The Sobs, the Screams and the Swoons: Beatlemania in Pictures

People’s reactions to the Beatles were pure madness. Yes, women had screamed before at the sight of Elvis, swooned over Frank Sinatra, and dramatically flailed their arms out at Rudy Vallee. But there was something about the British boys that pushed people way beyond the edge of their sanity.

The Beatles posing with balloons

Photo by BIPS / Getty Images

The funny thing is, after a couple of photos of police officers trying to retain hysterical fans, the whole thing starts to look quite normal. But Beatlemania was far from normal. It was a shrieking, weeping, pleading, anxious bundle of chaos. It was a hair-ripping, clothes-tugging, lung-exhausting anarchy. But enough descriptions. Let’s get to the pictures.