This Day in Rock History: January 6
Jan. 6 has been a big day for rock music throughout the decades. It’s when the Stones started their first big British tour and The Beatles had yet another No….
Jan. 6 has been a big day for rock music throughout the decades. It's when the Stones started their first big British tour and The Beatles had yet another No. 1 album. These are the most important events that happened on this day in rock history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
We start off with some of the biggest breakthroughs and milestone moments that happened on this day:
- 1968: The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour LP reached the top spot on the U.S. Billboard 200, where it spent eight consecutive weeks. It was the British band's 11th No. 1 in the U.S.
- 1973: Carly Simon's famous song "You're So Vain" went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, starting a three-week run. Its lyrics are rumored to be about Mick Jagger, who contributed the backing vocals.
- 1990: Phil Collins' fourth solo album, ...But Seriously, got to the top of the Billboard 200 album chart, where it spent a total of four weeks. It was the first No. 1 album of the 1990s in both the U.K. and the U.S.
Cultural Milestones
These are the most notable rock culture moments that happened on Jan. 6:
- 1946: Pink Floyd founder, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Syd Barrett was born in Cambridge, England. He co-founded Pink Floyd in 1965 but left the band three years later due to mental issues, and then left the music industry altogether in 1974.
- 1953: AC/DC co-founder, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter Malcolm Young was born in Elizabeth Bay, New South Wales, Australia. He started the band with his brother Angus in 1973 and inspired many other legendary rhythm guitarists, including Megadeth's Dave Mustaine, Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, and Metallica's James Hetfield.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Some of the day's most important recordings and performances include:
- 1964: The Rolling Stones kicked off their first major tour of Great Britain with a show at the Granada Cinema in Harrow, London.
- 1975: Pink Floyd began recording their iconic ninth album, Wish You Were Here, at London's Abbey Road Studios. The album opens and closes with "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," a tribute to their former member, the above-mentioned Syd Barrett, who surprised the band by visiting them while they were recording the album.
- 1976: Peter Frampton's Frampton Comes Alive! double album was released via A&M Records. It became the best-selling album of the year in the U.S. and eventually went 8x Platinum.
From the Stones starting their first major tour to the release of one of the most famous live albums in history, these are the main rock-related events that happened on Jan. 6. Visit us again tomorrow to discover everything that happened on that day in rock history.
