Today in Rock n' Roll History

[Koala]

1965 The Yardbirds' "For Your Love" enters the Billboard Hot 100 at Number 84. Soon after, Eric Clapton leaves the band and is replaced by Jimmy Page. The song stays on the charts for twelve weeks, peaking at Number Six.

1969 The Who debut the rock opera "Tommy" for the press at Ronnie's Jazz Club in London

1977 Eric Clapton records "Wonderful Tonight" (written by Eric about Pattie Boyd).

1980 South Africa bans Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall, Part II,” claiming the song is “prejudicial to the safety of the state.”

1991 The video for the R.E.M. song ‘Losing My Religion’, was banned in Ireland because its religious imagery was seen as unfit for broadcast.

1994 Eric Clapton played tracks from his upcoming blues album, From the Cradle, at a New York benefit concert in 1994. It was the follow-up to his multi-million selling Unplugged release. A couple of days later at the World Music Awards, he was named the World’s Best-Selling Rock Artist of the Year, as well as the Best-Selling British Recording Artist of the Year.

2004 Total Guitar magazine’s readers voted Guns N’ Roses’ anthem ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ as the greatest guitar riff ever ahead of Nirvana’s grunge anthem ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’ came third, followed by Deep Purple’s ‘Smoke On The Water’. Total Guitar editor Scott Rowley said: “To a new generation of guitarists, Guns N’ Roses are more thrilling than the Sex Pistols.”

2005 Eric Clapton joined former Cream members drummer Ginger Baker and bass player Jack Bruce for the first of four nights at London's Royal Albert Hall 36 years after they had split up. Tickets were changing hands for more than £500 on eBay and fans had flown over from the USA to witness the reunion, which Clapton aged 60, is said to have agreed to because of the failing health of the other former members of the band.

[Koala]

1933 James Brown is born.

1972 Bruce Springsteen auditions for Columbia Records A&R man John Hammond at his office in New York. He signs with the label a month later.

1974 Led Zeppelin launches their Swan Song label, which releases their albums and ones by handpicked artists like Bad Company and the Pretty Things

1976 David Bowie played the first of six sold out nights at Wembley, his first UK gig in three years.

1997 Katrina And The Waves won the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin with the song 'Love Shine A Light', making them the first UK winners since Bucks Fizz in 1981.

2009 Bob Dylan went to No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Together Through Life’ his seventh UK No.1 album. It was the singer, songwriter’s 33rd studio album, he last topped the UK chart with ‘New Morning’ in 1970. His first No.1 in 1964, was ‘The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan'. Dylan now held the record, (previously held by Tom Jones), for the longest gap between solo number one albums.

[Koala]

1959 The first Grammy Awards ceremony is held in Los Angeles with Mort Sahl as host. Domenico Modugno’s “Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)” wins Record of the Year. The Music from Peter Gunn wins Album of the Year.

1970 four students at Kent University were killed and eleven wounded by National Guard troops at a campus demonstration protesting the escalation of the Vietnam War. The incident inspired Neil Young to compose ‘Ohio’ which became a hit for Crosby Stills Nash & Young.


1973 Led Zeppelin opened their 1973 North American tour, which was billed as the 'biggest and most profitable rock & roll tour in the history of the United States'. The group would gross over $3 million from the dates, flying between gigs in 'The Starship' a Boeing 720 passenger jet, complete with bar, shower room, TV and video in a 30' lounge and a white fur bedroom.


1974 Abba were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Waterloo', the group's first of nine UK No.1 singles was the 1974 Eurovision song contest winner for Sweden. The song was first called 'Honey Pie'.
1978 'Night Fever' by The Bee Gees was at No.1 on the UK singles chart. The group's third No.1 and the theme from the film 'Saturday Night Fever.' The song was a US No.1 for over two months.

1991 Phil Collins and Al Jarreau receive Honorary Doctor of Music Degrees from Berklee College of Music during commencement ceremonies in Boston. The principal speaker at the commencement is Atlantic Records founder and CEO Ahmet Ertegun.

2008 Madonna’s latest album Hard Candy went straight to number one in the UK, giving the singer a chart double, with her song 4 Minutes, featuring Justin Timberlake, on top of the singles chart for a third week. Hard Candy was Madonna’s 10th number one album.

[Koala]

1962 The soundtrack to West Side Story went to No.1 on the US album chart. It went on to spend a total of 54 weeks at the No.1 position.

1973 Sweet hits #3 in the US with "Little Willy."

1990 The John Lennon tribute concert was held at the Pier Head Arena in Merseyside, featuring Lenny Kravitz, Al Green, Joe Cocker, The Christians, Kylie Minogue, Ringo Starr, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Deacon Blue, Lou Reed, Joe Walsh and Wet Wet Wet.

1997 Bruce Springsteen is awarded Sweden’s Polar Music Prize. It’s considered the musical equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

[TimothyBFan]

1973 Sweet hits #3 in the US with "Little Willy."

I credit this song with my whole Sweet love affair.....but I HATED it!! It made my life a living HELL in the 4th grade. Little did I know, 37 years later, they would be one of my all time favorite bands!!! And I now love the song!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmbEuRzlhIs[/ame]

[Prettymaid]

Willie, when I saw that I almost replied to it, then I thought... No, she'll get here herself. And there you are! I always liked singing along to Little Willy on the radio. Had no idea at the time who was singing it. Who knew that years later I would meet someone with that name and a wonderful story behind the song! And they have a lifelong fan in you! Sweet!

[Koala]

1945 Bob Seger is born.

1965 Paul Simon's first solo album, T'he Paul Simon Songbook,' is released in the U.K. on CBS Records. It never sees the light of day in the U.S

1965 In their Clearwater, Florida hotel room, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards worked out the opening guitar riff of ‘Satisfaction’, following Richard's purchase of a Gibson fuzz-box earlier that day.

1973 Paul Simon begins his first post-Simon & Garfunkel solo tour, in Boston.

1978 The soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever started an 18 week run at No.1 on the UK album chart, also No.1 in the US. The album, which features seven Bee Gee songs, went on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide.

1997 Crosby, Stills & Nash are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

2002 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen was voted the UK's favourite single of all time in a poll by the Guinness Hit Singles book. 'Imagine' by John Lennon was voted in at No.2 and 'Hey Jude', The Beatles No.3, 'Dancing Queen' by Abba was fourth and Madonna 'Like A Prayer' was in fifth place.

2004 a sale at Christie's in London became the most successful pop auction in the company's history after Beatles memorabilia sold for a record £788,643. The auction included a leather collar worn by John Lennon which sold for £117,250. A signed copy of a management deal with The Beatles and manager Brian Epstein sold for £122,850. A Vox Kensington guitar used by Lennon and Harrison went for £100,000. Also sold - a coloured felt-pen drawing by Lennon (£10,000), a letter with his signature (£5,500), and a pen-and-ink drawing called Happy Fish (£9,500).

[Koala]

1966 The Mamas and the Papas started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Monday Monday', it made No.3 in the UK. The group was reported, as saying they all hated the song except for its writer John Phillips.

1977 The Eagles went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Hotel California', the group's fourth US No.1, a No.8 hit in the UK.

1978 90,000 tickets were sold in eight hours for Bob Dylan's forthcoming London dates at Earls Court.

1992 a leather Jacket worn by John Lennon during 1960-1963, was sold at Christies, London, for £24,200.

2000 A schizophrenic man said to be stalking Linda Ronstadt is arrested in Sun City, Ariz. The man was wearing a white tuxedo and carrying a rose he planned to give the singer during a concert.

2003 Fleetwood Mac kick off their tour in support of Say You Will in Columbus, Ohio.

[Prettymaid]

1977 The Eagles went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Hotel California', the group's fourth US No.1, a No.8 hit in the UK.

Huh? What is this song they're speaking of? I don't think I've ever heard it before!

[Koala]

1949 Billy Joel is born.

1965 The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Marianne Faithfull and Donovan all watch Bob Dylan play Royal Albert Hall in London.

1973 Mick Jagger added $150,000 of his own money to the $350,000 by The Rolling Stones January benefit concert for victims of the Nicaraguan earthquake.

1974 Rock critc John Landau writes, "I saw rock 'n' roll's future and its name is Bruce Springsteen" (Landau later produces and manages Bruce).

1998 Jimmy Page appeared on US TV's 'Saturday Night Live' with rapper Sean 'Puffy' Combs and performed 'Come With Me' from the 'Godzilla' movie soundtrack. The song sampled the guitar riff from Led Zeppelin's song 'Kashmir'.