For 23 years, The Ed Sullivan Show was the high-water mark for musicians looking to break through to a mainstream audience. Now, after being off the air for just under 50 years, the show’s expansive catalog of legendary musical performances is coming to YouTube.
From The Beatles and The Rolling Stones making their United States debuts to Elvis Presley shocking audiences across the country with his hip gyration, The Ed Sullivan Show captured some of the most important moments throughout the nascent stages of rock n’ roll.
Related: What Was It Like To Witness The Beatles’ American Debut On Ed Sullivan In 1964?
Though many of the legendary program’s most iconic performances have been uploaded to the internet via bootlegs and other low-quality recordings, this announcement will mark the beginning of high-resolution (or, at least, as close as they could get in the 1960s) videos to YouTube. The development comes after a deal between UMe and Sofa Entertainment Inc., according to Rolling Stone.
On Friday, the official YouTube for The Ed Sullivan Show has uploaded performances from The Temptations, The Supremes, The Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Neil Diamond, and The Beach Boys. Given the show’s expansive vault of performances, the full rollout of videos will take place over the next three years. Scroll down for a schedule of uploads for the next few days, and enjoy some classic clips from the newly launched Ed Sullivan Show YouTube page.
The Beach Boys — “Good Vibrations” — 10/13/1968
The Supremes — “You Can’t Hurry Love” — 9/25/1966
The Temptations — “I Can’t Get Next To You” — 9/28/1969
The Jackson 5 — “Stand!” — 12/14/1969
Marvin Gaye — “Take This Heart Of Mine” — 6/19/1966
Neil Diamond — “Sweet Caroline” — 11/30/1969
[H/T Rolling Stone]