50 Years Ago Tonight, The Beatles Played The Ed Sullivan Show. It Went Down Like This.

There is no way to overstate the impact these performances had not only on music but on popular culture.  More than 73 million Americans (somewhere around 40% of the entire population) tuned in at 8pm on February 9, 1964, to watch. The next day–a Monday–half the kids in North American decided that they were going to form a band.  This was the real birth of the 1960s.  That’s why we’re still talking about it 50 years later.

And for all of you who insist on saying the Beatles were overrated, shut your big fat stupid mouths.  You’re big, dumb, ignorant idiots.  All of you.

Some extra background on the event can be found here and here.  And if you want to read about some secrets behind that Ed Sullivan performance, go here.

Finally, the Huffington Post (via Rupinder) explains why we will never, ever see something like Beatlemania ever again.