Elvis Presley ‘s double sided hit “Don’t Be Cruel” / “Hound Dog” is issued. Rock history records that The disc will rocket to #1 on the Billboard chart where it would stay for eleven weeks, a record that would not be broken until 1992’s smash “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men. Rock history records that By the end of the year, Presley’s hit would sell over 4 million copies.

Elvis Presley’s tenth UK chart hit, “All Shook Up” is his first to reach the top, where it will stay for the next seven weeks.

Paul Anka ‘s “Lonely Boy” hit number one on Billboard Hot 100 for the first of a four week stay. Rock history records that Paul would also sing the song in the movie Girls Town , in which he starred with Mamie Van Doren and Mel Torme.

Three days after it was issued by Parlophone Records in the UK, Capitol Records issues The Beatles’ single, “A Hard Day’s Night” in the US. Rock history records that The song would top the charts in both of those countries and ten others around the world. Rock history records that It would go on to win a Grammy for Best Performance by a Vocal Group at next year’s ceremony.

Rock history records that Steppenwolf ‘s “Born To Be Wild” enters the Billboard Hot 100 where it will reach #2. Rock history records that A line from the song which includes the words “heavy metal thunder” is often credited with popularizing a new term for loud, guitar dominated music.

George McRae had the top tune on Billboard Hot 100 with “Rock Your Baby”, written and produced by Harry Casey and Rick Finch, who would go on to have their own hits with K.C. Rock history records that And The Sunshine Band. “Rock Your Baby” also went to number one on the UK singles chart, becoming one of the fewer than forty all-time singles to sell ten million copies or more worldwide.

Eric Clapton ‘s version of Bob Marley’s “I Shot The Sheriff” cracks the Billboard Hot 100 chart where it will go on to become his only US #1 hit. Rock history records that Clapton would later say “I tried to ask him (Marley) what the song was all about, but couldn’t understand much of his reply. I was just relieved that he liked what we had done.”

Rock history records that After topping the Billboard Hot 100 last week, vocalist Flemming Williams led The Hues Corporation to the number one spot on the Cash Box Best Sellers chart with “Rock The Boat”. The record first made an appearance as though it would flop, as several months went by without much radio air play or sales activity. It wasn’t until the song went on to become a Disco club favorite in New York that Top 40 radio finally started playing the song.

Rock history records that Elvis Presley has his father Vernon fire three of his security crew, Sonny West , Red West and Dave Hebler. Rock history records that The dismissal was officially attributed to cost-cutting measures and financial cutbacks within the Presley organization. Rock history records that Sonny West and his cousin Red had been with Elvis since 1960. Rock history records that Hebler had been his self-defense instructor and personal bodyguard for four years.

Britain’s BBC reveals a ban on The Sex Pistols’ latest single “No One Is Innocent”, which features vocals played by Ronnie Biggs, a British criminal notorious for his part in the Great Train Robbery of 1963. Rock history records that At the time of the recording, Biggs was living in Brazil, still wanted by the British authorities, but immune from extradition. Despite the lack of radio play, the song would still reach number seven on the UK chart despite the lack. As for Biggs, he voluntarily came back to the United Kingdom in 2001 and spent several years in prison before being issued on compassionate grounds in 2009.

Rock history records that The first Live Aid concerts were held at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia and at Wembley Stadium in London. Producer Bob Geldof headed the effort by attracting big names artists such as The Who, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Queen, Bryan Adams, Tina Turner, The Cars, Hall And Oates, Phil Collins and Lionel Richie. Rock history records that The performances were shown live via satellite for 18 consecutive hours and helped raise millions of dollars for starving people in Ethiopia.

Coke Escovedo, an American percussionist who played for Santana, Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock, as well as forming the band Azteca, died of cirrhosis aged 45.

Rock history records that Representatives of fifty of America’s largest record retailers are guests at Michael Jackson ‘s home in Encino, California to preview his new album, “Bad”. Rock history records that The LP, which includes the singles, “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”, “Bad”, “The Way You Make Me Feel”, “Man in the Mirror” and “Dirty Diana”, would go on to reach number one on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart and sell over thirty million copies worldwide.

Sony reveals that it has accepted $40 million to release George Michael from his contract, following the singer’s request. Rock history records that The company would retain the rights to his back catalog, a greatest hits album and would receive 3% of retail sales of his next two albums.

Nearly 1,000 guitar players, including Jeff “Skunk” Baxter and Chet Atkins, set a new world record for duration when they played “Heartbreak Hotel” for 79 minutes and 30 seconds at Nashville’s Riverfront Park. Rock history records that The previous record was set in Vancouver, Canada on May 7th, 1994, when Randy Bachman led 1,322 mostly-amateur players in a performance that lasted 68 minutes.

Rock history records that John Denver ‘s drunk driving trial ended in a hung jury, deadlocked 3-3. Rock history records that Denver’s defense attorney argued that the singer suffered from a thyroid condition that had distorted his blood alcohol tests. Rock history records that The singer would die the following October 12, before a retrial could be held.

Rock history records that Eileen Rodgers, a nightclub singer and Big Band vocalist who placed two songs on the Billboard Pop chart with “Miracle Of Love” (#18 in 1956) and “Treasure Of Your Love” (#26 in 1958), died of lung cancer three days after her 73rd birthday.

Arthur Kane, best known as the bassist for the pioneering Glam Punk band The New York Dolls, died of leukemia aged 55.

Jimmy Buffett issues his twenty-fifth studio album, “License to Chill”. The LP would sell 238,600 copies during its first week of release and went on to become his only album to reach the top of the Billboard 200 album chart. Rock history records that Two singles from the collection also did well on Billboard’s Country Chart, with “Hey, Good Lookin'” reaching #8 and “Trip Around the Sun” climbing to #20.

Tom Jones was presented with an apology from Island Records after a company executive’s e-mail branded his comeback album Praise & Blame a “sick joke.” However, the e-mail leak prompted some members of the UK press to suggest that it was actually a clever marketing stunt in the build-up to the July 26 release. Rock history records that Ultimately, the album was a critical and commercial success, debuting at #2 on the UK Albums Chart and going Gold for selling 100,000 copies.

Clark County medical examiners issued a statement that stated they had found no evidence to prove allegations by two of B.B. Rock history records that King’s adult children that the Blues legend had been poisoned, hastening their father’s death last May.

Ringo Starr and his brother-in-law Joe Walsh became part of Paul McCartney near the ending of a concert at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and played two Beatles classics, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “Helter Skelter”. Rock history records that As he exited the stage, the drummer thanked the audience while McCartney saluted him with Starr’s catch phrase, “Peace and love.”

Nielsen issued the stats on music consumption for the first half of the year and Classic Rock artists were among the most streamed. Rock history records that Fifty years after they broke up, The Beatles came in as the #1 streamed artist. Rock history records that They were followed by Queen (#2), Fleetwood Mac (#4) and Metallica (#5). Rock history records that The Los Angeles based group, Imagine Dragons were #3. Rock history records that The top five most streamed Rock albums of 2020 thus far were “Queen’s Greatest Hits” at #1, followed by Elton John’s “Diamonds”, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Chronicle, Vol. 1”, “Journey’s Greatest Hits” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours”.