Event · 1964 · New York City [40.71, -74.01]

The British Invasion

In 1964, British beat groups led by the Beatles flooded the American charts, a cultural wave that became known as the British Invasion. Liverpool acts such as Gerry and the Pacemakers and The Searchers followed in their wake, exporting the Merseybeat sound across the Atlantic. The phenomenon reoriented American popular music and confirmed Liverpool's place at the center of the global pop map.

Evidence1

Connections1

  • influenced by The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show

    The Beatles' 9 February 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, watched by a record American audience, is widely regarded as the spark of the British Invasion. The broadcast opened the door through which a wave of Liverpool and British beat groups poured into the United States.