Moving the release date up had an unexpected benefit.
In 1963, according to Greenberg, the average American teen listened to the radio for slightly more than three hours per day. With kids out of school for all of Christmas week, that number was undoubtedly even higher. And, importantly, the most common stocking-stuffers received by teens that Christmas were transistor radios, which had become cheaper than ever.
Although wildly popular since the mid-50’s, the Japanese-made transistor radio experienced exponential sales growth in the mid-60’s, as inexpensive off-brands proliferated.
While 5.5 million sets had been sold in the U.S. in 1962, by 1963 that number nearly doubled to 10 million.
The transistor radio was the technological spark that lit the fuse of teen culture in the '60’s.
McCartney w/radio |
Within its first three days of release, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” sold 250,000 copies, certainly more than any other single over that same period, and the Beatles were immediately the most talked about group in the country.
Read More Now
No comments:
Post a Comment