What was the first song the Beatles played in their maiden US public appearance at the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964?
This was the appearance that officially launched Beatlemania in the US. There were almost 50,000 ticket requests for the 728-capacity studio of Ed Sullivan, which surpassed the 7,000 that was previously requested for Elvis Presley’s debut. The Beatles opened with “All my Loving,” before closing out with “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” Over 73 million watched the show at home, or about 45 percent of Americans.
