If you wanna be happy, listen to the number one single today in 1963:

Another one-hit wonder had the number one single today in 1968:

The number one single today in 1974 might be the very definition of the term “novelty song”:

The number one British single today in 1975:

(Which more appropriately should have been called “Stand by Your Men,” since Tammy Wynette had had three husbands up to then, and two more thereafter.)

The number one single today in 1984:

The number one album today in 1991 was R.E.M.’s “Out of Time”:

The first rock related birthday is Big Joe Turner, whose blues song “Shake Rattle and Roll” has only been rerecorded a bazillion times:

Born on the same day are William Wallace (no, not the “Braveheart” guy) of the Guess Who …

… and Rick Wakeman of Yes:

Feliciano “Butch” Tavares of, well, Tavares:

Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo:

Two deaths of note today: Ian Curtis of Joy Division in 1980 …

… and Lawrence Welk, who died today in 1992:

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