US album release: The Beatles (White Album)

Three days after its UK release, The Beatles’ self-titled double album, commonly known as the White Album, was issued in the United States.

It debuted at number 11 in the charts, climbed to number two, then finally reached number one in its third week of release. The delay may have been caused by the slightly higher price for a double album, which could have prevented many young fans from affording it.

Nonetheless, the White Album became a huge commercial success for The Beatles. It spent 155 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, and eventually became the group’s best-selling album according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The album has been certified 19-times platinum and is the 10th best-selling album of all time in the United States.

Unlike in the United Kingdom, the US version of the White Album was issued only in stereo. The catalogue number was Apple SWBO-101.

After just one month on sale the White Album had sold more than four million copies worldwide, and by the end of 1970 global sales were around 6.5 million. Until the release of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack it was the best-selling double album of all time.