Today in 1956, 15-year-old John Lennon met 13-year-old Paul McCartney when Lennon’s band, the Quarrymen, played at a church dinner.

Birthdays today start with David Rose, the composer of a song many high school bands have played (really):

Nigel Pickering, guitarist of Spanky and Our Gang:

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Today in 1965, the Beatles released “Beatles VI,” their seventh U.S. album:

Twenty-five years later, Frank Sinatra reached number 32, but probably number one in New York:

Nine years and a different coast later, Carole King got her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame:

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This was a good day for the Beatles in 1970 … even though they were breaking up.

Their “Let It Be” album was at number one, as was this single off the album:

Don’t criticize the number one album today in 1980, lest you be condemned for living in “Glass Houses”:

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An interesting juxtaposition of 45 years for these two songs:

The number six single today in 1948:

Then, the number 17 song today in 1993 by Green Jellÿ (which began life as Green Jellö — and we have the CD to prove it — until the makers of Jell-O objected):

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Today in 1964, one day after the Rolling Stones recorded their “12×5” album in Chicago, Chicago police broke up their news conference. (Perhaps foreshadowing four years later when the Democratic Party came to town?)

The Stones could look back at that and laugh two years later when “Paint It Black” hit number one:

One year later, David Bowie released “Space Oddity” …

… on the same day that this reached number one in Great Britain:

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Today in 1964, the Rolling Stones recorded their “12×5” album at Chess Studios in Chicago:

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Today in 1972, Elvis Presley recorded a live album at Madison Square Garden in New York:

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The number one single today in 1958:

The number one album in the country today in 1971 was Paul and Linda McCartney’s “Ram”:

Today in 1972, Bruce Springsteen signed a record deal with Columbia Records. He celebrated 19 years later by marrying his backup singer, Patti Scialfa.

Birthdays today start with the Wisconsinite to whom every rock guitarist (including Milwaukee and UW–Madison’s own Steve Miller) owes a debt, Les Paul:

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You might call this a transition day in rock music history. For instance, one year to the day after the Rolling Stones released “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” …

… Brian Jones left the Stones, to be replaced by Mick Taylor.

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The Rolling Stones had a big day today in 1963: They made their first TV appearance and released their first single:

The number one song today in 1975:

Five years later, Gary Numan drove his way to number nine:

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