February 9, 1964, 8:00 p.m., EST, CBS' "The Ed Sullivan Show" took to the airwaves to broadcast the Beatles' first U.S. television appearance. An estimated 73.7 million Americans – a record for its time, and still one of the highest ratings ever – watched as John, Paul, George and Ringo performed "All My Loving," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Saw Her Standing There," and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" to 703 screaming teenage fans (mostly girls) in the studio audience. During "Till There Was You," a message flashed on the screen when John appeared: "Sorry, girls, he's married."
Although the group realized how important America was to their career, they had no idea just how important the Sullivan show was to domestic audiences. When the full impact of the event hit them just before showtime, John Lennon became so nervous he taped the band's song lyrics to the back of his guitar, just in case.Sullivan read a telegram to the audience just before the band's performance: "Congratulations on your appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show and your visit to America. STOP. We hope your engagement will be successful and your visit pleasant. STOP. Sincerely Elvis and the Colonel."
Although the music can barely be heard over the screams, this one show had an enormous effect on aspiring rock stars who would later attempt their own version of Beatlemania. In fact, one future music star from Britain also appeared on the Sullivan stage that night – Davy Jones, two years before he became a Monkee, performing as part of the cast of Broadway's "Oliver!"
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