<p id=”par-1_53″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/elvis-presley/”>Elvis Presley</a> and <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/the-beatles/”>The Beatles</a> both made massive, widely-viewed appearances on <em>The Ed Sullivan Show</em> in the early days of their careers. The choice to have both acts on the show was a good one for Ed Sullivan; both Elvis and The Beatles drew millions of viewers. Which act brought in a larger audience, though?</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-elvis-and-the-beatles-both-made-massive-debuts-on-the-ed-sullivan-show”>Elvis and The Beatles both made massive debuts on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’</h2>
<p id=”par-2_49″>In 1956, Elvis made his debut on <em>The Ed Sullivan Show</em>. Sullivan initially said he would not have Elvis on the show because he didn’t think he was <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/ed-sullivan-said-elvis-unfit-family-viewing-cup-tea.html/”>appropriate for family viewing</a>. After his competitor, <em>The Steve Allen Show</em>, trounced Sullivan in ratings when he had Elvis on, Sullivan reversed his stance. </p>
<p id=”par-3_28″>This decision was a good one. Elvis agreed to make three appearances on the show. On his debut performance, 60 million viewers tuned in (via <a target=”_blank” href=”https://www.edsullivan.com/artists/elvis-presley/#:~:text=Already%20owning%20a%20Number%20One,60%20million%20viewers%20tuned%20in.” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>The Ed Sullivan Show</a>).</p>
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<iframe title=’Elvis Presley “Hound Dog” (October 28, 1956) on The Ed Sullivan Show’ width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/aNYWl13IWhY?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-4_44″>In 1964, The Beatles appeared on the show. Their appearance was huge for the band. While they were already a sensation in the United Kingdom, the show lit the fires of Beatlemania in the United States. <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/many-people-tuned-watch-beatles-perform-ed-sullivan-show-1964.html/”>73 million people watched</a> their debut (via <a href=”https://www.edsullivan.com/artists/the-beatles/#:~:text=73%20million%20people%20gathered%20in,total%20of%2023%2C240%2C000%20American%20homes.” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>The Ed Sullivan Show</a>).</p>
<p id=”par-5_29″>While The Beatles technically had more viewers, they only pulled in 45.3% of households with televisions. Elvis, on the other hand, brought in 82% of the television viewing audience.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-elvis-made-far-more-money-than-the-beatles-on-the-ed-sullivan-show”>Elvis made far more money than The Beatles on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’</h2>
<p id=”par-6_39″>While Elvis appeared on the show eight years earlier than The Beatles, he made <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/elvis-vs-the-beatles-paid-appear-ed-sullivan-show.html/”>significantly more money</a> than the band did. After Sullivan realized the amount of viewers Elvis could pull, he offered him an unprecedented $50,000 for his three shows.</p>
<p id=”par-7_26″>The Beatles, on the other hand, had to split $10,000 amongst themselves (via <a target=”_blank” href=”https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/money-thats-what-i-want-beatles-still-earning-it-50-flna2d11988270″ rel=”noreferrer noopener”>NBC News</a>). Still, the exposure the show gave them was more than worth it.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-the-american-artist-sent-the-beatles-a-message-ahead-of-their-performance-nbsp”>The American artist sent The Beatles a message ahead of their performance </h2>
<p id=”par-8_23″>When The Beatles appeared on <em>The Ed Sullivan Show</em>, Elvis reached out to wish them well. Sullivan read the message ahead of their performance.</p>
<p id=”par-9_42″>“Congratulations on your appearance on <em>The Ed Sullivan Show</em> and your visit to America,” he said in the message (per <a href=”https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1732704/the-beatles-ed-sullivan-show-elvis-presley-colonel-tom-parker” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Express</a>). “We hope your engagement will be a successful one and your visit pleasant. Give our best to Mr. Sullivan. Sincerely, Elvis and The Colonel.”</p>
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<p id=”par-10_24″>This was meaningful to the band, who had long idolized Elvis. He was one of the major reasons they all decided to pursue music. </p>
<p id=”par-11_67″>“I’m an Elvis fan because it was Elvis who really got me out of Liverpool,” John Lennon said per the book <em>Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley </em>by Peter Guralnick. “Once I heard it and got into it, that was life, there was no other thing. I thought of nothing else but rock’n’roll; apart from sex and food and money — but that’s all the same thing, really.”</p>