Hear Billy Joel guest DJ on The Beatles Channel: The country needed the Fab Four in 1964

The Beatles Channel brings you the songs, stories, influences and legacy of the Beatles (24/8, of course!). Some of the band’s most well-known fans are joining the channel with guest DJ sessions this summer, sharing their favorite tracks and some very memorable stories.

Billy Joel’s guest DJ session explores the Fab Four’s American releases and the Piano Man’s introduction to them in 1964.

He recalls buying his first Beatles album, Meet The Beatles, and reflects on how the Beatles’ arrival stateside came at just the right time in American history. The country was reeling from the death of John F. Kennedy, and the band’s uplifting sound and energy helped the nation heal.

Billy also recalls his favorite Beatles song from their early work.

Hear more reflections on The Beatles from Billy Joel when he returns for a guest DJ session on 8/25 at 5 pm ET.

This is how President John F. Kennedy appeared during the first live televised presidential press conference in history on Jan. 25, 1961. (AP Photo)

Screaming teenagers wave a banner that reads “Beatles forever” welcoming The Beatles, outside the Plaza Hotel in New York City on Feb. 7, 1964. (AP Photo)

The Beatles arrive at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Feb. 7, 1964. (AP Photo)

Relatives of President John F. Kennedy pay their respects at his grave in the Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 23, 1991 in Arlington, Va., on the 28th anniversary of his assassination. Pictured from left are Ed Schlossberg; his wife Caroline, daughter of the slain President; his brother, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy; sister Pat Lawford and Jean Smith. (AP Photo/Doug Mills)

President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy arrived on Dec. 18, 1961 at the airport in West Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo)

The new president of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson, speaks at Andrews Air Force Base upon his return to Washington from Dallas, where President John F. Kennedy was shot to death on Nov. 22, 1963. (AP Photo)

President John F. Kennedy wears a broad smile on May 27, 1961, as he attends a $100-a-plate Democratic dinner in Washington’s National Guard Armory marking his 44th birthday. (AP Photo/Henry Griffin)