In February 1964 The Beatles — Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr — made their first visit to the U.S. to play The Ed Sullivan Show, which was seen by a then-record 73 million viewers, a moment that launched Beatlemania in America.
The moment in history was highlighted in 2024 with the documentary Beatles '64, directed by David Tedeschi and produced by Martin Scorsese, which debuted on Disney+ in November. It featured never-before-seen footage of the legendary group and their fans during the height of Beatlemania.
Sam Mendes announced he'll be directing four movies about The Beatles, each one told from the point of view of a different band member. So far no casting has officially been announced, but Ringo let it slip that Saltburn's Barry Keoghan would be playing him.
McCartney's original backing track for "Blackbird" was used for Beyoncé's interpretation of the song, retitled "Blackbiird," which appeared on her album Cowboy Carter. He called it a "killer version" of the song.
Ringo dropped the EP Crooked Boy, produced by Linda Perry, and announced he'll release the country album Look Up, co-written and produced by T Bone Burnett, on Jan. 10.
The Beatles' 1970 documentary Let It Be debuted on Disney+ in May, marking the first time it had been available in over 50 years. The film was restored from the original 16mm negative by Peter Jackson's Park Road Post Production.
Lennon's 1973 solo album, Mind Games, was reissued, including an Ultimate Collection that featured unreleased outtakes, stripped down mixes, instrumentals, demos, rehearsals and even what was described as "studio chatter." It earned a Grammy nomination for Best Boxed or Limited Edition Package.
Paul McCartney and Wings' often bootlegged album One Hand Clapping got an official release in June, 50 years after it was recorded. The album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in August 1974 as a video documentary and possible live album, although it didn't officially come out until now.
The 50th anniversary of Harrison's solo album Living in the Material World was celebrated with a series of new reissues, including a super deluxe edition featuring 12 previously unreleased recordings.
Two new Lennon documentaries debuted: One to One: John & Yoko, which focused on Lennon and wife Yoko Ono's 1972 One to One concerts in New York City, and Daytime Revolution, about the time in February 1972 when John and Yoko co-hosted The Mike Douglas Show for a week.
The massive vinyl box set The Beatles: 1964 U.S. Albums In Mono was released featuring seven albums the band released in the U.S. from January 1964 and March 1965. It marked the first time these albums have been available on vinyl since 1995.
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