Today in Rock n Roll history

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Today in the History of Rock.......

1928
Tom Donahue was born.

1941
Ronald Isley was born.

1943
Hilton Valentine, guitarist for the Animals, is born.

1951
Roy Brown hits #6 on the R&B chart with "Bar Room Blues".

1951
Percy Mayfield hit #8 on the R&B chart with "What A Fool I Am".

1955
Roy Hamilton hits #1 on the R&B chart and #6 on the pop chart with "Unchained Melody" and #10 on the R&B chart with "Forgive This Fool".

1955
Chuck Berry records "Maybellene" – an uptempo rewrite of the country-flavored "Ida Red" – with pianist Johnnie Johnson, bass player Willie Dixon and drummer Jasper Thomas. It is the first of Berry's many hits for Chess Records.

1956
Brenda Lee signs with Decca Records.

1966
'If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears' -- a vocal-group classic that includes "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday" -- reaches #1. Its 105-week tenure on the album chart surpasses that of any Beatles album save 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.'

1966
The Byrd's "Eight Miles High" is banned by some radio stations because of the lyrics' alleged drug references.

1972
Oh Girl (Chi-Lites) was a hit.

1973
'Call Me,' the quintessential Al Green album, is released. It yields three hits: “You Ought to Be With Me” (#1 R&B, #3 pop), “Call Me (Come Back Home)” (#2 R&B, #10 pop), “Here I Am (Come and Take Me)” (#2 R&B, #10 pop).

1977
“First Cut Is the Deepest,” Rod Stewart’s interpretation of a Cat Stevens songs, is lodged at #1 in the U.K., holding the Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen” at bay.

1977
“Sheena Is a Punk Rocker,” by the Ramones, enters the British singles charts, where it will peak at #22 – their first Top Forty hit.

1981
Bob Marley is given a state funeral in Jamaica and buried at Nine Miles in St. Ann’s Parish, beside the house in which he was born.

1983
Def Leppard hits #12 with "Photograph".

1988
White Lion hits #8 with "Wait".

1992
MTV premieres "The Real World," a reality based soap opera. The 13-part series follows three months in the lives of seven young adults who meet for the first time and live in a New York City loft together.

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Today in the History of Rock.......

1935
Mahalia Jackson lands her first recording contract after she's heard singing at a funeral.

1942
Calvin "Thang" Simon was born.

1945
Joe Liggins hits #1 on the R&B chart and #13 on the pop chart with "The Honeydripper."

1951
Roy Milton hits #2 on the R&B chart with "Best Wishes".

1951
The Dominoes hit #6 on the R&B chart with "Do Something For Me" and #1 on the R&B chart and #17 on the pop chart with "Sixty Minute Man".

1958
As Jerry Lee Lewis begins a British tour, a scandal erupts over his marriage to a barely teenage relative, as well as his two prior divorces. Lewis is booed offstage, the tour is canceled after three shows, and he returns to the U.S. to find himself mired in controversy.

1961
"Mother-in-Law," written and produced by Allen Toussaint and recorded by Ernie K-Doe, hits #1 on the national chart.

1961
While Ricky Nelson’s “Travelin’ Man” tops the charts, its Gene Pitney-penned flip side, “Hello Mary Lou,” becomes a Top Ten hit in its own right – and one of Nelson’s best-loved recordings.

1963
Frank Zappa opens Studio Z in Cucamonga, California.

1965
"Iko Iko" by the Dixie Cups charts at #20.

1965
The Dixie Cups hits #20 with "Iko Iko".

1966
When a Man Loves a Woman (Percy Sledge) was a hit.

1971
Ray Charles Orchestra hits #36 with "Booty Butt"

1974
A performance in Cambridge, Massachusetts, inspires music journalist Jon Landau to write, "I saw rock and roll's future—and its name is Bruce Springsteen."

1976
ELO hits #14 in the US with "Strange Magic".

1982
Adam & the Ants hit #1 with "Goody Two Shoes".

1982
Japan hits #24 in the UK with "Cantonese Boy".

1983
Flashdance…What a Feeling (Irene Cara) was a hit.

1988
One More Try (George Michael) was a hit.

1999
Robbie Williams' US album debut, 'The Ego Has Landed', a compilation of his two UK albums, reaches #85 on the US charts.

1999
Fatboy Slim hits #36 in the US with "Praise You".

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Today in the History of Rock.......

1943
Queen record label is formed in Cincinnati, Ohio by Syd Nathan.

1944
Tiki Fulwood was born.

1949
Ivory Joe Hunter hits #2 on the R&B chart with "Guess Who".

1961
Travelin' Man (Ricky Nelson) was a hit.

1964
The Impressions hit #14 with "I'm So Proud".

1965
Help Me, Rhonda (The Beach Boys) was a hit.

1967
"See Emily Play," Pink Floyd's enchanting second single, is recorded. It reaches #6 on the British charts.

1970
El Chicano hits #28 with "Viva Tirado - Part 1".

1971
Brown Sugar (The Rolling Stones) was a hit.

1976
Love Hangover (Diana Ross) was a hit.

1978
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kick off their first major arena tour in Buffalo, New York. It ends seven months and 109 cities later in Cleveland on January 1, 1979.

1987
"You Can Call Me Al," by Paul Simon, peaks at #23. It is his last Top Forty hit to date.

1988
'Shadowland,' by k.d. lang, is released. It features the Grammy-nominated “Honky Tonk Angels’ Medley,” with vocal contributions from Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn and Kitty Wells.

1992
Future Sound of London hits #22 in the UK with "Papua New Guinea".

1995
Jerry Lee Lewis releases his first rock and roll album of the Nineties, Young Blood, calling it "my best album ever!"

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1941
Bob Dylan was born.

1949
Wynonie Harris hits #4 on the R&B chart with "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee".

1950
Buddy Johnson hits #8 on the R&B chart with "Because, Pts. 1 & 2".

1955
Chuck Berry hits #2 on the R&B chart with the Chess single "Thirty Days."

1956
Ricky Nelson hears James Burton playing guitar in the office of Imperial Records in Los Angeles. Burton is asked to join Nelson's backup band and regularly appears in the closing musical segments on the Ozzy and Harriet TV sitcom.

1963
Beset with heart problems exacerbated by heavy drinking and chronic asthma, James died of a heart attack in Chicago.

1964
Love Me Do (The Beatles) was a hit.

1968
Donovan hits #7 with "Atlantis".

1968
Pioneering San Francisco album-rock deejay Tom Donahue moves from KMPX-FM to KSAN-FM, taking the station's entire staff with him. KSAN thereupon becomes the top progressive-rock station in town, it not the entire country.

1969
The Beatles reach #1 with "Get Back".

1975
"Shining Star,' from Earth, Wind & Fire's 'That's the Way of the World', reaches #1 on Billboard's singles chart. It earns the first of many Grammys for the group, winning Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group.

1975
Gordon Lightfoot hits #26 with "Rainy Day People".

1980
James Last Band hits #28 with "The Seduction (Love Theme)".

1986
Peter Gabriel releases "Sledgehammer" with an acclaimed and innovative claymation video. The single hits #4 in the UK and #2 in the US.

1988
MTV announces plans to give away a tropical island in "The MTV/Coca-Cola Island Giveaway" contest.

1997
Hanson, three brothers who write and play their own music, hit #1 in the US for 4 weeks with "MMMBop".

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Today in the History of Rock.......

1954
The Starlite Wranglers, a country dance band that includes Scotty Moore on guitar and Bill Black on standup bass, records a single ("My Kind of Carryin' On") for Sun Records.

1957
"Bye Bye Love," the first of many songs by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant that will be made famous by the Everly Brothers, enters the Top Forty. A million seller, it holds at #2 for four weeks.

1959
Billie Holiday gives her final performance in New York City.

1963
Ray Charles hits #8 with "Take These Chains From My Heart".

1963
Sam Cooke hits #10 with "Another Saturday Night".

1963
The Beach Boys score their first Top Ten hit with "Surfin' USA," Brian Wilson's reworking of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen."

1968
Percy Sledge hits #11 with "Take Time To Know You."

1973
David Bowie releases Diamond Dogs which will eventually peak at #5.

1974
Sweet hits #27 in the UK with 'Sweet Fanny Adams'.

1974
David Bowie releases the decadence-themed 'Diamond Dogs,' a true solo album on which he sings and plays most of the instruments.

1975
Before the Next Teardrop Falls (Freddie Fender) was a hit.

1975
Rick Wakeman of Yes releases solo effort 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth'. It peaks at #3 in the US.

1980
Funkytown (Lipps, Inc) was a hit.

1991
A fully reformed Yes releases 'Union' which peaks at #15 in the US.

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1942
Levon Helm, drummer and vocalist with the Band, is born in Marvell, Arkansas.

1948
Stevie Nicks was born.

1950
Louis Jordan hits #1 on the R&B chart with "Blue Light Boogie -- Parts 1 & 2".

1950
The Weavers record Leadbelly's "Goodnight, Irene," which becomes a popular hit for them.

1958
Little Willie John hits #5 on the R&B chart and #20 on the pop chart with the King single "Talk To Me, Talk To Me."

1959
The Battle of New Orleans (Johnny Horton) was a hit.

1962
James Brown hits #35 with "Night Train".

1962
"Uptown" by the Crystals reaches #13.

1963
It's My Party (Lesley Gore) was a hit.

1966
'The Best of the Animals' enters the U.S. albums charts. It will peak at #6 and stay on the charts for an incredible 113 weeks.

1967
Van der Graaf Generator is formed.

1968
Mrs. Robinson (Simon & Garfunkel) was a hit.

1968
Little Willie John dies in Washington State Prison in Walla Walla, WA.

1969
John Lennon and Yoko Ono conduct a bed-in at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. They record "Give Peace a Chance," with Tommy Smothers, Timothy Leary and others.

1973
Lobo hits #27 with "It Sure Took a Long Long Time."

1973
Skylark hits #9 with "Wildflower".

1973
The Edgar Winter Group hits #1 with "Frankenstein".

1973
Carly Simon hits #17 with "The Right Things to Do."

1984
Scorpions hit #25 with "Rock You Like a Hurricane".

1990
Heart hits #2 with "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You".

1995
Neil Young's 'Mirror Ball,' an album recorded in Seattle with Pearl Jam, is released.

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1951
Joe Turner hits #2 on the R&B chart and #30 on the pop chart with "Chains of Love" and hits #3 on the R&B chart with "Chill Is On". Both singles are released on Atlantic records.

1967
Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass hit #27 with "Casino Royale".

1969
Only five months after his debut album, Neil Young releases 'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere,' the first of many with Crazy Horse.

1972
The Chi-Lites hit #1 with "Oh Girl".

1972
Cat Steves hits #6 with "Morning Has Broken."

1973
My Love (Paul McCartney & Wings) was a hit.

1979
Hot Stuff (Donna Summer) was a hit.

1988
The Rascals re-form, minus Eddie Brigati, for a "Good Lovin' '88" tour and perform at Atlantic Records' 40th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden in New York.

1991
MTV Europe announces Monaco as its 27th country.

1996
MTV unveils the 1996 MTV Beach House on Memorial Day with 12 hours of non-stop live programming. Celebrity guest are on hand as well as a live performance from rap artists Coolio who sings his new single "It's All the Way Live (Now)".

1996
'Broken Arrow,' which reunites Neil Young with Crazy Horse, is released.

1997
'Flaming Pie', Paul McCartney's first studio album in four years, is released.

David Bowie's Red Vinyl Platform Boots, 1970s
Photo by Design Photography
Collection of David Bowie

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1910
T-Bone Walker was born.

1944
Gladys Knight is born in Atlanta, Georgia.

1945
John Fogerty was born.

1966
"Love is Like an Itching In My Heart" by the Supremes charts #9.

1966
Percy Sledge hits #1 with "When A Man Loves A Woman".

1977
"Just a Song Before I Go," the first single from 'CSN' -- technically, the second studio album by the trio—enters the 'Billboard' chart. Reaching #7, it remains Crosby, Stills & Nash's highest-charting single.

1978
Too Much, Too Little, Too Late (Johnny Mathis/Deniece Williams) was a hit.

1979
Tom Petty files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, inaugurating a legal wrangle with his old label (Shelter) and the major label that acquired it (MCA). Petty agrees to record for a newly created MCA subsidiary, Backstreet Records.

1983
MTV is designated the "Official Television Information Network" for the '83 US Festival.

1988
Foreigner hits #5 with "I Don't Want to Live Without You".

1989
Rock On (Michael Damian) was a hit.

1994
Prodigy hits #4 in the UK with "No Good (Start the Dance)".

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1955
LaVern Baker hits #3 on the R&B chart with "Bop-Ting-A-Ling" and #2 on the R&B chart with "Play It Fair". Both singles are released on Atlantic records.

1961
Shep & the Limelighters hit #2 "Daddy's Home".

1961
The Shirelles hits #4 on pop and #2 on R&B with "Mama Said".

1969
'Crosby, Stills & Nash' is released. It is popular on both AM and FM radio, and it hangs on the album chart for 107 weeks. It also yields two hit singles: "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" (#21) and "Marrakesh Express" (#2.

1976
Paul Simon hits #40 with "Still Crazy After All These Years".

1982
Soft Cell hits #2 in the UK with "Torch".

1982
Echo & the Bunnymen hit #19 in the UK with "The Back of Love".

1983
Heavy Metal Day at the US Festival in San Bernadino, CA features performances by Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Scorpions, Triumph, and Van Halen.

1990
MTV Europe extends it's reach to Kenya and is broadcast for starring comedian Pauly Shore.

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1943
Jack Bruce was born.

1946
Johnny Moore's Three Blazers hit #4 on the R&B chart with "Sunny Road".

1961
Running Scared (Roy Orbison) was a hit.

1964
The Wailers hit #38 with "Tall Cool One".

1969
Supertramp forms.

1970
Can releases 'Soundtracks'.

1974
Excerpts from Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells' are included in 'The Exorcist' soundtrack.

1980
Elton John releases '21 at 33,' which reunites him with lyricist Bernie Taupin. The title refers to the fact that it is the 33-year-old John’s 21st album.

1986
MTV announces its first new VJ since 1981, English-born "Downtown" Julie Brown.

1987
Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz is arrested in Liverpool when he allegedly strikes a girl fan during a post show riot.

1992
Paul Simon marries singer Edie Brickell.

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1948
John "Bonzo" Bonham was born.

1950
Joe Liggins hits #4 on the R&B chart with "Rag Mop".

1961
Berryland Amusement Park opens outside St. Louis.

1964
Chapel of Love (The Dixie Cups) was a hit.

1966
"The Monkees" series debut on NBC-TV.

1974
New York Dolls release 'Too Much Too Soon' which peaks at #167.

1975
Bad Company hits #36 with "Goodlovin' Gone Bad".

1983
"Got My Mojo Working" is named single of the year by the W.C. Handy Blues Foundation. Muddy Waters' work receives five more awards.

1987
You Keep Me Hangin' On (Kim Wilde) was a hit.

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1923
Jelly Roll Morton cuts six original compositions for the Indiana-based Gennett label.

1927
Chicago sessions with a version of the Red Hot Peppers that now includes Johnny Dodds on clarinet and Baby Dodds on drums yield such Jell Roll Morton classics as "Mr. Jelly Lord," "The Pearls" and "Wolverine Blues."

1937
Robert Johnson's second and final recording session.

1945
Sam Phillips moves to Memphis, taking a job as an announcer and maintenance and broadcast engineer at WREC.

1947
Ron Wood was born.

1948
Pete Seeger forms the Weavers with Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman, and Ronnie Gilbert.

1951
Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88," recorded by Sam Phillips and released by Chicago's Chess Records, hits Number One on the R&B chart. It is widely acknowledged as the first rock and roll record. The same month Phillips records "How Many More Years"/"Moanin' At Midnight," the first single by bluesman Howlin' Wolf.

1953
Sam Phillips records "Just Walkin' In the Rain" by the Prisionaires, a group of five inmates from the Tennessee State Penitentiary in Nashville.

1955
Sam Phillips signs aspiring country singer Johnny Cash and releases his debut single, "Cry! Cry! Cry!"/"Hey! Porter."

1957
Sam Cooke's contract with Specialty is assigned to Keen Records, for which he begins recording ballads like "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons."

1958
Jimi Hendrix's father buys him a second-hand acoustic guitar. It costs five dollars. "Jimmy told me about it [the guitar] and I said, ‘Okay,' and gave him the money. He strummed away on that, working away all the time, any spare time he had," said Al.

1959
Al Hendrix buys Jimi his first electric guitar, a Supro Ozark 1560 S. Jimi joins the Rocking Kings. "My first gig with them was at a National Guard armory. We earned like 35 cents apiece. We used to play stuff by people like the Coasters," said Jimi.

1959
LaVern Baker hits #5 on the R&B chart and #33 (6/01) on the pop chart with the Atlantic single "I Waited Too Long."

1960
"Walking to New Orleans," Fats Domino's last Top Ten pop hit, is released. It reaches #2 on the R&B chart.

1961
Jimi Hendrix enlists in the Army. Stationed at Fort Ord, California, he writes home: "The Army's not too bad, so far. . . . All, I mean, all my hair's cut off and I have to shave. . . I won't be able to see you until two months from now. . . we're going through basic training."

1962
The landmark album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, which marks Ray Charles' first full-length foray into the county genre, is issued. It tops the album chart for three and a half months and inspires a second volume later the same year.

1962
The Beatles audition for George Martin at Parlophone/EMI Records. He agrees to sign the group, but insists that Pete Best be replaced. Within months, Richard "Ringo" Starkey joins the group.

1963
James Taylor performs with longtime friend and guitarist Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar on Martha's Vineyard, winning a local hootenanny competition.

1964
The Rolling Stones begin their first U.S. tour.

1964
The Rolling Stones arrive in America for their first North American appearances.

1965
The Kinks begin their first U.S. tour.

1965
The Red Dog Saloon opens for business in Virginia City, Nevada, and the San Francisco-based Charlatans are the house band.

1965
The Lovin' Spoonful gets signed to Kama-Sutra Records on the strength of their live performances at the Night Owl Cafe in Greenwich Village.

1966
James Taylor and Kortchmar form the Flying Machine in New York's Greenwich Village. Their demos are later released as James Taylor and the Original Flying Machine 1967 on the Euphoria label.

1966
Chuck Berry leaves Chess for Mercury Records. Among his Mercury recordings are Live at the Fillmore Auditorium (196, on which he's backed by the Steve Miller Band. He ultimately re-signs with Chess in 1970.

1966
Elektra Records issues What's Shakin', a various-artists sampler that includes four early Lovin' Spoonful tracks. Among them is "Good Time Music," a song that neatly summarizes the band's musical philosophy.

1966
Jimi Hendrix forms a band called Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, which also includes guitarist Randy California, later of the group Spirit. They get a regular gig at Café Wha? in Greenwich Village.

1967
The Monterey International Pop Festival takes place, featuring the new generation of bands from San Francisco, Los Angeles and London.

1967
Zal Yanovsky quits the group and is replaced by Jerry Yester.

1967
'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' is released in Britain.

1968
John Lennon moves out of his house in Weybridge. He and Yoko Ono move into Ringo Starr's apartment in Montague Square.

1968
Hugo Montenegro hits #2 with "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly".

1970
Don Henley arrives in L.A. from Texas. He will soon join Glenn Frey in Linda Ronstadt's backing band.

1970
The Everly Brothers host a summer-replacement variety show, Johnny Cash Presents the Everly Brothers, which fills in for The Johnny Cash Show at Cash's instigation.

1970
The Cry of Love with the Band of Gypsies tour continues, with shows at Berkeley, Rainbow Bridge in Hawaii and the Atlanta Pop Festival. The group begins work on a new double album, 'First Rays of the New Rising Sun'. Though some of the tracks are released as The Cry of Love, the album does not get its full release until 1997.

1972
The Eagles chalk up the first of many hits with "Take It Easy." The song reaches Number Twelve. Three months later, "Witchy Woman" will do even better — Number Nine.

1973
'Live in England', recorded the previous year by Del Shannon, is released.

1974
Cat Stevens hits #10 with "Oh Very Young".

1974
Nilsson hits #39 with "Daybreak".

1975
Thank God I'm a Country Boy (John Denver) was a hit.

1976
13 of the 26 #1 songs are dance or disco songs.

1977
After a settlement is reached in his lawsuits on May 28, Bruce Springsteen begins work on 'Darkness On the Edge of Town', his long-delayed fourth album. It is released on almost exactly a year later.

1979
Two months after releasing his solo album Thanks, I'll Eat It Here, Little Feat's Lowell George dies of a heart attack.

1979
Chuck Berry performs at the White House at the request of President Jimmy Carter. A month later, Berry begins a five-month sentence for income tax evasion.

1980
James Brown contributes an unforgettable cameo as a manic preacher in the John Belushi/Dan Aykroyd film The Blues Brothers.

1980
'McCartney II', which is represented as Paul's second solo album—all of the others since 'McCartney' being group projects with Wings—is released.

1980
John Lennon takes a cruise to Bermuda, where his songwriting muse is rekindled.

1984
Nate Nelson, who'd become the lead singer of the Flamingos three decades earlier, dies of a heart attack.

1985
David Lee Roth hits #12 with "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody".

1986
Live to Tell (Madonna) was a hit.

1987
Green River releases their Dry as a Bone EP on the Sub Pop label. This seminal Seattle band includes future members of Pearl Jam and Mudhoney.

1989
MTV begins airing "Don't Drink and Drive: spots to reinforce to its viewers the importance of not mixing alcohol with driving.

1990
"Madchester" summer - Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets are all the rage.

1991
Queensryche hits #9 with "Silent Lucidity".

1991
Firehouse hits #19 with "Don't Treat Me Bad".

1992
MTV Brazil gets the award "Veiculo do Ano," from ABRACOMP, a Brazilian Marketing and Sales association.

1992
Coca Cola signs US 1.4 million as sponsor for Asian, USA and European video Countdown shows and MTV Sports.

1993
The original lineup of the Velvet Underground -- Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison and Moe Tucker -- kick off a 25th-anniversary reunion tour in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1994
"MTV Unplugged" debuts a special one-hour presentation with legendary crooner Tony Bennett. Bennett is joined for a song with each by Elvis Costello and k.d. Lang.

1999
'Supernatural', Santana's first album for Arista Records, is released. It goes on to sell more than 21 million copies worldwide 13 million in the U.S. alone. Though released at midyear, 'Supernatural' is 1999's sixth best-selling album.

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1934
Johnny Carter of the Flamingos is born.

1941
William Guest was born.

1941
Charlie Watts was born.

1960
Syd Nathan acquires the New York-based jazz label Bethlehem and moves its offices to Cincinnati.

1962
Ray Charles hits #1 with "I Can't Stop Loving You".

1962
Ray Charles hits #1 with "I Can't Stop Loving You".

1962
"I Sold My Heart To the Junkman" by the Blue-Belles goes to #15.

1964
Peter and Gordon reach Number One in the U.S. with "World Without Love," a song written by Paul McCartney, but never recorded by the Beatles.

1971
Rare Earth hits #7 with "I Just Want to Celebrate".

1972
Joe Tex hits #2 with "I Gotcha".

1973
Alice Cooper hits #25 with "No More Mr. Nice Guy".

1973
Edward Bear hits #37 with "Close Your Eyes".

1973
Focus hits #9 with "Hocus Pocus"

1973
Elton John hits #2 with "Daniel," a pensive ballad from his hit-filled album D'on’t Shoot Me, I’m Only the Piano Player.'

1974
Band On the Run (Paul McCartney & Wings) was a hit.

1975
Gary Glitter hits #6 in the UK with "Doin Alright With the Boys."

1976
Wild Cherry hits #1 with "Play That funky Music".

1984
Van Halen hits #13 with "I'll Wait".

1984
The Smiths hit #10 in the UK with "Heaven's Know I'm Miserable Now".

1985
Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Tears for Fears) was a hit.

1989
MTV makes major commitment to the coverage of fashion -- "House of Style," a quarterly series on fashion and trends in the youth culture debuts, hosted by super model Cindy Crawford.

1991
MTV premieres its first-ever animated series, "Liquid Television."

1991
'Into the Great Wide Open,' Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ first album as a band in four years, is released. It yields the hit “Learning to Fly” (#2.

1993
A Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded to Ray Charles by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, with Billy Joel as his presenter.

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1941
'Songs for John Doe,' by the Almanac Singers, appears on the Almanac Records label. The trio -- Pete Seeger, Lee Hays and Millard Lampell -- is joined on record by Josh White and Same Gary. Producer John Hammond had a hand in organizing and releasing the session, which appears in three 78 rpm records.

1942
Curtis Mayfield is born in Chicago, Illinois.

1946
Michael Clarke was born.

1946
John Paul Jones was born.

1958
The Purple People Eater (Sheb Wooley) was a hit.

1967
Aretha Franklin hits #1 with "Respect".

1967
Number of British singles in 'Billboard's' Top 100: 8

1967
The autobiographical "Creque Alley" peaks at #5. It is the Mamas and the Papas' sixth and final Top Ten hit.

1967
"When You're Young and In Love" by the Marvelettes peaks at #23.

1967
The Staple Singers hit #95 in the US with "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)".

1969
'Empty Sky,' Elton John’s first album, is released in England. It will not be released in the U.S. until 1975, when John is a bonafide superstar.

1972
"I'll Take You There" tops both the pop and R&B charts, remaining ensconced at #1 on the latter for four weeks.

1972
Jethro Tull hits #1 in the US with 'Thick as a Brick'.

1972
Harry Chapin hits #24 with "Taxi".

1972
The Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There” becomes the third Stax single to top the national charts.

1976
The Grateful Dead perform at the Paramount Theater in Portland, Oregon, kicking off their first tour in more than a year and a half.

1984
Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper) was a hit.

1989
Guns N' Roses hits #4 with "Patience"

1992
MTV presents the planetary premiere of "MTV Unplugged" with Paul Simon. The one hour acoustic performance marks the first time an episode of the series is aired the same day in 57 of the 70 countries worldwide where MTV can be seen with MTV Asia, MTV Brazil and MTV Europe.

1995
Michael Jackson's 'HIStory: Past, Present, and Future, Book 1,' a double CD pairing one disc of new music with one of greatest hits, is released.

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1944
Michelle Phillips was born.

1946
Johnny Moore's Three Blazers hits #4 on the R&B chart with "So Long."

1955
Ruth Brown hits #3 on the R&B chart with the Atlantic single "I Wanna Do More."

1966
James Brown hits #8 with "It's A Man's Man's Man's World".

1966
“Don’t Bring Me Down,” by the Animals, enters the Top Forty, where it will peak at #12. It will be the last charting single by the original quintet, although Eric Burdon will pilot a new lineup of Animals through the end of the decade.

1969
"The Ballad of John and Yoko" - a musical summary of Lennon and Ono’s relationship, containing the lines, "The way things are going/They’re gonna crucify me" - is released. Credited to the Beatles, it will reach #8.

1972
The Candy Man (Sammy Davis, Jr.) was a hit.

1977
Sweet hits #151 in the US with 'Off the Record'.

1978
You're the One That I Want (John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John) was a hit.

1983
Kajagoogoo hits #13 in the UK with "Hang On Now".

1984
Willie Dixon founds the Blues Heaven Foundation, a nonprofit organization designed to promote the blues and to provide scholarships, royalty recovery advice, emergency assistance to blues musicians in need.

1989
Wind Beneath My Wings (Bette Midler) was a hit.

1989
Student protests for democracy in China end as tanks roll into Tianneman Square.

1990
MTV debuts "Totally Pauly," a comedy based on video show starring comedian Pauly Shore.

1994
“Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” by Elton John – a collaboration with lyricist Tim Rice from the soundtrack to Disney’s 'The Lion King' – enters the Top Forty, where it will peak at #4. It extends John’s record-breaking streak of consecutive years of Top Forty hits to 25.

[Heather]

1965
The Yardbirds' "For Your Love" enters the Billboard Hot 100 at Number 84. The song stays on the charts for twelve weeks, peaking at Number Six.

1965
Number of British singles in 'Billboard's' Top 100: 23

1966
Paint It Black (The Rolling Stones) was a hit.

1968
Senator Robert Kennedy is shot during a presidential campaign appearance by Sirhan Sirhan.

1971
A memorable two-night stand by the Mothers, featuring Frank Zappa, results in the popular live album 'Fillmore East, June 1971.'

1973
New York Dolls release their eponymous first album and it peaks at #116. It is produced by Todd Rundgren.

1976
Irish group Thin Lizzy hits #12 with "The Boys Are Back In Town".

1976
Heart hits #35 with "Crazy On You".

1976
Henry Gross hits #6 with "Shannon".

1977
The Commodores hit #5 with "Brick House".

1979
"Love You Inside Out" becomes the Bee Gees' ninth #1 single, sixth consecutive #1 single (tying the Beatles), and fifth to sell over two million copies. It is also, to date, their last #1 single.

1985
MTV debuts its first comedy series, "The Young Ones."

1989
MTV Europe hosts Environment Week: 7 days of "Green" programming to coincide with World Environment Day.

1992
Aerosmith hits #18 with "Living on the Edge".

1993
MTV and its cast of VJs move out of the studio and into the "MTV Beach House" for a simmer long party. Each day, one lucky viewer gets to spend the day at the Beach House and party with on-air personalities and special guests.

1995
MTV premieres "Singled Out," the ultimate relationship show where contestants get a chance to choose their ideal mate from the studio audience of 100 men and women. In each show, one contestant "singles out" potential mates from the audience by process of elimination based on the answers they give on a previously filled out questionnaire. The show is hosted by Chris Hardwick and Jenny McCarthy.

2002
Dee Dee Ramone dies of an apparent overdose.

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1950
Rev. William Herbert Brewster composes "Surely God Is Able". It becomes a million-plus seller when recorded by the Clara Ward Singers.

1969
The Who's 'Tommy' enters the U.S. album charts.

1969
Number of British singles in Billboard's Top 100: 8

1969
The Who's 'Tommy', a double-album rock opera, debuts on U.S. charts.

1969
Tyrannosaurus Rex's third album, 'Unicorn', enters the British charts. The song eventually peaks at #12.

1969
The Meters hit #23 with "Cissy Strut".

1970
The Long and Winding Road (The Beatles) was a hit.

1975
Grand Funk Railroad hits #4 with "Bad Time".

1975
John Denver hits #1 with "Thank God I'm a Country Boy".

1976
The Ohio Players hit #1 with "Love Rollercoaster".

1978
Foghat hits #36 with "Stone Blue".

1980
Spider hits #39 with "New Romance (It's A Mystery)".

1983
The Police release 'Synchronicity'.

1987
Always (Atlantic Starr) was a hit.

1994
MTV and America Online team up for the MTV Online, providing MTV programming information, enabling users to communicated directly with "The MTV Beach House," and gives subscribers a direct link to the Lollapalooza Tour.

1997
Hanson hits #1 in the UK with "MMMBop".

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1915
Les Paul was born.

1934
Jackie Wilson was born in Detroit, MI.

1950
Percy Mayfield hits #1 on the R&B chart and #26 on the pop chart with "Please Send Me Someone To Love".

1952
Ruth Brown hits #1 on the R&B chart with "5-10-15 Hours" and #3 on the R&B chart with "Daddy Daddy". Both singles are recorded on Atlantic Records.

1956
The Coasters reach #3 with "Searchin'".

1958
"High School Confidential," the title track from a film aimed at the teen market, enters the Top Forty. Jerry Lee Lewis simultaneously takes out a full-page ad in Billboard. It reads, in part: "I confess that my life has been stormy....I hope that if I am washed up as an entertainer, it won't be because of this bad publicity."

1958
The Champs hit #30 with "El Rancho Rock".

1958
Ritchie Valens' first single, "Come On, Let's Go," is released on the Del-Fi label.

1958
Chet Atkins produces Don Gibson’s double-sided smash, “Oh Lonesome Me” b/w “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” often cited as the point of origin for the new “Nashville Sound.”

1960
Rev. James Cleveland and the Voices of the Tabernacle Choir hit with the Soul Stirrers' "The Love of God".

1962
Mary Wells hits #2 on the R&B chart and #8 (6/09) on the pop chart with "The One Who Really Loves You", #1 on the R&B chart and #9 (9/22) on the pop chart with "You Beat Me To the Punch" and #1 on the R&B chart and #7 (1/19) on the pop chart with "Two Lovers".

1963
Jan and Dean reach #1 with "Surf City".

1966
Eric Clapton forms Cream.

1971
Donny Osmond hits #7 with "Sweet and Innocent".

1974
Billy, Don't Be a Hero (Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods) was a hit.

1979
Roxy Music hits #44 with "Dance Away".

1984
Spandau Ballet hits #3 in the UK with "Only When You Leave".

1986
MTV premieres its first-ever segment on fashion, "Addicted to Style," during MTV News.

1988
MTV premieres "The Big Picture," a movie magazine show hosted by Chris Connelly, senior editor of Premiere Magazine.

1988
MTV announces the debut of "MTV International," a weekly hour-long Spanish language version of MTV airing on the Telmundo Network.

1988
Frank Zappa performs at the Palasport, in Genoa, Italy. It is his final performance on his final tour.

1991
Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, a member of his E Street Band since 1984, are married in a ceremony at their home in Beverly Hills, California.

1993
MTV airs its second annual "MTV Movie Awards." The show is hosted by Eddie Murphy and the Best Movie Award goes to "A Few Good Men."

1993
Roll Over Tchaikovsky! MTV moves into the former Soviet Union. 88 million households begin seeing 42 hours per week of MTV Europe's programming. MTV Europe's deal with Biz Enterprises allows programming to be carried throughout five television networks across the region.

1994
MTV airs its 3rd annual "MTV Movie Awards" special. The show is hosted by Will Smith.

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1910
Howlin' Wolf was born.

1941
Shirley Alston Reeves was born.

1950
"Mona Lisa," a ballad that Nat King Cole initially didn't like, reaches #1 and sells 3 million copies.

1967
Country Joe and the Fish debut on the album chart with 'Electric Music for the Mind and Body'.

1967
The Six Day War ends in a resounding Israeli victory over Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

1972
Moody Blues hits #29 in the US with "Isn't Life Strange."

1972
Bread hits #15 with "Diary."

1972
Todd Rundgren hits #16 with "I Saw the Light".

1978
Chuck Mangione hits #4 with "Feels So Good".

1982
Micki Harris of the Shirelles dies.

1989
'Tin Machine,' the first of three albums by Tin Machine -- a quartet that includes David Bowie -- is released. The other are 'Tin Machine II' (1991) and the live 'Oy Vey, Baby' (1992).

1992
MTV airs the fist annual "MTV Movie Awards" hosted by comedian Dennis Miller. "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" tops the winner list.

1996
MTV devotes its second "Choose or Lose ‘96" news special to the topic of education. "Learn It: An MTV News Choose of Lose Education Special" explores some of the key campaign issues relating to education through interviews with teachers, students, parents, politicians and school board officials.

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1923
Hurd Fairfax records on the Paramount label. He is the first recorded gospel singer.

1928
Jelly Roll Morton records "Georgia Swing" and "Kansas City Stomps" in New York at one of his later RCA Victor sessions.

1946
Wynonie Harris hits #3 on the R&B chart with "Wynonie's Blues."

1964
Nelson Mandela is sentenced to life imprisonment by the South African government.

1965
Janis Joplin debuts with Big Brother and the Holding Company at San Francisco’s Avalon Ballroom, where they become the house band.

1966
"Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind" reaches #2, held back from the top only by the Rolling Stones' "Paint It, Black."

1966
The Rolling Stones reach #1 with "Paint It Black".

1966
Jr. Walker & the All Stars hit #20 with "(I'm A) Road Runner".

1978
Shadow Dancing (Andy Gibb) was a hit.

1982
Steven Spielberg's 'ET' opens in movie theaters.

1983
Naked Eyes hit #8 in the US with "Always Something There To Remind Me".

1989
Joined by new members Warren Haynes (guitar) and Allen Woody (bass), a recharged Allman Brothers Band hits the road.

1992
MTV Europe's U2/ZooTV competition is won by a 24-year-old British viewer. The prize involves a live satellite link-up from his home in Nottingham, UK to the band onstage in Stockholm.