4 Songs From the 60s That Made Everyone Fall in Love With British Bands

In the 60s, the popularity of British pop and rock bands rose worldwide thanks to The British Invasion. It was during this period that acts like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones took over the ears and hearts of Americans and Brits alike. Here are some of the songs that won everyone over.

“I Want To Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles

Washington D.C. disc jockey Carroll James acquired a copy of “I Want To Hold Your Hand” in 1963. Other disc jockeys in the states quickly caught on, and The Beatles’ label released the single earlier than originally planned. In February 1964, The Beatles performed the song on The Ed Sullivan Show, which marked the beginning of their American takeover. 

For the popular British boy band, this was truly the song that started it all.

“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones 

Although the Stones had quite a rise leading up to the release of their third studio album, Out Of Our Heads, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” was the band’s first No. 1 hit in America.

The lyrics suggest sexual frustration, which led to this song being played only on pirate radio at first. Ironically, even though this song introduced The Stones to a larger American audience, Mick Jagger wrote most of the lyrics about struggling to find authenticity in the American market.

“Please Please Me” by The Beatles

Released in 1963, “Please Please Me” was actually The Beatles’ first single in the United States. The song found new success when it was rereleased in 1964 ahead of The Beatles’ Ed Sullivan Show appearance, and it reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“House Of The Rising Sun” by The Animals

This song earned The Animals a No. 1 hit in the US, Canada, and the UK. The origin of “House Of The Rising Sun” is largely unknown. However, it does resemble certain folk songs from the 16th and 17th centuries. 

Although The Animals made it popular, this song was also recorded in the 40s and 50s by musicians like Woody Guthrie, Andy Griffith, and Judy Collins.

Photo by: Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix via Getty Images

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