Today in Rock n' Roll History

1961 Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Are You Lonesome Tonight'. The singers sixth UK No.1. The single included a spoken passage loosely based on Shakespeare.

1968 Pink Floyd played their first gig without Syd Barrett at Southampton University. They were supported by Tyrannosaurus Rex, (later to be renamed T Rex) featuring Marc Bolan and percussionist Steve Peregrine Took.

1970 John Lennon wrote, recorded and mixed his new single 'Instant Karma' all in one day. It ranks as one of the fastest-released songs in pop music history, recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios and arriving in stores only ten days later.

1973 Sweet were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Blockbuster'. The glam rockers only UK No.1 of 15 Top 40 hits.

1974 Ringo Starr went to No.1 on the US singles chart with his version of the Johnny Burnette 1960 hit 'Your Sixteen', a No.3 hit in the UK.

1991 Queen had their second UK No.1 with 'Innuendo'. It was the third longest No.1 song of all time behind The Beatles 'Hey Jude' and Simple Minds 'Belfast Child'. The flamenco guitar solo on the track was performed by Yes guitarist Steve Howe.

1956 Elvis Presley's single, 'Heartbreak Hotel' was released by RCA Records, who had just purchased Presley's contract from Sun Records for $35,000. The song sold 300,000 copies in its first week and would eventually sell over a million, becoming Elvis' first Gold record.

1961 Frank Sinatra played a benefit show at Carnegie Hall in New York City for Martin Luther King.

1962 The Beatles appeared at Aintree Institute in Aintree, Liverpool. The group had played here many times before but this was their last performance at the venue. Brian Epstein became infuriated when the promoter paid The Beatles' fee (£15 pounds) with handfuls of loose change. Epstein took this as an insult to the group, and made sure that The Beatles never played for that promoter (Brian Kelly) again.
1968 The Bee Gees made their live debut in the US when they played at the Anaheim Centre, California.

1971 David Bowie arrived in the US for the first time; he couldn't play live because of work permit restrictions, but attracted publicity when he wore a dress at a promotion event.

1972 American gospel singer Mahalia Jackson died in Chicago of heart failure and diabetes complications aged 60. Known as the "Queen of Gospel Music" she recorded over 30 albums.

1973 'Superstition' gave Stevie Wonder had his second No.1 single in the US, 10 years after his first No.1.

1984 Madonna made her first appearance in the UK when she appeared on C4 TV music program The Tube performing 'Holiday'. The show was broadcast live from the Hacienda Club in Manchester.

　
　

1965 The Who made their first appearance on UK TV show Ready Steady Go! To project the desired image, the hand-picked audience consisted only of teens dressed in the current Mod fashion.

1977 Pink Floyd's tenth studio album 'Animals' entered the UK charts at #2. The sleeve concept was that of Roger Waters, who lived at the time near Clapham Common, and regularly drove past Battersea Power Station. A view of the imposing but disused former power station building was chosen for the cover image, complete with massive inflatable pig suspended between two of the towers.

1978 The Fleetwood Mac album 'Rumours' went to No.1 on the UK album chart, also a No.1 in the US. The album went on to sell over 15 million copies world- wide and spent over 440 weeks on the UK chart.

1984 Frankie Goes To Hollywood started a five-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Relax!' BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read expressed on air his distaste for both the record's suggestive sleeve and its lyrics, he announced his refusal to play the record, not knowing that the BBC had decided that the song was not to be played on the BBC anyway. Produced by Trevor Horn the song remained on the chart for 48 weeks.

1985 The recording took place for 'We Are The World' the US equivalent of Band Aid. Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie the all star cast included Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Daryl Hall, John Oates, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Perry and Bob Geldof.

1963 17 year-old Neil Young performed his first professional date at a country club in Winnipeg.

1964 The Beatles started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Want To Hold Your Hand', the first US No.1 by a UK act since The Tornadoes 'Telstar' in 1962 and the first of three consecutive No.1's from the group.

1967 Pink Floyd spent the day recording parts for the Syd Barrett songs 'Arnold Layne' and 'Candy And A Current Bun' at Sound Techniques Studios, Chelsea, London. Floyd also turned professional on this day after signing a deal with EMI Records.

1992 George Michael and Elton John went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me', also a No.1 in the UK. All proceeds from the single went to Aids charities.

1999 Four hundred people were injured at an Australian concert by Marilyn Manson when he stormed off stage after being bombarded with missiles and abuse at the show in Perth. One of Manson's guitar technicians needed treatment for cuts to his head.

2005 Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'It's Now Or Never', the singers 21st No.1, first released in 1960.

　

1959 22 year old Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, aged 17, died in a crash shortly after take-off from Clear Lake, Iowa, the pilot of the single-engined Beechcraft Bonanza plane was also killed. Holly hired the plane after heating problems developed on his tourbus. All three were traveling to Fargo, North Dakota, for the next show on their Winter Dance Party Tour which Holly had set - covering 24 cities in three weeks, to make money after the break-up of his band, The Crickets, last year.

1968 The Beatles started work on their new single 'Lady Madonna' at Abbey Road studios in London. Recording three piano and drum takes with overdub bass, fuzz guitars, drums, and vocals.

1970 Led Zeppelin II was in the Top 20 on both the UK & US album charts after peaking at No.1. The album went on to spend 138 weeks on the UK chart. The album is now recognised by writers and music critics as one of the greatest and most influential rock albums ever recorded.

1973 Elton John started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Crocodile Rock'. Elton's first of five US No.1 singles.

1990 For the first time ever, the UK Top 3 singles featured non-British and non-American acts. Ireland's Sinead O'Connor, Australia's Kylie Minogue and Belgium's Technotronic. Sinead O'Connor had her first No.1 single with Nothing Compares To U', a song written by Prince.

1958 George Harrison joined Liverpool group The Quarrymen. The group who were named after Lennon's school featured John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Len Garry, Eric Griffiths and John Lowe.

1960 27-year-old Jesse Belvin, who scored a 1956 hit with 'Goodnight, My Love', was killed in a car accident in Hope, Arkansas. His wife and the car's driver also died of their injuries. The three were trying to make a fast get-a-way from the first ever mixed race audience concert in the town of Little Rock, after threats had been made against Belvin's life.

1971 Led Zeppelin announced a small UK club tour which would see the group playing Universities and small venues with ticket prices at 12 shillings (60p). Zeppelin manager Peter Grant said 'We decided to do the clubs and forget about the bread and the big concert halls'.

1982 Kraftwerk were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'The Model / Computer Love', the first German act to score a UK No.1 single. The single spent 21 weeks on the UK chart.

1998 American singer and guitarist Carl Wilson from The Beach Boys died aged 51 after a long battle with lung cancer, (Wilson was diagnosed with brain and lung cancer in early 1997). He sang lead vocal on 'God Only Knows', 'Good Vibrations,' and 'I Can Hear Music.' Wilson sang backing vocals on Elton John's 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me.'

1998 Austrian singer Falco (Johann Holzel) was killed in a road accident after his car collided with a bus. He scored the 1986 UK & US No.1 single 'Rock Me Amadeus' making him the first-ever Austrian act to score a UK and US No.1 hit single.

　

1959 Buddy Holly was buried in Lubbock, Texas. His tombstone reads "Holley", the correct spelling of his given surname and includes pictures of a guitar.

1963 The first Beatles single 'Please Please Me' was released in the US on the Vee Jay label.

1967 Robin, Maurice and Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees returned to the UK after living in Australia for nine years.

1969 John and Yoko were featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, on sale for 35 Cents, (2/6). John was named as Rolling Stones Man Of The Year.

1969 The Who recorded 'Pinball Wizard' at Morgan Studio's, London, England.

1970 Led Zeppelin scored their first UK No.1 album with 'Led Zeppelin II'. Released in November 1969, and featuring the US No. 4 single 'Whole Lotta Love', it went on to stay on the UK chart for 136 weeks. Also reaching No. 1 in the US, the RIAA in the US has now certified it as having sold over 12 million copies in the US alone.

1981 John Lennon was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Woman', an ode to his wife Yoko Ono. It was Lennon's third No.1 in seven weeks after his death on December 8, 1980.

2004 Queen's single 'We Will Rock You' topped a poll of music fans to find the greatest rock anthem of all time. The 1977 song beat the band's classic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' into second place in a survey of 1,000 people carried out for the UCI cinema chain. The poll was carried out to mark the release of new Jack Black comedy 'School of Rock.'

2005 Michael Jackson's Thriller was named the top pop video in a poll of Channel 4 viewers in the UK. The 1983 video, which depicts the singer as a werewolf and a zombie, beat videos by Madonna and Robbie Williams. Animated videos for Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer and A-Ha's Take On Me were in second and third place respectively. 4th was Queen with Bohemian Rhapsody, 5th, Madonna Like a Prayer, 6th, Robbie Williams, Rock DJ, 7th, Michael Jackson, Billie Jean, 8th, The Verve, Bittersweet Symphony, 9th, Madonna Vogue and 10th Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit.



　
　
　
　
　
　
　

1975 Bob Dylan went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Blood On The Tracks' his second US No.1 album.

1981 R.E.M. made their first ever-recording sessions at Bombay Studios Smyrna, Georgia. Tracks included 'Gardening At Night', 'Radio Free Europe' and '(Don't Go Back To) Rockville.'

1983 Winners at the second annual Brit Awards held in London included Paul McCartney who won Best British Male Solo Artist, Kim Wilde won Best British Female Solo Artist, Dire Straits won British Group, British Breakthrough Act went to Yazoo, International Act was Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Best Selling Single Dexy's Midnight Runners "Come On Eileen" and the Life Achievement Award went to Pete Townshend.

1998 Winners at this years Brit Awards included Finley Quaye who won Best British Male Solo Artist, Best British Female Solo Artist went to Shola Ama, The Verve won British Group and Best British Album for 'Urban Hymns', British Dance Act went to The Prodigy, British Breakthrough Act was Stereophonics, Best Selling British Album Act was The Spice Girls, International Male, Jon Bon Jovi, International Female, Bjork, International Group, U2 and Outstanding Contribution went to Fleetwood Mac. During the show Chumbawamba singer Danbert Nobacon threw a plastic bucket full of cold water over UK Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

2005 Kylie Minogue was voted the world's sexiest woman in her 30's by UK magazine Good Housekeeping. Sade was voted No.4 in the over 40's with Madonna coming in at No.7 and Jerry Hall at No.8. And Sharon Osbourne was voted into 3rd place in the over 50's section.

1964 The Beatles make their first appearance on 'The Ed Sullivan Show'.

1967 The film for the latest Beatles single 'Penny Lane' and 'Strawberry Fields Forever' was shown on BBC-TV's Top Of The Pops. It was the first Beatles single not to make No.1 in the UK since 1963, held off the top by Engelbert Humperdinck's 'Release Me.'

1981 American singer Bill Haley was found dead, fully clothed on his bed at his home in Harlington, Texas from a heart attack, Haley had sold over 60 million records during his career. Scored the 1955 UK & US No.1 single 'Rock Around The Clock', and became known as the first Rock 'n' Roll star. Haley was blinded in his left eye as a child due to a botched operation and later adopted his distinctive spit-curl hairstyle to distract attention from his blind eye.

1982 George Harrison presented UNICEF with a cheque for $9 million (£5.3 million), ten years after the fundraising concert for Bangladesh.

1987 Winners at this years Brit awards held in London included Peter Gabriel who won British Male Solo Artist, Kate Bush won British Female Solo Artist, Best British Group went to Five Star, British Album was Dire Straits 'Brothers In Arms', British Breakthrough Act was The Housemartins, International Solo Artist went to Paul Simon, The Bangles won Best International Group, Best British Video went to Peter Gabriel for 'Sledgehammer' and Best British Single was The Pet Shop Boys for 'West End Girls'.

2002 Billboard published the Top 5 selling albums in the world from 2001: Britney Spears 'Britney', $7m (£4.1m); Shaggy's 'Hotshot', $7.2m £4.24m); Destiny's Child's 'Survivor', $7.8m (£4.6m); Linkin Park's 'Hybrid', $8.5m (£5m) and Dido's 'No Angel', $8.6m (£5.06m) sales.

2009 Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant took home five prizes for his collaboration with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss at this years Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles. The duo won album of the year for Raising Sand and record of the year for ‘Please Read The Letter.’ Coldplay, (who won song of the year for ‘Viva La Vida’) Adele, Duffy, Radiohead and Peter Gabriel were among other UK acts to be honoured. John Mayer won Best solo rock vocal performance for ‘Gravity’, Kings of Leon won Best rock performance by a group with ‘Sex on Fire’, Best rock song went to Bruce Springsteen for ‘Girls In Their Summer Clothes’ and Lil' Wayne won Best rap solo performance and Best rap album for Tha Carter III.

2009 Ringo Starr became the 2,401st person to be added to the Hollywood Walk Of Fame during a ceremony that marked the 50th anniversary of the attraction. The Beatles as a group were given a star in 1998.

　
　
　
　
　
　

1958 Frank Sinatra started a five week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Come Fly With Me.'

1973 Elton John had his first UK No.1 album when 'Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player' started a six-week run at the top of the charts.

1976 "Dream On," from Aerosmith's debut album, is re-released as a single and reaches #6

1977 The Clash started recording their debut album at CBS studios in London, England.

1979 Rod Stewart started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Da Ya Think I'm Sexy', his third US No.1. (and a No.1 hit in the UK). Also today Rod started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Blondes Have More Fun.'

2008 Amy Winehouse won five prizes at this year's Grammy Awards, including song of the year and record of the year, both for her single 'Rehab', and best new artist. The UK singer was not at the Los Angeles ceremony to collect them due to visa problems. Instead, she made an acceptance speech by satellite, paying tribute to her husband, "my Blake incarcerated", who was in custody awaiting trial on charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice and grievous bodily harm. Kanye West scooped four Grammy Awards, while Bruce Springsteen won three. The White Stripes, Justin Timberlake, Carrie Underwood and Mary J Blige all picked up two awards.