1954 - A single that proved to be a turning point in popular music, "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley & The Comets, was released.
There is some dispute over what was the first rock song ever recorded (The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame says it's Rocket 88, which Haley covered in 1951), but this is indisputably the first rock song to top the charts, and generally considered the beginning of the "Rock Era," at least for chart purposes.
1968 - The Beatles armed with a bunch of new songs after their visit to India, met at George Harrison's home in Esher, Surrey. The, unplugged, taped 23 new songs on George's 4-track recorder, many of which would end up on The Beatles' next two albums, (The White Album) and Abbey Road. The demos include: ‘Cry Baby Cry’, Revolution’, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’, ‘Blackbird’ and ‘Child of Nature’ (a Lennon song that became ‘Jealous Guy’). Many of those appeared on the Esher Demos with the White album deluxe issue.
1997 - Foo Fighters released their second album 'The Colour And The Shape.' It's unapologetic arena rock -- it’s all polished thunder, rock & roll that’s about precision not abandon. But everything here, from the powerful rush of the band to the big hooks and sleek surface, wound up defining the sound of post-grunge modern rock, and it remains as perhaps the best example of its kind. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for DIRECTV)
2012 - Robin Gibb, one-third of the Bee Gees and a singer-songwriter who helped to turn disco into a global phenomenon by providing the core of the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever, died from cancer at age 62.
2013 - Ray Manzarek, keyboard player and founder member of the Doors, died at age 74. It was Ray who met Jim Morrison on Venice Beach and encouraged him to sing with his band at the time, Rick & the Ravens. Band members came and went, eventually adding drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robbie Krieger. it was Morrison suggested a name change to The Doors.
2016 - Barenaked Ladies release the live album BNL Rocks Red Rocks, which was recorded on June 10, 2015, at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Guests include former Men at Work frontman Colin Hay and Violent Femmes sax player Blaise Garza, who join BNL for a rendition of Hay's 1982 hit "Who Can It Be Now?"
2021 - Drummer Roger Hawkins died age 75. He was best known for playing as part of the studio band known as the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. His drumming can be heard on dozens of hit singles, including tracks by Percy Sledge (‘When a Man Loves a Woman’), Aretha Franklin (‘Respect’), Wilson Pickett (‘Mustang Sally’. Hawkins also worked with Duane Allman, Joe Cocker, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, Bonnie Bramlett, Boz Scaggs, Albert King, Traffic, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton and Willie Nelson.
Birthdays:
Cher is 76.
Joe Cocker was born today in 1944. Joe lived many years in Crawford, Colorado.
Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's is 64.
Dan Wilson, Semisonic, is 61. Co-wrote Adele's hit, "Someone Like You."
Jake Luppen of Hippo Campus is 27.
On this Day In Music History are gathered from This Day in Music, Allmusic, Song Facts and Wikipedia.