Brenda Lee recorded “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” in Nashville. It failed to chart in 1958–59 but reached No. 14 after a 1960 reissue, sold more than 15 million copies worldwide by 2008, and entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2019.

Members of the Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers combined as the Beatmakers at Liverpool’s Litherland Town Hall. The expanded lineup included Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Pete Best, Gerry and Freddie Marsden, Les Chadwick, Les Maguire, and Karl Terry.

Helen Shapiro began three weeks at No. 1 in Britain with “Walkin’ Back to Happiness,” her second and final UK chart-topper. It reached only No. 100 in America.

The Greatest Record Show tour opened at London’s Finsbury Park Astoria with Lesley Gore, Brook Benton, Dion, Timi Yuro, and newcomer Trini Lopez, then holding America’s No. 3 single with “If I Had a Hammer.”

Capitol released Beach Boys Concert, drawn from Sacramento performances in 1963 and 1964 and extensively refined in post-production without added musicians. It became the first live album to top Billboard, staying No. 1 for four weeks during a 62-week chart run.

The Animals opened their first headlining British tour at Liverpool’s Odeon with Carl Perkins, Tommy Tucker, and the Nashville Teens supporting.

The Yardbirds arrived in New York for a North American tour featuring both Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Exhaustion, tonsillitis, and frustration drove Beck out in Texas two weeks later; Page became sole lead guitarist while Beck returned home to form the Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart.

José Feliciano recorded his acoustic Latin interpretation of “Light My Fire” at RCA in Hollywood. Released the next summer, it reached No. 3 and earned the 1969 Grammy for Best Contemporary Male Pop Vocal Performance.

Motown released Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ “I Second That Emotion.” It reached No. 4 pop, No. 1 R&B, and No. 27 in Britain, becoming the group’s sixth million-seller.

Sgt. Pepper stood at No. 2 in Britain while The Sound of Music soundtrack held No. 1 during its 132nd week on the UK album chart.

Cass Elliot released her first solo album, Dream a Little Dream, less than a month after leaving the Mamas and the Papas. Recorded in ten days with leading session players, it reached No. 87 and sold 150,000 copies, while the title single climbed to No. 12 in America and No. 11 in Britain.

Eighteen-year-old Peter Frampton guested with the Small Faces in London as Steve Marriott considered recruiting him. The band rejected the idea, but Marriott helped Frampton form a group and, after leaving the Small Faces, joined him to launch Humble Pie in 1969.

A joint funeral was held near Liverpool for Rory Storm and his mother. Storm, born Alan Caldwell, had led the Hurricanes, the band Ringo Starr left for the Beatles.

David Bowie released Pin Ups, a glam-rock covers album honoring 1960s influences including the Yardbirds, Pretty Things, Who, and Pink Floyd. The stopgap project topped Britain’s album chart and reached No. 23 in America.

Billy Preston earned his second and final Hot 100 No. 1 with “Nothing from Nothing,” following 1973’s “Will It Go Round in Circles.”

Bachman-Turner Overdrive topped the U.S. album chart with Not Fragile. “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” also reached No. 1 in America and became the Canadian band’s only British hit, peaking at No. 2.

Judy Collins taped The Muppet Show and performed “Send in the Clowns.” Her recording had peaked at No. 36 in 1975 but returned to the chart and reached No. 19 in 1977.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released Damn the Torpedoes. The triple-Platinum album reached No. 2, won broad critical acclaim, and later ranked No. 231 on Rolling Stone’s 2020 greatest-albums list.

Norwegian group a-ha topped the Hot 100 with “Take on Me,” later a No. 2 British hit. Its innovative video won six awards and received two additional nominations at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards.

Original Alice Cooper guitarist Glen Buxton died from pneumonia complications at 49. He co-wrote major band songs including “I’m Eighteen,” “School’s Out,” and “Elected.”

A Prudential survey estimated that an average British consumer would spend about £21,000—then $42,000—over a lifetime on recordings, playback equipment, and concerts, with serious enthusiasts spending more than twice that figure.

Rod Stewart’s classic-rock covers album Still the Same… Great Rock Classics of Our Time debuted at No. 1 and later went Gold for 500,000 U.S. sales.

The RIAA sent a ninth wave of pre-lawsuit settlement letters to nineteen universities as lawmakers examined campus piracy. Students accused of unauthorized file sharing were offered settlements before being named in federal suits.

Trini Lopez received the Living Legend award at Ontario, California’s Latinos of Distinction ceremony. His career included thirteen Hot 100 entries and roles in six feature films.

Elton John told Radio Times that contemporary songwriters were poor, pop music uninspiring, and television talent competitions such as American Idol boring.

At Conrad Murray’s manslaughter trial, anesthesiologist Steven Shafer testified that Michael Jackson could not have administered the fatal propofol dose himself and called Murray’s delay in contacting emergency services completely inexcusable.

Etta James, 73, announced that The Dreamer would be her final album. The “At Last” singer had placed nine records in Billboard’s pop Top 40 and died from leukemia three months later.

Chess Records co-founder Phil Chess died at his Arizona home at 95. With brother Leonard he issued foundational recordings by Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Howlin’ Wolf, Bo Diddley, Etta James, Willie Dixon, and many other blues and rock pioneers.

Spencer Davis died from pneumonia while hospitalized at 81. His group reached America’s Top 10 with “Gimme Some Lovin’” and “I’m a Man” in 1967 and accumulated an even larger run of British hits.