3 Hit Songs From Underdogs That Outshined The Beatles During Beatlemania

During Beatlemania, just about everything the Fab Four released became hit songs on the charts. Their success was impossible to ignore. But the band did get bested on a handful of occasions in terms of sales and/or charting placement. Let’s look at a few hit songs that beat The Beatles during Beatlemania. Say that five times fast!

“Hello, Dolly!” by Louis Armstrong from ‘Hello, Dolly!’ (1964)

This Dixieland jazz classic was the one to officially end The Beatles’ streak of three No. 1 hits in a row over 14 weeks. “Hello, Dolly!” by Louis Armstrong was a smash hit on the charts. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was so good (and still is, honestly) that it earned the famous jazz musician a handful of Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year. Honestly, I get it. The British Invasion was inescapable, but you just can’t beat really good jazz music.

“I Get Around” by The Beach Boys from ‘All Summer Long’ (1964)

Both The Beach Boys’ “I Get Around” and The Beatles’ “I Want To Hold Your Hand” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1964. But the mere existence and success of “I Get Around” launched a years-long rivalry between the two bands. It also made it clear that while the British Invasion was in full swing, American bands still had legs to stand on. Penned by Mike Love and Brian Wilson, “I Get Around” was The Beach Boys’ first No. 1 hit in the US. It was one that would kick off an absolutely legendary career.

“You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes from ‘The Supremes A’ Go-Go’ (1966)

“You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes and “Yellow Submarine” by The Beatles dropped within weeks of each other. The former soul-pop tune was a No. 1 smash hit across the charts, including the Hot 100 and numerous other US charts. The latter “Yellow Submarine”, surprisingly, stalled at No. 2 on the Hot 100.

In a way, it makes sense. The Beatles were dealing with some notable drama at the time (you know, the whole “more popular than Jesus” debacle) that likely impacted their charting success in America. But The Supremes came around with one of the biggest hit songs of the year with “You Can’t Hurry Love”, and US listeners were ready for some good Motown music as Beatlemania began to wane.

Photo by Daily Herald Archive/National Science & Media Museum/SSPL via Getty Images

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