Editing Meet the Beatles!

{{Use British English|date=April 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Meet the Beatles!
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[the Beatles]]
| cover      = Meet the Beatles.jpg
| border     = yes
| alt        =
| released   = 20 January 1964
| recorded   = 11 February&nbsp;– 23 October 1963
| studio     = [[Abbey Road Studios|EMI]], London
| genre      = 
* [[Rock and roll]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/meet-the-beatles!-mw0000312204|title=Meet the Beatles! - The Beatles - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=13 April 2018}}</ref>
* [[Pop music|pop]]<ref name="Segretto 2022">{{cite book|title=33 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute - A Critical Trip Through the Rock LP Era, 1955–1999|first=Mike|last=Segretto|date=2022|chapter= 1964|pages=46–48|publisher=Backbeat|isbn=9781493064601|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jtNtEAAAQBAJ}}</ref>
* [[Merseybeat]]<ref name="RSguide">{{cite book|last1=Considine|first1=J.D.|last2=Coleman|first2=Mark|last3=Evans|first3=Paul|last4=McGee|first4=David|chapter= The Beatles|editor1-last=DeCurtis|editor1-first=Anthony|editor2-last=Henke|editor2-first=James|editor3-last=George-Warren|editor-first3=Holly|date=1992|title=Rolling Stone Album Guide|publisher=[[Random House]]|location=New York|pages= 23–25}}</ref>
* [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]]<ref name="RSguide"/>
| length     = 26:43
| language   = 
| label      = [[Capitol Records|Capitol]]
| producer   = [[George Martin]]
| chronology = [[The Beatles]] [[The Beatles' North American releases|North American]]
| prev_title = [[Introducing... The Beatles]]
| prev_year  = 1964
| next_title = [[Twist and Shout (album)|Twist and Shout]]
| next_year  = 1964
| misc       = {{Extra chronology
 | artist     = [[The Beatles]] United States
 | type       = studio
 | prev_title = [[Introducing... The Beatles]]
 | prev_year = 1964
 | title      = Meet the Beatles!
 | year = 1964
 | next_title = [[The Beatles' Second Album]]
 | next_year = 1964
}}
{{Singles
 | name        = Meet the Beatles!
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[I Want to Hold Your Hand]]" / "[[I Saw Her Standing There]]
 | single1date = 26 December 1963
}}
}}
'''''Meet the Beatles!''''' is a studio album by the English rock band [[the Beatles]], released as their second album in the United States. It was the group's first American album to be issued by [[Capitol Records]], on 20 January 1964 in both [[Monaural|mono]] and [[stereo]] formats. It topped the [[Billboard 200|popular album chart]] on 15 February 1964 and remained at number one for eleven weeks before being replaced by ''[[The Beatles' Second Album]]''. The cover featured [[Robert Freeman (photographer)|Robert Freeman]]'s iconic portrait of the Beatles used in the United Kingdom for ''[[With the Beatles]]'', with a blue tint added to the original stark black-and-white photograph.<ref name="Allmusic"/> Compared to ''With the Beatles'', ''Meet the Beatles!'' dropped five tracks ("[[Roll Over Beethoven#The Beatles|Roll Over Beethoven]]", "[[You Really Got a Hold on Me#The Beatles version|You Really Got a Hold on Me]]", "[[Devil in His Heart#The Beatles' version|Devil in Her Heart]]", "[[Money (That's What I Want)#The Beatles version|Money (That's What I Want)]]" and "[[Please Mr. Postman#The Beatles version|Please Mr. Postman]]") and added three others ("[[I Want to Hold Your Hand]]", "[[I Saw Her Standing There]]" and "[[This Boy]]").

==Background==
{{Further|With the Beatles}}
After EMI's subsidiary Capitol Records repeatedly rejected requests by both [[Brian Epstein]] and [[George Martin]] to release Beatles records in the United States, [[EMI]] label head [[Joseph Lockwood|Sir Joseph Lockwood]] sent a deputy to [[Los Angeles]] in November 1963 ordering Capitol Records to commence promoting and releasing Beatles records in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lifton |first=Dave |date=2015-01-20 |title=How the 'Meet the Beatles!' Album Finally Arrived in America |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/beatles-meet-the-beatles/ |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |language=en}}</ref> Despite the "first album" claim on the ''Meet the Beatles!'' cover, ten days prior to its release, [[Vee-Jay Records]] of [[Chicago]] beat Capitol to the punch with the release on 10 January 1964 of the Beatles' American debut album ''[[Introducing... The Beatles]],'' which had been delayed for release for various reasons since the previous summer. Perhaps as a result of the Vee-Jay release, Liberty Music Shops advertised in the ''[[New York Times]]'' of 12 January 1964 that ''Meet the Beatles!'' was available for purchase, an ad not authorised by Capitol.{{sfn|Spizer|2000|p=4}}

In 2004, the album was released for the first time on [[compact disc]] in both stereo and mono as part of ''[[The Capitol Albums, Volume 1]]'' [[box set]], containing the original US stereo and mono mixes. In 2014, ''Meet the Beatles!'' was reissued on CD, individually and included in the Beatles boxed set ''[[The U.S. Albums]]''. Although following the running order for ''Meet the Beatles!'', the mixes featured in this reissue are the UK mono and stereo mixes.<ref name="Allmusic" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Santos |first=Julio |date=2019-01-18 |title=Revisiting The Beatles' 'Meet The Beatles!' (1964) {{!}} Retrospective Tribute |url=https://albumism.com/features/the-beatles-meet-the-beatles-turns-55-anniversary-retrospective |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=Albumism |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Music==
By November 1963, the Beatles had already recorded over 35 songs for EMI's UK [[Parlophone]] label, while Capitol Records in the US planned to release an album and a single, and more at a later date. The US rights to the Beatles' first 14 tracks were held by Vee Jay Records along with a few others. "[[She Loves You]]" had been issued in America on the [[Swan Records|Swan]] label and also sold poorly. In Britain, Parlophone was already releasing its second Beatles album ''[[With the Beatles]]'' and had issued several singles which were not included on any UK albums with the exception of the first two ("Please Please Me"/"Ask Me Why" and "[[Love Me Do]]"/"PS I Love You"). While the Beatles' first two British albums each contained 14 tracks, in the American market albums were typically limited to 12 tracks and it was expected that albums would include the current hit single.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

The first three tracks on the album include the December 1963 Capitol [[single (music)|single]] "[[I Want to Hold Your Hand]]" along with the record's US [[B-side]], "[[I Saw Her Standing There]]," and its UK B-side, "[[This Boy]]," from the original November 1963 release.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}} Neither "I Want to Hold Your Hand" nor "This Boy" had appeared on an album at the time in the UK, while "I Saw Her Standing There" had been the lead-off track to [[Please Please Me|the band's debut album]]. The other nine tracks on ''Meet the Beatles!'' were duplicated from its nearest UK counterpart album, ''With the Beatles''. Those were original Beatles songs and not cover versions of songs by other artists with the exception of "[[Till There Was You]]". The remaining five tracks from ''With the Beatles'' were songs originally recorded by other artists. Capitol determined that for their first album they would only include original and fresh material. Capitol executives worried that the covers would turn Americans off the Beatles. The other five songs would appear on Capitol's next American LP, ''[[The Beatles' Second Album]]'', released in April 1964.{{sfn|Spizer|2000|p=5}} The songs "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "This Boy" are in a duophonic [fake] stereo, because Capitol had not been provided proper stereo mixes.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

== Critical reception ==
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score =  {{Rating|4.5|5}} <ref name="Allmusic">{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1504}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
| rev2Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|year=2007|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|edition=4th|isbn=978-0195313734|title-link=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Record Guide]]''
| rev3Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>[[Dave Marsh|Marsh, Dave]]; Swenson, John (Editors). ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', 1st edition, Random House/Rolling Stone Press, 1979, p. 26.</ref>
}}
The album was included in [[Robert Christgau]]'s "Basic Record Library" of 1950s and 1960s recordings, published in ''[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies]]'' (1981).<ref>{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies]]|publisher=[[Ticknor & Fields]]|isbn=0899190251|chapter=A Basic Record Library: The Fifties and Sixties|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/bk-cg70/basics.php|access-date=16 March 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}</ref> In 2001, the album was inducted into [[Grammy Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award#t|title=GRAMMY Hall Of Fame &#124; Hall of Fame Artists &#124; GRAMMY.com|website=grammy.com}}</ref> In 2003, the album was ranked at number 59 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time]] list,<ref>{{Cite magazine|url= http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231/meet-the-beatles-the-beatles-19691231|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110902075744/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231/meet-the-beatles-the-beatles-19691231|url-status= dead|archive-date= 2011-09-02|title=Meet the Beatles ranked 59th greatest album by Rolling Stone magazine in 2003|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=23 August 2021}}</ref> re-ranked at number 53 on the 2012 list,<ref>{{Cite magazine|url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-156826/the-beatles-meet-the-beatles-164714/|title=Meet the Beatles ranked 53rd greatest album by Rolling Stone magazine in 2012|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=31 May 2009 |access-date=23 August 2021}}</ref> and re-ranked at number 197 in 2020.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/the-beatles-meet-the-beatles-2-1063036/ |title=Meet the Beatles ranked 197th greatest album by Rolling Stone magazine in 2020|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=22 September 2020 |access-date=23 August 2021}}</ref>

==Commercial performance==

In the U.S., the album debuted at No. 92 on the [[Billboard 200|album chart]] for the week ending 1 February 1964. Two weeks later, it peaked at #1 where it remained for eleven consecutive weeks, eventually to be replaced by ''[[The Beatles' Second Album]]''. It sold 4,045,174 copies by 31 December 1964, and 4,699,348 copies by the end of the decade.<ref name="How many records did the Beatles actually sell?">{{cite web |url=http://deconstructingpopculture.com/2009/04/how-many-records-did-the-beatles-actually-sell |title=How Many Records did the Beatles actually sell? |publisher=Deconstructing Pop Culture by David Kronemyer |date=29 April 2009 |access-date=11 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306054326/http://deconstructingpopculture.com/2009/04/how-many-records-did-the-beatles-actually-sell/ |archive-date=6 March 2016}}</ref> It was certified Gold by the [[RIAA]] on 3 February 1964, and 5× Platinum on 26 December 1991.<ref name=RIAA />

==Track listing==
All tracks written by [[Lennon–McCartney|John Lennon and Paul McCartney]], except where noted.
{{Track listing
| headline  = Side one
| extra_column = Lead vocals
| title1  = [[I Want to Hold Your Hand]]
| extra1  = Lennon and McCartney
| length1  = 2:24
| title2  = [[I Saw Her Standing There]]
| extra2  = McCartney
| length2  = 2:50
| title3  = [[This Boy]]
| extra3  = Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison
| length3  = 2:11
| title4  = [[It Won't Be Long]]
| extra4  = Lennon with McCartney
| length4  = 2:11
| title5  = [[All I've Got to Do]]
| extra5  = Lennon
| length5  = 2:05
| title6  = [[All My Loving]]
| extra6  = McCartney
| length6  = 2:04
| total_length = 13:45
}}
{{Track listing
| headline  = Side two
| extra_column = Lead vocals
| title1  = [[Don't Bother Me]]
| note1 = [[George Harrison]]
| extra1  = Harrison
| length1  = 2:28
| title2  = [[Little Child]]
| extra2  = Lennon
| length2  = 1:46
| title3  = [[Till There Was You#The Beatles version|Till There Was You]]
| note3 = [[Meredith Willson]]
| extra3  = McCartney
| length3  = 2:12
| title4  = [[Hold Me Tight]]
| extra4  = McCartney
| length4  = 2:30
| title5  = [[I Wanna Be Your Man]]
| extra5  = Starr
| length5  = 1:59
| title6  = [[Not a Second Time]]
| extra6  = Lennon
| length6  = 2:03
| total_length = 12:58
}}

==Personnel==
According to [[Ian MacDonald]]:{{sfn|MacDonald|2007|pp=66, 71, 90, 91, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 103}}

'''The Beatles'''
* [[John Lennon]]{{snd}} lead and backing vocals, rhythm and acoustic guitars, handclaps; harmonica {{small|("Little Child")}}; [[tambourine]] {{small|("Don't Bother Me")}}
* [[Paul McCartney]]{{snd}} lead and backing vocals, bass, handclaps; piano {{small|("Little Child")}}; [[claves]] {{small|("Don't Bother Me")}}
* [[George Harrison]]{{snd}} backing vocals, lead and acoustic guitars, handclaps; lead vocals {{small|("Don't Bother Me")}}
* [[Ringo Starr]]{{snd}} drums, handclaps; [[Bongo drum|bongos]] {{small|("Till there Was You", "Don't Bother Me")}}; [[maraca]]s {{small|("I Wanna Be Your Man")}}; lead vocal {{small|("I Wanna Be Your Man")}}

'''Additional musician and production'''
* [[George Martin]]{{snd}} producer; [[Hammond organ]] {{small|("I Wanna Be Your Man")}}; piano {{small|("Not a Second Time")}}
* [[Norman Smith (record producer)|Norman Smith]]{{snd}} [[Audio engineer|engineer]]

==Charts and certifications==

{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Chart performance===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"	
|+ 1964–1965 chart performance for ''Meet the Beatles!''
! scope="col"| Chart (1964–1965)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' Top LPs]]{{sfn|Lewisohn|2000|p=351}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-beatles/chart-history/tlp/|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=March 16, 2021|title=The Beatles Chart History (Billboard 200)|language=en|date=March 16, 2021}}</ref>
| 1
|-
! scope="row"| US ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]'' Top 100 Albums<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Top 100 Albums|date=8 February 1964|magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]|page=21|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1964/CB-1964-02-08.pdf}}</ref>
| 1
|-
! scope="row"| US ''[[Record World|Music Vendor]]'' Top 100 LP's{{sfn|Lewisohn|2000|p=351}}
| 1
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"	
|+ 2024–2025 chart performance for ''Meet the Beatles!''
! scope="col"| Chart (2024–2025)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
{{album chart|Germany4|68|id=71509|artist=The Beatles|album=Meet the Beatles!|rowheader=true|access-date=29 November 2024}}
|-
! scope="row"| Greek Albums ([[IFPI Greece|IFPI]])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ifpi.gr/charts_el.html |title=Official IFPI Charts Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) – Εβδομάδα: 02/2025 |publisher=[[IFPI Greece]] |access-date=15 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250115082505/https://www.ifpi.gr/charts_el.html |archive-date=15 January 2025 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| 44
|}
{{col-2}}

===Certifications===
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=album|title=Meet The Beatles|artist=The Beatles|award=Platinum|relyear=1963|access-date=15 September 2013}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|title=Meet The Beatles!|artist=The Beatles|award=Platinum|number=5|access-date=15 September 2013|refname=RIAA}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=yes}}
{{col-end}}

==See also==
* [[Outline of the Beatles]]
* [[The Beatles timeline]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1=Lewisohn |first1=Mark |author1-link=Mark Lewisohn |title=The Complete Beatles Chronicle: The Only Definitive Guide to the Beatles' Entire Career |date=2000 |orig-year=1992 |publisher=[[Hamlyn (publisher)|Hamlyn]] |location=London |isbn=0-600-60033-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/epdf.tips_the-complete-beatles-chronicle |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last1=MacDonald |first1=Ian |author1-link=Ian MacDonald |title=Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties |date=2007 |publisher=[[Chicago Review Press]] |isbn=978-1-55652-733-3 |edition=Third |url=https://archive.org/details/revolutioninhead0003macd |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite magazine
| magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]
| title=The RS 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
| date=18 November 2003
| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time/
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060206184156/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time/
| url-status=dead
| archive-date=6 February 2006
| access-date=13 November 2009
| ref={{SfnRef|Rolling Stone|2003}}
}}
* {{cite book
| last=Spizer
| first=Bruce
| year=2000
| author-link=Bruce Spizer
| title=The Beatles' Story on Capitol Records, Part Two: The Albums
| publisher=498 Productions
| location=New Orleans, Louisiana
| isbn=0-9662649-2-4
}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
*{{Discogs master|type=album|75259|name=Meet the Beatles!}}
*[[Bruce Spizer]]'s [https://web.archive.org/web/20041214214457/http://www.beatle.net/beatlesoncapitol1.htm ''The Beatles' Story on Capitol Records, Part One: Beatlemania and the Singles'' website]
*Bruce Spizer's [https://web.archive.org/web/20050306043121/http://www.beatle.net/beatlesoncapitol2.htm ''The Beatles' Story on Capitol Records, Part Two: The Albums'' website]
*[http://www.whatgoeson.com/story.20041101.html WhatGoesOn.com - ''Beatles Capitol Albums Vol. 1 now two weeks away'' article]

{{The Beatles albums}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1964 albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by George Martin]]
[[Category:The Beatles albums]]
[[Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients]]
[[Category:Capitol Records albums]]