On This Day in 1964: The Animals Storm the Charts With a Debut LP That Hit U.S. Top 10 and U.K. Top 6, Featuring Their First #1 Smash
via The Animals Tribute Channel (unofficial) / YouTube
A Powerful Debut in America
On October 3, 1964, The Animals, the band’s first U.S. album, entered the Billboard LP chart on its way to reaching #7. This debut included their breakout hit “House of the Rising Sun,” which had soared to #1 on both U.S. and U.K. singles charts earlier that year.
The American edition of The Animals mixed blues, R&B, and rock covers. It introduced U.S. audiences to the group’s gritty sound—something distinct from many British Invasion acts of the time.
View this post on Instagram
A Different U.K. Version
Although the American Animals became well known stateside, the British version of the album differed significantly. Released about a month later in the U.K., the British album The Animals reached #6 on the U.K. Albums Chart.
The U.K. edition featured alternate track lists and song choices not found on the U.S. version—something common among British Invasion bands of that era.
The Breakout Hit: “House of the Rising Sun”
“House of the Rising Sun” was central to the album’s success. The song topped charts in both major markets and became the signature track for The Animals.
Its haunting arrangement, Eric Burdon’s intense vocals, and Alan Price’s organ work combined to create something unforgettable. Many fans view it as a turning point in folk-rock and rock music more broadly.
Legacy of the Debut
Though The Animals contained many covers and standards, the band’s reinterpretation of those songs gave them a fresh identity. Tracks by artists such as Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, and Fats Domino were part of the mix.
The success of their debut showed that a British band could bring raw blues and rock energy into the mainstream. The Animals remains a landmark release in the history of British rock.
