1964: Music Moments That Changed Everything

1964: The Year Music Changed Forever | Rock, Folk, Pop & Festival History

1964 was a turning point in modern music history. In this video, we explore a chronological timeline of the most important music events of 1964 in the United Kingdom and the United States — the year the British Invasion exploded, folk music reached a cultural peak, and music festivals began shaping live performance culture.

From The Beatles’ arrival in America and their record-breaking domination of the charts, to Bob Dylan’s evolving folk voice, to the rise of British blues-rock and landmark festivals like Newport and Big Sur, this year reshaped rock, pop, and popular culture forever.

🎸 What’s Covered in This Video:

The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show and the rise of Beatlemania

Historic Billboard & UK chart milestones (including April 1964’s Top 5 sweep)

Key album releases: A Hard Day’s Night, Meet The Beatles!, Another Side of Bob Dylan

The Rolling Stones’ early breakthroughs and UK blues-rock momentum

Major music festivals of 1964:

Newport Folk Festival (Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash)

Newport Jazz Festival (Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck)

Big Sur Folk Festival (early West Coast folk scene)

National Jazz & Blues Festival (UK) — a bridge toward British rock festivals

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How 1964 set the stage for folk-rock, stadium tours, and modern festival culture