This Day in Rock History: October 30

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1971: John Lennon's second solo studio album, Imagine, reached the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart. It achieved 2x Platinum status in the U.S. and went to No. 1 in several other countries, including the U.K., Japan, Australia, Italy, and Norway.
• 1982: Australian band Men at Work scored their first No. 1 hit in the U.S. with "Who Can It Be Now?" It was part of their debut studio album, Business as Usual, which includes their other memorable hit, "Down Under."

Cultural Milestones

• 1939: Grace Slick, who was the lead singer of Jefferson Airplane and its spinoff bands Jefferson Starship and Starship, was born in Highland Park, Illinois. She retired from music in 1990 and took up drawing and painting.
• 1947: Timothy B. Schmit, best known as the bass player for the Eagles, was born in Oakland, California. He joined the Eagles in 1977 to replace Randy Meisner and has been featured in all their work ever since.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1970: Elton John released his third studio album, Tumbleweed Connection. The album went Platinum in the U.S. even though no singles supported its release.
• 1971: Pink Floyd released their sixth studio album, Meddle, in the U.S. It's seen as a transitional album between the band's Syd Barrett-inspired era of the 1960s and their own classic 1970s sound. The album includes the brilliant 23-minute song, "Echoes."
• 2007: The Eagles released their seventh studio album, Long Road Out of Eden. It went 7x Platinum and peaked at No. 1 on the album charts in several countries, including the U.S. and the U.K.