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Top Rock & Alternative Albums U.S. 25/03/2023: Week Ending March 16, 2023
TW LW WoC Artist Title
45 47 312 The Beatles - Abbey Road
TW LW WoC Artist Title
45 47 312 The Beatles - Abbey Road
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Billboard Canadian Albums 25/03/2023: Week Ending March 16, 2023
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77 re 211 The Beatles - 1Comment
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From today's Daily Express on-line.
"In 1963 they released their most popular single yet, Twist and Shout. The track was originally recorded by The Top Notes before being covered by the Isley Brothers, and eventually The Beatles.
The song was a major success, going multiplatinum and launching their popularity even further in the process."
Twist and Shout was not released as a single in the UK - it was on an EP. (extended play - 4 tracks)
It did not go multiplatinum. There were no BPI awards in 1963. Multiplatinum awards for singles started in February 1987. However, it did go platinum in April last year. DISC magazine had unofficial Silver Disc awards for record company shipments in 1963. EMI presented an internal sales award for 400,000 copies by November 1963.Comment
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Top 100 Vinyl Albumes Spain Week 11: 10/03/2023 - 16/03/2023
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71 80 15 The Beatles - RevolverComment
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‘It was break or bust’: Abbey Road, throat lozenges, and the frenetic making of the first Beatles album
On the 60th anniversary of ‘Please Please Me’, Mark Beaumont takes a deeper look into the 12 hours and £400 spent making the legendary debut that lit the fuse for Beatlemania and ignited rock’n’roll’s second phase
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There's no beating the Beatles
Author: PHIL GALLO
Date: Jan. 22, 2001 - From: Variety(Vol. 381, Issue 9)
HOLLYWOOD The Beatles' "1" is such a chart-topping phenomenon that it seems like a no-brainer: Assemble the U.S. and U.K.
No. 1 hits of one of the greatest groups of all time, sit back and count the money.
Between 19 million and 20 million copies of the hit collection have been shipped worldwide in nine weeks -- representing the biggest
bonanza in the history of repackaged entertainment.
If it's so easy, then why isn't it done year in and year out?
Diskeries, publishers and managers are scrambling to duplicate the success -- but many are doubtful it can happen again.
And in the meantime, the winners are basking in the glory:
* Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which owns the copyright to 23 of the 27 songs on "1."
"This was a publishing god send," says Jody Graham Dunitz, exec VP of Sony/ATV.
No other album made more money for the publisher last year, because it is a rarity: a multimillion-selling album featuring songs from
only one songwriter or songwriting team.
Based on the standard mechanical royalty rate in the U.S., the team of Paul McCartney and the late John Lennon has pulled in
more than $12 million Stateside from "1," which is split between the composers and Sony/ATV.
* Michael Jackson, who partnered with Sony in 1995 to create Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Jackson purchased the majority of
the Beatles catalog for $47.5 million in 1985 when he bought ATV Publishing.
The Sony/ATV deal, which became the third-largest music publisher once the Jackson deal was completed, is seeing its biggest
payday ever because of "1."
* Television. The Beatles would seem to need no sales pitch to remind buyers of their music. Not true. Three weeks before its
Nov. 14 release, Capitol launched an all-out offensive on television to reacquaint viewers with the hits of Lennon, McCartney,
George Harrison and Ringo Starr from 1964 to 1970.
"With the direct-response TV campaign," says Capitol Records president Lott, "our job was to remind people how great the
Beatles' music is.
"When we talked about the album with test groups, there was not a lot of excitement. But after people saw a four-minute clip
of all the songs with visuals, people were saying, `We've got to get that.'"
The TV ads will continue to run as long as the album continues to sell.
* The Beatles. Aside from reaping hefty royalties, this album has shifted them from an oldies group into a category all their own.
"The Beatles are completely historical. Their music is finally free of the gravity that surrounded the Beatles after the 1960s,"
says Bill Flanagan, senior VP and editorial director of VH1, which recently dubbed the Fab Four's "Revolver" the greatest album ever
* Capitol Records, Apple Records and distrib EMI.
Flanagan and Lott credit the Beatles' clearinghouse Apple Records with a strict attitude toward new releases, which has aided
this new commercial and critical awakening. Based on wholesale prices, the disc has easily put $55 million into Capitol-EMI's
U.S. coffers while doing more than $80 million at retail.
The catalogs of other music icons -- Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones and especially Elvis Presley -- have
been worked over ad infinitum, with "Greatest Hits" albums, box sets, and "Essential" albums. All this has made it difficult to
crystallize the artists' importance and for new fans to find an album to start with.
"We discussed costs and songs with Apple," Lott admits, "and felt this really was the way the album should be."
The collection of 27 Beatles singles has been the top-selling album in the country for six consecutive weeks. It has sold
more than 5.9 million copies domestically since its release nine weeks ago and was the sixth bestselling album of 2000
in the U.S.
Many pundits are predicting the disc has a good shot at eventually becoming the bestselling album of all time, passing the
Eagles' "Their Greatest Hits 1971-75," which has shipped 27 million units since its release in February 1976.
(The Eagles sold about 1 million copies in 2000).
By way of comparison, the film business regularly re-releases "classic" films, but had only one real success stow last year:
Warner Bros.' "The Exorcist," which at its widest release was booked in 1,708 U.S. engagements and took in $39.7 million
domestically.
No other re-release made even $2 million in the year; Miramax's reissue of the Beatles' first film, "A Hard Day's Night," came
in fourth, yielding $650,450 in 63 engagements.
Other success stories
In the repackaging of music, 2000 was also pretty good for Cat Stevens and Universal.
U's newly minted "The Best of Cat Stevens" shared considerable common ground with "1": a new collection of songs released
more than 20 years ago by an artist who no longer records, a heavy promotional push that included television (a much-watched
"Behind the Music") and a full retail price.
The CD sold an inspiring 410,000 units, a clear picture of how well hit albums can do.
Drumming up biz for classics is a hard sell. A marketing exec for a rival label stated, for example, "You can't do a CD
of the Who's No. 1 hits."
The exec did suggest, however, that the hits of the Rolling Stones, despite the number of compilations that have been released,
have been underexploited. The Stones, though, have had only nine No. 1 pop hits in the U.S. and nine in the U.K., many of
which overlap.
Flanagan's one choice would be Led Zeppelin.
"If they had been disciplined and not gone for several repackages, and then boiled it down to hits, it would have worked.
But I suspect it would not have an impact equal to the Beatles."
Which leaves Capitol wondering what to do next to promulgate Beatlemania.
Nobody would pay much attention, for example, to a collection of "2s."
Without giving any details, Lott says Capitol wants to formulate a "10-year plan."
Considering what Capitol/ Apple has been willing to release and what it has done with other artists, such as the expanded
edition of the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds," there are a few ideas that would make sense.
For starters, Capitol could issue expanded editions of "Sgt. Pepper" or "Revolver," create albums dedicated to each of the
band members (yes, Ringo did sing enough songs to fill a CD), examine a repackaging of the three "Anthology" sets and
widespread bootlegs, and compile their TV appearances.
Recently, EMI has dabbled in solo Beatles' reissues, releasing a 25th anniversary of McCartney's "Band on the Run" in
1999 and remastered versions of several Lennon solo discs last year to mark what would have been his 60th birthday.
On Jan. 23, EMI will reissue Harrison's first post-Beatles album, 1970's "All Things Must Pass." The two-CD set will include
four previously unreleased tracks from the '70 sessions and an updated version of "My Sweet Lord." Harrison has also
finished work on a new album and is listening to offers from labels.
Saying it's too early to discuss any plans, Lott will not talk about the hits-laden catalog of McCartney, who is up for the best
alternative album Grammy for his "Liverpool Collage" in February.
And if all of those ideas fail, they can always return to No. 1, because if they count the top slot on charts the world over,
there are still 78 more songs to go.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2001 Penske Business Media, LLC
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Beatles business is booming: appeal across generations drives sales of the band's enduring music
Author: Christopher Morris
Date: Jan. 28, 2014 - From: Variety(Vol. 322, Issue 15)
At the height of Beatlemania, skeptical journlists often asked John, Paul, George and Ringo, "What are you going to do
when this is over?"
But for the Beatles, it's never been over. The band's legacy is more vibrant than ever, and the business of the Beatles will
only be enhanced this year by a burst of activity surrounding the 50th anniversary of their American debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show." That Feb. 9, 1964, telecast still ranks No. 11 on the list of most-watched non-sports telecasts in TV
history, with an astounding 73 million viewers.
CBS will commemorate that landmark with the Feb. 9 concert special "The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute
to the Beatles."
A boxed-set re-release of their U.S. albums issued last week is kicking off fresh promotion of the band's music that will run
for years and bring new Beatles titles to the marketplace.
More than four decades after they broke up, the Beatles remain the biggest-selling band in history. With domestic
album sales of 64.1 million, they are second only to Garth Brooks among the top sellers tracked by Nielsen
SoundScan since the music metrics service was formed in 1991. That figure does not include incalculable millions
of albums sold in the U.S. from 1964-1990; 20 of their pre-'91 titles have been certified multiplatinum by the RIAA.
Their 2000 hits compilation "1" is the fourth best-selling title of the SoundScan era, with nearly 12.3 million sold.
The two surviving Beatles have been no slouches on the concert trail, either. In 2013, Paul McCartney was the
No. 12 live draw in North America, according to figures from concert tracker Pollstar; his 17 stadium shows in
13 cities grossed $49.6 million.
And while, by comparison, drummer Ringo Starr's All-Start Band is a much smaller attraction, playing venues in
the 2,000-seat range, in 2012, the last year Start played a significant number of U.S. dates, his 22 shows grossed
$4.2 million (ranking him No. 169 among North American tours).
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In addition, the Beatles are among the biggest movers in the classic rock genre when it comes to licensed material
--from T-shirts to lamp shades to Christmas ornaments. Cirque du Soleil's "The Beatles' 'Love'" has become a
Las Vegas mainstay. Homevid releases of the band's feature films, notably 1964's "A Hard Day's Night" and
1965's "Help" are perennial sellers.
All told, the band's staying power defies the gravity of a notoriously fickle business, as Beatles tunes remain a
must-have item for music lovers across generations.
The value of the Beatles' catalog was reflected in the $1.9 billion price paid by Universal Music Group in 2012
for EMI Records' label holdings, which includes the band's recordings, originally released stateside by EMI's
U.S. subsidiary Capitol Records. The music is now jointly released by UMG's Capitol Music Group and the Beatles'
Apple Corps.
Capitol Music Group chairman-CEO Steve Barnett knows first-hand what a rarefied entity the Beatles remain.
In the early 1970s, he worked for NEMS, the management company founded by the Beatles' late manager
Brian Epstein.
"At this company, we all feel a tremendous responsibility to advance and protect that legacy. It's a privilege and
an honor that we get to work with this incredible catalog," Barnett said. "There's a timeless essence to the music."
Ironically, Capitol initially had no faith in the commercial potential of the Beatles, even after they had already
conquered the U.K. in 1963.
Historian Bruce Spizer, who will present a retrospective on American Beatlemania at downtown Los Angeles'
Grammy Museum on Jan. 28, notes, "Past experience had shown Capitol that British recording artists would
not do well in the United States. Add to that (Capitol A&R chief) Dave Dexter's expertise in rhythm & blues
and jazz, and lack of interest in rock 'n' roll, and you can understand why Capitol did not get excited about
releasing Beatles records."
Nonetheless, a confluence of events in December 1963 led Capitol to rush release of the single
"I Want to Hold Your Hand," which leaped to No. 1 on the American charts. By the time the Beatles
stepped on the "Ed Sullivan" stage, they were well on the way to becoming the biggest band in the world.
Capitol-EMI has been minting money off the Beatles' library ever since with an array of re-issues, live and
archival releases. If there's one thing music execs can count on, it's the selling power of a Beatles record.
The latest wave began Jan. 21 with the release of "The U.S. Albums" a 13-CD set comprising the American
versions of the Beatles' albums. Those collections were different in many respects (including different titles,
track lineups and in some cases different takes or mixes of songs) from the versions that were released in the U.K.
Capitol Records brass couldn't have known it at the time, but the changes made to the U.S. releases back in
the day were seeding the market for a plethora of re-release options in the future.
"The U.S. Albums" set follows the 2009 release of the U.K. albums in remastered form, which also came out
via iTunes in 2010. The platters even returned to vinyl in 2012. The U.K. album box sets, in all their formats,
have sold a total of 300,000 units, according to SoundScan.
Capitol separately issued eight of the U.S. albums on CD in 2004 and 2005. The latest boxed set marks an
opportunity to re-introduce them to a new demographic, says Bruce Resnikoff, president-CEO of Universal
Music Enterprises, UMG's catalog division. "(There's) an entire generation who hadn't seen these particular
records the way they were released in the U.S., in one place, in one fashion, with a sound quality that would be
satisfying," Resnikoff notes.
The "U.S. Albums" set also marks the first time that a major Beatles reissue project is being released
simultaneously in physical form and via the iTunes store, the Beatles' exclusive digital distributor. In
December, iTunes released "Bootleg Recordings 1963" a collection of 50 outtakes, BBC studio shots
and unreleased demos; the package was likely tied to the extension of copyrights on the 50-year-old
material.
"That collection performed very well from our perspective," Resnikoff says, "and the people associated
with Apple Corps and the Beatles felt the same way. I think there's an opportunity as we cull through the
vaults to find additional material like that."
Resnikoff confirms that a vinyl edition of the Beatles' mono albums, released on CD in 2009, will be issued
later this year on a date to be announced. The 11-CD mono edition has sold 70,000 copies to date. Last year's
"On Air--Live at the BBC Volume 2," meanwhile, has moved 118,000 units.
This first anniversary wave of titles is just the beginning, Resnikoff notes: "We have a combined global Beatles
team in a partnership with Apple Corps and the Beatles to not only discuss what we're doing now, but to bring
forth a global strategy going forward, well beyond six months, 12 months or 18 months."
Beyond UMG's exploitation of the Beatles' work, other projects will likely see the light of day. Rumors continue
to circulate that the Criterion Collection, the high-end homevideo company, will re-release "A Hard Day's Night"
this year.
In Las Vegas, the Beatles' music is the gift that keeps on giving. Cirque du Soleil's flamboyant production
of "Love" at the Mirage has been running for more than seven years, and will continue through at least 2016.
Cirque du Soleil CEO Daniel Lamarre says the production has played before 6 million people and grossed
$800 million. (Capitol's companion album has sold nearly 2.4 million copies.) The age range of the audience
reinforces how enduring the band's music is, even to those born long after they took that last walk down
Abbey Road.
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"I think the Beatles are going to be relevant forever," Lamarre says. "The one thing that is surprising to me is
how much the music of the Beatles attracts kids, a younger crowd.... There is something about their music
that was and is very, very special"
Long Tail Sally
The Beatles' legacy as seminal rock 'n' roll hit-makers keeps cash registers ringing
73m
Number of viewers who tuned in to the Beatles' debut on "Ed Sullivan"
64.1m
Beatles albums sold in the U.S. since 1991
12.3m
Sales of greatest hits compilation "1" since 2000
$800m
B.O. for Cirque du Soleil's "The Beatles' 'Love'" since 2006
$49.6m
Grosses for Paul McCartney's 17 U.S. tour dates in 2013
$130
Price of a three-foot Yellow Submarine plush toy sold via the Beatles website
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Beatles' path to `1'-ness
Author: Phil Gallo - Date: Jan. 22, 2001 From: Variety(Vol. 381, Issue 9)
The idea for a collection of all the Beatles' No. 1 hits came in last spring from the offices of Apple Records, the label formed by
John, Paul, George and Ringo in the 1960s.
As much as it was a disc laden with well-known tunes, it had marketing problems most new full-price CDs don't face: no new hit
single, no tour, no radio station sponsored concert shows or visits and no club remixes.
"1" did enjoy a TV promo, however, as ABC aired its joint production with VH1, "The Beatles Revolution," which coincided with
"The Beatles Anthology" book being No. 1 on the bestseller list. The Nov. 17 special averaged a 8.7 million viewers.
White sale
Beatles catalog items spiked in November, but nothing dramatic. For the year, the white album was the top Beatles seller,
having moved 254,887 units; it was followed closely by "Abbey Road," which sold 254,759.
Part of "1's" success can be attributed to Apple's discriminating use of the Beatles catalog and vaults.
"This is the first -- and only -- singles CD," says Capitol president Roy Lott.
When the CD era began around 1984, the Beatles were conspicuously absent from the early onslaught of catalog material,
due to lawsuits among the band, Apple and Capitol-EMI. It wasn't until March 1987 that the Beatles CDs -- all in the Brit
configurations -- were released; nearly 2 1/2 years later all the suits were settled.
Apple's sauce
Since the release of the Beatles albums, traipsing through the Apple vaults has been well-planned, well-received -- and limited.
In 1994, "Live at the BBC" sold 4 million copies in the U.S. "Beatles Anthology 1," which featured 43 unreleased tracks on two
CDs and was accompanied by an ABC docu, sold 855,000 copies in the week following its Nov. 21, 1995, release. At the time,
it represented the highest total for a double album.
"The Beatles (three) `Anthologies' cemented the reality that you can release all outtakes," says Tom Zito, chairman-CEO of
GarageBand. com, who was, in the early 1970s, the Washington Post's rock music critic.
"There's not an equivalent anywhere else in entertainment."
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2001 Penske Business Media, LLC
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Beatles past 64; album-buyers still love them
Author: Steve Chagollan
Date: Nov. 16, 2009
From: Variety(Vol. 417, Issue 1)
If it weren't for Michael Jackson and all of his postmortem success--including the bestselling catalog album of the year in
"Number Ones" (released in 2003) and a $186.2 million global take for the concert film "This Is It" in less than two weeks
--2009 could just as easily have gone down as the year of the Beatles.
In other words, legacy pop rules.
The Fab Four's remastered albums continue to enjoy healthy sales, claiming 10 of the top 200 slots in
Billboard's Comprehensive Albums charts two months after their rollout and racking up almost 1.5 million
sales to date, not counting the stereo and mono boxed sets; and preorders for the limited edition "Beatles in
Mono" pretty much blew through the initial allotment of 30,000 provided by EMI by the time they became
available Sept. 9. All told, 2.3 million remastered CDs have been sold, if the individual boxed titles are counted.
Not only have boomers and their offspring kept the Beatles flame alive via old-fashioned album sales (no cherrypicking of singles
for these Liverpudlians), but filmmakers also have shown continued fascination of late. "How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin,"
which chronicled Beatlemania back in the USSR, recently bowed nationally on PBS; "The Beatles on Record"--which originally
aired on the BBC in September and features narration by John, Paul George and Ringo, as well as candid conversational outtakes
from the original recording sessions--is making its way to the History channel Nov. 25. And the feature "Nowhere Boy," about a
young pre-Beatles John Lennon and his relationship with his aunt Mimi and estranged mother Julia has been making the festival
rounds and is due out next year from the Weinstein Co.
Paul McCartney, refusing to live in the past, has contributed the song "(I Want to) Come Home," for the upcoming
Miramax release "Everybody's Fine"--this after wowing an alt rock crowd at Coachella in April before crisscrossing
the U.S. with his band over the Summer. His three-night stand at New York's Citi Field, which drew 120,000 fans,
is the subject of the DVD, "Good Evening New York City," to be released Nov. 17 by Hear Music/Concord Music
Group. And starting in December, he'll embark on his first European tour since 2004. As Sir Paul indicates on his
website, "I'm looking forward to ending the year on a high."
In other words, the dream isn't over.
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Meet the Beatles: consumers devoured the Fab Four's catalog, finally made available online, setting streaming records on Spotify over Christmas
Author: Susanne Ault
Date: Feb. 3, 2016
From: Variety(Vol. 330, Issue 17)
Debuting on Spotify over Christmas, the Beatles music catalog became an instant hit for all ages,
driving 250 million streams through Jan. 22. Spotify reports that the majority of Beatles listeners--more
than three-quarters--were born after the band broke up, following its final release, "Let It Be," in 1970.
Beatles tracks currently comprise 38 of Spotify's Viral 50 chart, and set a record for most simultaneous
streams of a single artist over the Dec. 2426 period. Favorite songs vary by age, such as "Here Comes
the Sun" for the under 17 set and "We Can Work It Out" for those over 35. Across all Spotify users,
"Come Together," "Let It Be" and "Here Comes the Sun" are the most streamed and most playlisted
tracks on the service.
Share of Beatles Listening on Spotify
17 and Younger 5%
18-24 25%
25-34 32%
35-44 16%
45-54 10%
55+ 11%
Note: Table made from pie chart.
Most Streamed Beatles Songs
1 Come Together
2 Let It Be
3 Here Comes the Sun
4 Yesterday
5 Hey Jude
Most Playlisted Beatles Songs
1 Come Together
2 Let It Be
3 Here Comes the Sun
4 Love Me Do
5 Hey Jude
Ault, Susanne
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Catalog Album Sales U.S. 25/03/2023: Week Ending March 16, 2023
TW LW WoC Artist Title
40 44 588 The Beatles - Abbey Road
59 re 76 The Beatles - RevolverComment
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IRMA Top 100 Albums Ireland Week 12: 24/03/2023 - 30/03/2023
TW LW WoC Artist Title
69 63 399 The Beatles - 1Comment
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Official Albums Chart Top 100 UK: 24 March 2023 - 30 March 2023
TW LW WoC Artist Title
41 43 411 The Beatles - 1Comment
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Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100 UK: 24 March 2023 - 30 March 2023
TW LW WoC Artist Title
66 re 169 The Beatles - 1Comment
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Official Albums Streaming Chart Top 100 UK: 24 March 2023 - 30 March 2023
TW LW WoC Artist Title
36 37 362 The Beatles - 1Comment
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Official Physical Albums Chart Top 100 UK: 24 March 2023 - 30 March 2023
TW LW WoC Artist Title
97 re 40 The Beatles - RevolverComment
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Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100: 24 March 2023 - 30 March 2023
TW LW WoC Artist Title
95 re 130 The Beatles - Abbey RoadComment
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In 1964 Elvis Abdicated His Throne as King of the Charts
On July 6, 1963, Billboard printed an article headlined “Presley’s Number 1 Hit Record Overwhelming.” The article opened with the
following prediction: “Elvis Presley is so far ahead of the pack with No. 1 singles that it is doubtful if any artist ever will catch him.”
Elvis’s chart performance to that time seemingly made that a safe assumption. Starting with Heartbreak Hotel in 1956, Presley had
hit the top spot on the Billboard singles chart with 16 different releases, according to the article. (By my count, it was actually only
13 at that point.)
Billboard went back 15 years to 1948 to compile statistics for their article. Perry Como came in second to Elvis with just three
#1 records. Certainly, no recording artist or group would ever approach Elvis's chart-topping record. Right? But the act that
would displace Elvis as king of the record charts had already started making noise across the pond.
On its international music page in its November 2, 1963, issue, Billboard took notice of the rising storm that was The Beatles.
“The group’s rise to fame is being compared here to the early success story of Elvis Presley,” the magazine’s British agent noted.
“When the group made its debut on the Palladium-TV show on October 13, police placed a cordon round the theater throughout
the day and battled with fans who tried to force their way in during rehearsals.”
Of course, Beatlemania spread quickly to the U.S. The following timeline from 1964 shows how The Beatles’ takeover of the
American record charts was made easier by the abdication of the reigning chart king. Presley’s series of weak singles that year
revealed that his previous commitment to recording had been replaced by an obligation to movie-making.
January 4, 1964: A double-page ad in Billboard announces the American release of The Beatles’ first album, Meet the Beatles!
and their first single, I Want to Hold Your Hand. The ad declared, “Among record buyers, ‘Beatlemania’ has proved absolutely
contagious. Over 3,000,000 discs already sold in England alone. So be prepared for the kind of sales epidemic that made
THE BEATLES the biggest-selling vocal group in British history!”
February 1: I Want to Hold Your Hand takes over the top spot on Billboard’s Hot 100. It becomes The Beatles’ first #1 single in
the United States. Elvis has no record on the chart at the time.
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February 7:The Beatles receive a tumultuous welcome in New York as they arrive to begin their first American tour.
February 9: The Beatles make their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. On air Sullivan reads a telegram from
Elvis and the Colonel welcoming The Beatles to America.
February 22: With I Want to Hold Your Hand and She Loves You, The Beatles hold the top two spots on the Billboard chart.
(Elvis had performed the same feat with Don’t Be Cruel and Hound Dog on October 6, 1956.) That same week Elvis’s new
release, Kissin’ Cousins, enters the Hot 100 at #63. Four weeks later it stalled out at #12, making it Elvis’s worst ever chart
performing regular RCA single release to that point.
March 6: Elvis’s first movie of 1964 is released. Kissin’ Cousins does $3 million worth of business and finishes at #26 on
Variety’s list of “Big Rental Pictures of 1964.”
March 14: Beatles singles I Want to Hold Your Hand, She Loves You, and Please, Please Me hold the top three spots on the
Hot 100, something Elvis had never accomplished.
April 4: Beatlemania reaches its peak on the Billboard chart. The Fab Four have the top five spots on the Hot 100
(#1 Can’t Buy Me Love, #2 Twist and Shout, #3 She Loves You, #4 I Want to Hold Your Hand, and #5 Please, Please Me.)
Seven other Beatles records are also on the chart, giving the group a record 12 spots in the Hot 100 at the same time.
Elvis previously held the record with 11 sides on Billboard’s chart of February 2, 1957.
April 11: Love Me Do becomes The Beatles’ fourth #1 record of 1964, breaking another Presley chart record. Elvis had
three #1 singles in both 1956 and 1957.
May 2: Kiss Me Quick, first released on Elvis’s 1962 album Pot Luck, enters the Billboard singles chart at #79. It stays on the list
for just six weeks, peaking at #34.
May 9: Viva Las Vegas enters the Hot 100 at #87. While today it is one of Elvis’s most recognizable songs, it only reached #29
during its seven-week chart run. The flip side of the single, What’d I Say, did a little better, peaking at #21.
June 17: MGM’s Viva Las Vegas is released nationwide. With the double star power of Elvis and Ann-Margret, the film brought in
$4.675 million by year’s end, good enough for the #11 spot on Variety’s list of “Big Rental Pictures of 1964.” It was two spots ahead
of The Beatles’ A Hard Days Night, giving Elvis his only “win” over the Fab Four in 1964.
July 10: The Beatles’ first movie, A Hard Day’s Night, is released in the U.S. It does $4.473 million at the box office, good enough
for 13th place on Variety’s list of “Big Rental Pictures of 1964.” Variety projected, however, that A Hard Day’s Night would ultimately
earn revenue of $5.8 million, topping the magazine's projection of $5 million for Viva Las Vegas.
July 18: A Hard Day’s Night becomes The Beatles’ fifth #1 single of 1964.
July 25: Such a Night, culled from the 1960 album Elvis is Back, enters the Hot 100 as a single at #82. With an eight-week chart life, it tops out at #16.
October 10: Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby debuts at #76 on the Billboard chart. It’s the third time that RCA has dug into its archives for
an Elvis single in 1964. This time it’s a tune rejected for release in 1958. It was Elvis’s last chance to crack the top 10 in 1964. He
didn’t make it. Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby ran out of gas at #16. Ask Me on the flip side did a little better, peaking at #12.
November 7: For the first time since January 18, The Beatles are not represented in the Hot 100. Their streak of 41 weeks was far
short of Elvis’s record of 135 straight weeks on Billboard’s singles chart from January 3, 1956, through September 22, 1958.
November 11: Roustabout, Elvis’s third feature film of 1964, opens nationwide. It marked the first of six consecutive
years that Presley would release three pictures per year.
December 5: I Feel Fine becomes The Beatles sixth #1 single of 1964.
In January 1965, when Billboard printed its list of the Top 100 Records of 1964, Elvis’s fall from chart dominance was painfully
apparent by his absence. None of his five 1964 singles were to be found anywhere on the list. The Beatles had nine songs in
the year’s top 100, including I Want to Hold Your Hand at #1 and She Loves You at #2.
Other artists on the list who beat out Elvis included Terry Stafford with his version of Suspicion, a cover of Elvis’s recording
two years earlier; the Newbeats with their goofy recording of Bread and Butter; Roger Miller with the drinking song Chug-A-Lug;
the Trashmen doing Surfin’ Bird;”\ Gene Simmons singing (I guess) Haunted House; and Johnny Rivers, who some feel robbed
Elvis of his best opportunity for a big hit in 1964 by beating Presley to the marketplace with his version of Memphis.
The chart beat down he took from The Beatles in 1964 should have been a clear clarion call to Elvis that he needed to rededicate
himself to his recording career. And yet, he continued to stumble on for four more years issuing mediocre singles from mediocre
movie soundtracks.
Before The Beatles broke up in 1970, they had amassed 20 #1 singles, easily breaking Elvis’s chart-topping record that in 1963
seemed safe for all eternity. Presley’s chart comeback in 1969-70 was too little, too late. Of course, Elvis’s longevity still leaves
him with most other chart records over The Beatles. But for Elvis fans it’s still galling that he let the big record get away when
refocusing on the recording studio in the mid and late sixties probably could have produced a few more #1s and kept The Beatles
in second place. — Alan Hanson (October 2009)
Copyright 2008 Elvis-History-Blog.com
https://web.archive.org/web/20110715...lvis-1964.htmlComment
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1960s press coverage of the Beatles` sales
FOOTNOTE THIS :
The following articles are from Newspapers and Magazines of the 1960s dealing with all sorts of sales
information regarding the Beatles. The source for all this is "Here, There And Everywhere - The First
International Beatles Bibliography, 1962 - 1982" by Carol D. Terry, pierian press, 1985, and "The Beatles`
Story On Capitol Records, Volume 1 & 2" by Brent Spizer, 498 productions, 2000.
PART I, excerpts from "The Beatles` Story On Capitol Records, Vol. 1 & 2":
I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND
"Boosted by saturation programming, Capitol`s first Beatles release was an instant best seller with
over 250,000 copies sold in its first three days of release. By January 10, 1964, the single had sold
over 1,000,000 units, enabling Capitol to obtain RIAA certification in time to present the band with
a gold record award at a ceremony held at the Plaza Hotel one month later on February 10, 1964.
By mid-January, the single was reportedly selling 10,000 copies an hour in New York City. The
March 28, 1964, Billboard reported Capitol`s claim that the record had sold 3,400,000 units. The
record went on to sell over 5,000,000 copies."
MEET THE BEATLES
"Testimony to the phenomenal sales of Capitol`s two Beatles records, "I Want To Hold Your Hand"
and "Meet The Beatles!", appeared in the March 5, 1964, affidavit of Capitol vice president Voyle
Gilmore in the New York ligitation between Capitol amd Vee-Jay Records. Gilmore claimed that
Capitol was selling 500,000 Beatles records a week in February, and had already sold over
6,000,000 copies of their two Beatles releases. The March 28, 1964, Billboard reported sales of
"Meet The Beatles!" at 3,650,000 units and "I Want To Hold Your Hand" at 3,400,000 units.
The fact that the Capitol LP was outselling the single caught everyone off guard. Prior to the Beatles,
rock albums were normally not big sellers. Selling a few hundred thousands LPs was considered a
tremendous success. A few of Elvis Presley`s albums had sold in excess of a million units, but these
were either Christmas, greatest hits, sacred or movie soundtrack LPs. Neither of the King`s first
two rock`n´roll albums hit sales of a million. And none of Capitol`s first three Beach Boys albums sold
a million. The phenomenal sales of "Meet The Beatles!", which went on to sell over 5 million copies,
taught the record industry that huge profits could be generated by well-crafted rock albums."
THE BEATLES` SECOND ALBUM:
"The Beatles` Second Album made its debut among Billboard`s Top LP`s at number 16 on April
25, 1964. The following week it replaced "Meet The Beatles!" as the top album on May 2, 1964,
remaining number one for five weeks. The Beatles` monopoly of the number one LP spot ended
on June 6, 1964, when the album slipped to number four behind the original Broadway cast
album "Hello Dolly!", the original Broadway cast album "Funny Girl", and Louis Armstrong`s
"Hello Dolly!" LP. The Beatles` Second Album remained on the Billboard charts for 55 weeks,
including eleven in the top ten. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on April 13, 1964
(three days after its release!) and had sales of over two million in 1964."
CAN`T BUY ME LOVE
"In the United States, the single was released on Capitol 5150 on March 16, 1964 (two weeks
ahead of its scheduled release of March 30). Billboard`s March 14 issue reported Capitol`s claim
of advance orders of 1,700,000 copies and its plan to ask the RIAA to certify the disc as a gold
record on its day of release. Two weeks later, Billboard reported that the label had "apologized"
when the record failed to make the grade on its March 16 release date, having sold "only"
940,225 copies (which was still largest one-day sale of a single in U.S. history).
Capitol`s embarrassment did not last long. The million mark was passed the following day,
giving the label and the group a St. Patrick`s day celebration and a new meaning to the phrase
"wearing of the green". By March 19, 1964, Capitol was feasting on factory requisitions
of 2,100,000 units. In order to satisfy the huge demand for the single, Capitol had the disk
pressed by three outside plants (RCA, Decca and Savoy) in addition to its factories in Scranton
and Los Angeles."
A HARD DAY`S NIGHT
"United Artist`s decision to issue A Hard Day`s Night ahead of the film`s release proved to be a
wise one. On July 1, 1964, the company announced that the LP had sold and delivered 1 million
copies in just four days. Billboard, in a story titled "Beatles` LP: 4 Days That Shook The Industry",
reported the news in its July 11 issue, stating that the album had become one of the fastest selling
LPs in the history of the record business."
SOMETHING NEW
"Something New entered the Billboard Top LP`s chart on August 8, 1964, at number 125.
The following week it leaped to number six. By August 22, it began its nine-week stay at
number two, unable to move past the United Artists soundtrack, which anchored down
the top spot for 14 weeks. Billboard charted "Something New" for 41 weeks. Cash Box
and Record World also charted the album at number two behind the United Artists release
"A Hard Day`s Night". Although the Capitol LP failed to reach the top, it sold over two
million units."
I FEEL FINE
"This single sold more than a million copies within its first week of release, becoming the fourth
Capitol Beatles single to be certified gold. In England, the disk sold over 1 million copies in two
weeks and topped all British charts."
THE BEATLES` STORY
"The Beatles` Story entered the Billboard Top LP`s chart on December 12, 1964, at number 97.
On January 2, 1965, the double album reached its peak position at number seven, where it
remained for four weeks before beginning its slide down the charts. Although not an initial
million seller, the album was certified gold, signifying sales in excess of 1 million dollars, in
its first week. A very respectable showing considering the album was little more than an
elaborately packaged documentary record. Sales were also inhibited by the package`s
hefty list price. At a time when the list price was $3.98 for mono records and $4,98 for
stereo discs, the double album`s double price of $7.98 for mono and $9.98 for stereo was
quite an eye-opener. But this was the Beatles. Capitol correctly surmised that Beatles fans
would be willing to pay a then-record price for the album."
RUBBER SOUL
"Capitol had complete confidence that the album would be a tremendous seller. Its initial
pressing of two million units was the most in the label`s history at that time. In a January
1, 1966, article titled "Rubber Soul A Whopper For The Beatles", Billboard reported that the
group had topped themselves by selling 1,200,000 copies of the album in its first nine days.
Heaviest sales were in major markets such as New York (over 200,000 units) and Boston,
Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco (over 100,000 units each). Capitol indicated
that the record was approximately selling 140,000 copies a day and that 60% of the
2,000,000 copies initially manufactured had been sold."
NOWHERE MAN
"While Nowhere Man was not as strong a single as "Eight Days A Week", or "Yesterday",
it still provided the group and the label with another million seller. According to the March
12, 1966, Billboard, the single had sales of 744,000 copies eight days after its release.
By the time Billboard`s April 23 issue hit the streets, the single had been certified gold."
PAPERBACK WRITER
"With sales of over 750,000 units in its first week, the disc quickly became the tenth Beatles
Capitol single to be certified gold."
YELLOW SUBMARINE/ELEANOR RIGBY
"The September 24, 1966, Billboard reported that the single achieved sales of 1,200,000 copies
during its first four weeks on the market. The 45 was the group`s 21st gold record, setting a record
for the most gold records earned by any act in RIAA history."
JACKSONVILLE RECORDS FACTORY
"Capitol`s Jacksonville factory opened in the summer of 1965. According to Wayne Bridgewater,
who began working at the plant a year after it opened and now serves at its manager, the factory
was initially fitted with 48 album pressing machines transferred from Scranton and converted from
manual to automatic. He recalls that, during the sixties, the plant primarily pressed Beatles
records. There were times when 90% of production was devoted to the group. Jacksonville was,
in many ways, "The house the Beatles built". By late 1966, the factory was pressing 50,000 albums
per day. By the end of the decade, capacity had increased to 110,000 albums per day."
MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR
"Billboard charted this album for 91 weeks, including eight at number one, 14 in the top ten and
21 in the top 20. Cash Box and Record World also charted the album at number one. "Magical
Mystery Tour" was certified gold on December 15, 1967, and sold over 1 and a half million copies
before Christmas. It went on to sell over 5 million units."
LADY MADONNA
"Althoug Lady Madonna failed to reach number one, Capitol claimed sales of over 1 million units
within the disc`s first week of release. The April 20, 1968, Billboard reported that the single had
been certified gold."
PART II, Newspaper articles and Magazines:
"Beatles` 1,000,000 Advance For Latest Single Gives Them Pre-Sale Gold Disk", Variety, December 4, 1963
"Beatlemania Bites Britain As Four From Liverpool Become A Showbiz Phenomenon, Press Clips Top Queen`s", Variety, January 8, 1964
"British Beatles Hottest Capitol Single Ever", Billboard, January 18, 1964
"Capitol Single A Smash, Capitol Rush LP", Cash Box, January 18, 1964
"US Rocks And Reels From Beatles Invasion", Billboard, February 15, 1964
"Rocking Redcoats Are Coming; Beatles Lead Massive Drive", Variety, February 19, 1964
"Potential $4 Million Box Office For Beatles On Closed Circuit TV", Broadcasting, February 24, 1964
"Beatles` Quickie 2 Week U.S. Tour Flips Their Capitol LP Past 2,000,000 Mark", Variety, February 26, 1964
"Beatles Booming Britain`s Biscuits Biz Past $60-Million Mark; EMI-Shares Soar", Variety, March 4, 1964
"Beatles Blanket U.S. Charts; Can`t Buy Me Love Vaults 1,000,000", Variety, April 8, 1964
"Beatles Nab Another $1-Million Seller", Variety, April 15, 1964
"Beatles` Soundtrack: A Blockbuster Before Their First Pic`s release", Variety, July 1, 1964
"Beatles` LP: 4 Days That Shake The Industry", Billboard, July 11, 1964
"Beatles` Score: 80,000,000 Disks", Variety, August 12, 1964
"Beatles Better All Box Office Records; Parlay N.Y. Fan Hysteria Into $150,000 Gross", Variety, September 2, 1964
"Beatles Boost EMI Income To New High", Billboard, October 10, 1964
"Beatles Grooving 1,000,000-Seller LP In British Market", Variety, October 14, 1964
"Beatles Lennon, McCartney Top BMI Songwriters With Ten Tunes In Top 100", Variety, January 20, 1965
"Beatles` Disk Sales Exceed 100,000,000", Variety, February 3, 1965
"RIAA Gold Disks Awards Point Up Beatles` Boff Business", Variety, February 10, 1965
"Lennon, McCartney Win 5 Ivor Novello Awards As Composers", Billboard, July 31, 1965
"Beatles` Sales Hit 150,000,000 Disks", Variety, August 3, 1965
"Beatles` $304,000 At Shea Ballpark All-Time Record One Night Show Biz Box Office", Variety, August 18, 1965
"55,600 - Beatles Play To World`s Largest Audience In New York", Melody Maker, August 21, 1965
"Beatles Up EMI Fiscal Profit To Peak $16,975,000", Variety, September 29, 1965
"Beatlemania Revamps British Disk Business By Booming Teen-Angled Indie Prods", Variety, January 5, 1966
"Beatles Help Spin West German Disk Business To $86-Million Profit in 1965", Variety, April 13, 1966
"Tokyo Is Girding For The Beatles; Arrival June 30 - 30,000 Tickets Drawn By Lot", New York Times, May 22, 1966
"Beatles` New Revolver LP Explodes Into Britain`s Most Covered Album", Variety, August 3, 1966.
"Beatles Again Top Gold Disk Award Winners In RIAA 1966 List", Variety, December 28, 1966
"Beatles` Global Gross: $98-Million", Variety, May 19, 1967
"Beatles` Sgt. Pepper Earns Gold Disk On Day Of Release", Variety, May 31, 1967
"Beatles` U.S. Sales Equal 206-Million Singles", Variety, October 11, 1967
"Beatles` Record-Busting LP May Be All-Time Biggest", Rolling Stone, December 21, 1968
"Split Of Beatles Clips Capitol Industries Stocks", Variety, April 22, 1970
"Beatles Sold 545,000,000 Units In 10 Years Making", Variety, October 18, 1972
"Beatles Sales: 545-Million Units", Billboard, October 21, 1972
PART III, Press releases by Capitol records (excerpts):
January 1964 (Beatles biography)
"In less than one year, the Beatles have:
01) Achieved a popularity and following that is unprecedented in the history of showbiz in Britain.
02) Became the first recording artists anywhere in the world to have a record become a million seller
before its release (Their disk, "I Want To Hold Your Hand", was issued in England Nov. 29, 1963.
By Nov. 26, 1963, advance orders had passed the million mark. The same record was released
in the United States by Capitol on Dec. 26 and sold over 200,000 the first week.)
.
04) Sold over 3,000,000 records in England, shattering the previous sales mark held by the now
vanquished-champ, Elvis Presley."
Their first recording "Love Me Do" was issued on EMI`s Parlophone label in October, 1962.
It sold a respectable 100,000 copies, and it was the last time a Beatles single sold less than
500,000 in Britain. Their first million-seller, "She Loves You", came out in the spring of 1963. It was
followed by two albums, "Please Please Me" and "With The Beatles". Both LPs sold over 300,000
copies.
Then, finally, came the unprecedented success of the newest single record "I Want To Hold Your Hand".
In between there have been Extended Play recordings which also racked up sales of several thousands
apiece in England."
July 1965 (updated biography):
.
"04) Capitol has sold over 30 million records in the U.S. (in 15 months), shattering all previous sales marks,
including those formerly held by the now-vanquished champ, Elvis Presley.
.
06) The Beatles became the world`s biggest personal appearance act in the history of show business. Selling out such large
stadiums and arenas as Shea Stadium in N.Y. and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
.
Then finally came the unprecedented success of their recording of "I Want To Hold Your Hand", the first U.S. single (and first
million-seller in the U.S. It has sold over 4 million copies!).
Since that time, it has been one million seller after another. Their first Capitol LP, "Meet The Beatles!", is one of the largest selling
albums of all time. It presently topped 4.5 million in sales. They followed this with another million seller, "The Beatles´ Second
Album", and then came others: "Something New", "The Beatles` Story", "Beatles `65" and "Beatles VI". These are only a few of
many that have topped the $million mark."
[This Message Has Been Edited By Wolf On January 01, 2002 12:03 PM]
http://www.beatlelinks.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7289Comment
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Dear All
DOT i CROSS t = IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
An Archaeological dig --- enjoy.
A Most interesting Oddity I found
Record World Charts Week of 11 December 1965
76. BEATLES VII Capitol T-2358 : ST- 2358 - [LP] - The Beatles - Record World
https://worldradiohistory.com/Archiv...1965-12-11.pdf
Now BEATLES VII does not exist, so no it is not a lost Beatles Album... sigh.
This I thought, at first, was Rubber Soul. However RUBBER SOUL's prefix was (T 2442 / ST 2442).
RUBBER SOUL did not debut on RECORD WORLD until the following week @ 61 Week of 18 December 1965.
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18 12 65.JPG
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What is more baffling is that in this Chart, Week of 18 December 1965, there is no Last Week position 76!!!
https://worldradiohistory.com/Archiv...1965-12-18.pdf
The prefix Capitol T-2358 ST-2358 was BEATLES VI !!!!! This album was still on the Charts at 51 that week.
Even then, Record World quoted the prefix as Capitol T-2358: ST-2354
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2354.JPG
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This prefix, ST-2354, was for The Beach Boys – Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!). Now it is not this
album that was mixed up, due to the fact that The Beach Boys – Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
was in at No. 48 the week of Week of 11 December 1965. Further that, ST-2354, is related to the BEATLES VI
anomaly and not BEATLES VII!!
The Beach Boys – Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) ST-2354, is a stereo only release.
So in essence BEATLES VI was sitting at 51 and 76 Week of 11 December 1965, based on prefix, however
I believe this to either be a typo, an error or both the mono and stereo versions are charting seperately
as a typo???
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Beatles VII.JPG
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https://worldradiohistory.com/Archiv...1965-12-11.pdf
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RS.JPG
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Most respectfully
GermanicusComment
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Official Music Video Chart Top 50 UK: 26 March 2023 - 01 April 2023
TW LW WoC Artist Title
3 2 37 The Beatles - Get Back
20 30 322 The Beatles - Eight Days A WeekComment
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Now I understand why Niceguy said what he said
https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-di...7#post11131947
My apologies to Niceguy
Wow... .. give and get no take.. take and get no give.
Deep
Oh we will walk down this street ... it is one way... sigh.. priceless
Most respectfully
GermanicusComment
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Top 100 Vinyl Albumes Spain Week 12: 17/03/2023 - 23/03/2023
TW LW WoC Artist Title
24 71 16 The Beatles - RevolverComment
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Why the BBC banned 'A Day In The Life' by The Beatles
Joe Taysom
FRI 5TH MAR 2021 21.00 GMT
“I read the news today, oh boy” — The Beatles
The Beatles song ‘A Day In The Life’, taken from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, was once dramatically banned by the BBC following its release in 1967 in controversial circumstances. The decision showed that the corporation was run with an iron fist and, even if you were the biggest band in the world, if your music was deemed offensive then it would not be given air time. It was a stark contrast to the previous loosening of collars during the sixties explosion.
Still, it felt strange to see The Beatles being banned by the establishment. This particular moment arrived during The Fab Four’s well-documented LSD period, a time which seeped into their foray into the psychedelic world for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band which was a dramatic move considering their whiter than white image. It was a moment that captured the band at the peak of their hedonism.
The band received a letter from BBC director of sound broadcasting Frank Gillard on May 23rd, 1967, detailing his reasoning for banning the song, which opened with the line: “I never thought the day would come when we would have to put a ban on an EMI record, but sadly, this is what has happened over this track.”
“We have listened to it over and over again with great care,” continued Gillard, “And we cannot avoid coming to the conclusion that the words ‘I’d love to turn you on,’ followed by that mounting montage of sound, could have a rather sinister meaning.”
The recording may have been made in innocence and good faith,” Gillard added. “But we must take account of the interpretation that many young people would inevitably put upon it. ‘Turned on’ is a phrase which can be used in many different circumstances, but it is currently much in vogue in the jargon of the drug addicts.”
Lennon, however, refuted this claim that the track was actually nothing to do with the substances that were aiding him during the recording process and about two stories that he read in a newspaper. “I was reading the paper one day and noticed two stories. One was about the Guinness heir who killed himself in a car. That was the main headline story. He died in London in a car crash,” he told David Sheff.
“On the next page was a story about four thousand potholes in the streets of Blackburn, Lancashire, that needed to be filled. Paul’s contribution was the beautiful little lick in the song, ‘I’d love to turn you on,’ that he’d had floating around in his head and couldn’t use. I thought it was a damn good piece of work,” he added.
Although that was the motivation that inspired Lennon to initially come up with the premise for the track McCartney has later said the track was “the only one in the album written as a deliberate provocation”. The lyrics they used to try and spark a reaction did work in this case, with Frank Gillard, taking their bait which ended up making the song even more notorious than if he had allowed it airplay in the first place.
Comment
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Dear All
The Beatles UK vs. US Albums: The Compleat Chart (repost from r/UsefulCharts)
A infographic chart breaking down the UK and US Beatles albums and how the songs cross over.
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beatles-UK-vs-US-albums-SMALLER.jpg
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Larger copy here as well as a PDF
https://beatlesmedleys.blogspot.com/...-compleat.html
https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...harts.1134377/
Most respectfully
GermanicusComment
Comment