Blocked. It was 1964 before I heard them the first time in East Texas. I was eating pizza and playing pin ball when someone put a quarter in the juke box (six songs for a quarter). They played I Wanna Hold Your Hand three times and I Saw Her Standing There. Less than a minute into it, I was mesmerized. There were about a dozen people in the Pizza Inn restaurant at the time, and every single one wanted to know who this band was.

The Beatles had their breakthrough in the States in early 1964. "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was their first hit there. It was their fifth single, and their previous released only charted in the States after that one did. That was how they managed to achieve the top five places simultaneously that week in April 1964. But they had been successful in the UK throughout 1963.

Yes. Everyone was in a funk following the JFK assassination and the emotional impact of the Beatles was a big part of the healing. However, as big of an impact as the Beatles had in Britain and the US, they had a much bigger and more profound impact in the Soviet Union. The DVD of Paul McCartney: Live in Red Square, which is my all-time favorite concert DVD, includes a powerful documentary about how the Beatles were instrumental in ending the Soviet system. I cannot recommend this DVD highly enough. McCartney's version of Back in the USSR from Red Square will make the hairs on your neck stand up.

I'll keep my eyes open for it. Thanks for the recommendation, When I've seen it I'll let you know what I think of it. :)