O n this date in 1964, the Beatles posted their first No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, as “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” their first entry on the list, rose 3-1 in its just its third week ...

"I Want to Hold Your Hand" officially topped the American charts on February 1, 1964, slightly more than a week prior to The Beatles making their American debut February 9 on The Ed Sullivan Show.

By early 1964, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” went to No. 1 internationally, including in the UK and the U.S., making them an overnight sensation in America.

So Capitol rush-released “I Want To Hold Your Hand” the day after Christmas 1963, and it hit hard and fast. By February, when the band flew to New York for the first time, thousands of ...