1958 - Fans of rock 'n' roll music were warned that listening to music on the car radio could cost them more money. Researchers from the Esso (formerly Standard Oil, later Exxon) petroleum company said the rhythm of rock music could cause the driver to be foot-heavy on the pedal, making them waste fuel.
1973 - The self-titled debut by the New York Dolls is released. It was produced by Todd Rundgren. They managed to be named both "Best New Band" and "Worst Band" in Creem Magazine's annual reader's poll, and it usually takes something special to polarize an audience like that. And the Dolls were inarguably special -- decades after its release, New York Dolls still sounds thoroughly unique, a gritty, big-city amalgam of Stones-style R&B, hard rock guitars, lyrics that merge pulp storytelling with girl group attitude, and a sloppy but brilliant attack that would inspire punk rock
1974 - Lynyrd Skynyrd released "Sweet Home Alabama."
Some of the lyrics are a jab at Neil Young:
I hope Neil Young will remember
A southern man don't need him around anyhow
Young had written songs like "Southern Man" and "Alabama," which implied that people in the American South were racist and stuck in the past. Skynyrd responded with "Sweet Home Alabama," a song about Southern pride and all the good things in Alabama.
The feud between Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young was always good-natured fun; they were actually mutual fans. Ronnie Van Zant often wore Neil Young T-shirts onstage and is wearing one on the cover of Street Survivors, the last Skynyrd album released before his death.
1977 - Neil Young releases American Stars 'n Bars. Containing an eclectic batch of songs pieced together from four different recording sessions going back as far as three years (with "Star of Bethlehem" being the oldest), the album features one of Young's most iconic tunes, "Like a Hurricane."
1984 - On this day in 1984, a little flick called "Purple Rain", starring Prince in his acting debut, was released.
Prince plays The Kid, a young musician, tormented by an abusive situation at home, must contend with a rival singer, a burgeoning romance, and his own dissatisfied band, as his star begins to rise.
It won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score.
1994 -After a 14-year hiatus, the Eagles reunite for a show in Burbank, California. They soon launch their "Hell Freezes Over" tour, which becomes the first tour to charge more than $100 for a substantial number of tickets.
The tour is scheduled to end in 1995, but is so successful they keep it going another year, including a European leg. And it kept going. The Long Goodbye tour hits Ball Arena Oct. 5th & 6th. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
2007 The Simpsons Movie debuts. Early in the film, Green Day sink into Lake Springfield.
2022 - Season 4 of the Netflix series Stranger Things airs with a scene featuring the 1985 Kate Bush song "Running Up That Hill." The song starts trending and enters the Top 10 in 34 different territories, including America.
Birthdays:
Andy White was born today in 1930. He was affectionately christened 'the fifth Beatle' as he was best known for replacing Ringo Starr on drums on The Beatles' first single, 'Love Me Do'. He passed away in 2015.
Neil Finnn is 65. He's consistently proven his knack for crafting high-quality songs that combine irresistible melodies with meticulous lyrical detail, from his beginnings as the precocious junior member of Split Enz, through his leadership of Crowded House, and, finally, in his distinguished solo career.
Bruce Cockburn is 78. One of Canada's greatest singer/songwriters, Bruce Cockburn has won international acclaim for his insightful songs of emotional honesty and social significance in a career that's lasted well over five decades.
R.I.P.
2021 - Dusty Hill of ZZ Top dies at 72, ending a 51-year run where the band's lineup was always Hill, Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard.
2011 - Gil Scott-Heron, a spoken-word performer who dubbed himself a "bluesologist," dies at age 62. Essential song: "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised".
2017 - Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band dies at age 69. His most visible contribution to rock music was as lead singer, organist, and songwriter with the Allman Brothers Band, founded by his brother Duane in 1969. He never threatened to eclipse the band that carried his family name, but he found occasional success and popularity with his solo work, which was distinctly different, more soulful, and less focused on high-wattage virtuosity.
Allman's instrument was the organ, and he was most effective, when in top form, as a singer. His first instrument, ironically enough, was the guitar, and he took it up before his older brother Duane did. But Duane learned it better and quickly eclipsed Gregg. Where Gregg did excel, however, was on the organ and as a singer (a role Duane was never comfortable with), which proved important but not at the center of a group that became famous for its 40-minute instrumental jams and three-hour sets.
On this Day In Music History was sourced from This Day in Music, IMDB, Allmusic, Song Facts and Wikipedia.
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