ON THIS DAY IN 1964, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT BEATLEMANIA HAD TAKEN HOLD IN AMERICA, AS BEATLE’S BEGIN A SEVEN WEEK RUN AT #1 IN THE US CHARTS

The song to begin this run, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and was the first Beatle’s song to be recorded on four-track equipment. Advance orders in Britain reached over 1 million copies before the release date of 29 November, 1963, and would have assured the group a #1 debut had their previous track, “She Loves You” not blocked the way. After two weeks, the new single reached #1 where it stayed for five weeks, and remained in the charts for 21 weeks total.

The track entered the Billboard charts in America at #45 on the 18th January 1964, and by the 1st of February it had surged to #1, giving the band their first US hit. It remained in the charts for 15 weeks, and held number one for seven before being replaced by “She Loves You”. “I Want To Hold Your Hand” went on to become the Beatle’s best-selling single worldwide, and earned numerous accolades, including 44th biggest song of all time on the Billboard charts as of 2013.