Today in 1949, RCA introduced the 45-rpm single to compete with the 33-rpm album introduced by CBS one year earlier.

The first RCA 45 was …

Today in 1964, the Beatles filmed a scene of a “live” TV performance before a studio audience for their movie “A Hard Day’s Night.”

In the audience as an extra: Phil Collins.

Today in 1967, Jimi Hendrix augmented his concert at The Astoria in London by burning his guitar for the first time.

The number one album today in 1990 was David Bowie’s “Changesbowie”:

Today in 2011, this blog began.

Birthdays begin with Herb Alpert (who I saw at a 1970s Wisconsin State Fair playing on the front straightaway):

Rodney Bainbridge played bass for the Fortunes:

Jon Poulos played drums for the Buckinghams:

Mick Ralphs played guitar for Mott the Hoople and Bad Company:

Thiis Van Leer played organ and flute for Focus:

Angus Young of AC/DC:

Pat McGlynn of the Bay City Rollers:

One death of note today in 1986: O’Kelly Isley, one of the Isley Brothers:

• Music