1958: During their third appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Everly Brothers sang “Wake Up Little Susie” for the first time. The single created quite a stir since the popular thinking was that it encouraged promiscuous teenage behavior. Despite being banned by some radio stations, the record made it to the top of the Billboard Best Sellers chart just over a week later.

1962: The Four Seasons topped the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts with “Sherry,” their first of three straight #1 singles released by Vee Jay Records.

1962: After the release of their first single “Love Me Do” the day before, the Beatles signed records at Dawson’s Music Shop on Church Street in Widnes, Cheshire, England. It was one of only three official autograph sessions the Beatles did in their career. The four Beatles signed their names on the single’s red and silver label, and copies today are rare and extremely valuable due to the limited duration of the signing.

1964: The Beatles recorded “Eight Days a Week” at EMI Studios in London.

1965: The Yardbirds released “I’m a Man,” a cover of the Bo Diddley song, with guitarist Jeff Beck. The song was included on the band’s second American album, Having a Rave Up, which also contains a live version of the same song recorded live in 1964 with former member Eric Clapton.

1965: Gary Lewis and the Playboys entered the studio to record two of their biggest hits, “She’s Just My Style,” an attempt at a Beach Boys-esque song, and “Sure Gonna Miss Her.” Both singles later became top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The sessions were also the first for legendary studio drummer Jim Keltner.

1966: The Supremes released “I Hear A Symphony” as the first single and title track from their eighth studio album. It later became the group’s sixth #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

1966: Martha and the Vandellas released “I’m Ready for Love” from the group’s fourth studio album, Watchout!.

1969: “Something” and “Come Together” by the Beatles were released as both sides of a double A-side single. “Something” was the first composition by George Harrison to be released as an A-side. The flip side, “Come Together,” had primarily been written by John Lennon and started as an attempt to write a song for Timothy Leary’s campaign for governor of California. By the end of November, the single reached #1 in the US.

1969: Jack Bruce’s debut solo album, Songs for a Tailor, was released in the US following its release in the UK a week earlier.

1973: Todd Rundgren entered the Billboard Hot 100 with a his solo version of the first original song he’d ever written, “Hello It’s Me,” which later peaked at #5 by the end of the year. The song was first recorded in 1968 by Rundgren’s band Nazz as the B-side to their debut single, “Open My Eyes.”

1973: “Time in a Bottle,” Jim Croce’s second posthumous single, entered the Billboard Hot 100. ABC Records had originally not intended to release the song as a single, but after Croce was killed in a plane crash in September, the song’s lyrics had additional resonance, and significant airplay contributed to demand for a single release. The song became Croce’s second and final record to top the pop charts.

1973: Former Temptations vocalist Eddie Kendricks had his first solo #1 on the Billboard R&B chart with “Keep On Truckin’.”

1978: The Moody Blues released “Driftwood,” the second single from their ninth studio album, Octave.

1978: XTC released their second album, Go 2.

1981: “Leather and Lace,” the collaborative single by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley from Nicks’ debut solo album, Bella Donna, was released.

1984: Prince and the Revolution topped the Billboard R&B chart with “Let’s Go Crazy.”

1986: A-ha released their second studio album, Scoundrel Days.

1992: Joan Baez released Play Me Backwards, her first album with producers Kenny Greenberg and Wally Wilson, which features songs by Mary Chapin Carpenter, Janis Ian, John Hiatt, John Stewart, and others.

1992: Elton John released “The Last Song,” the third single from his twenty-third studio album, The One.

1998: John Mellencamp released his eponymous fifteenth studio album. It was his first album with Columbia Records, who asked Mellencamp to self-title it to mark a fresh start and a creative rebirth.

1998: Son Volt released their third studio album, Wide Swing Tremolo.

2003: Blondie released “Good Boys,” the lead single from their eighth studio album, The Curse of Blondie.

2008: Oasis released their seventh and final studio album, Dig Out Your Soul.

Birthdays Today

Neil Korner, bassist for The Nashville Teens, was born in Ashford, Kent, England in 1942.

Robin Shaw, vocalist for The Flower Pot Men, White Plains, and The First Class, was born Robin George Scrimshaw in Hayes, Middlesex, England in 1943.

Millie Small, singer-songwriter best known for her 1964 cover version of “My Boy Lollipop,” was born in Gilbralter, Clarendon, Jamaica in 1946.

Thomas McClary, guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer best known as the founder and lead guitarist of The Commodores, was born in Eustis, FL in 1949.

David Hidalgo, vocalist, guitarist, accordion player, session musician, and co-founder of Los Lobos, was born in Los Angeles, CA in 1954.

Matthew Sweet, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, was born Sidney Matthew Sweet in Lincoln, NE in 1964.

Tommy Stinson, bassist for the Replacements who later formed bands Bash & Pop and Perfect, was born in Minneapolis, MN in 1966.