1960s Pop in NYC: Brill Building to The Beatles Tour

Tour Highlights:

• Stand outside the Brill Building and its equally important neighbor at 1650 Broadway—two buildings that powered the pop charts of the early 1960s
• Hear stories of Neil Sedaka, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Burt Bacharach, and other young songwriters who defined the “Brill Building Sound”
• Visit the buildings that housed studio, music publishing, and record label offices where chart-topping singles were written, demoed, recorded, and released—sometimes all under one roof
• See the site of the Ed Sullivan Show broadcast that introduced The Beatles to America—and marked a turning point in the pop industry
• Pass by the restaurants and hangouts where music execs and hitmakers cut deals and swapped stories
• Led by a music industry veteran and historian who brings an insider's perspective to the golden age of the early 1960s pop music business

About this Event:

Between 1959 and 1964, Midtown Manhattan was the nerve center of the American pop music industry. Inside just a few square blocks near Times Square, the so-called “Brill Building Sound” flourished, with dozens of record labels, publishing houses, demo studios, and recording facilities packed into office buildings along Broadway and Seventh Avenue. This walking tour explores the tightly wound world of professional songwriters, producers, and performers who made Midtown a hit factory.

The tour traces the rise of songwriting teams like Goffin & King and Mann & Weil, and the business structures that fueled them—from Aldon Music to Atlantic Records. 

This is also the story of how it all changed. The Beatles’ arrival in 1964 upended the songwriter-for-hire model and helped usher in a new era of artist-driven music. 

Whether you’re a fan of classic pop, a student of the music business, or simply curious about a fascinating chapter in New York history, From the Brill Building to the Beatles offers a deep dive into the city streets that shaped the sound of a generation.

*You must have an active membership subscription at the time of your tour to use your discounted ticket.

About Your Guide:

Mark Satlof is a fourth-generation New Yorker. He is a Licensed New York City Sightseeing Guide and a regular guide for Untapped New York (leading tours of Billie Holiday's Harlem and The Velvet Underground's NYC). He received a BA in History from Columbia University. In addition to sharing his knowledge of NYC as a tour guide, he is a music publicist by day and has tons of first-hand stories about Brill Building era songwriters.