United Kingdom

1963
The Beatles complete control over format

Capitol Records, from December 1963 when it began issuing Beatles recordings for the US market, exercised complete control over format, compiling distinct US albums from the band’s recordings and issuing songs of their choosing as singles.

The Beatles began playing it on-air

American chart success began after disc jockey Carroll James of AM radio station WWDC , in Washington, DC, obtained a copy of the British single “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in mid-December 1963 and began playing it on-air.

The Beatles Royal Variety Performance

On 4 November, they played in front of The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret during the Royal Variety Performance at the Prince of Wales Theatre .

The Beatles high-pressure water hoses

In mid-November, as Beatlemania intensified, police resorted to using high-pressure water hoses to control the crowd before a concert in Plymouth.

The Beatles return to the UK

On their return to the UK on 31 October, several hundred screaming fans greeted them in heavy rain at Heathrow Airport . Around 50 to 100 journalists and photographers, as well as representatives from the BBC , also joined the airport reception, the first of more than 100 such events.

The Beatles tour of Sweden

In late October, the Beatles began a five-day tour of Sweden, their first time abroad since the final Hamburg engagement of December 1962.

Genesis (band) arrived at the school

Banks and Gabriel arrived at the school in September 1963

The Beatles She Loves You

Issued in August, their fourth single, ” She Loves You “, achieved the fastest sales of any record in the UK up to that time, selling three-quarters of a million copies in under four weeks. It became their first single to sell a million copies and remained the biggest-selling record…
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The Rolling Stones booking at the Outlook Club

Having a charting single gave the band entrée to play outside London, starting with a booking at the Outlook Club in Middlesbrough on 13 July, sharing the billing with the Hollies .

The Rolling Stones first single

A cover version of Chuck Berry ‘s ” Come On ” was the Rolling Stones’ first single , released on 7 June 1963.