Go to: February 9, 1964: The U.S. debut of the Beatles The Beatles took American rock 'n' roll, recycled it, energized it a way lacking since Buddy Holly died in 1959, and gave it back to 73 million Americans watching that Sunday night on "The Ed Sullivan Show" as almost a new genre. Even their name was a tribute to their idol: a play on the Crickets, Holly's band. The band also brought to America a phenomenon the British media had dubbed Beatlemania, hysteria unlike the world had ever seen surrounding musicians. But the music of the Beatles is enduring and remains popular, even among future generations who weren't even born when the Beatles first came to America.