Category: Music

The Beatles had the number one album, “Rubber Soul” …

… and the number one single today in 1966:

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The number one single in Britain …

… and over here on my parents’ wedding day in 1961:

The number one single today in 1977:

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First: The songs of the day:

The number one album today in 1968 was the Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour”:

The number one single today in 1973 included a person rumored to be the subject of the song on backing vocals:

The number one British single today in 1979 was this group’s only number one:

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Today’s first song is posted in honor of the first FM signal heard by the Federal Communications Commission today in 1940:

Today in 1968, Jimi Hendrix was jailed for one day in Stockholm, Sweden, for destroying the contents of his hotel room.

The culprit? Not marijuana or some other controlled substance. Alcohol.

Today in 1973, Bruce Springsteen released his first album, “Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.” It sold all of 25,000 copies in its first year.

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The number one single today in 1959:

Today in 1970, the Who’s Keith Moon was trying to escape from a gang of skinheads when he accidentally hit and killed chauffeur Neil Boland.

The problem was Moon’s attempt at escape. He had never passed his driver’s license test.

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The number one album today in 1965 was the soundtrack to “Roustabout”:

Today in 1968, the complete shipment of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s new album, “Two Virgins,” was confiscated by New Jersey authorities due to the album cover. A revised cover was used in record stores:

The number one album today in 1971 was George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass”:

Speaking of passing, today is the anniversary of the 55-mph speed limit, signed into law by Richard Nixon. Never mind Watergate; Nixon should have been impeached for signing this stupid idea into law. There is only one truly irreplaceable, nonrenewable resource — time.

The number one British album today in 2005 was Green Day’s “American Idiot”:

Just two birthdays today: Roger Miller …

… and Chick Churchill, who played guitar for Ten Years After:

Three deaths of note: Tex Ritter, country singer and father of John, in 1974 …

… David Lynch of the Platters in 1981 …

… and guitarist Randy California of Spirit, who drowned while saving his 12-year-old son from a rip tide off Hawaii in 1997:

I’m going to guess that not many readers will read this immediately upon posting.

Perhaps that was the problem for the Beatles in 1962, when they went to Decca Records for an audition, and Decca declined to sign them.

Before that, the number one single (for the second time) today in 1956:

Today in 1964, BBC-TV premiered “Top of the Pops”:

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Similar to Christmas, more happened on New Year’s Eve in rock history than one might think.

Today in 1961, the former Pendletones made their debut with their new name at the Long Beach Civic Auditorium in California: the Beach Boys:

Today in 1963, the Kinks made their live debut at the Lotus House Restaurant in London:

The number one single today in 1966:

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