Pick a Day

Music History Events: Milestones

January 5, 1968 Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits album is certified gold.

November 27, 1967 The Association's "Never My Love" is certified gold.

December 21, 1966 The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" single as well as their Little Deuce Coupe and Shut Down, Vol. 2. albums are all certified gold.

December 1, 1966 The Mamas and The Papas' Cass, John, Michelle and Denny album is certified Gold.

November 28, 1966 The New Vaudeville Band's "Winchester Cathedral" is certified gold.

October 5, 1965 Henry Mancini's soundtrack LP The Pink Panther is certified gold.

October 1, 1964 The Beatles' first film, A Hard Day's Night, becomes the first movie to debut behind the "Iron Curtain" of Communist countries when it is shown in Prague.

March 16, 1964 The Beatles set a US record when advance sales of the "Can't Buy Me Love" single top two million.

January 15, 1964 The King and I soundtrack album is certified gold.

December 12, 1963 John Fitzgerald Kennedy - A Memorial Album becomes the fastest-selling album ever, moving four million units in six days. The album contained speeches by Kennedy and news reports from the days after he was killed.

July 20, 1963 Ray Conniff's Concert In Rhythm and Memories Are Made Of This are certified gold.

January 24, 1962 The Beatles sign their first and only management contract with Brian Epstein at the manager's offices at 12 Whitechapel St. in Liverpool. Epstein is to receive a full one-quarter of the band's earnings, yet to prove his worth, he does not sign the contract until the following October.

January 30, 1961 Songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller announce that they are forming their own independent production company.

November 21, 1960 Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs' "Stay" hits #1 in America. One of the most famous falsetto songs ever recorded, it is later covered by The Four Seasons and Jackson Browne. Running just 1:38, it's the shortest song ever to top the Hot 100.

September 24, 1960 Hank Ballard and the Midnighters' "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" enters the Hot 100, joining their songs "Finger Poppin' Time" and "The Twist" (the original version) on the chart. It's the first time an act has had three songs on the Hot 100 at the same time.

May 23, 1960 The Everly Brothers' "Cathy's Clown" hits #1 in America for the first of five weeks. In the UK, it has been at #1 since May 11, making it the first song to top both charts at the same time.

January 9, 1960 Patsy Cline becomes a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

January 21, 1959 The Kingston Trio's "Tom Dooley" is certified Gold.

November 9, 1958 Elvis Presley's massive hit "Hound Dog" - with "Don't Be Cruel" on the flip side - becomes only the third record in history to sell more than three million copies, following Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and Gene Autry's "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer."

August 11, 1958 Elvis Presley's "Hard Headed Woman" is certified Gold.

July 8, 1958 The RIAA gives its first ever Gold album to the Oklahoma! soundtrack for $1 million in sales. The Gold standard for albums is changed in 1975 to reflect sales of over 500,000.

March 27, 1958 Stereo albums are introduced.

January 13, 1958 Marty Robbins' #1 country hit "The Story of My Life" peaks at #15 on the Hot 100. It's the first hit from Burt Bacharach and Hal David, who become one of the most prolific and renowned songwriting duos of the '60s and '70s.

November 24, 1957 Harry Belafonte's "Mary's Boy Child" becomes the first single to sell a million copies in the UK. It stays at #1 for an unheard-of seven weeks and becomes a perennial UK Christmas favorite.

October 7, 1957 The idea of expanding his gospel album into a Christmas album works out well when Elvis Presley's Elvis' Christmas Album earns pre-orders of 500,000 copies, going Gold before it is even released. It eventually becomes the best-selling Christmas album of all time.

September 29, 1956 RCA Victor Co. announces that it has received over 856,327 advance orders for Elvis Presley's next single, "Love Me Tender."

September 25, 1956 Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender" becomes the first single to sell a million copies before its release.

March 22, 1956 Mr. Wonderful opens on Broadway. Its star Sammy Davis, Jr. will soon become a top entertainer and member of the Rat Pack.

January 31, 1956 Elvis Presley signs with the William Morris Agency in order to make himself available to film studios.

May 28, 1955 "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" has four different versions on the charts, including a #1 hit for Bill Hayes. The other three are by Fess Parker, Walter Schumann and Tennessee Ernie Ford.