1955 - Bill Haley & His Comets' "Rock Around The Clock" becomes the first Rock song to hit #1. The song became a massive hit after it appeared in the film Blackboard Jungle.
1962 - Bob Dylan recorded "Blowin' In the Wind" at Columbia Recording Studios in New York City during an afternoon session. Dylan claims that he wrote this song in about 10. He put words to the melody of an old slave song called "No More Auction Block." Dylan said at the time: "There ain't too much I can say about this song except that the answer is blowing in the wind. It ain't in no book or movie or TV show or discussion group. Man, it's in the wind — and it's blowing in the wind."
1977 - Elvis Costello quit his job at Elizabeth Arden Cosmetics to become a full-time musician.
1983 - The Police started an eight-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Every Breath You Take." This is one of the most misinterpreted songs ever. It is about an obsessive stalker, but it sounds like a love song. In a 1983 interview with the New Musical Express, Sting explained: "I think it's a nasty little song, really rather evil. It's about jealousy and surveillance and ownership." Sting wrote this at the same desk in Jamaica where Ian Fleming wrote his James Bond novels. (Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)
1995 - The Grateful Dead gave their last concert with leader Jerry Garcia at Chicago's Soldier Field. Jerry would die of a heart attack a month later while in drug rehab.
Birthdays:
Lee Hazlewood was born today in 1929. He passed away in 2007.
AC/DC's first singer Bon Scott was born today in 1946. He passed away in 1980.
Mitch Mitchell, drums, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, born on this day in 1947.
Debbie Sledge of Sister Sledge is 67.
Jim Kerr of Simple Minds is 62.
Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse is 46.
Jack White is 46.
Mandy Lee of Misterwives is 29.
Courtney Love is 57
On This Day In Music History is sourced from This Day in Music, Song Facts and Wikipedia.