1962–1966
1973 double compilation album by The Beatles
1962–1966 (also known as the Red Album) is a compilation album of songs by the English rock band the Beatles, spanning the years indicated in the title and the albums Please Please Me through to Revolver with numerous intervening single releases. Released with its counterpart 1967–1970 (the "Blue Album") in 1973, the double LP peaked at number 3 in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it topped the Cash Box albums chart and peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart while 1967–1970 reached the top spot. The album was re-released in September 1993 on compact disc, charting at number 3 in the UK.
The album was instigated by Apple Records manager Allen Klein shortly before he was dismissed from his position. Even though the group had success with cover versions of songs, particularly "Twist and Shout", the original release of 1962–1966 contains only songs composed by the Beatles. It also omits any George Harrison compositions from the era, such as "Taxman", and as such, consists entirely of Lennon–McCartney originals.
As with 1967–1970, the compilation was created by Apple and EMI/Capitol Records in response to a bootleg collection titled Alpha Omega, which had been sold on television the previous year. Print advertising for the two records made a point of declaring them "the only authorized collection of the Beatles". The success of the two official double LP compilations inspired Capitol's repackaging of the Beach Boys' 1960s hits, starting with the 1974 album Endless Summer.
A deluxe expanded version of the album was released in 2023.
The public source identifies “1962–1966” as 1973 double compilation album by The Beatles. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around double, compilation and album.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “1962–1966”, the useful work is to connect “1973 double compilation album by The Beatles” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q664064. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1962, 1966, 1967 and 1970.
Rights, attribution and provenance may remain disputed even when a general reference summary presents a stable account. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “1962–1966”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow 1962–1966 primary sources, 1962–1966 archive and double research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “1962–1966”?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “1962–1966” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.