We begin with one of the stranger episodes of live radio, Arthur Godfrey’s on-air firing of one of his singers today in 1953:

The number one song today in 1959 was customized for sales in 28 markets, including Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, New Orleans, New York, Pittsburgh and San Francisco:

The number one British album today in 1967 was not the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”; it was the soundtrack to “The Sound of Music,” two years after the movie was released, on the soundtracks’ 137th week on the charts:

The number one single today in 1974:

The number one album today in 1974 was Bachman–Turner Overdrive’s “Not Fragile”:

The number one song today in 1985 was the first number one for a Norwegian group:

Birthdays begin with Dave Guard, one of the first of the Kingston Trio:

One-hit wonder George McCrae:

One-hit wonder Jeannie C. Riley:

Keith Reid of Procol Harum  …

… was born the same day as Patrick Simmons, the only Doobie Brother in every iteration of the band:

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