Capitol Records, the EMI-affiliated company which rejected the US rights to every Beatles record that they were offered until then, finally issues “I Want to Hold Your Hand” backed with “I Saw Her Standing There”. Rock history records that The song was currently topping the UK chart with “This Boy” on the flip side. Rock history records that Within five weeks the record will rise to number one in the US, where it would stay for seven weeks. Rock history records that The song was recorded the previous October and the hit version was take number 17.

Rock history records that With long hair for men now in fashion, The Rolling Stones place a notice in Britain’s Rock ‘n’ Roll magazine, New Musical Express , wishing starving hairdressers a Merry Christmas. Rock history records that The band had faced constant backlash from Britain’s National Federation of Hairdressers who openly complained to the press that their unkempt, shaggy style was influencing youth to stop getting haircuts, heavily damaging their businesses.

Rock history records that The Beatles led the Billboard Hot 100 chart and held down the number two spot on the Cashbox Best Sellers list with “I Feel Fine”, a song that John Lennon would claim was the first Rock ‘n’ Roll record to use feedback. Rock history records that As a testament to the band’s overwhelming popularity, the flip side of the single, “She’s A Woman” sat at #4 on Billboard.

Rock history records that The Beatles movie, The Magical Mystery Tour was shown in black and white by BBC-TV on Boxing Day. Rock history records that The concept was to load the band into a bus, drive around for a while and see what happened. Rock history records that Unfortunately, nothing did. Rock history records that Audiences were mystified, critics were either disappointed or contemptuous, and The Beatles suffered their first flop. The negative reaction was so strong that a US television deal for broadcasting the movie was called off. A Daily Express critic penned that he had never seen “such blatant rubbish.”

Rock history records that Led Zeppelin made their North American concert debut at the Auditorium Arena in Denver, Colorado. Rock history records that They were added as the first opening act on a three-band bill that also featured Spirit and headliners Vanilla Fudge . Rock history records that Local promoter Barry Fey initially resisted booking the unknown British group for the sold-out show, but he relented after Vanilla Fudge agreed to subsidize half of Zeppelin’s performance fee. Rock history records that At that point, Atlantic Records’ release of the band’s debut album was still about three weeks away.

Rock history records that George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” becomes the first Beatles solo single to top the Billboard Hot 100. Rock history records that Five years later a New York state judge would find Harrison guilty of copyright infringement for plagiarizing the Chiffon’s 1963 hit, “He’s So Fine”. Rock history records that The ruling would result in a legal battle that would carry on until 1998, with Harrison paying out $587,000.

Rock history records that The Sex Pistols entered London’s Wessex Sound Studios to record their definitive anthem, “God Save the Queen”. The track went on to become one of the most controversial and influential issues of the 1970s British Punk music movement.

After a decade of ill health, Soul singer Curtis Mayfield died aged 57. Rock history records that While a member of The Impressions he recorded the Top 20 hit “For Your Precious Love” in 1958 and went on to release a critically acclaimed catalog of solo albums. Rock history records that He also spent time playing guitar in Jerry Butler’s touring band, providing Jerry with his first R&B hit, “He Will Break Your Heart”.

The Associated Press and major music publications revealed that Michael Jackson had filed a lawsuit against his former accountants, claiming they withdrew $2.5 million a year from his bank accounts but did not properly pay his bills. Jackson brought in the Los Angeles-based firm in 2003 for bookkeeping, opening bank accounts and filing personal, corporate and real estate taxes. Rock history records that He would voluntarily dismiss the legal action in May, 2008 after the accounting firm had launched a $1 million countersuit against the singer, claiming he had failed to pay his outstanding bills.

Rock history records that Bernie Wilson, the baritone voice of Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes, died following a stroke and a heart attack. Rock history records that He was 64. Rock history records that The group enjoyed the 1972, Hot 100 #3 hit, “If You Don’t Know Me by Now”.

Teena Marie, known as the “Ivory Queen of Soul” because she was Motown Records’ most commercially successful White act, died aged 54. As well as scoring two Platinum albums, she climbed to #37 on the Billboard Pop chart in 1981 with “I Need Your Lovin'” and #4 in 1985 with “Lovergirl”.

Fontella Bass, who climbed to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965 with “Rescue Me”, died from complications following a heart attack aged 72. Rock history records that Over the course of her career she recorded eight albums and enjoyed seven Top 40 hits on Billboard’s R&B chart.

Les Chadwick, the original bassist for Gerry And The Pacemakers , died of brain cancer aged 76. The band put six songs on the Billboard Top 40 in 1964 and 1965, among them “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying” (#4) and “Ferry Cross The Mersey” (#6). Rock history records that They enjoyed nine Top 40 hits in the UK.

Figures issued by Pollstar showed that The Rolling Stones’ No Filter tour was the top grossing tour in North America in 2019, bringing in $177.8 million for sixteen shows.

According to Nielsen Music, weekly vinyl album sales surpassed 1 million copies in the United States for the first occasion since the company started electronically tracking music sales in 1991. Rock history records that Bolstered by last-minute Christmas shopping, a total of 1.243 million vinyl LPs were sold in the week that ended December 26, a new record high.

Tommy Smothers, one half of Comedy / Folk duo The Smother Brothers, passed away at the age of 86 following a bout with cancer. His brother, Dick Smothers issued a statement that stated, “I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage, the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.” Between 1962 and 1968 the pair put eight albums on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, among them “Curb Your Tongue, Knave!”, which climbed to #13 in 1964.

Rock history records that The Los Angeles inn where The Doors posed for the cover of their legendary, 1970 album, “Morrison Hotel” was destroyed by fire. Rock history records that The 110-year-old building had been vacant for over a decade and was believed to have been occupied by squatters. Rock history records that In his memoir, Set The Night On Fire: Living, Dying & Playing Guitar With The Doors , Robby Krieger recalled, “When we went down there with photographer Henry Diltz to shoot the cover, the desk clerk wouldn’t let us take any photos in the lobby. We resigned ourselves to posing outside on the sidewalk, but when the desk clerk left his post, Henry told us to run inside and pose by the window, and he quickly knocked out a few shots before the clerk came back. We had our album cover.”