1955: The J.P. Seeburg Corporation introduced its new Dual Music System Jukebox, the first ever equipped to hold a hundred 45rpm singles and two-songs-per-side EPs.

1956: Elvis Presley made his first of three appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show performing “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Hound Dog,” “Ready Teddy,” and his upcoming single, “Love Me Tender.” Actor Charles Laughton served as substitute host while Sullivan was recovering from a car accident. After negative interactions with rock and roll stars in the past, and telling the press that Presley was “not his cup of tea,” Sullivan, who had previously refused an offer to have Presley on the show for $5,000, changed his mind after the ratings boost that Presley had brought to The Steve Allen Show. After negotiations with Colonel Tom Parker, Sullivan agreed to shell out the unprecedented sum of $50,000 for three appearances. Immediately after his performance, RCA Records received over a one million pre-orders for “Love Me Tender,” catapulting it to gold status before its actual release. As a result of the song’s popularity, as well as that of Presley himself, 20th Century Fox changed the name of its upcoming movie featuring Presley from “The Reno Brothers” to “Love Me Tender.” The record went to #1 on the Billboard charts in November that year and remained at #1 through the beginning of December, when it was topped by another Elvis hit, “Hound Dog” backed with “Don’t Be Cruel.”

1957: Jerry Lee Lewis topped the Billboard R&B singles chart with “Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On.”

1963: Marvin Gaye Recorded Live on Stage, recorded during a Motortown Revue show at Chicago’s Regal Theater, was released on Motown’s Tamla label as Gaye’s first live LP.

1964: The Peter & Gordon single “I Don’t Want to See You Again,” penned by Paul McCartney, was released in the UK. Less than two weeks later, it was issued in the US.

1965: The Rolling Stones had their fourth #1 UK single with “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” In July earlier that summer, the record had become the group’s first #1 song in the US.

1966: Peter & Gordon released “Lady Godiva.” The single was the duo’s last top 20 hit in the UK, where it reached #16. In the US, it was their first top 10 hit since 1964 as well as their last top 10 hit.

1966: Gary Lewis & the Playboys released “(You Don’t Have To) Paint Me a Picture,” the title track from their sixth album.

1967: James Brown went to the top of the Billboard R&B chart with “Cold Sweat.”

1967: “Soul Man” by Sam & Dave entered the Billboard Hot 100, where the single reached #2 two months later. Their highest-charting pop single, the song became their second of two #1 hits on the R&B chart in mid-October.

1968: After three rehearsal takes of “Helter Skelter” in July, the Beatles recorded eighteen takes of the song at EMI Studios in London. What started out as a slow blues jam eventually turned into a frantic cacophony heard on the group’s self-titled LP known as “The White Album.” The next evening, sessions for the song were completed with the recording of additional overdubs. While Paul McCartney recorded his lead vocals, George Harrison ran around the studio with a flaming ashtray above his head, reminiscent of flamboyant performer Arthur Brown.

1971: A month before its release in the UK, John Lennon’s second solo album, Imagine, was released in the US. By the end of October, the LP became his first #1 in both America and Britain.

1974: John Sebastian released his Tarzana Kid album. Contributors to the LP included Lowell George, Jim Gordon, The Pointer Sisters, Emmylou Harris, David Grisman, Ry Cooder, and Phil Everly.

1975: The J. Geils Band released their sixth studio album, Hotline.

1975: Wings began their Wings Over the World tour at the Gaumont Theatre in Southampton, England.

1977: Iggy Pop released Lust for Life, his second solo studio album and second collaboration with David Bowie. It became his most commercially successful LP, though it only reached #120 on the Billboard chart.

1978: “Beast of Burden,” the second single from the Rolling Stones’ sixteenth American and fourteenth British album, Some Girls, entered the Billboard Hot 100, later reaching #8 as well as #7 on the Cash Box chart.

1981: Genesis released “No Reply at All,” the second single from the group’s eleventh studio album, Abacab.

1981: Sting and Phil Collins played their first live solo sets at the Amnesty International benefit The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball, at London’s Drury Lane Theatre. Additional musical acts during the four day event (that also featured several comedians) included Pete Townshend, Donovan, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Bob Geldof, Johnny Fingers, and Neil Innes.

1987: Love and Rockets released their third studio album, Earth, Sun, Moon.

1990: Neil Young released his eighteenth studio album and sixth with Crazy Horse, Ragged Glory.

1991: Dire Straits released their sixth and final studio album, On Every Street. It went to #1 on the UK chart and reached #12 on the Billboard pop chart in the US.

1994: Boz Scaggs released the album, Some Change.

1996: R.E.M. released New Adventures in Hi-Fi, their tenth studio album and last recorded with drummer and founding member Bill Berry.

2014: U2 released their thirteenth studio album, Songs of Innocence. It was available exclusively on Apple’s iTunes Store until mid-October, when it received a physical release.

Birthdays Today

Joe Negroni, founding member of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, was born Jose Negroni in New York City in 1940.

Otis Redding, soul and R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, and arranger with Stax Records, was born in Dawson, GA in 1941.

Duffy Power, blues and rock singer, guitarist, and session musician, was born Raymond Leslie Howard in Fulham, London, England in 1941.

Inez Foxx, pop and soul vocalist who recorded and performed with her brother, Charlie Foxx, best known for their hit single, “Mockingbird,” was born in Greensboro, NC in 1942.

Dee Dee Sharp, R&B and soul singer, was born Dione LaRue in Philadelphia, PA in 1945.

Doug Ingle, organist, founding member, primary composer, and lead vocalist for Iron Butterfly, was born in Omaha, NE in 1945.

Bruce Palmer, bassist for Buffalo Springfield, was born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1946.

Andrea Simpson, half of the duo The Caravelles, was born in Finchley, London, England in 1946.

Freddy Weller, guitarist with Paul Revere and the Raiders who later released his own solo recordings and played guitar for Joe South and Billy Joe Royal, was born Wilton Frederick Weller in Atlanta, GA in 1947.

John McFee, singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and long-time member of The Doobie Brothers, was born in Santa Cruz, CA in 1950.

Dave Stewart, musician, songwriter, and record producer best known as half of the duo Eurythmics with Annie Lennox, was born in Sunderland, England in 1952.

Michael Bublé, singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer, was born in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada in 1975.