Category: Music

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:

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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 …

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.

Today in 1966, Jan Berry of Jan and Dean crashed his Corvette into a parked truck in Los Angeles, suffering permanent injuries.

The number one single today in 1969:

Today in 1975, David Bowie announced, ‘I’ve rocked my roll. It’s a boring dead end, there will be no more rock ‘n’ roll records from me.’

His retirement didn’t last.

The number one single today in 1975:

The number one British single today in 1980:

Birthdays today start with Herbert Mills of one of the great singing groups of the 1940s and 1950s, the Mills Brothers:

You probably have never heard of keyboard player Stan Free. You may have heard of his most notable record:

Who is Herbert Khaury? You knew him better as Tiny Tim:

Herbie Hancock has had a long jazz career, but hit the pop charts once for:

Who is Joachim Krauledat is? You knew him better as John Kay, lead singer of Steppenwolf:

Blackfoot drummer Jackson Spires:

J.D. Nicholas was a guitarist for the Commodores and before that the underrated Heatwave:

Alexander Briley was a lead singer for the Village People:

Tony James played bass for Sigue Sigue Sputnik:

The number one single today in 1954:

Today in 1964, the Billboard Hot 100 could have been called the Beatles 14 and the non-Beatles 86, topped by …

The number one single today in 1970:

Today in 1977, Alice Cooper played a concert before 40,000 fans, the largest concert in the history of Australia.

Afterward, Cooper was placed under house arrest until he posted bond of $59,632, which totaled the money a promoter claimed to have paid Cooper for a 1975 tour that never took place.

On the other hand, the promoter didn’t fulfill his end of the deal either, which later prompted a settlement.

The number one single today in 1981:

Today in 1988, Cher won an Academy Award for “Moonstruck,” proving that singers can sometimes act, even though actors usually can’t sing.

Birthdays today include Richard Berry, writer and original singer of …

Vocalist/guitarist Stuart Adamson of Big Country:

Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi:

Lisa Stansfield:

One death of note today in 2006: June Pointer of the Pointer Sisters:

The number one single today in 1965:

The number one album today in 1976 was Peter Frampton’s “Frampton Comes Alive,” the best selling live album in rock music history:

The number one album today in 1993 was Depeche Mode’s “Songs of Faith and Devotion”:

Birthdays start with one-hit wonder Sheb Wooley:

Nathaniel Nelson of the Flamingos:

Bobby Smith of the Spinners:

Karl Russell of the Hues Corporation …

… was born the same day as Bunny Livingston, vocalist and percussionist of Bob Marley and the Wailers:

Dave Peverett of Foghat:

Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats and his own orchestra, and having each means you can copy yourself …

… was born the same day as Katrina Leskanich of Katrina and the Waves:

Two deaths of note today: Chuck Willis in 1958 …

… and Little Eva Boyd in 2003:

The number 15 British song today in 1966 was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards:

The number one single today in 1966:

The number one single today in 1977:

The number one single on both sides of the Atlantic today in 1983:

Birthday start with satirist Tom Lehrer:

Elvis Presley contemporary Carl Perkins:

The Byrds drummer Gene Parsons …

Philip Wright sang for Paper Lace, which had this one-hit wonder that has nothing to do with Da Bears:

Two deaths of note today in 1988: Dave Prater of Sam and Dave …

… and Brook Benton:

One more death of note today in 2009: Randy Cain of the Delfonics: