Pick a Day

Music History Events: Releases

June 14, 1970 The Grateful Dead release their fourth album, Workingman's Dead. With more compact songs like "Uncle John's Band" and "Casey Jones," it reaches a wider audience than their previous albums.

June 13, 1970 Uriah Heep release their debut album, ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble, in the UK. Critic Melissa Mills of Rolling Stone says she'll commit suicide if the group "makes it," but the negative critical reaction doesn't stop Heep from appealing to fans and moving on to have a long, successful career as a trailblazing heavy metal band.

June 4, 1970 Just one month after the Kent State Shootings, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young release "Ohio," a song about the tragedy.

June 3, 1970 Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours," with a funky descending bass line courtesy of Motown Funk Brother Bob Babbitt, is released as a single.

April 6, 1970 Diana Ross, having left The Supremes four months earlier, issues her debut single as a solo artist, "Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's Hand)."

April 1, 1970 The Joni Mitchell album Ladies Of The Canyon, with the songs "Big Yellow Taxi" and "The Circle Game," is released.

March 20, 1970 Elton John's "Border Song" is released, but fails to chart in the UK (it reaches #92 in the US). Nearly a year later, "Your Song" becomes his first hit.

January 29, 1970 Elvis Presley releases "Kentucky Rain."

November 7, 1969 Pink Floyd release their third album, Ummagumma, in the UK. Tracks include "Astronomy Domine" and "Careful With That Axe, Eugene."

October 14, 1969 The Supremes release "Someday, We'll Be Together," their last single with Diana Ross, who launches a solo career and is replaced by Jean Terrell.

July 25, 1969 Yes release their self-titled debut album, one of the first in the progressive rock genre.

June 3, 1969 Elton John's first album, Empty Sky, is released in the UK and initially sells 4,000 copies. It isn't released in America until 1975.

April 28, 1969 The self-titled, debut album by Chicago Transit Authority is released. For their next album, the group shortens their name to Chicago.More

April 9, 1969 Bob Dylan stuns fans and critics alike by releasing Nashville Skyline, a country album sung in an entirely different voice from the one Dylan has been using.

December 2, 1968 Cruising with Ruben & the Jets, the fourth studio album of the Mothers of Invention, is released.

March 4, 1968 The Mothers of Invention release their third studio album, We're Only it It for the Money.

February 22, 1968 Genesis release their first single, "The Silent Sun." At this point, the band is a 5-piece fronted by Peter Gabriel with Chris Stewart on drums. Phil Collins joins two years later.

January 16, 1968 Blue Cheer release their debut album, Vincebus Eruptum. Considered a high-water mark of psychedelic music, it's also a formative influence on the heavy metal genre.

December 26, 1967 The Osborne Brothers release "Rocky Top." Written by Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, it's named for Rocky Top, Tennessee, in the Smoky Mountains. In 1982 it becomes an official state song of Tennessee.

October 18, 1967 Louis Armstrong, 66 years old, releases "What a Wonderful World." It goes to #1 in the UK, but takes a lot longer to catch on in his home country of America, where it doesn't make much impact until 1988 when it's used in the film Good Morning, Vietnam.

August 7, 1967 Following two albums recorded as a member of the Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa releases his debut solo album, Lumpy Gravy, in which he conducts an orchestra but doesn't actually play any instruments himself in order to get around some contractual issues that cause the album to be withdrawn a few days later. It's released with numerous changes on May 13, 1968.

May 26, 1967 Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention release Absolutely Free, their second studio album. Considerably more commercially successful than their debut album, it peaks at #41.

March 10, 1967 Aretha Franklin issues her first album on Atlantic Records, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You. Featuring the hit title track and her soon-to-be-signature "Respect," it sets her on a path to stardom.

February 10, 1967 After seven years at Columbia, Aretha Franklin releases her first single on Atlantic Records, "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)." It becomes her first big hit, clearing a path to the throne of the Queen of Soul.

June 27, 1966 Led by Frank Zappa, the Mothers of Invention release their debut album Freak Out! Critics and music fans alike are baffled by what they hear.

April 1, 1966 David Bowie's first solo single is released, "Do Anything You Say." It flops.

December 9, 1963 The Beach Boys release "Little Saint Nick," which envisions Santa in a hot-rod sleigh.

November 23, 1963 "Walk In The Room"/"Till You'll Say You'll Be Mine" is released by Jackie DeShannon; the A-side is later covered by numerous artists.

September 16, 1963 The Beach Boys release their third album, Surfer Girl. Five of the tracks have the word "surf" in the title.

February 25, 1963 The Beatles release "Please Please Me" in America. It gets little attention, but becomes one of their big hits a year later when Beatlemania strikes and the song is re-released.