The number one single today in 1970 was also the number one single of 1970:

The number one single today in 1976 is the first record I ever purchased, for $1.03 at a Madison drugstore just before it left the WISM radio top 40 list:

Today in 1977,  a member of the audience at a Ray Charles concert tried to strangle him with a rope.

The number one single today in 1981:

Birthdays today start with Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones:

Joe South:

Donnie Iris of the Jaggerz:

Ronnie Rosman of Tommy James and the Shondells:

Cindy Wilson of the B-52s:

Ian Stanley played keyboards for Tears for Fears:

Phil Gould of Level 42:

Four deaths of note today: Frankie Lymon in 1968 …

… one-hit-wonder Bobby Bloom in 1974 …

… David Byron of Uriah Heep in 1985 …

… and drummer George Allen “Buddy” Miles, who had the good taste to record with two of the greatest rock guitarists of all time on the same song, in 2008: