Spotlight Artist: The British Invasion

Every weekday between 1 and 5pm we play tracks from our #spotlightartist. They’re an artist with a body of work which has stood the test of time. We’ll play the hits – but also some deep cuts. Listen ad-free through New Zealand via @tunein at https://goo.gl/VL6m3NS

This week something a little different – instead of concentrating on a single artist, we’ll explore the phenomenon known as “The British Invasion”.

British acts started getting some exposure in the US in 1962, with three acts including “Telstar” by The Tornados reaching No 1 on the Hot 100. The term really belongs to the era beginning in late 1963 when disk jockeys began playing “I Want To Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles. This spawned a massive craze known as Beatlemania, surfed by other British acts including The Animals, The Rolling Stones, Searchers and Zombies. We’ll enjoy a range of great songs from this era this week in our “Spotlight Artist” slot.