This Day in Rock History: August 20

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1973: The Rolling Stones released their song "Angie," the lead single from their album Goats Head Soup. Co-written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the acoustic ballad became a global hit, reaching No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and topping charts in several other countries. 
• 2018: The Recording Industry Association of America certified the Eagles' Greatest Hits 1971-1975 — released in February of 1976 — as the best-selling album in U.S. history, with over 38 million copies sold, while the band's Hotel California album ranked third on the list at over 26 million copies sold. Sandwiched between the two was Michael Jackson's Thriller, which remains the best-selling album worldwide.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1969: All four members of The Beatles were at Abbey Road Studios together for the last time. They weren't there to record but to put the finishing touches on their final album, Abbey Road.
• 1988: The Monsters of Rock festival took place at Donington Park in England, featuring performances by Guns N' Roses, Megadeth, KISS, and Iron Maiden, to name a few. Although the annual festival was highly successful for over a decade, the 1988 event was marked by tragedy, as two audience members lost their lives due to overcrowding during the Guns N' Roses set.
• 2016: The Tragically Hip played their final show at the Rogers K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ontario. Just over a year later, their frontman Gord Downie passed away from brain cancer.