The number one single in Great Britain today in 1961 included a Shakespearean reference:

The number one single today in 1965 included Jimmy Page, later of Led Zeppelin, on guitar:

Today in 1970, John Lennon wrote, recorded and mixed a song all in one day, which may have made it an instant song:

The number one British single today in 1973:

The number one British album today in 1985 was Foreigner’s “Agent Provocateur”:

Today in 1986, Allen Collins, who survived the 1977 Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash that killed two band members, crashed his car, killing his girlfriend and paralyzing him from the waist down.

The number one British single today in 1991:

Today’s birthdays begin with Corky Laing, drummer of Mountain …

… born one year before Derek Holt of the Climax Blues Band, who …

David Briggs of the Little River Band:

Eddie Van Halen:

Norman Hassen played drums for UB40:

Anita Baker:

Andrew Ridgeley of Wham:

 

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