By CNN’s Todd Baxter
Tuesday, February 10, 2004 Posted: 1247 GMT ( 8:47 PM HKT)
(CNN) — It was 40 years ago today.
On February 9, 1964, the Beatles — fresh from their conquests of Britain and Europe — took the stage on The Ed Sullivan Show in New York. North Americans almost immediately became the next victims of John, Paul, George and Ringo. Beatlemania had gone global.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of their appearance on Sullivan’s television show, I have compiled a personal list of the top 40 Beatles songs.
An impossible task, really, as the Beatles should be listened to album by album. But if I had to do with only 40 songs, these would be the ones.
Here they are, in vaguely chronological order:
1. I Saw Her Standing There — One, two, three, FOH! — and the first UK Beatles album kicks off. This song would have been a hit for anyone and yet it was only a B-side in the U.S. and an album track in the UK. “How could I dance with another …?”
(more…)