and popular culture. His careers as a Beatle, as a solo musician and band leader in Wings, and in areas outside music have varied tremendously and are well-documented. That Was Me explores the impact of Paul McCartney as a musician outside the Beatles, identifying the continued excitement in generations of fans and listeners, and his perennial efforts to perform and record music. Richard Driver argues that his solo career is multi-faceted and extremely diverse, ranging from breaking sharply with the style and output of the Beatles to experimenting in orchestral and operatic music and returning to music designed to emulate and reproduce the style, success, and popularity of the Beatles. Through McCartney we can literally and symbolically view and revisit the popular music phenomenon that was the Beatles, and popular music from the 1950s to today.

Since the emergence of rock'n'roll in the early 1950s, there have been a number of live musical performances that were not only memorable in themselves, but became hugely influential in the way they shaped the subsequent trajectory and development of popular music. Each, in its own way, introduced new styles, confronted existing practices, shifted accepted definitions, and provided templates for others to follow. Performance and Popular Music explores these processes by focusing on some of the specific occasions when such transformations occurred. An international array of scholars reveal that it is through the (often disruptive) dynamics of performance - and the interaction between performer and audience - that patterns of musical change and innovation can best be recognised. Through multi-disciplinary analyses which consider the history, place and time of each event, the performances are located within their social and professional contexts, and their immediate and long-term musical consequences considered. From the Beatles and Bob Dylan to Michael Jackson and Madonna, from Woodstock and Monterey to Altamont and Live Aid, this book provides an indispensable assessment of the importance of live performance in the practice of popular music, and an essential guide to some of the key moments in its history.

The Beatles' North American tours turned the entertainment business on its ear and forever changed the landscape of the concert touring industry. In February 1964, after finally achieving a number-one hit in America, the Fab Four came to the country with high hopes, performing on the wildly popular Ed Sullivan Show in both New York City and Miami and playing concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Washington Coliseum. In just fifteen short days, the Beatles conquered America. The Beatles made music-entertainment history with their North American tours from 1964 to 1966. Some Fun Tonight! The Backstage Story of How the Beatles Rocked America: The Historic Tours of 1964-1966 is a comprehensive two-volume set which gives you a city-by-city synopsis of the group's activities as they traveled the United States and Canada for their groundbreaking series of concerts. From San Francisco's Cow Palace show on August 19, 1964, through their last-ever live performances at that city's famed Candlestick Park on August 29, 1966, these books cover the music and the madness that characterized the Beatles' three North American tours., With hundreds of photographs and images of rare memorabilia, it is truly the definitive reference for what is arguably the most important period in the Beatles' long and winding career. You'll read about the behind-the-scenes negotiations, the mayhem at the airports and hotels, and the cheeky quotes delivered at the press conferences. You'll also read about the opening acts, the concerts, and the stories behind the shows through the eyes of the Beatles, their entourage, the promoters, the emcees, and the fans. Never before have the Beatles' North American concerts been covered in such depth. If you witnessed the mania firsthand, you'll relive the excitement in the pages of these books. If you were born too late to be a part of those halcyon days, you'll learn what it was like to be swept up and carried away by the phenomenon of the greatest musical act of all time. When all is said and done, Some Fun Tonight is a tribute to the fans – the first generation and beyond. Look carefully at the faces of the fans in this book; they may be your friends, parents, grandparents – or even you! – but together, they made Beatlemania happen. Fasten your seat belt and enjoy this comprehensive history!

A celebration of the four longhaired, oddly dressed chaps who took over America—filled with facts, stories, and photos. Within just two months of the Beatles’ debut on Ed Sullivan’s variety hour, the band had secured all five top spots on Billboard’s Hot 100, and before year’s end would sell an astonishing ten million records. Filled with dozens of color and black and white photographs, The Beatles details the rise and fall of the Fab Four, and the stories behind the men, their relationships, the creation of the songs, the tours, the albums, and the unstoppable spread of Beatlemania around the globe. Topics covered include: The band's rise to fame in 1964 and their grueling schedule of sixty-six tours in three years The unique songwriting partnership between John Lennon and Paul McCartney The Soviet Union's banning and bashing of the band—and how it backfired A debate over the best Beatles tunes The inevitable demise of the Fab Four, and the reasons behind it The long solo careers of the four artists after the dissolution of the band The five top contenders for the “Fifth Beatle” (plus ten runners-up) The story of Capitol Records exec who nearly stalled the Beatles’ entrance into America A look at the band’s children, discussing the music careers of Julian Lennon, Sean Lennon, Zak Starkey, James McCartney, and Dhani Harrison

People Magazine presents Celebrating Beatlemania.

A Fun and Fascinating Look at When The Beatles Came to America. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! “I think one of the cheekiest things we ever did was to say to Brian Epstein, ‘We’re not going to America until we’ve got a Number One record.’” – Paul McCartney On February 7, 1964, Pan Am Yankee Clipper flight 101 from London landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City—and The Beatles had arrived in America. Just six days earlier, ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ had become the Number 1 song in the country, having already sold more than a million copies nationwide. Two days later a record-breaking 73 million Americans tuned in to watch The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. The Fab Four would follow that up by electrifying a crowd in Washington, DC with their first concert in the United States. Beatlemania truly had arrived, and it would only get bigger. In August 1964, The Beatles would make a triumphant return for their first North American concert tour. In just 33 days, The Beatles would sell an unprecedented number of tickets, earn more than any musical performers had before them, and establish their place in music history. THE BEATLES In America 1964 is a magical mystery tour filled with fascinating stories, first-hand accounts, and in-depth coverage of John, Paul, George, and Ringo throughout their 1964 visits to America. Take a step back through the mists of time and experience The Beatles in America like you never have before.

When the Beatles touched down in New York on February 7, 1964 for their first visit to America, they brought with them a sound that hadn't been heard before. By the time they returned to England two weeks later, major changes in music, fashion, the record industry, and the image of an entire generation had been set into motion. Coming less than three months after the assassination of President Kennedy, the Beatles' visit helped rouse the country out of mourning. A breathless and condescending media concentrated on the band's hairstyles and their adoring fans, but their enduring importance lay in their music, wit, and style, a disconnect that signaled the beginning of the generation gap. In this intriguing cultural history, Martin Goldsmith examines how and why the Beatles struck such a lasting chord.

The Beatles are widely regarded as the foremost and most influential music band in history and their career has been the subject of many biographies. Yet the band's historical significance has not received sustained academic treatment to date. In The Beatles' Reception in the 1960s, Kenneth L. Campbell uses the Beatles as a lens through which to explore the sweeping, panoramic history of the social, cultural and political transformations that occurred in the 1960s. It draws on audience reception theory and untapped primary source material, including student newspapers, to understand how listeners would have interpreted the Beatles' songs and albums not only in Britain and the United States, but also globally. Taking a year-by-year approach, each chapter analyses the external influences the Beatles absorbed, consciously or unconsciously, from the culture surrounding them. Some key topics include race relations, gender dynamics, political and cultural upheavals, the Vietnam War and the evolution of rock music and popular culture. The book will also address the resurgence of the Beatles' popularity in the 1980s, as well as the relevance of The Beatles' ideals of revolutionary change to our present day. This is essential reading for anyone looking for an accessible yet rigorous study of the historical relevance of the Beatles in a crucial decade of social change.