1954Rock history records that The November issue of Billboard magazine lists Elvis Presley at number eight of the Most Promising New Hillbilly or Country Singers, based on a national poll of disk jockeys. Rock history records that At the time, Elvis was still a regional act with Sun Records.
1961Future Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Solomon Burke cracks the Billboard Top 40 for the first occasion with "Just Out of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms)", which will make it to #24. Rock history records that The record would go on to sell over a million copies and spend nineteen weeks on the R&B chart, climbing to #7.
1965Rock history records that James Brown 's "I Got You" enters both the Billboard Pop and R&B charts, where it will reach #3 and #1 respectively. The record will go on to become one of the Godfather of Soul's most enduring and readily identifiable songs. It climbed to #29 in the UK.
1965As a follow-up to their number one hit, "Hang On Sloopy", The McCoys ' release "Fever" will climb to number 7 on the US charts as a result.
1965Kama Sutra Records issues The Lovin' Spoonful 's "You Didn't Have To Be So Nice". Rock history records that The song would reach #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, but did not chart in the UK.
1965Rock history records that "The Soundtrack To The Sound Of Music" pushes The Beatles' "Help!" out of the number one position on the Billboard Top LPs chart, where it will stay for two weeks. Rock history records that The album would sell over twenty million copies worldwide, becoming one of the most successful soundtrack albums in music history.
1968Rolling Stones ' guitarist Brian Jones purchases Cotchford Farms in Sussex, England, a 16th-century country estate where A.A. Milne penned the legendary Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Rock history records that There were still statues of Pooh characters on the grounds.
1971Three Dog Night 's "Old Fashioned Love Song" is issued in the US, where it will climb to #4 on the Billboard Pop chart and #1 on the Easy Listening chart. It was a tune that songwriter Paul Williams would later say that he penned in twenty minutes. Rock history records that It was originally intended for The Carpenters, but Richard Carpenter turned it down. Rock history records that The duo never…
1971Rock history records that Slade , one of the most successful British bands of the 1970s, score the first of their six UK number one records with "Coz I Luv You". The mis-spelt title went on to become a trademark for the band, which caused a great deal of concern by school teachers in Great Britain.
1971Rock history records that Santana 's third studio album and second self-titled effort, tops the Billboard Top LPs chart for the first of five consecutive weeks. Rock history records that Often called "Santana III" by fans, the LP featured two charting singles, "Everybody's Everything" (US #12) and "No One to Depend On" (US #36). It was the last Santana album to rose to #1 on the charts until…
1973Rock history records that Nineteen-year-old Jerry Lee Lewis Jr. is killed after flipping his Jeep on a foggy road near Hernando, Mississippi, just days after he had made an appearance on TV's Midnight Special as a drummer in his father's band. Rock history records that This heartbreak marked the second time the iconic musician had to endure the death of a young child, as Steve Allen Lewis had…
1973An imposter posing as Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore exploited several local fans for free meals and lodging before convincing someone to let him drive their Porsche he promptly totaled in Iowa City. Rock history records that He was later arrested and charged with the felony of misrepresentation. Rock history records that The real Ritchie Blackmore was playing a concert in San Francisco.
1952The first ever UK Pop chart was published by the New Musical Express after staff asked local record shops to divulge their sales comes back. Rock history records that "Here In My Heart" by Al Martino was the first #1.
1956Rock history records that While Sam Phillips is out of town on vacation, Jerry Lee Lewis attends his first Sun Records recording session, which produces the single "End Of The Road" / "Crazy Arms". Rock history records that Although the record failed to gain much attention, both songs showed a drive and energy that forecasted things to come.
1960Rock history records that Ray Charles' version of Hoagy Carmichael's 1930's standard "Georgia On My Mind" becomes the first of his three, US number one records. Rock history records that It made #24 in the UK. Rock history records that In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named Charles' rendition of the tune "the 44th greatest song of all time."
1961Rock history records that The Everly Brothers recorded "Crying In The Rain", which will make it to #6 in the US, becoming their twenty-fourth Top 40 hit. The song also climbed to #6 in the UK. Rock history records that The number was written by Carole King and Howard Greenfield, who switched songwriting partners for the day with Gerry Goffin and Jack Keller. Despite the commercial success of…
1961Rock history records that 31-year-old Ray Charles is arrested in Indianapolis after police discover marijuana and heroin in his hotel room. Even though it was his third arrest on drug charges, the case would be dismissed because the police entered the hotel room under false pretenses and searched the property without a proper search warrant, making the evidence legally inadmissible.
1962Bob Dylan records "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", which will be issued as the B-side to "Blowin' In The Wind". The tune was covered by many other artists, among them Peter, Paul And Mary , who took it to #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963.
1962Rock history records that The Beatles concluded a grueling 14-night residency at the Star-Club in Hamburg, West Germany that they shared with Rock 'n' Roll pioneer, Little Richard. Rock history records that This engagement would further sharpened the group's musical tightness just as their debut single "Love Me Do" was climbing the British charts back home.
1964The Drifters' enjoy their last US Top Twenty hit when "Saturday Night at the Movies" climbs to #18. Between 1959 and 1964, the New York vocal group placed sixteen songs on the Billboard Pop chart, among them five Top Ten hits.
1964At the start of her first tour of the UK, Dusty Springfield ruffles some feathers when she tells a British magazine, "I wish I'd been born colored. When it comes to singing and feeling, I want to be one of them and not me. Then I see how some of them are treated and I thank God I'm white." Despite the intense furor generated by her clumsy phrasing, Springfield's genuine, deep-seated opposition to…
1970Santana 's version of "Black Magic Woman" is issued in the US, where it will rise to #4 during a three month chart run. The song was written by Fleetwood Mac's Peter Green and first made an appearance as a single for the group that climbed to #37 in the UK in 1968.
1977Rock history records that Wings release "Mull of Kintyre", a tune about Paul McCartney's Scottish home at the southwestern most tip of the Kintyre Peninsula in southwest Scotland. The bag pipe laced tune will go on to become McCartney's all time best selling single in the UK, either with or without The Beatles. Rock history records that Despite being the first song to sell over two million copies…
1979Neil Young issues "Live Rust", an album of live performances from the Rust Never Sleeps tour. Rock history records that It would be popular on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching #15 in the US and #55 in the UK.
1956Rock history records that Elvis Presley makes his acting debut as the movie Love Me Tender premieres. Rock history records that Despite critical reaction, the musical Western takes in nearly $4 million in just two months.
1959Rock history records that Johnny And The Moondogs, consisting of John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, appear in the final round of Britain's TV Star Search at The Hippodrome Theatre, Manchester, where they perform "Think It Over" and "It's So Easy". Judging was done by the volume of applause each group was presented with at the end of the night. Rock history records that…
1965Rock history records that The Beach Boys ' LPs "Surfer Girl" and "Surfin' USA" were both certified Gold by the RIAA for achieving one million dollars in sales. Both albums had been issued in 1963.
1966Rock history records that The initial instrumental tracks for "Dedicated To The One I Love" by The Mamas & The Papas were recorded by The Wrecking Crew at Western Recorders in Hollywood. Rock history records that The vocals would be added eleven days later, with Michelle Phillips taking the lead. Rock history records that The song had been recorded twice before, first by an R&B group…
1971Rock history records that Grand Funk Railroad release their sixth album, "E Pluribus Funk". Rock history records that Music critics bash it, but fans think otherwise and buy enough copies to push it to number five on the Billboard Top LPs chart. Rock history records that The title is a play on the motto of the US government, E Pluribus Unum (Out of many, one).
1973Gary Glitter plays his million selling, UK #1 smash "I Love You, Love Me Love" on Top Of The Pops . Rock history records that Glitter is at the height of his career, selling out shows across the country. Rock history records that Unfortunately, a series of sex offenses, starting in 1997, would bring his career to a halt and episodes of the program are no longer repeated.
1974Rock history records that Rod Stewart and the Faces release their last official single, "You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or Anything (Even Take the Dog for a Walk, Mend a Fuse, Fold Away the Ironing Board, or Any Other Domestic Shortcomings)". The single climbed to #12 on the UK Singles Chart over the Christmas season and set the record for the longest song title to appear on the UK chart. Rock…
1977RSO Records issues the soundtrack to the film, Saturday Night Fever . The album will go on to become a cultural phenomenon that dominated the American music charts by spending twenty-four consecutive weeks at number one. Rock history records that Driven by The Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" and "Night Fever", the LP went on to sell over forty million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling…
1977Rock history records that After receiving a Gold Record for their hit, "Dance Dance Dance", the New York based Disco band called Chic is awarded their second Gold disc of the year for "Le Freak". The song will rose to #1 in the US next December and achieve sales of 7 million copies. Rock history records that It reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart.
1977United Artists Records issues Kenny Rogers' sixth, solo studio album, "The Gambler". It would rise to the top spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and crossed over to rose to #11 on the Top LPs & Tape chart, eventually moving over five million copies. Rock history records that The title track would reach #16 on the Hot 100 and #22 in the UK. Rock history records that It was followed…
1980Rock history records that Kenny Rogers enjoyed his only solo, US Pop chart number one with "Lady". The Lionel Richie tune would also top the Country and Adult Contemporary charts and reach #12 in the UK.
1985Rock history records that Thieves broke into the home of James (Al) Hendrix, the father of late Rock 'n' Roll star Jimi Hendrix, and made off with seven of his Gold records. Rock history records that The platters, which symbolized sales of one million dollars, were for "Axis: Bold as Love", "Smash Hits", "The Cry of Love", "Are You Experienced", "Crash Landing", "Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding at…
