My German side should appreciate this: Today in 1870, Richard Wagner premiered “Die Valkyrie”:
Today in 1964, the Beatles released their album “A Hard Day’s Night”:
Today in 1975, Sonny and Cher decided they got you babe no more — they divorced:
(Interestingly, at least to me: Sonny and Cher revived their CBS-TV show after their divorce. Also, Cher did a touching eulogy at Sonny Bono’s funeral.)
Today in 1957, Egypt banned rock and roll music, calling it “an imperialist plot” and an example of “Western degeneracy.”
Today in 1966, Neil Diamond made his first TV appearance, on ABC-TV’s “American Bandstand”:
There seems to be a blue theme today, starting with the first birthday, Harold Melvin, who had Blue Notes:
Carly Simon:
Proving that there is no accounting for taste, I present the number six song today in 1972:
Twenty years later, Billy Joel got an honorary diploma … from Hicksville High School in New York (where he attended but was one English credit short of graduating due to oversleeping the day of the final):
Today in 1956, perhaps the first traffic safety song, “Transfusion,” reached number eight:
The number one album today in 1962 was Ray Charles’ “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music”:
Today in 1970, Chubby Checker and three passengers were arrested in Niagara Falls, N.Y., after police discover marijuana and “unidentified capsules” in the car. None of the four were charged, however.
Today in 1975 was not a good day for Alice Cooper, who broke six ribs after falling off a stage in Vancouver:
That same day, Jefferson Starship released its “Red Octopus,” the best selling album by Jefferson Airplane, or Jefferson Starship, or Starship:
Today in 1979, the Knack released “My Sharona” …
… the same day as the first meal of the day was the number one album:
Today in 1959, along came Jones to peak at number nine:
Today in 1968, here came the Judge to peak at number 88:
Today in 1985, Glenn Frey may have felt the “Smuggler’s Blues” because it peaked at number 12:
Today in 1982, Paul McCartney released “Take It Away”:
Birthdays today start with the great Lalo Schifrin:
Today in 1967 was the Monterey International Pop Festival:
Happy birthday first to Paul McCartney:
The number five song today in 1967 …
… was 27 spots higher than this song reached in 1978:
Birthdays start with Jerry Fielding, who composed the theme music to …
Steve Prestegard.com: The Presteblog 