Beatles: 50 years since I Want to Hold Your Hand

Six simple words that would change the Beatles’ destiny: I Want To Hold Your Hand.

50 years ago today, the fantastic four broke America once and for all with their timeless song of naive romance and innocent tenderness, snagging the No 1 spot in the US for the first time.

It might seem minor in retrospect — especially considering Beatlemania in the UK was already well on its way to full-on pandemonium by then — but achieving chart-topping success on both sides of the Atlantic was a feat that only a handful of British acts had managed to accomplish in those days. Indeed, making it in America was something the boys had to fight for.

“From Me To You was released — a flop in America. She Loves You — a big hit in England, big number one in England — a flop in the USA. Nothing until I Want To Hold Your Hand,” said Paul McCartney in the Beatles’ Anthology.

The beginning of the song’s formation was humble — almost accidental. McCartney, who was seeing girlfriend Jane Asher at the time, was sitting with John Lennon at the piano in her basement one day when he hit the E minor chord. This immediately sparked Lennon’s interest.

“Paul hits this chord and I turn to him and say, ‘That’s it!’ I said, ‘Do that again!’ In those days, we really used to absolutely write like that — both playing into each other’s noses,” Lennon told Playboy magazine later.

Released on November 29, 1963 in the UK, the single sold a million copies through advanced orders alone. On December 14, it took the No 1 spot from their other single, She Loves You, on the UK charts. Meanwhile, the storm of American success lay just around the corner.

15-year-old fan Marsha Albert took matters into her own hands and wrote to DJ Carroll James asking he give the song airplay in Washington, DC. Once it hit US radio on December 17, it took on a life of its own, enjoying so much positive feedback that its American release — which had originally been planned for the upcoming year to coincide with the band’s Ed Sullivan performance — had to be brought up to December 26.

The song enjoyed a seven-week run at No 1 in the US, and reversed what happened in England, being beaten by none other than their hit She Loves You at the top of the charts, further solidifying their impact on the US.

In the decades since, I Want To Hold Your Hand has resonated with generation after generation, becoming the best-selling Beatles single worldwide.

ENDS