
Episode 520: Insert Beatles Song Here
From What the HELL Were You Thinking? by Dave Bledsoe
March 9, 2026 · 33 min · Episode 518
About this episode
This episode explores the phenomenon of Beatlemania and the impact of The Beatles on American music culture.
Episode 520: Insert Beatles Song Here This week host Dave Bledsoe woke up, got out of bed and dragged a comb across his head. (At roughly 3 PM because he slept off his hangover. Again.) On the show this week we examine the very loud phenomena of young women screaming over four British dudes, we talk about Beatlemania! Along the way Dave waxes rhapsodic over Phil Collins. (Again) Then we dive into the first singer mania to sweep America, we talk about Frankie. (Sinatra, not goes to Hollywood) Then we met up with lads from Liverpool who like American music. (The Merseybeats. That joke never gets old.) We follow their rise from Liverpudlian obscurity, to German prominence to the biggest fucking band in the entire Universe. (Take THAT Jesus.) Finally we try to explain the almost inexplicable reaction that young people, primarily young women, had to The Beatles all the while not playing any actual Beatles songs. (The rights holders are QUICK with a copyright strike!) Our Sponsor this week is A Day In the Death, the premier Black Metal Beatles cover band in Northern New Jersey. We open the show with the Fab Four arriving in America and close with Werna Wolf saying aloha! Show Theme…
People in this episode
Host: Dave Bledsoe
Topics covered
- Beatlemania
- Phil Collins
- Frank Sinatra
- The Beatles
- Merseybeats
- music history
Keywords
- Beatlemania
- Phil Collins
- Frank Sinatra
- The Beatles
- Merseybeats
- music history
- young women
- screaming fans
Sponsors
A Day In the Death
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Beatles, Merseybeats
Places: Northern New Jersey, Liverpool, America
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