1955: Billboard magazine published The Top 100 for the first time. The chart combined all aspects of a single’s performance, such as sales, airplay and jukebox activity, and was based on a point system that typically gave sales more weight than radio airplay. The “Best Sellers In Stores,” “Most Played by Jockeys” and “Most Played in Jukeboxes” charts continued to be published concurrently with the new Top 100 chart.

1964: On his 19th birthday, Neil Young wrote “Sugar Mountain” just after leaving one of his first bands, The Squires.

1964: Marvin Gaye released his fourth studio album, “Hello Broadway.”

1965: Marc Bolan, later of T. Rex fame, made his television debut on Britain’s Ready Steady Go! performing his first single, “The Wizard.” Additional acts on the program included Small Faces, The Nashville Teens, Tom Jones, and Wilson Pickett

1966: Teens on Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip clashed with police over the recent passage of a strict curfew that sought to reduce traffic and loitering. Young people saw it as an infringement of their civil rights and fliers were distributed along the Strip inviting people to demonstrate later that day. As many as 1,000 demonstrators arrived to protest the aggressive and repressive enforcement of the curfew law. The Sunset Strip curfew riots continued on and off into the early 1970s and inspired Stephen Stills to write the Buffalo Springfield hit “For What It’s Worth.” Other groups such as the Standells, the Mamas and the Papas, Frank Zappa, and the Monkees also recorded socially conscious songs inspired by the events.

1966: The Monkees released “I’m a Believer,” the second single from their second studio album, More of the Monkees. The song became the group’s second US #1 as well as an international hit. The single’s B-side “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, was originally recorded by Paul Revere and the Raiders and released as part of their Midnight Ride album earlier that year in May.

1966: The Monkees’ self-titled debut album started thirteen weeks at the top of the Billboard pop album chart and ultimately sold over three million copies in three months. It was later knocked off the #1 spot by the group’s second album, More of the Monkees, which stayed at the top for another eighteen weeks—the longest of any album by the group.

1966: Johnny Rivers achieved his only #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Poor Side of Town.” The song marked a transition from the Go Go sound of Rivers’ early hits to a pop-soul style. Background vocals on the song were provided by the Blossoms, lead by Darlene Love.

1971: America released their debut single, “A Horse with No Name.” It became their most successful song and first of two #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

1971: Bob Dylan released the single “George Jackson” as a tribute to Black Panther leader George Jackson, who had been killed by guards at San Quentin Prison during an attempted escape.

1975: The Doobie Brothers released “I Cheat the Hangman,” the third single from their fifth studio album, Stampede.

1976: Queen released “Somebody to Love,” the lead single from their fifth studio album, A Day at the Races. It later reached #2 in the UK, #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #9 on the Cash Box chart.

1978: Just nine months after her debut LP, Kate Bush released her second studio album, Lionheart.

1979: Rock Justice, a rock opera produced by Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship member Marty Balin, began a four-day run at the Old Waldorf Club in San Francisco. The production’s story about a rock star who was put in jail for failing to produce a hit for his record company was based on Balin’s experiences and legal fights with former Jefferson Airplane manager Matthew Katz.

1984: Eurythmics released “1984 (For the Love of Big Brother),” their soundtrack album to the film Nineteen Eighty-Four based on the George Orwell novel of the same name.

1987: Mark Knopfler’s soundtrack album to the Rob Reiner film The Princess Bride was released. Featured on the album was the song “Once Upon a Time…Storybook Love,” which was written and performed by Willy DeVille and arranged by Knopfler.

1988: U2 went to #1 on the Billboard pop chart with Rattle and Hum, a hybrid live/studio album and the soundtrack album to the concert documentary film of the same name.

1996: Rod Stewart released his eighteenth studio album, If We Fall in Love Tonight.

2002: The Pretenders released their eighth studio album, Loose Screw.

Birthdays Today

Bukka White, Delta blues guitarist and singer, was born Booker T. Washington White between Aberdeen and Houston, MS in 1906.

Bob Crewe, singer, songwriter, manager, and record producer who produced and co-wrote several hits for the Four Seasons with Bob Gaudio and wrote successful records for artists including Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Lesley Gore, Bobby Darin, Roberta Flack, Patti LaBelle, and Michael Jackson, was born in Newark, NJ in 1930.

Mort Shuman, singer, pianist, and songwriter best known for his collaboration with Doc Pomus who co-wrote many 1960s rock and roll hits such as “Viva Las Vegas,” “Little Sister,” “A Teenager in Love,” “This Magic Moment,” “Save The Last Dance For Me,” “(Marie’s the Name) His Latest Flame,” and “Sweets for My Sweet”, was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1938.

Ruby Nash Curtis, singer and leader of R&B vocal group Ruby and the Romantics, was born in Akron, OH in 1939.

Brian Hyland, singer and musician known for his 1960 novelty hit “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini”, was born in Woodhaven, Queens, New York City in 1943.

John Walker, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and founder of The Walker Brothers, was born John Joseph Maus in New York City in 1943.

Errol Brown, singer, songwriter, and frontman for Hot Chocolate, was born Lester Errol Brown in Kingston, Jamaica in 1943.

Booker T. Jones, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer, and arranger, best known as the frontman of the Stax record label house band, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, was born in Memphis, TN in 1944.

Neil Young, singer-songwriter, solo artist, and member of Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, was born Neil Percival Young in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1945.

Buck Dharma, guitarist, songwriter, and founding member of Blue Öyster Cult, was born Donald Roeser in Long Island, NY in 1947.

Laurence Juber, session musician and guitarist with Paul McCartney and Wings from 1978-1981, was born in Stepney, East London, England in 1952.

Brix Smith, singer, guitarist, and songwriter with The Fall and The Adult Net, was born Laura Elisse Salenger in 1962.