This week in 1964
1 I Want To Hold Your Hand The Beatles
2 Glad All Over The Dave Clark Five
3 Hippy Hippy Shake Swinging Blue Jeans
4 I Only Want To Be With You Dusty Springfield 5 She Loves You The Beatles
6 Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa Gene Pitney 7 You Were Made For Me Freddie and the Dreamers 8 Swinging on a Star Big Dee Irwin
9 Secret Love Kathy Kirby
10 Dominique The Singing Nun
‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’, the first Beatles song recorded using four-track technology (their previous releases had used just two), was a game-changer for the band when released in late 1963. The huge success of ‘She Loves You’ in the UK had whetted the appetite of fans and a million advance orders were placed for ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’. As a result, the new single knocked ‘She Loves You’ from No. 1 - marking the first time the same act had replaced themselves at the top of the UK chart. The song remained at number one for five weeks, through Christmas and into the New Year. However, it stalled at number two in Ireland. In the US ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ was the Beatles’ first Billboard Hot 100 number one, and it’s credited with kickstarting the British invasion of the American music industry. It hit the top in the US on February 1, remaining at No. 1 for seven weeks. Today, with worldwide sales topping 12 million, ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ is the best selling Beatles song, ahead of ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’.