The number one British single today in 1966:

The number one single today in 1968:

The number one single today in 1975:

To demonstrate the musical variety of the late 1970s, observe the number 63 …

… 60 …

… 52 …

… 37 …

… 30 …

… 14 …

… 12 (despite the song title is four months late) …

… five …

… and one songs today in 1979:

One of the more infamous moments in rock history happened today in 1982: A fan threw an unconscious bat on stage at an Ozzy Osbourne concert. Osbourne thought the bat was fake and bit off its head. Osbourne required rabies shots afterward.

The number one British single on Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration today today in 1985:

The number one British single today in 2002, 31 years after it was first a number one:

Birthdays begin with Ron Townson of the Fifth Dimension:

Billy Powell sang for the O’Jays:

Rick Evans of Zager and Evans:

Eric Stewart played guitar for Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders and 10cc:

George Grantham drummed for Poco:

Paul Stanley of Kiss:

Ian Hill played bass for Judas Priest:

Two deaths of note today: Pioneering DJ Alan Freed in 1965 …

… and Bill Albaugh, drummer for the Lemon Pipers, in 1999:

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