On this day today:
1925 - Bill Haley was born in Highland Park, Michigan.
1964 - The Beatles' first movie, "A Hard Day's Night," debuts in London.
1967 - Pink Floyd made their first appearance on the British TV show "Top Of The Pops," performing their song "See Emily Play."
1972 - David Bowie's performance of "Starman" on Top of the Pops sparked controversy among conservative British viewers when he boldly draped his arm around guitarist Mick Ronson's shoulder. This iconic moment catapulted Bowie to overnight fame, solidifying his status as a household name.
1973 - In the UK, Queen releases their self-titled debut album, accompanied by their first single, "Keep Yourself Alive." The album later sees its American release on September 4th.
1974 - "Rock The Boat" by The Hues Corporation achieves the milestone of becoming the first disco song to reach the top of the Hot 100 chart.
1975 - Curtis Jackson III, better known as 50 Cent, was born in Queens, New York. After being dropped from Columbia Records in 2000, he made a name for himself in the New York City rap scene and eventually signed with Dr. Dre's Shady/Aftermath Records. In 2003, he released his label debut album, "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," which became a massive success. The album included the hit single "In Da Club," which topped the charts at #1.
1977 - During Pink Floyd's final performance of their first stadium tour at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Roger Waters famously spat on an unruly fan and chastised the audience for setting off fireworks. This incident deeply influenced their next album, "The Wall."
1979 - The B-52s release their self-titled debut album, which includes one of their signature songs, "Rock Lobster."
1985 - Phil Collins' catchy hit "Sussudio," a song famously inspired by a girl with a unique name, reaches the #1 spot on the US charts, maintaining its position for one week.
1988 - MTV declines to air Neil Young's video for "This Note's For You," citing a policy against videos that include explicit mentions of products. The video, a parody of advertising campaigns, humorously references brands like Coke, Pepsi, Miller, and Bud in its lyrics.
1991 - Grunge music begins to make its mark on the mainstream as Alice in Chains' album "Facelift" peaks at #42 on the US charts, with their hit single "Man In The Box" reaching #18 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
1994 - The heartwarming drama "Forrest Gump" debuts in theaters, quickly becoming the highest-grossing film of the year in North America. Alongside its success at the box office, the movie earns multiple Academy Awards and spawns a hit soundtrack featuring iconic songs by Elvis Presley, Three Dog Night, The Doors, The Byrds, The Mamas & the Papas, Buffalo Springfield, and more.
1999 - East 17 was dropped by their record company after their last album sold fewer than 20,000 copies.
2007 - Avril Lavigne faced legal action from members of the 1970s rock band The Rubinoos, who accused her of copying their song. Songwriters Tommy Dunbar and James Gangwer claimed that Lavigne's hit "Girlfriend" bore similarities to their 1979 song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend."
2008 - Dizzee Rascal, along with Calvin Harris and Chrome, begins a four-week reign at No. 1 on the UK singles chart with their hit song 'Dance Wiv Me'.
2009 - Guitarist Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker announce their departure from Panic! At The Disco, leaving vocalist Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith to carry on as the band's core members.
2019 - "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X makes history with an impressive 13-week run at #1 on the Hot 100, breaking the record for the longest-running hip-hop song at the top. Previous record holders, including "Lose Yourself," "Boom Boom Pow," and "See You Again," had held the position for 12 weeks each.
2020 - On his 85th birthday, The Dalai Lama releases "Inner World," an album that blends Buddhist mantras and prayers with musical compositions.
