On This Day
We take you back into classic rock’s history and legacy to note important events that happened on this date as well as celebrate the birthdays of major musical artists and mourn their passing.
Aug 6, 1965: Small Faces Release Debut UK Single
The precursor to Faces were born in 1965. The East London quartet, specializing in high-energy R&B covers + a handful of originals, soon found a devoted audience
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Rick Derringer: Putting the Hoochie Koo Back in Rock and Roll
He hit #1 in 1965 with “Hang On Sloopy” with his band The McCoys, worked with Johnny & Edgar Winter, wrote “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” and more
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Aug 4, 2015: Billy Joel Closes Venue With Paul Simon
The Long Island native has had many memorable concerts at the venue. The “Piano Man” closed it—and reopened it 18 months later
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Happy Anniversary to the Billboard Hot 100 Chart!
When they say a song is #1, the chart they are talking about is the Billboard magazine Hot 100. See what the very first chart topper was and some eye-opening totals
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August 3, 2006: Love’s Arthur Lee Dies
The frontman and leader of the 1960s Los Angeles band Love is one of classic rock’s stars that should have been and was admired by artists then and now.
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August 2, 1987: Billy Joel Makes History In the USSR
The first major American rocker to bring a large-scale rock concert to the country when he accepted an invitation from the Kremlin to play several concerts on Russian soil
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When Don Henley Surprised His ‘Nemesis,’ Mojo Nixon
Gotta hand it to the guy: Jumping onstage to sing along on a song that calls for your death is a pretty cool move. The crowd went wild
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Aug. 1, 1981: MTV Debut Was a Game Changer
The notion of a 24-hour cable TV channel airing music videos was hardly an assured success when MTV launched. It proved to be a media game changer
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July 31, 2021: Paul Cotton, Longtime Poco Guitarist/Vocalist, Dies
The guitarist and vocalist, a mainstay of the country-rock legends for nearly 40 years, wrote such Poco favorites as “Bad Weather” and “Heart of the Night.”
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July 31, 1923: Atlantic Records Founder Ahmet Ertegun Born
His biographer called Ahmet Ertegun “The Last Sultan.” Truly hip, smart and a devoted lover of music, he presided over the legendary label with style and grace
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