25 OCTOBER
In Music History
1980 Barbra Streisand's "Woman In Love" hits #1 on the Hot 100. The song is written by two of the Bee Gees: Barry and Robin Gibb.
1977 Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd is laid to rest in a Jacksonville cemetery five days after dying in a plane crash that also killed band members Steve and Cassie Gaines. Skynyrd piano player Billy Powell is the only band member healthy enough to attend the funeral, and even he is on crutches with stitches on his face from the crash.
1976 Bruce Springsteen plays the Philadelphia Spectrum. It's a big deal because Bruce has said that he'd never play a large sports arena. Concerned about getting the sound right, he orders a 2-hour soundcheck before the show.
1974 The Pointer Sisters become the first Black female group to play the Grand Ole Opry. They earn their invite from their song "Fairytale," which goes on to win a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group.
1973 Rick Nelson appears as a former rock-star-turned-murderous-pimp on the "Harem" episode of ABC-TV's Streets Of San Francisco.
1971 Clutch singer/guitarist Neil Fallon is born in Portsmouth, Virginia.
1970 Led Zeppelin's LP Led Zeppelin III hits #1.
1970 Ed Robertson (frontman for Barenaked Ladies) is born Lloyd Edward Elwyn Robertson in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
1969 Two fictional bands fronted by Ron Dante are in the US Top 10: "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies at #3 and "Tracy" by The Cuff Links at #9.
1968 Arrested Development leader Speech is born Todd Thomas in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1968 The New Yardbirds perform for the first time under their new name Led Zeppelin at a gig at Surrey University, England.
1964 The Rolling Stones appear on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time, performing their Chuck Berry cover "Around And Around" and their Irma Thomas cover "Time Is On My Side," which thanks to exposure on the show, becomes their first US Top 10 hit in December. The group makes five more appearances on the show.
1963 Peter, Paul and Mary's self-titled LP hits #1.
1963 John Leven (bass guitarist for Europe) is born in Stockholm, Sweden.
1962 The Beatles give their first-ever radio interview, on Radio Clatterbridge, a closed-circuit radio station serving Cleaver and Clatterbridge Hospitals in Wirral, near Liverpool. Paul is quoted as saying "John is, in fact, the leader of the group."
Grunge Is All The Rage As Eddie Vedder (Unwillingly) Makes The Cover Of Time
1993Time magazine puts Eddie Vedder on the cover with the headline "All The Rage." Both Vedder and Kurt Cobain refused to speak with the magazine for the story, but they run it anyway in an attempt to explain why young people are listening to such angry music.
Read more25 OCTOBER
Featured Events
2017 Nashville stages a star-studded farewell concert for Kenny Rogers, who has decided to retire after a 60-year music career. A range of acts salute the singer with covers of some of his most memorable songs, with Chris Stapleton taking on "The Gambler," Lionel Richie singing "Lady," and Don Henley performing the Eagles' "Desperado," which Rogers covered. The highlight of the evening is when Rogers takes the stage with his duet partner Dolly Parton, as the two close out the night with "Islands in the Stream."More
2008 Britney Spears returns to the top of the Hot 100 with "Womanizer," her first #1 on that chart since her debut single, "...Baby One More Time," in 1999.More
2006 Forbes declares Kurt Cobain the top-earning dead celebrity, beating out Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Johnny Cash, George Harrison, Ray Charles, and Bob Marley.More
1999 As bluegrass music starts to take off in America, Dolly Parton releases The Grass Is Blue. The album gives her career a boost and wins the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album.More
1986 Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors," written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, hits #1 in America. The song becomes an anthem of acceptance and is reinterpreted many times over the years.
1985 One of the first rap movies, Krush Groove, is released in American theaters. Featuring Run-DMC, New Edition and Sheila E., the film is based on the life story of Russell Simmons, co-founder of the hip-hop label Def Jam.
1977 Elton John appears on The Muppet Show, where he performs "Crocodile Rock," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart." Elton is one of the inspirations for Dr. Teeth of the Muppets' house band, The Electric Mayhem.
1975 Paul Simon issues his fourth solo album, Still Crazy After All These Years. "Gone At Last," "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover," and the title track all reach the US Top 40, and the album hits #1, Simon's first to do so. Emancipated from Simon & Garfunkel, fans stop shouting "Where's Artie?" at his shows.
1961 Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, who haven't seen each other since primary school, run into each other at the Dartford train station in England - Keith is on his way to Sidcup Art College; Mick is headed to the London School of Economics. Noticing the Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry albums Mick is carrying, Keith strikes up a conversation. They later form The Rolling Stones.
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