Calendar Search Results: on about
December 25, 1971 Melanie's "Brand New Key," a whimsical song about a young girl pursuing a boy with a skate key that might fit her pair, hits #1 in America for the first of three weeks.
December 4, 1971 During a Frank Zappa concert, the Montreux Casino in Switzerland catches fire when someone fires a flare gun, inspiring Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water." Deep Purple are there to record their album Machine Head the following day, but end up using the Grand Hotel and including the song as a last-minute addition.More
November 26, 1971 Yes release Fragile, their fourth album and first with keyboard player Rick Wakeman. It includes some of their most enduring songs, including "Long Distance Runaround" and "Roundabout."
October 15, 1971 Rick Nelson (formerly Ricky) plays the "Rock & Roll Spectacular" concert at Madison Square Garden. When he plays some newer songs, the hit-hungry audience boos. Nelson writes the song "Garden Party" about the experience, and it becomes a hit, reviving his career.More
August 28, 1971 John Denver's first hit, "Take Me Home Country Roads," peaks at #2 on the Hot 100, held back by the Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?" Denver's song, which endures as a singalong favorite, is about West Virgina, but he had never been there - the lyric was inspired by postcards his co-writer Bill Danoff received from a friend who lived in that state.
August 1, 1971 George Harrison hosts the Concert For Bangladesh, the first major charity concert and the precursor to Live Aid. Guests include Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston and Ringo Starr.More
June 19, 1971 Carole King's album Tapestry hits #1 in the US, where it stays for 15 weeks.More
May 28, 1971 Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (and before that, The Hollies), releases his first solo album, Songs For Beginners. The first single is "Chicago (We Can Change The World)," which he wrote about protesters at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
April 20, 1971 Five friends at San Rafael High School in California coin the term "4:20" as a euphemism for smoking pot. April 20th becomes a popular day to spark one up, as does 4:20 pm. Note that the Boston song "Smokin'" clocks in at 4 minutes, 20 seconds, and if you multiply the title numbers in Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women #12 And #35," you get 420. Dude!More
March 26, 1971 The Rolling Stones' lips and tongue logo appears for the first time when it is used on VIP passes for their show at the Marquee Club in London.More
February 10, 1971 Carole King releases Tapestry, a singer-songwriter landmark that becomes one of the most successful and influential albums ever made.More
January 19, 1971 The Beatles' "Helter Skelter" is played at Charles Manson's murder trial as evidence. Manson claimed the song was about an impending race war, and led to murderous acts.
January 2, 1971 George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, his first album released after the breakup of The Beatles, begins a seven-week run at the top of the US albums chart.More
December 21, 1970 Music and politics collide when Elvis Presley meets President Richard Nixon at the White House. A famous photo of the two shaking hands horrifies many Elvis fans.More
December 18, 1970 Segregationist Georgia governor Lester Maddox walks off The Dick Cavett Show when the host implies his supporters are bigots. Randy Newman writes a song about it, "Rednecks," which begins: Last night I saw Lester Maddox on a TV show
October 12, 1970 Jesus Christ Superstar opens on Broadway, telling the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus.More
October 10, 1970 The head of the FCC issues a statement in rebuttal to Vice President Spiro Agnew's complaint that radio stations were playing too many songs about drugs. The statement reads: "If we really want to do something about drugs, let's do something about life... The song writers are trying to help us understand our plight and deal with it. It's about the only leadership we're getting. They're not really urging you to adopt a heroin distribution program, Mr. Vice President."
October 4, 1970 Janis Joplin is found dead at the Landmark Hotel in Los Angeles after a heroin overdose. She was just 27.More
August 29, 1970 Edwin Starr's "War" hits #1 for the first of three weeks. According to Starr, the song isn't specifically about the Vietnam War, but deals with gang violence and other domestic disputes.
August 27, 1970 No Doubt bass player Tony Kanal is born in London to Indian parents. He and frontwoman Gwen Stefani date for about seven years, triggering the song "Don't Speak," but they manage to remain friends and bandmates after their split.
August 25, 1970 The little-known 23-year-old singer Elton John plays his first live show in the United States, co-headlining with the singer/songwriter David Ackles at The Troubadour in West Hollywood. The show gets rave reviews, giving him a huge career boost in America.More
July 28, 1970 The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger makes his acting debut in Ned Kelly, a film about the legendary Australian outlaw, which makes his debut in Kelly's own hometown of Glenrowan.
July 27, 1970 A free concert in Chicago becomes a riot when fans pelt the stage with rocks and bottles before Sly & the Family Stone can go on. The band titles their next album There's a Riot Goin' On.More
July 4, 1970 Casey Kasem debuts the radio show American Top 40, where he counts down the Billboard hits (the #1 song: "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)" by Three Dog Night). He hosts the show until 2004, when Ryan Seacrest takes over.More
June 22, 1970 The Who show in Atlanta is delayed after Pete Townshend, frustrated waiting to take off in Memphis, jokes about planting a bomb on the airplane, resulting in a search of the aircraft and a few hours of questioning.
June 14, 1970 A billboard taking up an entire city block to promote Grand Funk Railroad goes up in New York City's Times Square. It costs Capitol Records about $100,000 but pays off when their Closer To Home album sells over 2 million copies and they sell out Shea Stadium the next summer.
June 7, 1970 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young play the Fillmore East in New York City, where Graham Nash debuts his song "Simple Man," written about his breakup with Joni Mitchell the day before. The show is broadcast live on WNEW-FM and later released as the album Fillmore East 1970.
June 4, 1970 Just one month after the Kent State Shootings, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young release "Ohio," a song about the tragedy.
June 4, 1970 Elvis Presley records "Twenty Days And Twenty Nights," "I've Lost You," "I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago," "The Sound Of Your Cry," "Faded Love," "The Fool," "A Hundred Years From Now," "Little Cabin On The Hill," and "Cindy, Cindy."
May 21, 1970 At the Record Plant in Los Angeles, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young record "Ohio," a song Neil Young wrote about the Kent State Shootings from two weeks earlier.
©2026 Songfacts®, LLC