In her study of Beatlemania , sociologist Candy Leonard says that although '' Rubber Soul '' challenged some young fans , due to its more sophisticated lyrical and musical content , its release marked the moment when " the Beatles came to occupy a role in fans ' lives and a place in their psyches that was different from any previous fan – performer relationship . " In the UK , the release was accompanied by speculation that the group 's success would soon end , given that most acts there faded after two or three years at the top . During the band 's UK tour that December , some newspapers reported that the intensity of the fans ' passion appeared to have diminished . In his review of the opening show in Glasgow , Alan Smith of the '' NME '' wrote that " Crazy Beatlemania is over , certainly " , despite the prevalence of " fainting fits , and thunderous waves of screams " . By the end of the tour , however , following a series of concerts in London , Smith wrote : " without question , BEATLEMANIA IS BACK ! ... I have not seen hysteria like this at a Beatles show since the word Beatlemania erupted into headlines ! " After completing the recording for '' Revolver '' in late June 1966 , the Beatles set off on a tour combining concerts in West Germany , Japan and the Philippines . While in the Philippines in July , the band unintentionally snubbed first lady Imelda Marcos , who had expected them to attend her breakfast reception at Malacañang Palace in Manila . Epstein had declined the invitation on the band 's behalf , as it had never been his policy to accept such official invitations . Riots resulted which endangered the group , and they escaped the Philippines with difficulty . According to author Steve Turner , the three-country tour represented the dark side of Beatlemania and the band 's fame . Aside from the Beatles ' popularity being turned against them for political gain in Manila , he cites the German police 's use of tear gas and guard dogs to control fans in Essen , and the " potential acts of terrorism " surrounding the band 's stay in Tokyo , where they were placed under heavy security in response to death threats from the country 's hardline traditionalists . Turner writes that whereas crowds breaking through a police barrier would have been the biggest concern up until the previous year , " Now it was mob revolt , violence , political backlash , and threats of assassination . " The Beatles returned to the US in August for their last tour , following the release of '' Revolver '' . The tour coincided with a storm of American public protest caused by Lennon 's remark that the Beatles had become more popular than Christ . Epstein had considered cancelling the 14-concert tour , fearing for their lives because of the severity of the protests , which included Beatles ' records publicly burned and claims that the Beatles were " anti-Christ " . . There were disturbances on the tour , and one performance was brought to a temporary halt when a member of the audience threw a firecracker , leading the Beatles to believe that they were being shot at . They received telephone threats , and the Ku Klux Klan picketed some concerts . Lennon 's comments had caused no upset when originally published in the UK , in March . However , John Grigg , in his column for '' The Guardian '' , had applied Lennon 's description of Christ 's disciples as " thick and ordinary " to the band 's fans , saying : " Beatle maniacs are a distinct obstacle to higher appreciation of the Beatles . " The US tour ended with a concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco and was commercially successful . All the same , it had been affected by the prevailing mood of controversy ; there had been rows of empty seats at some venues and , according to author Nicholas Schaffner , " The screaming had also abated somewhat – one could occasionally even hear snatches of music . " Comparing the Beatles ' August 1966 Shea Stadium concert with the previous year 's event , one commentator recalled that , as before , " when the Beatles sang , the looks in the girls ' eyes were faraway " , but " It was different ... This time , we boys were almost as entranced , and the experience was more unifying than dividing . " The band 's final concert marked the end of a four-year period dominated by touring and concerts , including nearly 60 American appearances and more than 1,400 worldwide
UK tour
The Beatles' 1965 UK tour
Beatlemania