A calendar of rock history including birthdays, deaths, milestones, chart toppers, concerts, record releases, and other important events in music history.
Our sources include: Wikipedia, This Day in Music, This Day in Rock, Led Zeppelin.com, Classic Rock Concerts, The Concert Database, Live Music Archive, The Allman Brothers Band, Janis Joplin.net, The Who This Month, Setlist.fm, All The Songs: The Story Behind Every Beatles Release by Jean-Michel Guesdon & Phillipe Margotin (Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers,) Echoes – The Complete History of Pink Floyd by Glen Povey (Mind Head Publishing)
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1967, Jimi Hendrix’s debut LP, Are You Experienced? entered the Billboard Hot 200 album chart, where it stayed for 106 weeks, including 77 weeks in the Top 40. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it number 15 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and two years later it was selected for permanent preservation in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress in the United States.
1967, Working at Abbey Road studios in … (read more…)
1965, The Ford Motor Company became the first automaker to offer an 8-track tape player as an option for their entire line of vehicles on sale in the US. Tapes were initially only available at auto parts stores. Home 8-track equipment was still a year away.
1966, The Who played at Gaumont Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England.
1966, The Small Faces were at number one on the UK singles chart with “All Or … (read more…)
1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared on UK music show Top Of The Pops.
1967, Filming continued for The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour in South West England. The Beatles searched for a quiet, secluded field in which they could conduct filming, but once they’d disembarked from the bus and set up for shooting, scores of onlookers began to crowd around, causing a traffic jam that required the police to step in. … (read more…)
1965, The Paul McCartney song “Yesterday” was released as a Beatles single.
1967, The Beatles formed an electronics company called Fiftyshapes, Ltd. appointing John Alexis Mardas (Magic Alex) to be the company’s director. Alex claimed he could build a 72-track tape machine, instead of the 4-track at Abbey Road (this never materialized). One of his more outrageous plans was to … (read more…)
1968, During their first ever tour Led Zeppelin appeared at the Stora Scenen at the Gröna Lund Amusement Park, in Stockholm, Sweden.
1969, King Crimson appeared at the Lyceum Ballroom, London
1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival scored their first chart topping album with Cosmo’s Factory. It enjoyed a nine-week run at number one and sold over three million copies.
1970, The Who begin a … (read more…)
1967, Filming began for The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour. There was no script, nor a very clear idea of exactly what was to be accomplished, not even a clear direction about where the bus was supposed to go. The “Magical Mystery Tour” bus set off for the West Country in England stopping for the night in Teignmouth, Devon were hundreds of fans greeted The Beatles at their hotel.
1967, Pink Floyd performed the … (read more…)
1964, The Kinks third single “You Really Got Me,” was at number one on the singles chart. Future Led Zeppelin founder and guitarist Jimmy Page played tambourine on the track.
1964, Rod Stewart recorded his first single, a version of Willie Dixon’s “Good Morning Little School Girl.” Future Led Zeppelin bass player John Paul Jones played on the session.
1965, The Who perform at Borough Assembly Hall in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. … (read more…)
1965, The Hollywood Reporter ran the following classified ad, “Madness folk & roll musicians, singers wanted for acting roles in new TV show. Parts for 4 insane boys.” The Monkees were born.
1965, The Rolling Stones were at number one with (“I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”
1967, Pink Floyd opened a four-date Scandanavian tour at the Boom Dancing Center in Aarhus, Denmark, supported by Wishful Thinking, Step by Step, Shaking … (read more…)
1966, The Who appeared at the Locarno Ballroon in Stevenage, England. This UK tour was notable for the addition of the single, “I’m A Boy” to the band’s repertoire.
1968, Pink Floyd were forced to cancel a performance at the Chatelet Teenage Festival in Belgium due to work permit problems. There were some violent reactions from the fans, but the several other bands, including The Kinks were able to play at the event.
1968, The … (read more…)
1968, The Doors played the first of two nights at The Roundhouse, London, playing twice nightly on their first UK visit. Granada TV filmed the sold out gigs, later shown as “The Doors Are Open,” which were attended by members of The Rolling Stones and Traffic.
1968, The Beach Boys played at at Patio Gardens in Farmington, Utah.
1968, Pink Floyd performed at Le Blboquet, St. Germain des Pres, in Paris, where … (read more…)
1966, The Who begin the week at The Palais in Ilford, Essex, England. Earlier in the day they record performances of “I’m A Boy” and “Heatwave” for British television’s Ready, Steady, GO!
1968, Working at Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles recoded overdubs onto the new George Harrison song “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Eric Clapton added the guitar solo and became the first outside … (read more…)
1964, The Animals started a three week run at number one on the singles chart with “House Of The Rising Sun.” When first released the record company printed the time of the song on the record as three minutes feeling that the real time of four minutes was too long for radio airplay.
1965, Sonny & Cher made their first live UK appearance when they appeared at the 100 Club in London.
1965, The Rolling Stones recorded their … (read more…)
