Beatlemania and Beyond: The British Invasion Hits 19 Singles on Billboard April 4, 1964, was a historic week for British music on the Billb
Beatlemania and Beyond: The British Invasion Hits 19 Singles on Billboard
Billboard, week-ending, April 4, 1964
April 4, 1964, was a historic week for British music on the Billboard Singles Chart. There were indeed 19 British singles on the chart, and 12 of them were by The Beatles. This marked a significant moment in the British Invasion of the U.S. music scene. The Beatles dominated the chart, holding the top five positions with hits like “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Twist and Shout,” “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” and “Please Please Me”.
The surge of British musical releases continued to grow, with an increasing number of new records, having debuted that week with strong representation on the charts, led by The Beatles. With 12 Beatles singles on the Hot 100 and seven other tracks from British artists, U.K. acts had occupied 19% of the Billboard chart positions.
The Dave Clark Five were making waves with two popular songs on the chart: “Glad All Over” and “Bits and Pieces.” The group planned to boost their presence in the U.S. with a visit starting May 29. During that two-week trip, they were to perform at major venues, including New York’s Carnegie Hall on April 29, and made plans for another appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on April 31. Additional concerts in prominent cities were also being scheduled. Before heading stateside, the band was set to record their second album. Furthermore, they’ve secured a film deal with Anglo-Amalgamated, with production scheduled to commence in October for a 10-week shoot.
The list reflects the diversity of British contributions to the chart, covering styles ranging from pop-rock to novelty songs.
In addition to Dave Clark, Dusty Springfield, the Swinging Blue Jeans, the Carefrees and the Searchers hold spots. Here’s the complete U.K. artists and groups listed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week-ending, April 4, sixty-one years ago, this week:
The Beatles’ Songs
- Can’t Buy Me Love (#1)
- Twist and Shout (#2)
- She Loves You (#3)
- I Want to Hold Your Hand (#4)
- Please Please Me (#5)
- I Saw Her Standing There (#31)
- From Me to You (#41)
- Do You Want to Know a Secret (#46)
- All My Loving (#58)
- You Can’t Do That (#65)
- Roll Over Beethoven (#68)
- Thank You Girl (#79)
Other British Singles
- Needles and Pins – The Searchers (#15)
- Glad All Over – The Dave Clark Five (#10)
- Bits and Pieces – The Dave Clark Five (#48)
- Stay Awhile – Dusty Springfield (#75)
- Hippy Hippy Shake – The Swinging Blue Jeans (#24)
- We Love You Beatles – The Carefrees (#42)
- Diane – The Bachelors (#113; “Bubbling Under”)
This list encapsulates all 19 British singles that graced the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending April 4, 1964. Incredibly, the list reflects how the British Invasion ushered a variety of artists and musical styles into the spotlight, reshaping American music during this iconic era.
And the wave of British releases kept surging forward. The Searchers appearred on two labels besides their hit “Needles and Pins,” with their next British single, “Don’t Throw Your Love Away,” potentially serving as its U.S. successor—previously recorded by The Orlons stateside.
Other notable British tracks having made waves that week with significant airplay included, “Not Fade Away” by The Rolling Stones on London Records, and The Hollies’ rendition of Doris Troy’s 1963 hit “Just One Look,” on Imperial. Additionally, Epic Records also released a new Cliff Richard single, “I’m The Lonely One” backed with “I Only Have Eyes for You.” Intriguingly, Capitol of Canada also entered the Cliff Richard scene unintentionally, as his French-language track “J’Attendre” garners notable play and sales in New England.
The Beatles undoubtedly dominated, but other UK acts like Dusty Springfield, The Dave Clark Five, and even The Carefrees showcased the British Invasion’s influence on American pop culture during that remarkable year in ’60s music history.
A USARM Viewing Tip: On your mobile or tablet device? Finger-tap the above Billboard chart and stretch image across your device’s screen for a LARGER digitized view.
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A USARM Note: Some of the information provided in this post was obtained from the April 4, 1964 edition of Billboard.
