In 1964, rock ’n’ roll was still a new form of music, having started only about five years earlier. One singer, Elvis Presley, had millions of fans—but there had never been anything like the Beatles.
The Beatles were four musicians—John, Paul, George, and Ringo—in their early 20s who wrote simple, upbeat love songs. They had started playing concerts in England in 1963. Within months, they had begun to attract massive, screaming crowds. “BEATLEMANIA!” is what one newspaper dubbed it.
People were desperate for updates on their favorite band, but this was before the internet and social media. So fans tuned in to small radios called transistors. Teens snuck transistors into school. At night, they hid the radios under their pillows.
Quickly, Beatlemania grew out of control. In Canada, fans rushed the stage, and 160 people were injured. In Germany, police used guard dogs to control the crowds. The band started traveling to concerts in an armored car.