Rock History

On this day...

2005 – Coldplay’s X&Y stays atop the American album… — 2005 – Coldplay’s X&Y stays atop the American album chart for a second week. Foo Fighters debut at No. 2 with their double album In Your Honor.

2005 – Mexican pop star Juan Gabriel is arrested i… — 2005 – Mexican pop star Juan Gabriel is arrested in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua for alleged income tax evasion. The 55-year-old crooner of such popular songs as “Hasta [...]

2004 – Organizers announce that the Lollapalooza touring festival — 2004 – Organizers announce that the Lollapalooza touring festival, set to feature Morrissey, the Pixies and String Cheese Incident as headliners, has been cancelled due to poor ticket sales. [...]

2004 – “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” tops the Ameri… — 2004 – “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” tops the American Film Institute’s (AFI) list of top movie songs. The honor for the song, famously sung by Judy Garland in “The Wizard [...]

2001 – Lil’ Mo is injured while leaving a concert … — 2001 – Lil’ Mo is injured while leaving a concert in San Francisco. The singer/songwriter is exiting a backstage area lined with fans when an unidentified man strikes her in [...]

1999 – Seoul-based concert promoter Cheil Communic… — 1999 – Seoul-based concert promoter Cheil Communications announces that it is reducing the number of seats from 60,000 to 50,000 for a benefit concert organized by Michael Jackson. Only a [...]

1998 – Sir Paul McCartney personally chose and arr… — 1998 – Sir Paul McCartney personally chose and arranged the 45,000 flowers that decorate Manhattan’s Riverside Church where the friends and family of Linda McCartney gather to say a candlelit [...]

1995 – R.E.M. perform “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?… — 1995 – R.E.M. perform “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” with Dan Rather at a sound check in New York. Dan’s secret fantasy…

1993 – Ozzy Osbourne changes his mind yet again… — 1993 – Ozzy Osbourne changes his mind yet again about retirement and says he will reunite with Black Sabbath for a tour.

1992 – Tom Jones is joined during his performance at… — 1992 – Tom Jones is joined during his performance at London’s Town & Country Club by Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour.

1991 – Jimi Hendrix’s lyrics to “Room Full… — 1991 – Jimi Hendrix’s lyrics to “Room Full of Mirrors” sell for $35,200 at a New York auction.

1981 – Mark Chapman pleads guilty to the… — 1981 – Mark Chapman pleads guilty to the murder of John Lennon and is sentenced to 20 years in jail.

1979 – Mick Taylor (who once referred to himself as ‘The only… — 1979 – Mick Taylor (who once referred to himself as ‘The only person to quit the Rolling Stones [...]

1975 – At New York’s Madison Square Garden, Eric Clapton… — 1975 – At New York’s Madison Square Garden, Eric Clapton joins the Rolling Stones onstage to jam on “Sympathy for the Devil.”

1970 – Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies) is born… — 1970 – Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies) is born this day in rock history!

1964 – Mike Edwards (Jesus Jones)is born this day in rock history! — 1964 – Mike Edwards (Jesus Jones)is born this day in rock history!

1961 – At a recording session in Hamburg, the Beatles lay… — 1961 – At a recording session in Hamburg, the Beatles lay down “Ain’t She Sweet,” “Cry for a Shadow,” “When the Saints Go Marching In,” “Why,” “Nobody’s Child,” and “My [...]

1959 – Chuck Berry enters US chart with Back in the USA. — 1959 – Chuck Berry enters US chart with Back in the USA.

1948 – Todd Rundgren is born in Upper Darby, Pa. H… — 1948 – Todd Rundgren is born in Upper Darby, Pa. He leads the groups Nazz and Utopia and produces albums for Meat Loaf, Badfinger, Grand Funk Railroad and XTC. His [...]

1947 – Howard Kaylan (Howard Kaplan) of the Turtle… — 1947 – Howard Kaylan (Howard Kaplan) of the Turtles is born in New York City. After the Turtles disband in 1970, he and bandmate Mark Volman join Frank Zappa’s Mothers [...]

1944 – Peter Asher of Peter & Gordon is born in Lo… — 1944 – Peter Asher of Peter & Gordon is born in London.

1936 – Singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson is bor… — 1936 – Singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson is born in Brownsville, Texas, the son of a minister. He attends Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship and receives a PhD from Pomona College [...]