Why Popemania May Be Bigger Than Beatlemania

— -- The Beatles landed on American soil for the first time on February 7th, 1964 -- and nothing was the same.

From the moment the beloved British boy band descended from the steps of their Pan-Am jet, their assembled fans from across the pond weren't just excited -- they were hysteric.

The pandemonium spread like a pandemic. It seemed that with a wave and a smile, the moppy-headed English quartet was able to rapidly beat America's already captivated heart.

Sound familiar?

Just over 50 years later, it appears another foreign visitor has brought out massive legions of screaming, waving, crying and utterly adoring fans whose ferocious love rivals that last seen during The Beatles' so-called "British Invasion."

No, we're not talking about One Direction. We're talking Pope Francis.

Has the "Popemania" caused by the inaugural trip of the über-liberal, Twitter-savvy "People's Pope" to the States outdone the previously untouchable Beatlemania?

You decide. Here are the greatest pandemonium-filled hits from both iconic U.S. trips.