The Beatles were the first British band to break into the American market. When they arrived in New York the Beatles - John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison - received maximum police protection, the kind of arrangement usually produced for kings and presidents.

Their appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964 was watched by 73 million people. The band appeared twice on the Ed Sullivan show and their performances still rate as the second and third most-watched programmes in the history of US TV. Only the 1983 final episode of Korean war comedy MASH achieved more viewers