It was on this day, 62 years ago, that a band widely regarded as the greatest of all time scored another No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Beach Boys’ classic song, “I Get Around”, spent two weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 before getting dethroned by The Four Seasons’ hit track, “Rag Doll”. The song spent two weeks at No. 1 in the United States before a hit from another legendary rock band took the top spot.
On Aug. 1, 1964, “A Hard Day’s Night” by The Beatles replaced “Rag Doll” as the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Incredibly, “A Hard Day’s Night” was the fifth of six Beatles songs to top the Billboard in 1964.
The song was released through A Hard Day’s Night, The Beatles’ third studio album. The track was recorded on April 16, 1964, at the EMI Studios (now Abbey Studios) in London, England.
“A Hard Day’s Night” spent two weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 before Dean Martin’s “Everybody Loves Somebody” took the No. 1 spot for the week of Aug. 15.
The Beatles Dominated the ‘Billboard’ Hot 100 in 1964
The Beatles performing on Feb. 11, 1964, at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Jeff Hochberg/Getty Images)
John Lennon and The Beatles needed little time to cement themselves as the ultimate can’t-miss music act in the early ’60s. In 1964 alone, six of their songs went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Their dominance of the Billboard began with “I Want to Hold Your Hand”, which spent seven straight weeks at the top of the chart. Fittingly, it was “She Loves You” by The Beatles that dethroned “I Want to Hold Your Hand” for No. 1.
The Beatles’ other three songs that topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964 were “Love Me Do,” “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “I Feel Fine.”
This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Aug 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.