The enduring appeal of The Beatles shows no signs of waning as a recent poll suggests they are still the most popular act in the US.
The poll, which was conducted by the Pew Research Centre, was held to mark the 40th anniversary of the legendary Woodstock festival. The Beatles came in ahead of other legendary acts such as The Eagles and Elvis Presley. Only two other British acts, Coldplay and The Rolling Stones, polled in the top 20, with perhaps the most notable absentee being Led Zeppelin.
Beatlesmania first gripped the US in February 1964, when over 74 million people tuned into watch their first live performance on the Ed Sullivan Show. In April of the same year, The Beatles found unprecedented success there when five of their songs occupied the Top 5 on the US Billboard chart.
The Beatles make their 3rd appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964.
The results were also split into age categories, with The Beatles again showing their popularity by finishing in the top four across all age groups, finishing top in the 50-64 category. Michael Jackson polled number one in the late teens and 20s category, possibly partly down to the renewed interest in the singer since his death. Americans in their 30s and 40s named The Eagles as their favourite act, and Frank Sinatra was the favourite for those aged over 65.
After being asked ‘Is 60s music the fairest of them all?’ the organisers of the poll said: “No survey can provide a definitive answer. But boomers can lay claim to bragging rights on at least one front, The Beatles. They won the popularity contest with an impressive showing of strength across the generations of listeners. As for other 60s rock bands on this list, they are scattered up and down the rankings among other legendary performers representing other eras and genres.”
In all 1,815 Americans participated in the poll.
Actually the popularity of The Beatles and Elvis in this poll are roughly the same.
49% of the people sampled stated they liked the Beatles a lot.
38% of the people sampled stated they liked Elvis a lot.
32% of the people stated they liked the Beatles a little.
41% of the people sampled stated they liked Elvis a little.
11% of the people sampled stated they dislikedthe Beatles.
14% of the people sampled stated they disliked Elvis.
So 81% of the people sampled liked The Beatles to some degree and 79% liked Elvis to some degree.
It must also be taken into account that 1815 people do NOT represent the views of the population of the U.S.A.