Lost Beatles 'Top of the Pops' Footage Resurfaces After 60 Years, and Fans Are Overjoyed: 'Super Fab News'
For Beatles fans, this is the discovery of a lifetime.
Footage from the Beatles' first-ever appearance on the British TV institution Top of the Pops in 1964 has resurfaced, clips devotees have long hailed as the 'holy grail' of Beatlemania.
The film preservation group Film is Fabulous! announced it had recovered a complete 35mm reel of the Fab Four's March 19, 1964 performance at the BBC's Television Theatre in London. During their appearance, the band ran through their now iconic hits Can't Buy Me Love and You Can't Do That just a day before the two songs arrived as a single.
Beatles fans celebrated the discovery across social media, with many calling it a once-in-a-generation find. "Wasn't this the Holy Grail of Beatles footage?" one person wrote.
Another commented, "This is truly incredible. Here we are in 2026, and a presumed lost Beatles film is being found. This really is absolutely super Fab news!"
Others echoed the excitement, with one fan writing, "This is fantastic!" while another added, "This is so wonderful! Just when we think we have everything Beatles, something wonderful and new appears."
The reel captures the session in full, four grainy takes of Can't Buy Me Love, and two of You Can't Do That banter and bloopers included. It was handed to the group by the family of a late industry professional. The original 35mm film will now be restored and returned to the BBC archives. Film is Fabulous! confirmed the news on social media.
For decades, that footage was thought gone for good. The BBC had wiped and reused the original tape, as it routinely did at the time, leaving behind only grainy fragments and negatives over the past 60 years, as per Page Six.
There are charming moments throughout. John Lennon snuck one in during the second take of You Can't Do That pulling a funny face as a camera pushed in for a close-up. "During breaks, the Beatles openly joked, and could be seen dancing to amuse themselves," the group said, as reported by Guitar.com.
A cultural mainstay across the pond, Top of the Pops became famous for its "live" performances, with bands lip-syncing their biggest hits.
Exactly when the public will get to watch the rediscovered footage is still unknown, though Film is Fabulous! said talks are underway to make it available to a wide audience. The timing is fitting.
The joyful discovery arrived amid the buzz surrounding Global Beatles Day, June 25, when Apple Corps debuted a colorized version of the band's BBC broadcast of All You Need Is Love online for the first time, according to the official Beatles website.