Overview
In this lesson, we will see the tremendous influence that British musicians exerted on American popular music during the 1960s. The sudden popularity of British rock bands in the United States is called the British Invasion. After the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964, the British presence in rock and roll was firmly established.
Objectives
- Recall the development of rock and roll in Britain, focusing specifically on origins and early careers of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones
- Recall the number of stylistic, personnel, and managements changes of the Beatles before settling into the image of the Fab Four in matching suits
Breaking into the United States
The Rolling Stones’ first visit to the United States in 1964 did not go anything like the Beatles’ first American trip. Unlike the Beatles, they had no songs on the American charts and therefore had no hits to promote to audiences. When they made an appearance on Dean Martin’s The Hollywood Palace, Martin made fun of their hair and their music. They drew only 600 people in Omaha, Nebraska, in an auditorium with 15,000 seats. The tour was not a total loss, though, because the Rolling Stones were able to make a pilgrimage to Chicago and meet some of their major influences, including Muddy Waters. In fact, their cover version of "It's All Over Now ♫" was recorded at Chess Studios in Chicago.
The Stones’ image as scruffy troublemakers may have contributed to their slow start in the United States. By late 1964, though, the group was beginning to achieve some success with American audiences. They started another American tour late in 1964 which was studded with plenty of stories about the group’s scandalous behavior. With "I Can't Get No Satisfaction ♫," the Rolling Stones had their first genuine hit. The song went to number 1 on both the British and American pop charts in the summer of 1965. Other songs such as "Ruby Tuesday ♫," "Get Off of My Cloud ♫," "19th Nervous Breakdown ♫," and "Let's Spend the Night Together ♫" helped cement the Stones’ image as the anti-Beatles.
