1975 - "Live From New York"...Saturday Night - a title later changed to Saturday Night Live - made its debut on NBC. Music is a big part of the show, and the first episode features two musical guests performing two songs each: Janis Ian doing "At Seventeen" and "In the Winter," and Billy Preston playing "Nothing from Nothing" and "Fancy Lady."
1976 - The Sex Pistols recorded their first single, "Anarchy in the U.K." It would be a smash, despite being banned by the BBC. The lyrics reflected the sense of anger, confusion, restlessness, economic frustration and social alienation which was being felt by a generation of disenfranchised youth in the 1970s.
But the song isn't actually advocating anarchy. "I have always thought that anarchy is mind games for the middle class," frontman John Lydon told Rolling Stone. "It's a luxury. It can only be afforded in a democratic society, therefore kind of slightly f--king redundant. It also offers no answers and I hope in my songwriting I'm offering some kind of answer to a thing, rather than spitefully wanting to wreck everything for no reason at all, other than it doesn't suit you."
1981 - Prince gets booed off the stage while opening a show for The Rolling Stones at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. The Stones have good intentions in bringing in a rising star, but his act isn't a good fit for this crowd, and when he opens his trench coat to reveal bikini briefs, it gets ugly. Prince never again performs as an opening act.
2003 - Mojo magazine readers voted the studio session for Elvis Presley's debut single 'That's All Right' the most pivotal moment in rock history. Bob Dylan's switch from acoustic to electric guitars in 1965 came second, and 'White Riot, the debut single by The Clash released in 1977 was voted third. The Beatles first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 was fourth and The Rolling Stones' release of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" placed fifth.
Birthdays:
Gary Mallaber, writer and drummer from Steve Miller Band, is 76.
Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates is 76. One of the fine soul singers of his generation, Daryl Hall also was an inventive pop/rock songwriter, both on his own and in conjunction with his lifelong creative partner, John Oates. Hall & Oates took a long road to success, starting as a folk-rock duo at the dawn of the 1970s, then winding through soft AM pop and prog rock before striking pay dirt with the smooth soul of "Sara Smile." "Rich Girl" gave the duo their first number one in 1977. The new wave R&B of "Maneater," "Kiss on My List," "You Make My Dreams," and "Private Eyes" made Daryl Hall & John Oates superstars in the early '80s. Discovered a second career as a talk show host via his online series Live from Daryl's House.
Cardi B is 30.
On this Day In Music History was sourced from This Day in Music, Song Facts Allmusic, and Wikipedia.