Rock History: October 21
Notable rock and roll releases, performances, chart milestones, and events that happened on October 21 throughout history.
Elvis Presley was mobbed by teenagers while trying to visit a Memphis cinema, and the crowd accidentally damaged his limousine. Thereafter, he rented entire theaters for private movie nights with friends.
“Jailhouse Rock” became Elvis Presley’s eighth No. 1 on Billboard’s retail chart in eighteen months. It later joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll and ranked No. 67 on Rolling Stone’s 2004 greatest-songs list.
Buddy Holly completed his final Pythian Temple studio session in New York, recording “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore,” “Raining in My Heart,” “Moondreams,” and “True Love Ways.” He died in a plane crash the following February.
Hedy Lamarr guest-hosted Shindig!, where the Kingsmen performed “Louie Louie,” “Money,” and “Jolly Green Giant.” Joe Tex, the Dave Clark Five, Brenda Holloway, and Eddie Rambeau also appeared.
Bill Black, bassist on Elvis Presley’s early hits, died from a brain tumor at 39. His later Bill Black’s Combo placed eight singles in the U.S. Top 40, including “Smokie, Part 2” and “White Silver Sands.”
The Spencer Davis Group recorded “Keep On Running” at London’s Pye Studios. It reached No. 1 in Britain the next January but peaked at only No. 76 in America.
Lulu’s “To Sir with Love” began five weeks at No. 1 and became Billboard’s top-selling single of the year. It did not chart in Britain because executives placed it on the B-side of “Let’s Pretend” rather than issuing it as an A-side.
Chuck Berry earned his first American No. 1 with the live novelty “My Ding-a-Ling,” seventeen years after his foundational early hits. Recorded in Coventry after Berry arrived 90 minutes late, it also topped Britain’s chart.
Curtis Mayfield’s Super Fly soundtrack began four weeks atop Billboard’s album chart. Driven by “Freddie’s Dead” and “Superfly,” it became his only solo No. 1 album and reportedly earned more than the film it accompanied.
Keith Moon played his final complete Who concert at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. He later recorded Who Are You despite declining health and died from an overdose of alcohol-withdrawal medication in September 1978.
Kansas released Leftoverture, the band’s commercial breakthrough. Powered by “Carry On Wayward Son,” the album reached the U.S. Top 5 and ultimately went five-times Platinum.
Meat Loaf released Bat Out of Hell. Though peaking at No. 14 in America and No. 9 in Britain, it sold more than 43 million copies worldwide and earned fourteen-times-Platinum U.S. certification.
Neil Young released Comes a Time. Featuring Ian Tyson’s “Four Strong Winds,” the LP reached No. 7 in America, No. 42 in Britain, and received U.S. Gold certification within weeks.
The Carl Perkins and Friends Show celebrated the 30th anniversary of “Blue Suede Shoes” with songwriter Perkins joined by Dave Edmunds, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
Lisa Marie Presley and Danny Keough welcomed Benjamin Storm Keough, Elvis Presley’s first grandson.
Elton John sued a Hard Copy reporter for $35 million over a claim that he moved to Atlanta to be near an AIDS clinic. His lawyers said he kept a part-time home there because he liked the city, and the dispute ended in a confidential settlement.
Guinness announced that “Candle in the Wind 1997” had sold 31.8 million copies in 40 days, the fastest and largest sales total of the modern chart era. It set U.S. and UK records, though Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” remained the estimated worldwide leader.
Michael Jackson organized the sold-out eleven-hour United We Stand benefit at RFK Stadium for September 11 recovery. Aerosmith, Mariah Carey, Bette Midler, Rod Stewart, Carole King, *NSYNC, and the Backstreet Boys joined a bill that closed with Jackson and an all-star “What More Can I Give.”
A St. Louis federal judge dismissed pianist Johnnie Johnson’s royalties suit over more than thirty Chuck Berry songs, including “Roll Over Beethoven” and “Sweet Little Sixteen.” The court ruled too much time had elapsed to pursue Johnson’s co-writing claim.
David Gest sought $10 million from Liza Minnelli, alleging alcohol-fueled violence caused neurological injury; Minnelli denied striking him and countersued over missing money. Both withdrew their claims in a 2007 settlement that cleared the way for divorce.
Bob Seger sang “America the Beautiful” before Detroit’s World Series opener against St. Louis. After the Tigers lost the series, Seger jokingly declined later World Series invitations to avoid jinxing his hometown team.
“Weird Al” Yankovic’s Chamillionaire parody “White & Nerdy” reached No. 9, his first Hot 100 Top 10 hit and a higher peak than 1984’s No. 12 “Eat It.”
Brooklyn Bridge co-founder Fred Ferrara died from heart failure. Before singing on “The Worst That Could Happen,” he backed Dion with the Del-Satins on twelve Top 40 hits including “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer.”
Paul Di’Anno, Iron Maiden’s vocalist from 1978 to 1981, died at 66 after several years of serious health problems.
