Beatlemania was the intense fan frenzy directed towards the English rock band the Beatles in the 1960s. Their popularity grew in the United Kingdom throughout 1963, and by the end of the year the press had adopted the term "Beatlemania" to describe the scenes of adulation that attended the group's concert performances. From the start of 1964, their worldwide tours were characterised by intense levels of hysteria and high-pitched screaming by female fans, both at concerts and during the band's travels.