Left: black and white photo of girls screaming. Right: a crowd waving and holding up smartphones

Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo (Then); Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images (Now)

Beatles fans outside the band’s New York City hotel

BTS fans waiting for the band in Newark, New Jersey

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SUPERFANS!

THEN

Beatlemania

How screaming crowds made a rock ’n’ roll band famous forever

October 2021
by Tod Olson

Before You Read: Click here for an interactive pre-reading quiz.

 

AP Images

Left to right: George, John, Ringo, and Paul in 1964

    It was February 1964. Annette Joseph Walker was a teenager. She was truly, madly, deeply in love—with a rock ’n’ roll band. And that band was coming to America for the first time. 

    Annette took the subway to get to New York City’s JFK airport. When she got there, it was full of girls like her. The plane landed. Four British guys with shaggy hair got out. The crowd screamed so loudly you couldn’t hear the planes outside.

    The fans then moved on to the hotel where the band was staying. Annette and her friends stole maids’ uniforms. They tried to sneak inside. “It was chaos,” she said. 

    But Annette loved every minute of it. She had just been near one of the biggest rock bands ever—the Beatles.

    It was February 1964. Annette Joseph Walker was a teen. She was crazy about a rock ’n’ roll band. And that band was coming to America for the first time.  

    Annette took the subway to JFK airport in New York. Many other girls were there too. The band’s plane landed. Four British guys got out. The crowd screamed. You couldn’t hear the planes outside.

    Then the fans went to the hotel where the band was staying. Annette and her friends tried to sneak inside. “It was chaos,” she said. 

    But Annette loved it. She had just been near the Beatles. They were one of the biggest rock bands ever.

    In February 1964, Annette Joseph Walker was a teenager. She was truly, madly, deeply in love—with a rock ’n’ roll band. And for the first time, that band would soon be in America. 

    Annette rode the subway to New York City’s JFK airport. When she arrived, it was full of girls like her. The plane landed, and four British guys with shaggy hair got out. The screams from the crowd were so loud you couldn’t hear the planes outside.

    The fans then raced to the hotel where the band was staying. Annette and her friends stole maids’ uniforms, hoping they could use them to sneak inside. “It was chaos,” Annette said later. 

    All the same, Annette loved every minute of it. She had just been near one of the biggest rock bands ever—the Beatles.

Out of Control

Jim Pruitt/Shutterstock.com

Transistor radio

    In 1964, rock ’n’ roll had been around for only about five years. One singer, Elvis Presley, had millions of fans. But there had never been anything like the Beatles. 

    The Beatles were four musicians in their early 20s. Their names were John, Paul, George, and Ringo. They wrote simple, upbeat love songs. They started playing concerts in England in 1963. Within months, they drew huge, screaming crowds. “BEATLEMANIA!” is what one newspaper called it.

    People were desperate for news about their favorite band. But there was no internet and no social media. So fans tuned in to small radios called transistors. Teens snuck them into school. They hid them under their pillows at night.

    Before long, Beatlemania was out of control. In Canada, fans charged the stage, and 160 people were injured. 

    In Germany, police used guard dogs to control the crowds. The band started coming to concerts in an armored car.

    In 1964, rock ’n’ roll was a new type of music. It had been around for about five years. Elvis Presley was a singer at the time. He had millions of fans. But the Beatles had fans like no one else. 

    The Beatles were in their early 20s. Their names were John, Paul, George, and Ringo. They wrote simple, happy love songs. They started playing in England in 1963. Within months, their concerts had huge, screaming crowds. One newspaper called it “BEATLEMANIA!”

    Fans were desperate for news about the Beatles. But back then, there was no internet. There was no social media. So fans used small radios called transistors. Teens snuck them into school. They hid them under their pillows at night.

    Before long, Beatlemania was out of control. In Canada, 160 people were injured when fans rushed to the stage. In Germany, police controlled the crowds with guard dogs. The band went to concerts in an armored car.

    In 1964, rock ’n’ roll was still a new form of music, having started only about five years earlier. One singer, Elvis Presley, had millions of fans—but there had never been anything like the Beatles. 

    The Beatles were four musicians—John, Paul, George, and Ringo—in their early 20s who wrote simple, upbeat love songs. They had started playing concerts in England in 1963. Within months, they had begun to attract massive, screaming crowds. “BEATLEMANIA!” is what one newspaper dubbed it.

    People were desperate for updates on their favorite band, but this was before the internet and social media. So fans tuned in to small radios called transistors. Teens snuck transistors into school. At night, they hid the radios under their pillows.

    Quickly, Beatlemania grew out of control. In Canada, fans rushed the stage, and 160 people were injured. In Germany, police used guard dogs to control the crowds. The band started traveling to concerts in an armored car.

In It Together

    After three years, the Beatles were done with concerts. Crowds were so loud, the band members couldn’t hear themselves play. The Beatles kept making music until 1970. But after 1966, they never played another show.

    Today, the Beatles are considered one of the best bands ever. People still stream their songs more than 100 million times a month. But many of the teens who were there at the beginning say it’s not just about the music. It’s also about the friends they made. “We were all in it together,” says one British fan. 

    In 1966, the Beatles stopped giving concerts. The crowds were too loud. The band members couldn’t hear themselves play. But they kept making music until 1970. 

    Today, many people say the Beatles are one of the best bands of all time. People still stream their songs. They are played more than 100 million times a month. 

    But many of the original teen fans say it’s about more than the music. It’s also about the friends they made. “We were all in it together,” says one British fan. 

    After three years, the Beatles were done with concerts. The crowds had become so loud that the band members couldn’t hear themselves play. Although the Beatles kept making music until 1970, they never performed another show after 1966.

    Today, the Beatles are considered one of the best bands ever. People still stream their songs more than 100 million times a month. But many of the fans who were there at the beginning say it’s about more than just the music—it’s about the friends they made. “We were all in it together,” says one British fan. 

George Mattson/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

Extra Protection
To stay safe, the Beatles started coming to concerts in armored cars like this one. 

NOW

BTS Army

How an online community shaped the career of K-pop’s biggest stars  

October 2021
by Tod Olson

© Daniel Deslover/AdMedia via ZUMA Wire/Alamy Stock Photo 

BTS performs in Los Angeles in 2019

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

    If you’re a true BTS fan, it can be a full-time job. Just ask  Michelle Quinde. The last time BTS came to the U.S., she saw them six times. She buys their CDs—even though she has no way to play them. 

    But mainly, Michelle has always shown her love for BTS online. She used to run a fan website. She spent hours every day chatting with other BTS fans. She planned online celebrations for the band members’ birthdays. And when new songs came out, she streamed them—not once or twice but all day long.

    This is what it means to be  part of BTS ARMY. 

    Being a true BTS fan can feel like a full-time job. Just ask Michelle Quinde. She saw the band six times when they last came to the U.S. She buys their CDs, even though she has no way to play them. 

    Michelle has also shown her love for BTS online. She used to run a fan website. She chatted with other fans online. She planned celebrations online for band members’ birthdays. When new songs came out, she streamed them all day long.

    She is part of BTS ARMY. 

    Being a true BTS fan can be like a full-time job. Just ask Michelle Quinde. The last time BTS came to the U.S., she saw them six times. She also buys their CDs—even though she has no way to play them. 

    Above all, Michelle has demonstrated her love for BTS by going online. She used to run a fan website, where she spent hours every day chatting with other BTS fans. She also planned online celebrations for the band members’ birthdays. And when new songs were released, she streamed them—not once or twice but all day long.

    This is what it means to be a part of BTS ARMY. 

Part of the Band

    Just in case you haven’t heard of them, BTS is the biggest K-pop—or Korean pop—band in the world. They’ve sold over 20 million albums. Their songs have been streamed billions of times. ARMY is what BTS fans call themselves. There may be as many as 30 million ARMY members around the world. 

    BTS is good at making fans feel like they’re a part of the group. Seven guys are in the band: RM, Jin, Suga, Jimin, V, Jungkook, and J-Hope. To get to know them, all you have to do is follow them on social media. They post photos and videos about their daily lives.

    You can hang out with them backstage. You can watch them eat and work out. You can even see how messy their bedrooms are. 

    BTS is the biggest K-pop band in the world. K-pop is short for Korean pop. BTS has sold more than 20 million albums. Their songs have been streamed billions of times. BTS fans call themselves ARMY. There may be as many as 30 million of them worldwide. 

    BTS makes fans feel like part of the group. The band has seven guys: RM, Jin, Suga, Jimin, V, Jungkook, and J-Hope. Want to get to know them? Follow them on social media. They post photos about their daily lives. They post videos too.

    You can see them backstage. You can watch them eat and work out. You can see how messy their bedrooms are. 

    In case you aren’t familiar with them, BTS is the biggest K-pop—or Korean pop—band in the world. They’ve sold more than 20 million albums, and their songs have been streamed billions of times. ARMY is what BTS fans around the world—perhaps as many as 30 million of them—call themselves. 

    BTS excels at making fans feel like they’re a part of the group. The band is made up of seven guys: RM, Jin, Suga, Jimin, V, Jungkook, and J-Hope. If you want to feel like you know them, you can simply follow them on social media. The band members post photos and videos about their daily lives.

    You can hang out with the guys backstage, and you can watch them eat and work out. You can even see how messy their bedrooms are. 

An Army of Friends

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

    Like a real army, BTS fans are very organized. Fan websites translate everything the band does from Korean to English. They set goals for streaming the band’s songs. The hit song “Boy With Luv” went up on YouTube in April 2019. Within 24 hours, it had 74.6 million views.

    ARMY has helped BTS become one of the biggest bands in history. The band makes money from concert tickets and music streaming. Its online store sells t-shirts, hoodies, backpacks, and pencil cases. In 2019, ARMY helped BTS earn $4.5 billion.

    But BTS fans aren’t just devoted to the band. They’re devoted to each other. ARMY members tutor each other online. They share recipes and suggest books to read. 

    To most BTS fans, the community may be more important than the music. After all, the band is just seven talented, good-looking guys. The fans are an army of friends, 30 million strong. 

    Like a real army, BTS fans are organized. Fan websites translate what the band says in Korean to English. They set goals for streaming the band’s songs. The song “Boy With Luv” went up on YouTube in April 2019. Within 24 hours, it had 74.6 million views.

    ARMY has helped BTS become one of the biggest bands in history. The band makes money from concert tickets. It makes money from music streaming. Its online store sells T-shirts, hoodies, and more. In 2019, ARMY helped BTS earn $4.5 billion.

    But BTS fans aren’t just devoted to the band. They’re devoted to each other. ARMY members tutor each other online. They share recipes. They suggest books to read. 

    Many BTS fans may love the community more than the music. The band is just seven talented guys. The fans are an army of friends. 

    Like a real army, BTS fans are highly organized. Fan websites translate everything the band does from Korean to English. Fans also set goals for streaming the band’s songs. The song “Boy With Luv” went up on YouTube in April 2019, and within 24 hours, it had 74.6 million views.

    With help from hardworking fans, BTS has become one of the most successful bands in history. The band makes money from concert tickets and music streaming. Its online store sells T-shirts, hoodies, backpacks, and pencil cases. In 2019, ARMY helped BTS earn $4.5 billion.

    BTS fans aren’t devoted only to the band but also to each other. ARMY members tutor each other online, share recipes, and recommend books to read. 

    In fact, to many fans, the BTS community might be even more important than the music. After all, the band is just seven talented, good-looking guys. The fans are an army of friends, 30 million strong.

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Topic
Culture, Technology
Genre
Nonfiction
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