Here's another one for today, in lieu of JCLP's internet troubles.

On January 18, 1964, The Beatles' song "I Want To Hold Your Hand" made its US chart debut.  It was The Beatles' first single released in America. The single entered the chart that day at No.45. It went on to spend seven weeks at the No.1 position.

It was The Beatles' first number 1 song in America.

Capitol Records had resisted releasing Beatles records in the United States up until late 1963, but eventually relented, releasing "I Want To Hold Your Hand," with a B-side of "I Saw Her Standing There."

Within 3 days of it's release in the US, 250,000 copies of the single had been sold. Some reports say record stores in New York City were selling 10,000 copies an hour.  Demand was so high, Capitol Records farmed out pressing production to other record labels in order to keep up.

A few weeks later, 3,000+ fans greeted them at JFK Airport in New York when their plane landed.  On February 9, 1964, they made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.

The B-side, "I Saw Her Standing There" entered the US charts in February 1964 and stayed there for 11 weeks, peaking at #14.

When Bob Dylan heard The Beatles: "They were doing things nobody was doing. Their chords were outrageous, just outrageous, and their harmonies made it all valid."

Every time I see young Beatles footage, the innocence and joy of the band and fans shows the differences back then.