1955, Billboard reported that for the first time since their introduction in 1949, 45rpm singles were outselling the old standard 78’s.
1958, Perry Como was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Magic Moments’ the 2nd No.1 in a row for writers Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It stayed at No.1 for eight weeks.
1964, The Beatles worked on the final mixes for ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ and ‘You Can’t Do That’ tracks. The single, which was released the following month, topped the charts all over the world.
1965, Jimmy Page released a solo single called ‘She Just Satisfies’ in the UK. Page played all the instruments on it except for the drums, and produced the track, as well as singing lead vocals.
1966, Nancy Sinatra went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘These Boots Are Made For Walking’, also a UK No.1.
1966, The Beatles Rubber Soul was at No.1 on the US album chart, the group’s seventh US album chart topper.
1969, Peter Sarstedt started a four week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Where Do You Go To My Lovely?’ Some say the song was written about the Italian star Sophia Loren, but Peter Sarstedt has stated he wrote the song about a girl he fell madly in love with in Vienna in 1965, who later died in a hotel fire.
1977, The Eagles went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘New Kid On Town’, the group’s third US No.1, a No.20 hit n the UK.
1979, During a court case between the Sex Pistols and their manager Malcolm McLaren it was revealed that only £30,000 ($51,000) was left of the £800,000 ($1,360,000) the band had earned.
1980, After seeing U2 play at Dublin’s National Boxing Stadium in front of 2,400 people; Rob Partridge and Bill Stewart from Island Records in the UK offered the band a recording contract.
1983, Michael Jackson’s Thriller went to No.1 on the US album chart. It went on to become the most successful album of all time with sales over 50 million copies.
1997, American songwriter Ben Raleigh died in a fire in his kitchen after setting fire to his bath robe while cooking. He co-wrote ‘Scooby Doo Where Are You’ and ‘Tell Laura I Love Her.’
2001, Winners at the Brit Awards included Coldplay, Best British group and Best British album for ‘Parachutes’, Robbie Williams, Best British Male artist and Best single for ‘Rock DJ’, Sonique, Best British Female artist, Best Dance act went to Fat Boy Slim, A1 won Best British Newcomer, Westlife won Best Pop act, Eminem won Best International Male solo artist and U2 won Outstanding contribution to music.
2001, The Darkness made their live debut when they played at Camden HQ. It was a tribute gig to raise money for the family of Ed’s band mate from his previous band Q-Sling who had committed suicide earlier that month.
2008, Two original members of UK boy band Busted went to court, claiming an estimated £10m in unpaid royalties. Ki McPhail and Owen Doyle claimed they wrote songs with James Bourne and Matt Willis when the group formed in 2001, but said they were forced to sign away their rights after “threats” when they were sacked from the band later that year. The songs include ‘Year 3000’ and ‘What I Go To School For’, which went on to be hits for the group.
2009, A 10-minute version of The Beatles ‘Revolution 1’ was leaked onto the internet, giving fans a never-before-heard listen of what The White Album sessions must have been like. Only two copies of the take were made when the song was completed on June 4th, 1968. One copy left the studio with Lennon that day and the other remained behind. It was unclear which copy appeared on the bootleg, nor how anyone acquired it.
2011, It was announced that Queen’s We Will Rock You was still the most-played song at US sporting events, according to a new survey from BMI, the royalty-distribution service. According to its data, based off of MLB, NFL and NHL games in 2009-2010, We Will Rock You was the No.1 song overall, as well as for the NFL specifically.
2014, Tim Lambesis, the singer for US metal band As I Lay Dying, pleaded guilty to attempting to hire an undercover agent to murder his estranged wife. He was arrested in May 2013 after prosecutors said he met a sheriff’s deputy posing as a hitman, called Red, and handed over $1,000 along with his wife’s address and front door security code.
2015, The childhood home of former Beatle Paul McCartney sold for £150,000 ($231,000) at an auction in Liverpool. McCartney moved into the house, in Western Avenue, Speke, aged four with his parents Jim and Mary in 1947, and lived in the three-bedroom house for six years.
