The number one British single today in 1964 was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, but not performed by the Beatles:
The number one British single today in 1969:
The number one single today in 1977:
The number one British album today in 1983 was David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”:
The number one single today in 1983:
Birthdays start with Roy Orbison:
Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark:
Jesus Jones drummer Simon “Gen” Matthews:
Today in 1964, the president of Britain’s National Federation of Hairdressers offered free haircuts to members of the next number one act in the British charts, adding, “The Rolling Stones are the worst; one of them looks as if he’s got a feather duster on his head.”
One assumes he was referring to Keith Richards, who is still working (and, to some surprise, still alive) 48 years later.
The number one British single today in 1965:
The number one British album today in 1972 was Deep Purple’s “Machine Head”:
Birthdays start with ex-Beach Boy Glen Campbell:
Peter Frampton recorded the biggest live album of all time:
Paul Carrack of Ace, Squeeze and Mike + the Mechanics:
Bon Jovi bassist Craig Logan:
Two deaths of note today: Songwriter (and Milwaukee native) Matilda Genevieve “Felice” Bryant in 2003 …
… and Paul Davis a day after his birthday in 2008:
The number one British single today in 1958:
The number one single today in 1962:
The number one album today in 1973 was Alice Cooper’s “Billion Dollar Babies”:
The number one single today in 1979:
The number one single …
… and album today in 1984 both came from movie soundtracks:
The number one British album today in 1990 was Fleetwood Mac’s “Behind the Mask”:
Birthdays start with James Osterberg, who you know as the most unlikely cruise line endorser of all time, Iggy Pop:
One year later was born Paul Davis:
Robert Smith of The Cure …
… was born on the same day as Michael Timmons of the Cowboy Junkies:
Two deaths of note today: Neal Matthews of the Jordanaires, Elvis Presley’s backup singers, in 2000 …
… and Al Wilson in 2008:
The number one single today in 1957:
Today in 1959, Goldband Records released a single that had been recorded two years earlier by an 11-year-old girl named Dolly Parton.
“Puppy Love” didn’t chart for Parton, but it did for other acts, including Paul Anka and Donny Osmond. And Parton had a pretty good career anyway.
The number one single today in 1974:
The number one single today in 1985:
Birthdays begin with one-hit-wonder Johnny Tillotson:
Björn Skifs was the lead singer of Blue Swede:
Craig Frost of Grand Funk Railroad:
Brett Garsed played drums for (the) Nelson (twins):
Two deaths of note today: Motown session drummer Benny Benjamin in 1969 …
… and Steve Marriott of Small Faces in a fire in 1991:
Today in 1967, the four Beatles signed a contract to stay together as a group for a decade.
The group broke up three years later.
The number one British single today in 1970 came from that year’s Eurovision winner, a one-hit wonder:
The number one British album today in 1975 was “The Best of the Stylistics”:
The number one single today in 1980:
That day, Brian Johnson, singer for Geordie, joined AC/DC to replace the recently deceased Bon Scott:
Birthdays start with Alan Price, the first keyboard player of the Animals:
Mark “Flo” Volman of Flo & Eddie and the Turtles:
Bernie Worrell played keyboards for Parliament Funkadelic:
Rod Morgenstern of Winger:
Yesterday, Rock and Roll Heaven got its music show and New Year’s Eve party host: Dick Clark:
Today in 1964, the Beatles appeared on the BBC’s “Morecambe and Wise”:
The Beatles had the number one single on both sides of the Atlantic that day:
The number one British single today in 1972 wasn’t exactly a one-hit wonder, but it wasn’t a traditional hit either:
Today in 1975, four fans of the Bay City Rollers were hospitalized and 35 others were treated at the scene when they tried to swim across a lake to see the Rollers, who were making a BBC Radio 1 fun day at an amusement park.
The number one British single today in 1981 was that year’s Eurovision song contest winner:
The number one single today in 2009:
Birthdays begin with Glen Hardin, one of Buddy Holly’s Crickets:
youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sg9XI7bYrA]
Mike Vickers played guitar for Manfred Mann:
Skip Spence was one of the original members of the Jefferson Airplane:
One death of note today in 1996: Bernard Edwards, bass guitarist and producer of Chic:
The number one British album today in 1965 was “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan”:
Today in 1970, Johnny Cash performed at the White House, getting a request from its resident:
Today in 1971, British record-buyers could buy records from the Beatles, but separately:
None of them were from Britain’s number one album, though; that was “Motown Chartbusters Volume 5”:
The number one single over here that day wasn’t from any of the ex-Beatles either:
Today in 1973, Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” went gold on its way to its stay on the U.S. album charts for more than a decade:
The number one album today in 1982 was the soundtrack to “Chariots of Fire”:
The number one British album today in 1994 was Pink Floyd’s “The Division Bell”:
Birthdays start with Don Kirschner of “Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert”:
Pete Graves of the Moonglows:
Jan Hammer, who composed one of the coolest TV themes ever:
Four deaths of note today: Eddie Cochran, killed in a taxi crash in Britain that injured Gene Vincent …
Felix Pappalardi of Mountain, producer of Cream’s “Disraeli Gears” and “Wheels of Fire,” shot dead by his wife in 1983 …
… Linda McCartney in 1999 …
… and Danny Federici, Bruce Springsteen’s keyboard player, in 2008:
And happy birthday to Ralphie Parker. Don’t shoot your eye out.
The number one British single today in 1969:
Today in 1969, MC5 demonstrated how not to protest a department store’s failure to sell your albums: Take out a Detroit newspaper ad that says “Fuck Hudsons.”
Not only did Hudsons not change its mind, Elektra Records dropped MC5.
Detective Kenneth Hutchinson of a California police department had the number one single today in 1977:
The number one album today in 1983 was Bonnie Tyler’s “Faster Than the Speed of Night”:
The number one album today in 1994 was Bonnie Raitt’s “Longing in Their Hearts”:
Birthdays begin with Henry Mancini:
The producer of two huge ’70s movies, Robert Stigwood:
Dusty Springfield:
Gerry Rafferty:
Stephen Singleton of ABC:
Green Bay native Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum:
One death of note today in 1999: Skip Spence, an original member of Jefferson Airplane:
A former boss of mine was a huge fan of the Rolling Stones. His wife was a huge fan of the Beatles. The two bands crossed paths today in 1963 at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, England.
The number one British single today in 1966:
Today in 1971, the Illinois Crime Commission released its list of “drug-oriented records” …
You’d think given the culture of corruption in Illinois that the commission would have better and more local priorities. On the other hand, the commission probably was made up of third and fourth cousins twice removed of Richard Daley and other Flatland politicians, so, whatever, man.
The number one British album today in 1973 was Led Zeppelin’s “Houses of the Holy”:
Today’s birthdays begin with Tony Burrows, who sang for five one-hit wonders, four of which were in the Top 10 at the same time:
Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple and Rainbow …
… was born the same day as Steve Martin, not known for singing but who did have one hit:
Patrick Fairley of Marmalade:
Larry Ferguson, who played keyboards for Hot Chocolate …
… was born the same day as Ty Grimes of Captain Beefheart:
One death of note today in 1983: Pete Farndon of The Pretenders:
And happy birthday to Mr. Sulu.
You might think the number one British single today in 1967 is …
The number one single today in 1974:
Today in 1980, Grease was no longer the word: The musical closed in New York, after 3,883 performances.
The number one single today in 1985 has too many artists to list:
Birthdays begin with Lester Chambers, vocalist for the Chambers Brothers:
The writer of one of the best movie themes of all time, Bill Conti:
Bassist Jack Casady of the Jefferson Airplane:
Singer and guitarist Lowell George of Little Feat:
Al Green:
Bruce Springsteen’s drummer and Conan O’Brien’s first band leader, Max Weinberg:
Blondie’s keyboard player, Jimmy Destri:
One of the Brothers Johnson, Louis:
Marc Ford of the Black Crowes:
Lou Bega (earworm alert):
And would you believe: Happy birthday to Maxwell Smart.
Steve Prestegard.com: The Presteblog 