30 Jan 2020

January 2020 – The Story of Modern Music in 1,500+ Facts – Part X

by Tony Drew | posted in: History, Introduction, Observations | 0

Introduction

Well, here we are once again. Welcome to 2020 one and all – a new year and a new decade, well, sort of. After the temporary intermission last month for the obligatory 2019 end‑of‑year roundup, we’re back on the trail ‘History of Modern Music…’ Cast your mind back for a moment. In more than one way, 1650 and the end of the Renaissance, where this story began seems a long, long time ago now. It struck me during the brief interlude just what a conceivably Sisyphean labour it has become, and there is still quite a bit of fun and games to be played out. Getting straight back into the proverbial saddle, Part X of the story is now rounding up the stragglers from the 20^th Century and riding into the dawn of the new millennium with all its first world promises and disappointments.

If you would like to (re)visit the first 9 parts (and 350 years) of the story to‑date, you can do so here (each link opens a new browser tab):

Right, now the prelude is over, let’s get into the groove of the shiny new millennium, starting at 2000 and finishing this month at the end of 2009…

The Story of Modern Music Part X 2000-2009

Without the benefit of lengthy hindsight, the question is, how best to describe early 21^st Century music? Arguably, the most notable trend of the noughties was the rise in popularity of indie music standing proud and in stark contrast to the seemingly indomitable, yet strangely bland, soulless and non‑descript merchandise of the commercial pop music industry.

Sadly, time and circumstances resulted in many prominent departures during the decade, adding a touch of pathos among the many achievements. While lost to us, at least we still have their music to appreciate.

In the absence of any particularly significant defining characteristics, perhaps it is best to let the facts speak for themselves. Before we get there, though, it is important to set the turbulent global context within which the musical styles of the new age progressed. Although shorter in content than previous decades, the ‘noughties’, and consequently, the ‘teenies’, will still get their own discrete article.

Historical Context 2000-2009

The opening decade of the 2000s has many popular names, one of which is simply, ‘the noughties’. The widely recognised formal name for the first decade of a new century is the less common, ‘the aughts’. Despite the unbridled optimism for the new millennium, the ‘00s heralded a fractious decade during which terrorism and the rise of dangerous radical Islamic ideologies would dominate international relations and drive brutal armed conflict in many territories. An unsustainable rise in living standards and avaricious materialism during the first half of the decade precipitated another inevitable major ‘boom and bust’ event fuelled by rabid financial mismanagement and, ultimately, greed. The result was the most devastating global recession to hit ordinary people since the 1930s in terms of both impact and longevity. Depression drove increasingly profound social, health and wealth divisions between the richest few percent and the vast majority. The digital revolution boomed and the unbridled growth of the Internet facilitated the promise of global democratisation of knowledge and information, while also enabling massive levels of ‘social’ drivel and inanity. There was a continued expansion in environmental lobbying and ‘green’ industries aiming to tackle the impending and still controversial threat of the ‘greenhouse effect’ on the planet’s fragile ecosystem.

Year	Global Events
2000	An Air France Concorde airliner crashed shortly after take‑off in France, killing 113 people, leading to the suspension of the fleet and effectively ending the era of supersonic passenger flights. The first stage of the world’s largest collaborative biological project, the Human Genome Project was completed, documenting an initial rough draft of the base pairs that make up human DNA.
2001	Republican politician George W. Bush became the 43^rd president of the U.S.A. Bush Junior was the son of George H.W. Bush who was the 41^st president. Members of the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda hijacked and crashed two airliners into the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City. A third plane was crashed into the U.S. Department of Defense HQ, the Pentagon in Virginia. A fourth aircraft crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers overpowered the hijackers. The co‑ordinated attacks of 9/11 killed almost 3,000 people. America, supported by its allies, invaded Afghanistan following the unprecedented 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.A. with the intention of dismantling the threat of Islamic terrorist organisation al‑Qaeda at its source.
2002	The Euro was officially introduced in the Eurozone countries, after which the former currencies of those countries ceased to be legal tender. Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother of the UK monarchy and the wife of King George VI, died. Her funeral took place at Westminster Abbey in London. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS CoV) outbreak emanated in southern China and the subsequent epidemic caused a global public health crisis.
2003	America and Britain, supported by allies, invaded Iraq to remove the threat of alleged weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and to depose the country’s dictator and head of state, Saddam Hussain. The first successful global social networking website, Myspace was founded by Americans Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson, based in Beverly Hills, California. Myspace was overtaken in popularity by rival Facebook in 2008 and, while still in existence, usage has declined significantly. American Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re‑entry to the Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard.
2004	The global Internet‑based social media networking web site Facebook was created by American entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg, based in Menlo Park, California. Facebook has approximately 2.5billion active users. The European Union (EU) expanded by 10 new member states – Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Malta and Cyprus. A massive 9.3 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean near Sumatra killed over 200,000 people. The tallest skyscraper in the world, Taipei 101, at a height of 1,670 feet (510m) opened in Taipei, Taiwan. It was overtaken by the completion of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010.
2005	The video sharing web site, YouTube was launched. The platform was created by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, based in San Bruno, California. YouTube is currently owned by technology giant, Google. Polish head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Pope John Paul II died. He was succeeded by German national, Pope Benedict XVI. Category 5 Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A., killing over 1,800 people and causing billions of dollars’ worth of damage.
2006	Indian Islamic terrorists detonated seven bombs on trains in the city of Mumbai, India, killing more than 200 people. Discovered in 1930, Pluto was demoted from planet status and was re‑designated the largest known dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt. Caltech researcher Mike Brown led the team that led to the declassification. Former president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein was tried and convicted by an Iraqi Special Tribunal and was executed by hanging for crimes against humanity.
2007	Three-year old English girl Madeleine McCann disappeared from the holiday resort of Praia da Luz in the Algarve region of Portugal. She remains missing despite massive media coverage. Technology giant Apple Inc. launched the game‑changing touch screen mobile telephone, the iPhone. The Global Financial Crisis began, caused by poor regulation resulted in the failure of a number of large financial and banking institutions. The severe worldwide economic downturn, known as the Great Recession, was the worst since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The economic impact of the slump lasted for more than a decade.
2008	In physics, the Large Hadron Collider particle accelerator used to detect the presence of sub‑atomic particles was completed by CERN near Geneva in Switzerland. The pioneering science project became fully operational in 2010. Pakistani Islamic terrorists carried out a series of 12 attacks over 4 days in Mumbai, India, killing almost 175 people.
2009	The decentralised digital cryptocurrency Bitcoin was established by pseudonymous Japanese creator Satoshi Nakamoto. Democrat politician Barack Obama became the 44^th president of the U.S.A. and was the first African‑American to be elected to the presidency.

Musical Genre Development 2000-2009

The pop music machine sustained commercial success well into the 21^st Century. Large record companies continued to focus resources on the lucrative tween and teen audiences with artists such as Avril Lavigne, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Usher, P!nk, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Also popular were manufactured groups such as Destiny’s Child, Sugababes, Pussycat Dolls, One Direction, 5 Seconds Of Summer and Little Mix. Country music saw another revival with artists like Shania Twain, Taylor Swift, Faith Hill, Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood achieving notable success. Soul (nu‑soul) also saw a resurgence of interest, including performers like Joss Stone, Natasha Bedingfield, Corinne Bailey Rae, Estelle, Amy Winehouse, Adele and Duffy. Hip‑hop broadened out into contemporary R&B and claimed the resurgent urban music territory with artists such as Jay‑Z, Kanye West, Ludacris and 50 Cent building on the popularity of Dr Dre, Eminem and N.W.A.

Indie (rock) music had its origins in the 1970s as a ‘catch‑all’ umbrella term for artists who produced music through independent record labels rather than the large record companies and their subsidiaries. A new breed of bands began to emerge, aided by Internet exposure, coalescing into the indie rock movement on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Emerging rock bands came into their own and reasserted their independence through a rejection of (and by) the structured studio system. One constant characteristic of indie music is the rejuvenated dominance of the electric guitar within a band format. Indie music originated from the punk, alternative and grunge genres of previous decades and represents a very diverse range of musical approaches including dream pop, shoegaze, indie pop, indie dance, garage rock, indietronica, chillwave, hypnagogic pop, lo‑fi, etc. To reflect this diversity, there is a long list of indie artists from varying sub‑genres to give an indication of its broad appeal, including (in no particular order); My Bloody Valentine, Arctic Monkeys, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Eels, Low, The Zutons, Interpol, Charlatans, Slowdive, Ride, Primal Scream, PJ Harvey, The Strokes, The White Stripes, The Hives, The Vines, Snow Patrol, Keane, Pavement, Spiritualized, Blood Red Shoes, The Cribs, Sleater‑Kinney, The Libertines, Franz Ferdinand, Razorlight, Editors, Kasabian, Kings Of Leon, LCD Soundsystem, Crystal Castles, Arcade Fire, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Paramore, Belle & Sebastian, The Shins, The Kooks, The Killers, The Fratellis, Vampire Weekend, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Black Keys, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Modest Mouse, Ariel Pink, My Chemical Romance, Weezer, Death Cab for Cutie, White Lies, Two Door Cinema Club and War On Drugs amongst many others. The sheer volume of artists and material led to the term ‘indie landfill’ used to describe generic and derivative music exploiting indie music credentials.

Musical Facts 2000-2009

Day	Month	Year	Music Fact
6	March	2000	The American Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inducted its ‘Class of 2000’ including Eric Clapton, Earth Wind & Fire, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Nat ‘King’ Cole, Billie Holiday and Scotty Moore.
27	March	2000	English punk singer, songwriter and poet, Ian Dury died from cancer in London at the age of 57.
23	May	2000	American hip hop artist Eminem released his classic 3^nd studio album, ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’.
20	June	2000	American blues/rock duo The White Stripes released their 2^nd studio album, ‘De Stijl’.
2	October	2000	English alternative rock band Radiohead changed stylistic direction when they released their 4^th studio album, ‘Kid A’.
9	October	2000	English alternative rock band Placebo released their 3^rd studio album, ‘Black Market Music’.
5	December	2000	American political rap rock band, Rage Against The Machine released their 4^th and, to‑date, final studio album, ‘Renegades’.
8	December	2000	English bass guitarist, singer, songwriter and former member of rock band The Police, Sting received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6834 Hollywood Boulevard.
18	December	2000	English singer and songwriter Kirsty MacColl was killed tragically in a boating incident while on holiday in Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico at the age of 41.
20	December	2000	Long-running UK music magazine ‘Melody Maker’ published its final issue. It had run for over 74 years since January 1926. Melody Maker was merged with rival music paper, New Musical Express (NME).
6	March	2001	Jamaican reggae legend Bob Marley received a posthumous Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard.
19	March	2001	The American Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inducted its ‘Class of 2001’ including Aerosmith, Solomon Burke, the Flamingos, Michael Jackson, Queen, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Ritchie Valens and James Burton.
20	March	2001	Renowned Northern Irish blues/rock guitarist, Gary Moore released his classic 15^th studio album, ‘Back To The Blues’ in the UK.
2	April	2001	German industrial heavy metal rock band Rammstein released their top-selling 3^rd studio album, ‘Mutter’ (translated as Mother).
3	April	2001	American indie rock band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club released their debut studio album, ‘B.R.M.C.’.
10	April	2001	Indie rock giants, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds released their 11^th studio album, ‘No More Shall We Part’.
4	June	2001	English alternative rock band Radiohead released their classic 5^th studio album, ‘Amnesiac’ in the UK.
18	June	2001	English alternative rock band Muse released their breakout 2^nd studio album, ‘Origin of Symmetry’.
30	June	2001	American guitarist, nicknamed the ‘Country Gentleman’, Chet Atkins died from cancer at his home in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 77.
3	July	2001	American blues/rock duo The White Stripes released their 3^rd studio album, ‘White Blood Cells’.
18	July	2001	American hard rock band KISS introduced a unique, if somewhat sinister, item of brand merchandise, a burial coffin humorously known as the ‘KISS Kasket’.
27	July	2001	American bass guitarist with southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, Leon Wilkeson died of chronic liver and lung disease in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida at the age of 49.
30	July	2001	Emerging American indie rock band The Strokes released their classic debut album, ‘Is This It’.
18	September	2001	American alternative/indie rock band Wilco released their classic 4^th studio album, ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’.
23	October	2001	American technology giant Apple Inc. introduced the first iPod solid state portable media player, linked to the iTunes media storage library.
29	November	2001	English former member of The Beatles, George Harrison died of cancer in Los Angeles, California at the age of 58.
16	December	2001	Scottish guitarist and singer with punk rock band Skids and then Big Country, Stuart Adamson committed suicide in Honolulu, Hawaii at the age of 43.
5	March	2002	MTV broadcast the first episode of their reality TV show ‘The Osbournes’, featuring a portrayal of the Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne’s family life.
18	March	2002	The American Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inducted its ‘Class of 2002’ including Isaac Hayes, Brenda Lee, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Gene Pitney, Ramones, Talking Heads and Chet Atkins.
26	March	2002	British heavy metal rock band, Iron Maiden released their massive live concert album, ‘Rock In Rio’.
12	April	2002	English heavy metal singer with Black Sabbath and TV reality show celebrity, Ozzy Osbourne received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6780 Hollywood Boulevard.
14	May	2002	Award-winning American singer, songwriter, guitarist, electronica musician and producer Moby released his commercially successful 6^th studio album, ‘18’.
5	June	2002	American bass guitarist Dee Dee Ramone of punk rock band Ramones died from a heroin drug overdose at his home in Hollywood, California at the age of 50.
27	June	2002	English bass guitarist with rock band The Who, John Entwistle, nicknamed ‘The Ox’, died of a cocaine‑related heart attack in a Hard Rock hotel room in Paradise, Nevada at the age of 57.
27	August	2002	American rock band Queens Of The Stone Age released their classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Songs For The Deaf’.
24	September	2002	American alternative rock artist, Beck released his introspective and highly underrated 8^th studio album, ‘Sea Change’.
14	October	2002	English indie rock band The Libertines released their successful debut studio album, ‘Up The Bracket’.
18	October	2002	English pop/rock band Queen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6356 Hollywood Boulevard.
27	October	2002	Highly renowned American record producer who worked for Atlantic Records, Tom Dowd died of emphysema in Aventura, Florida at the age of 77.
3	November	2002	Scottish singer and guitarist, crowned the ‘King of Skiffle’, Lonnie Donegan died of a heart attack in Market Deeping, Lincolnshire at the age of 71.
22	December	2002	English singer, songwriter and guitarist, Joe Strummer of punk rock band The Clash died from a congenital heart defect at his home in Somerset, UK at the age of 50.
30	December	2002	The funeral of English guitarist, singer and songwriter with punk rock band The Clash, Joe Strummer took place in London, UK.
3	February	2003	Famous American ‘wall of sound’ record producer, Phil Spector murdered actress Lana Clarkson in his California Alhambra mansion.
10	February	2003	English trip-hop group, Massive Attack released their underrated 4^th studio album, ‘100^th Window’ in the UK.
10	March	2003	The American Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inducted its ‘Class of 2003’ including AC/DC, The Clash, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, The Police, The Righteous Brothers and Floyd Cramer.
1	April	2003	American blues/rock duo The White Stripes released their highly regarded 4^th studio album, ‘Elephant’.
1	April	2003	English alternative rock band Placebo released their 4^th studio album, ‘Sleeping With Ghosts’.
18	April	2003	Legendary American blues/R&B, soul and jazz singer Etta James received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard.
11	May	2003	English bass guitarist with The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Noel Redding died of liver disease in Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland at the age of 57.
15	May	2003	American country music singer and wife of Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash died following heart surgery in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 73.
30	May	2003	Successful English record producer behind many massive chart hits, Mickie Most died from abdominal cancer at his home in London at the age of 64.
9	June	2003	Acclaimed English alternative rock band Radiohead released their 6^th studio album, ‘Hail To The Thief’.
13	June	2003	English guitarist, singer, songwriter and former member of progressive rock band Pink Floyd, David Gilmour was awarded a CBE by Her Majesty the Queen.
30	July	2003	Legendary American record producer Sam Phillips, founder of Sun Records and the man responsible for signing Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash, died of respiratory failure in Memphis Tennessee at the age of 80.
25	August	2003	American indie rock band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club released their 2^nd studio album, ‘Take Them On, On Your Own’.
12	September	2003	Less than 4 months after his wife passed away, American country legend Johnny Cash died of complications caused by diabetes in Nashville at the age of 71.
26	September	2003	English singer, songwriter, musician, solo artist and former member of the pop rock band Power Station, Robert Palmer died of a heart attack in a hotel room in Paris, France at the age of 54.
29	September	2003	English alternative rock band Muse released their successful 3^nd studio album, ‘Absolution’.
12	December	2003	English singer and songwriter with The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger received a knighthood from HRH Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.
9	February	2004	English indie rock band Franz Ferdinand released their successful debut studio album, the self-titled ‘Franz Ferdinand’.
15	March	2004	The American Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inducted its ‘Class of 2004’ including Jackson Browne, George Harrison, Prince, Bob Seger, Traffic and ZZ Top.
6	May	2004	American virtuoso jazz guitarist and session musician with The Wrecking Crew, Barney Kessel died from a brain tumour at his home in San Diego, California at the age of 80.
10	June	2004	American singer, songwriter, musician, and composer Ray Charles died from complications as a result of acute liver disease at his home in Beverly Hills, California at the age of 73.
15	June	2004	Emerging American rock band The Killers released their hugely successful debut studio album, ‘Hot Fuss’.
23	June	2004	American folk/rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, Bob Dylan was made ‘Doctor of Music’ at St. Andrews University in Scotland, UK.
24	June	2004	Exactly 5 years after his first sale, English blues/rock guitarist, Eric Clapton auctioned many of his guitars in New York City. Together, the two auctions raised $11 million for the Crossroads Centre he founded in Antigua, a residential treatment centre for alcohol and chemical dependencies.
21	July	2004	American music composer, Jerry Goldsmith, famous for his many TV and film scores, died from cancer in Beverley Hills, California at the age of 75.
30	August	2004	English indie rock band The Libertines released their successful eponymous 2^nd studio album, ‘The Libertines’.
6	September	2004	English indie rock band Kasabian released their classic self-titled debut studio album, ‘Kasabian’.
9	September	2004	Successful American guitar and musical equipment entrepreneur and businessman, Ernie Ball died in San Luis Obispo, California at the age of 74.
15	September	2004	American guitarist and songwriter with punk rock band Ramones, Johnny Ramone died of prostate cancer at his home in Los Angeles, California at the age of 56.
20	September	2004	Indie/alternative rock giants, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds released their epic 13^th double studio album, ‘Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus’.
21	September	2004	American post-punk rock band Green Day released their top-selling 7^th studio album, ‘American Idiot’ in the U.S.
27	September	2004	German industrial heavy metal band Rammstein released their 4^th studio album, ‘Reise, Reise’ (roughly translated as ‘Arise, Arise’).
25	October	2004	Highly acclaimed English DJ and BBC radio presenter, John Peel died from a heart attack while working on holiday in Cusco, Peru at the age of 65.
1	November	2004	American rock band Kings of Leon released their commercially successful 4^th studio album, ‘Only By The Night’ in the UK (22 February 2005 in the US).
3	November	2004	English blues/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter, Eric Clapton received a CBE from the Princess Royal at Buckingham Palace in London for his services to music.
8	December	2004	American guitarist, ‘Dimebag’ Darrell Abbott, co-founder of heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan was murdered while performing on stage in Columbus, Ohio at the age of 38.
14	December	2004	The funeral of American guitarist with heavy rock bands Pantera and Damageplan, ‘Dimebag’ Darrell Abbott, took place in Arlington, Texas.
10	February	2005	English singer with The Who, Roger Daltrey was awarded a CBE by HM The Queen at Buckingham Palace.
14	March	2005	The American Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inducted its ‘Class of 2005’ including Buddy Guy, The O’Jays, The Pretenders, Percy Sledge and U2.
22	March	2005	American alternative rock band Queens Of The Stone Age released their 4^th studio album ‘Lullabies to Paralyze’.
11	June	2005	Two English rock guitarists were rewarded for their contributions to music in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin was awarded an OBE and Brian May of Queen a CBE.
22	August	2005	American indie rock band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club released their 3^rd studio album, ‘Howl’.
30	August	2005	American indie rock band Death Cab For Cutie released their 5^th studio album, ‘Plans’.
1	September	2005	American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist R.L. Burnside died of heart disease in a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 78.
4	September	2005	The major feature film chronicling the life of country legend Johnny Cash, ‘Walk The Line’, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, directed by James Mangold, was released in the USA.
10	September	2005	American guitarist and Blues Hall of Famer, Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown died from cancer in Orange, Texas at the age of 81.
5	November	2005	Influential American rock ‘n’ roll guitarist Link Wray died of heart failure at his home in Copenhagen, Denmark at the age of 76.
23	January	2006	English indie rock sensation, Arctic Monkeys released their debut studio album, ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’.
13	March	2006	The American Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inducted its ‘Class of 2006’ including Black Sabbath, Blondie, Miles Davis, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sex Pistols and Herb Alpert.
7	July	2006	English guitarist, songwriter and founder of progressive rock band Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Cambridge at the age of 60.
25	July	2005	British indie rock band Editors released their debut studio album, ‘The Back Room’ in the UK.
30	July	2006	Popular weekly UK music chart TV programme ‘Top Of The Pops’ (TOTP) was broadcast by the BBC for the final time, after running for 42 years.
28	August	2006	English indie rock band Kasabian released their classic 2^nd studio album, ‘Empire’.
15	October	2006	After American singer Patti Smith finished her live set at New York City’s famous punk rock music venue CBGB & OMFUG, the club finally closed its doors for good, following a rent dispute and thereby ending an era.
25	December	2006	Legendary American singer and the ‘Godfather of Soul’, James Brown died of pneumonia in Atlanta, Georgia at the age of 73.
28	February	2007	American rock band The Doors received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6901 Hollywood Boulevard.
12	March	2007	The American Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inducted its ‘Class of 2007’ including Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, R.E.M., The Ronettes, Patti Smith and Van Halen.
23	April	2007	English indie rock band, Arctic Monkeys released their sophomore studio album, ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’.
25	June	2007	British indie rock band Editors released their sophomore studio album, ‘An End Has a Start’.
5	November	2007	English downtempo artist William Emmanuel Bevan (a.k.a. Burial) released his melancholic genre breaking 2^nd studio album, ‘Untrue’.
12	December	2007	Controversial American rock ‘n’ roll and R&B pioneer, Ike Turner died from a cocaine overdose at his home in San Marcos, California at the age of 76.
2	March	2008	Extraordinary blind Canadian blues/rock guitarist Jeff Healey died from lung cancer in Toronto at the age of 41.
10	March	2008	The American Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inducted its ‘Class of 2008’ including Leonard Cohen, The Dave Clark Five, Madonna, John Mellencamp, The Ventures and Little Walter.
1	April	2008	American blues/rock duo The Black Keys released their classic 5^th studio album, ‘Attack & Release’.
3	April	2008	American media and technology giant Apple Inc. became the top seller of recorded music in the USA.
19	April	2008	The annual global campaign to promote the importance of independent music stores ‘Record Store Day’ began in California, USA.
28	April	2008	English trip-hop band, Portishead released their 3^rd studio album, the originally titled, ‘Third’.
12	May	2008	American indie rock band Death Cab For Cutie released their 6^th studio album, ‘Narrow Stairs’.
26	May	2008	English indie rock band Spiritualized released their 6^th studio album, ‘Songs In A&E’.
2	June	2008	Legendary American blues and rock ‘n’ roll guitarist Bo Diddley died from heart failure at his home in Archer, Florida at the age of 79.
7	June	2008	The ‘homecoming’ funeral of American blues guitarist and singer Bo Diddley took place in Gainseville Florida.
19	June	2008	American indie rock band The War On Drugs released their debut studio album, ‘Wagonwheel Blues’.
10	August	2008	Acclaimed American soul singer, songwriter, producer and actor, Isaac Hayes died of a stroke at his home in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 65.
19	September	2008	American rock band Kings of Leon released their commercially successful 4^th studio album, ‘Only By The Night’.
10	October	2008	English alternative rock band Radiohead released their 7^th studio album, ‘In Rainbows’ in the UK.
24	November	2008	Experimental virtuoso English rock guitarist, Jeff Beck released his highly acclaimed live concert album, ‘Performing This Week… Live At Ronnie Scott’s’.
15	December	2008	Hugely influential English folk acoustic guitarist Davey Graham died of lung cancer at the age of 68.
6	January	2009	American guitarist and songwriter with The Stooges and Iggy Pop, Ron Asheton died of a heart attack at his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the age of 60.
29	January	2009	Influential British singer, songwriter and guitarist, John Martyn died from pneumonia in Kilkenny, Ireland at the age of 60.
23	February	2009	English rave band The Prodigy released their resurgent 5^th studio album, ‘Invaders Must Die’.
4	April	2009	The American Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inducted its ‘Class of 2009’ including Jeff Beck, Metallica, Run‑D.M.C., Bobby Womack, Bill Black and D.J. Fontana.
13	April	2009	Controversial American record producer Phil Spector was convicted of murdering actress Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra mansion in California in February 2003.
14	April	2009	English former member of The Beatles, George Harrison received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1750 Vine Street.
29	May	2009	Notorious American record producer, Phil Spector was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison for murdering actress Lana Clarkson at his California mansion in 2003.
5	June	2009	English indie rock band Kasabian released their classic 3^rd studio album, ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’.
25	June	2009	American superstar singer Michael Jackson died of a drug overdose in Los Angeles, California at the age of 50.
12	August	2009	Legendary American jazz guitarist, singer, inventor and recording innovator, Les Paul, died from pneumonia in White Plains, New York at the age of 94.
19	August	2009	English indie rock band, Arctic Monkeys released their 3^rd studio album, ‘Humbug’.
12	October	2009	British indie rock band Editors released their 3^rd studio album, ‘In This Light And On This Evening’.

Tailpiece

Help! We are running out of decades from which to poach pertinent and poignant particulars (pardon the flowery alliteration). Just one more decade and a few hundred facts to be revealed before the chronological timeline has to remain as‑yet‑unwritten for another epoch. The next instalment looking at the 2010s will, by definition, bring us pretty much up‑to‑date. I hope you feel inclined to re-join me in the next enthralling part of the journey.

In the meantime, warmer days and longer evenings of spring beckon. There are plenty of guitars to be played and much music to be listened to. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “It really doesn’t matter what music you play, or how good you are at playing it, as long as you play”

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30 Aug 2019

August 2019 – The Story of Modern Music in 1,500+ Facts – Part VI

by Tony Drew | posted in: History, Introduction, Observations | 0

Introduction

So, here we are again, good people. Like the immortal rose‑tinted glasses of the ‘Summer of ‘69’, 50 years on, the summer 2019 is beginning to degrade and enter the memory banks while the evenings are inexorably drawing in again. Perhaps it is poignant to recount the past and reflect a little on how we got to where we are now.

If you would like to (re)visit any or all of the first five parts (and over 300 years) of the story to‑date, you can do so here (each link opens a new browser tab):

In the last article, the world of music transformed seemingly overnight with the rise of rock ‘n’ roll acting as a significant catalyst for American and British youth culture in the 1950s. Of course, it wasn’t quite like that in reality – so many different ingredients came together to create an irresistible phenomenon. If the 1950s wasn’t enough to challenge the traditionalists, things were about to get a whole lot more liberal and lively in the 1960s. Even greater social change compounded the consternation of the older, and typically more old-fashioned, conservative generation.

The Story of Modern Music Part VI 1960-1969

While rock ‘n’ roll now seems to be a permanent fixture in the minds of modern music lovers, in its purest form, it didn’t last that long before it became diluted and music evolution moved on rapidly. However, the influence of rock ‘n’ roll was pervasive, acting as a major stimulus to all other sorts of genre developments. The 1960s stood alone from previous and subsequent decades in terms of political, cultural, economic, technological climate and this was reflected in the distinctive music emerging over the same period. For many readers, the 1960s is now within ‘living memory’ – it is, just about, for me. Up to now, much of the chronology will be history, picked up second hand from written or pictorial records. From here on in, readers may well have some experience of these events for real. For a younger audience, be patient, we’ll get to your era soon. There is a lot to get through this month, so it focuses only on one decade with a few photos again.

Historical Context 1960-1969

Although fundamental human equality was still a pipedream for many in the west, freedom of expression and individual liberties probably characterised the ‘Swinging Sixties’ more than anything else, including the Sexual Revolution and civil rights movements. People felt able to say and do things that were unthinkable in previous decades. People were also able to protest against what they felt were moral injustices. Many families experienced benefits from improving economic prosperity and technological advancement. The Cold War and the space race dominated international relations, particularly between the capitalist ‘west’ and communist ‘east’. The latter part of the 1960s saw symbols of the peace & love movement, gaudy fashion and hippie ‘flower power’, all kaleidoscopically prevalent. If there was a decade that could live up to the description of ‘sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll’, the 1960s would be it.

Year	Global Events
1960	America launched the first satellite navigation geo‑positioning system into space, called Transit for use by the U.S. Navy, entering operational service in 1964. The oral contraceptive pill was approved for use by married women in America followed by Britain in 1961. The classic great American novel, ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, written by author Harper Lee was published. The classic and ground breaking psychological horror film, ‘Psycho’, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Anthony Perkins was released.
1961	Democrat politician John F. Kennedy became the 35^th President of the U.S.A. JFK’s election heralded a new wave of hope and optimism set against the background of the Cold War. The American‑backed military invasion of the Bay of Pigs in Cuba intended to topple Fidel Castro failed, thereby escalating political tensions. The infamous Berlin wall separating east and west Germany was constructed. It remained until 1989 when it was symbolically destroyed by the German people. Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space aboard the Soviet Vostok 1 capsule. Astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American to go into space aboard a Mercury spacecraft.
1962	The Cuban Missile Crisis between United States and the Soviet Union narrowly avoided escalation into a full‑scale nuclear world war. American actress and cultural icon Marilyn Monroe died of a drug overdose at the age of 36. Her death was ruled controversially as probable suicide. Marvel’s fictional super hero Spider‑Man made his first comic book appearance. The first satellite television transmission and telephone calls took place over the Atlantic ocean from Europe to North America, relayed by the American Telstar communication satellite.
1963	American president John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Former U.S. Marine, Lee Harvey Oswald was accused of the murder only to be killed while in police custody by local night club owner, Jack Ruby, fuelling many conspiracy theories. Democrat politician Lyndon B. Johnson became 36^th President of the U.S.A. following the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The infamous Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in San Francisco Bay was closed as a prison. The island is now a museum and tourist attraction run by the U.S. National Park Service.
1964	Sidney Poitier became the first African American actor to win an Academy Award (Oscar) for his role in the film ‘Lilies of the Field’. South African anti‑apartheid campaigner Nelson Mandela was jailed, having been charged with sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government.
1965	America joined the Vietnam War by sending U.S. Marines into battle supporting the South Vietnamese against the Chinese‑backed North Vietnamese National Liberation Front (the Viet Cong). American space missions took a significant step forward with the launch of manned Gemini low Earth orbiting capsules. The successful programme ended in 1966. Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov became the first person to make a spacewalk, lasting 12 minutes after exiting the Voskhod 2 spacecraft. Renowned British Fashion designer Mary Quant launched the iconic mini skirt in London, encouraging young women to dress to please themselves.
1966	The Chinese Cultural Revolution began, led by Chairman Mao Zedong, intended to preserve Chinese Communism and purge capitalism from its society. The oppressive campaign lasted until Mao’s death in 1976. The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was founded in Oakland, California in 1966, intended to patrol African American neighbourhoods and protect residents from acts of police brutality. It ceased operation in 1982. The classic, ground breaking science fiction TV series Star Trek was first broadcast, created by American producer and screenwriter, Gene Rodenberry.
1967	British sailor Sir Francis Chichester became the first person to circumnavigate single‑handedly around the globe in his yacht the Gypsy Moth IV. Argentinian Marxist revolutionary and guerrilla leader Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, a major figure in the Cuban Revolution, was executed while in military detention in Bolivia at the age of 39. His death secured his status as a political martyr and counter‑culture rebel icon. The first successful human heart transplant took place, carried out by Dr Christiaan Barnard in South Africa. The first American Football Super Bowl took place between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay won.
1968	Russia brutally crushed the Prague Spring uprising in Czechoslovakia, forcing the country to subordinate its national interests to those of the ‘Eastern Bloc’. The classic science fiction film, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ was released, directed by Stanley Kubrick. American civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by lifelong criminal James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennessee. The ambitious American Apollo space program got underway with the first manned flight aboard Apollo 7. The program ended in 1972 with Apollo 17.
1969	Supersonic passenger flight became possible with the introduction of the Anglo‑French Concorde airliner. The cult classic counter-culture movie ‘Easy Rider’ was released, starring Dennis Hopper (also directing) and Peter Fonda. American Senator Ted Kennedy  drove his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts, killing 28‑year old Mary Jo Kopechne, a former aide to Senator Bobby Kennedy. Police raided the Stonewall Inn in New York City, sparking demonstrations and the start of the gay civil rights movement in the United States. Followers of the cult leader Charles Manson carried out a series of 9 brutal murders including that of actress Sharon Tate. American manned space mission Apollo 11 successfully landed on the Moon. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon’s surface, with Armstrong proclaiming, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. Republican politician Richard Nixon was elected as the 37^th U.S. president. Infamously, he remains the only American President to have resigned from office, following the Watergate scandal. The United Kingdom abolished the death penalty substituting it with a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.

Musical Genre Development 1960-1969

The ‘Swinging Sixties’ were particularly important and memorable for music in America and Europe. The musical revolution that began with rock ‘n’ roll in the previous decade rapidly morphed and diversified on both sides of the Atlantic. By the end of the decade, rock and pop were firmly established as major commercial genres that continue to flourish and adapt to the current day. The 1960s was also a time in which large outdoor music festivals flourished, especially towards the end of the decade, with major events like Newport, Monterey and Woodstock in America and Hyde Park and the Isle of Wight in the UK. In addition, the 1960s saw the introduction of the music compact cassette, which made music not only cheaper but also more portable. As the famous quote, probably attributed to American comedian Charles Fleischer (1950-) goes, ‘if you remember the ‘60s, you weren’t really there’. If that is the case, this article might just serve as a timely reminder.

R&B, gospel, and jazz started to evolve into urban African American soul music, made popular by record companies specialising in the genre. One of these labels was Motown in Detroit, Michigan featuring artists such as Diana Ross & the Supremes, The Four Tops, and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. Another record label that was hugely influential at the time was Stax Records based in Memphis, Tennessee which was significant for its racially integrated production of southern soul and blues music, including house band Booker T & the M.G.’s and artists like Otis Redding. Atlantic Records which began in New York also promoted soul artists such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Wilson Pickett. Some other popular soul and R&B artists of the 1960s include The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Isley Brothers and the Jackson Five. Racial segregation was a major hurdle for aspiring black musicians and soul is often seen as being closely associated with the American civil rights movement.

Surf music originated in the early 1960s on the west coast of America, particularly around the surfing culture of Orange County in southern California. It was influenced by instrumental rock ‘n’ roll artists like Link Wray, The Ventures and Duane Eddy. Surf is, however, distinct from rock ‘n’ roll and was important in the formation of modern rock music. Surf music tended to fall either into instrumental tunes performed by the likes of Dick Dale & The Deltones or harmonised vocal songs characterised by The Beach Boys. The musical style is heavily based around reverb‑drenched electric guitar sounds often making use of a guitar’s vibrato and the amplifier’s tremolo effect. Lyrics focused on, unsurprisingly, surfing, girls, cars and sunny west coast beach culture. Surf was relatively short‑lived and was taken over by many other American and European genres from the mid‑1960s onwards.

Up to the early 1960s, British artists were in the shadow of American acts and were often playing catch‑up. While not a genre in its own right, the so‑called ‘British Invasion’ began around 1963 with many artists from Britain becoming massively popular in the United States. UK artists sometimes took American songs and gave them a British sound. Perhaps the most significant phenomenon was coined ‘Beatlemania’, when Merseybeat pop group The Beatles broke onto the American music scene circa 1963 and spearheaded the export of UK music to the USA. Other British artists included The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Cream, The Hollies and The Who. By the end of the decade American artists had largely regained their homeland audiences. Various attempts to recreate the phenomenon have only been partially successful, for instance Britpop in the 1990s with artists like Oasis, the Spice Girls and Robbie Williams.

By the mid‑1960s, there was a strong revival of folk music, notable especially for songs with a social and moral conscience, widely articulating the feelings and messages of the various turbulent protest movements of the time. Songs encompassed issues such as poverty, class, the Vietnam War, social injustice and racial segregation. Songs also began to exhibit a stronger leaning towards the emerging rock oriented music scene. Perhaps the most significant artist of the period was Bob Dylan who controversially and ultimately successfully fused acoustic folk and electric rock genres.

Pop music is a diverse genre that attracts a lot of debate. It developed not from the broader traditional popular music of previous decades but from rock ‘n’ roll in the late 1950s and ‘pop’ became a commonly used term since the 1960s to describe non‑classical highly commercial and easily accessible youth‑oriented music. From about 1967, there was a clear divergence between rock music and pop music. Rock became harder edged and played by ‘real’ musicians recording albums while pop was refined into short catchy radio friendly ‘singles’ that were largely industry driven, highly produced, easily packaged, widely marketable and hugely profitable. Musically and lyrically, pop songs are generally uncontroversial and tended not to challenge the listener to any significant degree. Pop artists would sometimes appear and disappear overnight, as it was the songs, sales and chart position that mattered more to the record companies, rather than the performer. The term ‘one‑hit‑wonder’ is often associated with the throwaway appeal of pop music consumption. Conversely, the corporations assert that profits enable investment in new artists. Successful pop artists from the 1960s included The Monkees, The Shadows, Herman’s Hermits, The Dave Clark Five, The Everly Brothers, The Bee Gees and The Lovin’ Spoonful. Pop music continues to evolve and has had a number of peaks since the 1960s including in the early 1980s with artists like Michael Jackson and Madonna and late 2000s including the likes of P!nk, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Pop therefore represents considerable mainstream economic business to the industry.

Experimental psychedelic rock was popular during the late 1960s and is often associated with the hippie/flower power counterculture. It is also associated with the widespread use of cannabis and manufactured hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD (acid). Song lyrics frequently referenced drugs and altered/elevated states of consciousness. Songs were often long and comprised extended instrumental extemporisation and improvisation (often called jamming). Musicians regularly used esoteric instruments like the sitar, tabla vibraphone and organ, much of it influenced by Asian, Indian and oriental music. Psychedelic rock and folk rock became closely associated with simple messages of peace and love that began with 1967’s ‘Summer of Love’ phenomenon and reached a climax at the Woodstock festival in 1969. Many rock bands of the period stretched the boundaries of the genre, including the Grateful Dead, The Velvet Underground, Janis Joplin, The Beatles, The Doors, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Jefferson Airplane, Cream, The Moody Blues, Gong, Hawkwind and early Pink Floyd.

Ska is a genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and came to popular prominence in the early 1960s. Ska was influenced by Caribbean calypso and Latin music combined with American jazz and R&B. Ska developed heavy basslines and offbeat accents producing a distinctive up‑tempo dance rhythm. Jamaican producers began recording ska on their own labels which were then played on DJ sound systems. Ska became popular not only in Jamaica but also in Britain, being associated with the decade’s mod and skinhead sub‑cultures. Importantly, ska was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Key players in the genre were Prince Buster, Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd and Duke Reid. Ska experienced a major revival in Britain in the late 1970s and early 1980s on the back of the punk rock boom through Two Tone Records and artists like The Specials, Madness, Bad Manners, The Selecter, and The Beat.

Classic rock music, or simply just rock, really came into its own as a separate broad genre during the 1960s deriving from America and the UK. Rock’s origins stem from rock ‘n’ roll, blues, folk, country and R&B. Experimentation with sound and composition mean that there are many, many sub‑genres and crossover styles of rock music. Rock is predominantly performed by a band with vocals, one or more electric guitars, bass and drums played in an un‑syncopated 4/4 rhythm and comprising a verse and chorus structure. Rock became distinct for increasing use of volume and distorted electric guitar sounds. Classic rock was the starting point for the various offshoots that followed including hard rock, psychedelic rock, blues rock, folk rock, progressive/contemporary rock, heavy metal, glam rock, soft rock, AOR, roots rock, jazz rock, punk rock, new wave, post‑punk, grunge, alternative rock and indie. Many of these styles of rock music remain popular to the current day. Culturally, rock music has often been connected with political activism as well as changes in social attitudes to race, sex, crime and drug use, and is often seen as an expression of young people’s rebellious rejection of adult uniformity and conformity. Artists associated with classic rock include The Kinks, Small Faces, Free, Bad Company and Jeff Beck.

Hard rock split from pop and rock during the latter half of the 1960s. As rock music was beginning to define itself throughout the 1960s, an offshoot rapidly developed that had its own distinctive sound. Hard rock took commercial rock and gave it a heavier and more aggressive style. Hard rock vocals tended to be in the higher registers and were often raspy and guttural. The hard-edged, loud, distorted guitar‑heavy music was influenced by blues, rock and garage. Hard rock could often be identified by catchy ‘power chord’ riffs and impressive lead guitar solos. Hard rock quickly became associated with excluded and defiant young people and the lyrics frequently had a distinctly anti‑authoritarian slant. This sometimes hostile approach to the mainstream was characterised by some acts destroying their instruments on stage, for instance by Pete Townsend of The Who and Jimi Hendrix. The hedonistic rock lifestyle went hand in hand with the music, resulting in musicians reportedly partying as hard as they played, regularly destroying property. Many rock artists developed drug and alcohol dependencies, which resulted in some high profile deaths, including Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix. Notable hard rock bands from the 1960s include The Who, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Steppenwolf and The Rolling Stones and later in the early 1970s by bands like Rainbow, Whitesnake, Aerosmith, Kiss, Queen, AC/DC, Alice Cooper and Van Halen.

Musical Facts 1960-1969

Michael Stipe (REM)

Day	Month	Year	Music Fact
4	January	1960	American singer, songwriter, producer, artist and former frontman of indie rock band R.E.M. Michael Stipe was born in Decatur, Georgia.
22	January	1960	Australian singer, songwriter and co-founder of rock band INXS, Michael Hutchence was born in Sydney, New South Wales.
9	February	1960	Legendary American singer Elvis Presley received his first star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6777 Hollywood Boulevard.
3	March	1960	American rock ‘n’ roll singer and now soldier, Sargent Elvis Presley set foot in the UK for the first and only (confirmed) time while his forces plane was refuelled at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire, Scotland.
13	March	1960	British/Irish bass guitarist, best known as a member of rock band U2, Adam Clayton was born in Chinnor, Oxfordshire, England.
31	March	1960	American blues rock guitarist, Popa Chubby (a.k.a. Theodore ‘Ted’ Horowitz) was born in The Bronx, New York City.
4	April	1960	Legendary American rock ‘n’ roll singer Elvis Presley recorded his classic hit single, ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight?’ at RCA studios in Nashville, Tennessee.
6	April	1960	American guitarist and member of blues/rock groups The Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule and The Dead, Warren Haynes was born in Asheville, North Carolina.
17	April	1960	American rock ‘n’ roll singer and guitarist Eddie Cochran died tragically following a car accident in Wiltshire, UK, at the age of just 21.
23	April	1960	English guitarist, singer, songwriter and key member of heavy rock band Def Leppard, Steve Clark (1960-1991, 30) was born in Hillsborough, Sheffield.
10	May	1960	Irish singer and songwriter Paul Hewson, a.k.a. Bono, front man of massive rock band U2 was born in Dublin.
1	June	1960	Great English bass guitarist with indie rock icons The Cure, Simon Gallup was born in Duxhurst, Surrey.
6	June	1960	American virtuoso rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, Steve Vai was born in New York.
20	June	1960	English bass guitarist and co-founder of new romantic band Duran Duran, John Taylor was born in Solihull, Warwickshire.
27	October	1960	American soul singer Ben E. King recorded his first songs as a solo artist after leaving The Drifters, the classics, ‘Spanish Harlem’ and ‘Stand By Me’.
7	November	1960	American guitarist and songwriter with rock band KISS from 2002, Tommy Thayer, nicknamed ‘The Spaceman’ was born in Portland, Oregon.
8	February	1961	After changing their name from The Quarrymen, English pop band The Beatles made their debut appearance at Liverpool’s Cavern Club, their first of 292 performances at the venue.
7	May	1961	Welsh guitarist and long-term member of hard rock band Motörhead, Phil Campbell was born in Pontypridd.
12	May	1961	English guitarist, songwriter and member of post-punk band, The Cult, Billy Duffy was born in Manchester.
29	May	1961	Award-winning American singer, songwriter and guitarist, Melissa Etheridge was born in Leavenworth, Kansas.
3	June	1961	English guitarist and founding member of psychedelic rock bands Ozric Tentacles and Nodens Ictus, Ed Wynne was born in London.
10	June	1961	American bass guitarist, singer and songwriter, former member of alternative rock band Pixies and currently fronting The Breeders with her twin sister, Kim Deal was born in Dayton, Ohio.
10	June	1961	American guitarist and member of The Breeders with her twin sister, Kelley Deal was born in Dayton, Ohio.
23	July	1961	Multi-talented award-winning English singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, DJ and co-founder of Depeche Mode, Martin Gore was born in Dagenham, Essex.
8	August	1961	Irish guitarist and songwriter with rock band U2, The Edge (a.k.a. David Evans) was born in Barking, Essex, England to Welsh parents.
13	September	1961	American guitarist, singer, songwriter and co-founder of thrash metal rock band Megadeth, Dave Mustaine was born in La Mesa, California.
16	September	1961	English guitarist, singer and songwriter with indie rock band My Bloody Valentine, Bilinda Butcher was born in London.
3	October	1961	The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee welcomed its first inductees, Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose and Hank Williams.
10	October	1961	English bass guitarist and actor best known as member of new wave/pop group Spandau Ballet, Martin Kemp was born in London.
10	February	1962	American bass guitarist and songwriter, best known as a member of heavy rock band Metallica, Cliff Burton (1962-1986, 24) was born in California.
11	February	1962	Talented American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, including guitar, bass and drums, Sheryl Crow was born in Kennett, Missouri.
2	March	1962	American singer, songwriter, founder and front man of the rock band that bears his name, Jon Bon Jovi was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
8	April	1962	American guitarist, co-founder and ex-member of rock band Guns N’ Roses, Izzy Stradlin (a.k.a. Jeffrey Dean Isbell) was born in Lafayette, Indiana.
2	August	1962	American folk singer, songwriter and guitarist Robert Allen Zimmerman formally changed his name to… the one and only Bob Dylan.
25	August	1962	Northern Irish guitarist who has been a member of hard rock bands Def Leppard, Dio and Whitesnake, Vivian Campbell was born in Belfast, County Antrim.
11	October	1962	English pop group The Beatles had their song ‘Love Me Do’ reach no. 4 in the UK singles chart, their first record to do so.
16	October	1962	Australian/American bass guitarist and co-founder of rock band, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Michael Balzary (a.k.a. Flea) was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
17	October	1962	English newcomers, The Beatles made their first regional television appearance playing 2 songs live on Granada’s ‘People And Places’ show.
18	November	1962	Great American guitarist, songwriter and long-time member of metal rock band Metallica, Kirk Hammett was born in San Francisco, California.
24	November	1962	English guitarist and songwriter with the Stone Roses and The Seahorses, John Squire was born in Altrincham, Cheshire.
8	December	1962	American guitarist, well known for his 10-year stint with heavy metal band Megadeth, Marty Friedman was born in Washington D.C.
9	January	1963	English drummer, Charlie Watts joined the rock band The Rolling Stones, starting a long-term membership of the group.
19	January	1963	English pop/rock band, The Beatles made their first recorded UK TV appearance on the ITV/ABC show, ‘Thank Your Lucky Stars’.
2	February	1963	American singer, songwriter and guitarist, the ‘songbird’, Eva Cassidy (1963-1996, 33) was born in Washington D.C.
22	March	1963	Emerging English pop group The Beatles released their debut studio album ‘Please Please Me’ in the UK. Merseybeat had well and truly arrived.
27	May	1963	American folk singer, songwriter and guitarist, Bob Dylan released his classic 2^nd studio album, ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’.
30	June	1963	Impressive, prolific Swedish virtuoso neoclassical heavy rock guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen was born in Stockholm.
3	August	1963	American guitarist, singer, songwriter and co-founder of heavy metal rock band Metallica, James Hetfield was born in Downey, California.
9	August	1963	Popular British weekly pop music television show, ‘Ready Steady Go!’ was first broadcast by ITV. The show ran until December 1966.
9	August	1963	Multi-award-winning American soul/R&B singer and actress, Whitney Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey.
30	August	1963	Dutch technology company Philips introduced the Compact Cassette to Europe at the Berlin Radio Show, followed by an American launch in November the same year.
13	October	1963	Emerging English pop band The Beatles made their first major TV appearance on ITV’s famous variety show, ‘Sunday Night At The London Palladium’.
31	October	1963	English guitarist, singer, songwriter, ex-member of post‑punk rock band The Smiths, as well as a successful solo artist and collaborator, Johnny Marr was born in Manchester.
31	December	1963	American guitarist, singer and founding member of thrash metal rock band Anthrax, Scott Ian was born in Queens, New York.
1	January	1964	The BBC’s popular chart music television programme ‘Top Of The Pops’ (TOTP) was first broadcast in the UK. The show ran for over 42 years until July 2006.
13	January	1964	American folk singer Bob Dylan released his 3^rd studio album ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’’, which became a political anthem for social change in 1960s America.
5	February	1964	American bass player and ex-member of rock bands, Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver, Loaded and Jane’s Addiction, Duff McKagan was born in Seattle, Washington state.
7	February	1964	‘Beatlemania’ struck America when The Beatles landed at New York’s JFK Airport on their first visit to the USA.
9	February	1964	‘Beatlemania’ struck again when English pop band The Beatles made their American TV debut on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’.
11	February	1964	English pop band The Beatles made their debut live performance in America at the Washington Coliseum in front of 8,000 screaming fans.
26	May	1964	American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actor, Lenny Kravitz was born in New York City.
30	May	1964	Great American guitarist with rock bands Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave, as well as several solo projects, Tom Morello was born in New York.
3	June	1964	Great American guitarist with thrash metal rock band Slayer, the formidable Kerry King was born in Los Angeles, California.
19	June	1964	English rock band, The Animals, released their seminal hit single, ‘House Of The Rising Sun’.
10	July	1964	English pop/rock group The Beatles released their 6^th studio album ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ in the UK.
24	July	1964	The Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island, U.S.A. descended into controversy when Bob Dylan performed an electric rather than acoustic set.
13	November	1964	English rock band The Rolling Stones released their cover of the classic Willie Dixon blues song, ‘Little Red Rooster’ as a single in the UK.
23	December	1964	American guitarist, singer, songwriter and long-time member of rock band Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder was born in Evanston, Illinois.
20	January	1965	The self-proclaimed ‘father of rock ‘n’ roll’, legendary American DJ Alan Freed died from uraemia and cirrhosis in hospital in Palm Springs, California at the age of 43.
28	January	1965	Emerging English rock band, The Who made their debut television appearance in the UK on the ITV music show ‘Ready Steady Go!’
14	February	1965	Australian/French multi-instrumentalist, including guitar, known for working with alternative rock bands Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Grinderman, Warren Ellis was born in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.
8	March	1965	Legendary American folk guitarist, singer and songwriter Bob Dylan released his first top 40 hit single, ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ in the U.S.
12	May	1965	English rock band The Rolling Stones recorded their trademark song ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ at RCA’s studio in Hollywood.
17	May	1965	Prolific composer, singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and founder of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania.
16	June	1965	Legendary American folk singer and guitarist Bob Dylan recorded his classic song, ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ at Columbia studios in New York.
23	June	1965	English guitarist and founding member of rock band Oasis, Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs was born in Manchester.
23	July	1965	British/American guitarist, member of hard rock bands Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, as well as a successful solo artist, Saul Hudson (a.k.a. Slash) was born in London.
29	July	1965	The full-length film ‘Help!’, featuring a certain English pop quartet, The Beatles, was premiered in London.
6	August	1965	English pop group The Beatles released their 5^th studio album, ‘Help!’ in the UK, which was also the soundtrack to their film of the same name.
15	August	1965	English pop band The Beatles broke the (then) record for an audience of 55,600 at Shea Stadium in New York City.
20	August	1965	English rock band The Rolling Stones released their massive hit single, ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’.
28	August	1965	Canadian country music singer, songwriter and guitarist, Shania Twain, the ‘Queen of Country Pop’ was born in Windsor, Ontario.
30	August	1965	American folk guitarist, singer and songwriter Bob Dylan released his classic 6^th studio album, ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ in the UK.
13	October	1965	English rock band The Who recorded their classic single ‘My Generation’ at Pye Recording Studios in London, UK.
21	October	1965	Pioneering American rock ‘n’ roll bass player, forever associated with singer Elvis Presley, Bill Black died of a brain tumour in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 39.
26	October	1965	HM Queen Elizabeth II presented members of the English pop band The Beatles with MBEs at Buckingham Palace in London.
29	October	1965	English rock band, The Who released the single ‘My Generation’ in the UK, reaching number 2 in the British singles chart.
12	November	1965	Emerging young English singer, songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan performed his first single, ‘The Wizard’ on national UK TV music programme ‘Ready Steady Go!’
12	November	1965	American rock band Velvet Underground performed their debut live performance at Summit High School in New Jersey.
19	November	1965	English guitarist, songwriter and lead man for alternative rock band Spiritualized, Jason Pierce was born in Rugby.
21	November	1965	Avant-garde Icelandic singer, songwriter, producer and actress, Björk Guðmundsdóttir was born in Reykjavík.
25	November	1965	American guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, a member of punk rock bands Rancid and Transplants, Tim Armstrong was born in Albany, California.
3	December	1965	English pop/rock group The Beatles released their 6^th studio album ‘Rubber Soul’ in the UK.
3	December	1965	English rock band, The Who, released their classic debut studio album, ‘My Generation’ in the UK.
10	December	1965	American singer, songwriter and guitarist, front man of alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr., the great J. Mascis was born in Amherst, Massachusetts.
4	March	1966	Member of The Beatles, John Lennon, made his infamously controversial statement that the band was “…more popular than Jesus…”.
18	March	1966	American guitarist and founder of heavy rock band, Alice In Chains, Jerry Cantrell was born in Tacoma, Washington.
25	March	1966	Renowned Canadian blues rock guitarist, Jeff Healey (1966-2008, 41) was born in Toronto.
5	April	1966	American guitarist and co-founder of rock band, Pearl Jam, Mike McCready was born in Pensacola, Florida.
22	April	1966	English garage rock band The Troggs released their version of the Wild Ones’ song, ‘Wild Thing’, which became a classic hit single of its time.
1	May	1966	English pop/rock band, The Beatles performed their final UK live appearance at the NME Poll Winners’ Party, held at the Empire Pool, Wembley in London.
13	May	1966	English rock band, The Rolling Stones released their dark and sinister hit single, ‘Paint It, Black’ from the album ‘Aftermath’ (U.S. release).
16	May	1966	Original American surf pop/rock band, The Beach Boys released their best-selling classic 11^th studio album, ‘Pet Sounds’ in the U.S.
16	May	1966	American folk singer, songwriter and guitarist, Bob Dylan originally scheduled the release date of his classic 7^th studio double album, ‘Blonde On Blonde’. It didn’t actually become available until early June.
26	May	1966	English pop/rock band, The Beatles recorded ‘Yellow Submarine’ at Abbey Road Studios in London.
30	May	1966	American singer, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of alternative rock bands Pavement and the Jicks, Stephen Malkmus was born in Santa Monica, California.
16	July	1966	British music icons Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker formed the short-lived blues/rock super group Cream.
5	August	1966	English pop/rock group, The Beatles released their classic 7^th studio album, ‘Revolver’ in the UK.
20	August	1966	American guitarist, songwriter and founder of heavy metal rock bands Pantera and Damageplan, ‘Dimebag’ Darrell Lance Abbott (1966-2004, 38) was born in Arlington, Texas.
12	September	1966	Featuring an American/British pop-rock band, The Monkees show premiered on American TV network NBC.
20	September	1966	Portuguese/American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and member of rock band Extreme, Nuno Bettencourt was born in Terceira, Azores.
23	October	1966	Anglo-American rock trio, The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded ‘Hey Joe’, their debut single, which peaked at number 6 in the UK chart.
2	November	1966	American blues guitarist Mississippi John Hurt died of a heart attack in a hospital in Grenada, Mississippi at the age of 73.
6	November	1966	American virtuoso rock guitarist, member of rock bands Mr Big and Racer X, as well as successful solo artist, Paul Gilbert was born in Carbondale, Illinois.
17	November	1966	American surf band, The Beach Boys had a number one hit in the UK singles chart with the classic song, ‘Good Vibrations’.
17	November	1966	Talented American singer, songwriter and guitarist, the graceful Mr Jeff Buckley (1966-1997, 30) was born in Orange, California.
25	November	1966	The Jimi Hendrix Experience played their debut live performance in the UK at the Bag O’Nails Club in Soho, London.
7	December	1966	English guitarist and songwriter who has worked with bands Oasis, Beady Eye and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Gem Archer was born in Durham.
9	December	1966	English blues/rock super group Cream, comprising Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, released their debut studio album, ‘Fresh Cream’ in the UK.
13	December	1966	Anglo-American rock band The Jimi Hendrix Experience, made their UK TV debut on popular music programme ‘Ready Steady Go!’.
13	December	1966	Anglo-American rock band The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded their classic track, ‘Foxy Lady’ (a.k.a. ‘Foxey Lady’ in the U.S.), released as a single in May 1967.
16	December	1966	Anglo-American rock band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience released their debut single in the UK, ‘Hey Joe’, reaching no. 6. It failed to chart in the U.S.
23	December	1966	After 3 years on air, UK TV network channel ITV broadcast the final episode of the popular music programme, ‘Ready Steady Go!’ following a Musicians’ Union ban on miming on television.
29	December	1966	Anglo‑American rock trio, The Jimi Hendrix Experience made their first UK TV appearance on the BBC’s ‘Top Of The Pops’, performing their single, ‘Hey Joe’.
4	January	1967	American rock band, The Doors, released their classic self-titled debut studio album, ‘The Doors’.
11	January	1967	Anglo‑American rock trio, The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded their classic song, ‘Purple Haze’ at De Lane Lea Studios in London. It took 3 takes in 4 hours to complete.
14	January	1967	American heavy metal guitarist, singer and songwriter, founder of heavy metal band Black Label Society, Zakk Wylde was born in New Jersey.
17	January	1967	English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, solo artist and session musician, Richard Hawley was born in Sheffield.
3	February	1967	Pioneering English record producer and studio engineer, Joe Meek murdered his landlady and then committed suicide in London at the age of 37.
17	February	1967	English Blues rock band John Mayall and the Blues Breakers released their 2^nd studio album, ‘A Hard Road’ with Peter Green replacing Eric Clapton as guitarist.
20	February	1967	American singer, songwriter and guitarist with grunge rock band Nirvana, Kurt Cobain (1967-1994, 27) was born in Aberdeen, Washington state.
12	March	1967	American rock band, The Velvet Underground released their debut studio album, ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’, with iconic cover art by pop artist Andy Warhol.
17	March	1967	American singer, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan was born in Chicago, Illinois.
12	May	1967	Anglo‑American rock band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience released their debut studio album, ‘Are You Experienced’ in the UK.
29	May	1967	English singer, songwriter and guitarist with rock bands Oasis and High Flying Birds, Noel Gallagher was born in Manchester.
1	June	1967	English pop/rock band, The Beatles released their classic 8^th studio album, ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ in the UK.
1	June	1967	Aspiring English singer David Bowie released his eponymous debut studio album, ‘David Bowie’ in the UK.
7	June	1967	American guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member of alternative rock band Jane’s Addiction as well as former member of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Navarro was born in Santa Monica, California.
16	June	1967	The ‘Summer of Love’ officially arrived with the start of the legendary 3-day Monterey Pop Festival in California. Artists included The Animals, Simon & Garfunkel and Sly & The Family Stone.
16	June	1967	English psychedelic/progressive rock band Pink Floyd released their classic single, ‘See Emily Play’, written by Syd Barrett.
17	June	1967	The ‘Summer of Love’ continued with the 2^nd day of the 3-day Monterey International Pop Festival in California. Artists included Canned Heat, Jefferson Airplane, Otis Redding, Steve Miller Band and The Byrds.
18	June	1967	The ‘Summer of Love’ continued with the 3^rd and final day of the Monterey International Pop Festival in California. Artists included Buffalo Springfield, Grateful Dead, Ravi Shankar, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and The Who.
24	June	1967	German guitarist with Industrial Metal rock band Rammstein, Richard Z. Kruspe was born in Wittenberge.
12	July	1967	Great American guitarist and founding member of heavy rock band Dream Theater, John Petrucci was born in New York.
4	August	1967	English psychedelic progressive rock group, Pink Floyd released their debut studio album, ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn’.
25	September	1967	American rock band The Doors released their all-time classic 2^nd studio album, ‘Strange Days’.
30	September	1967	English broadcaster the BBC aired their pop music channel Radio 1 for the very first time in the UK. The first record played by DJ Tony Blackburn was, ‘Flowers in the Rain’ by The Move.
3	October	1967	American singer, songwriter and guitarist Woody Guthrie died from Huntington’s Disease in New York City at the age of 55.
9	November	1967	The brainchild of Jann Wenner, the very first issue of Rolling Stone music magazine was published in the USA, featuring a photo of John Lennon on the front cover.
10	November	1967	English blues/rock super group Cream released their classic 2^nd studio album, ‘Disraeli Gears’ in the UK.
1	December	1967	Anglo-American rock trio, The Jimi Hendrix Experience released their sophomore studio album, ‘Axis: Bold as Love’ in the UK.
7	December	1967	Shortly before his tragic death, American soul singer Otis Redding recorded his classic single, ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay’.
10	December	1967	American soul singer, Otis Redding was killed tragically when the plane in which he was travelling crashed into Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin, at the age of 26.
16	December	1967	English rock band, The Who, released their 3^rd studio album, ‘The Who Sell Out’ in the UK.
27	December	1967	Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist, Leonard Cohen released his classic debut studio album, ‘Songs of Leonard Cohen’.
13	January	1968	American country music legend Johnny Cash performed two live shows at the notorious Folsom State Prison in California.
21	January	1968	Anglo-American rock trio, The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded their cover version of Bob Dylan’s, ‘All Along The Watchtower’ at Olympic Studios in London.
30	January	1968	American psychedelic rock band, The Velvet Underground released their classic sophomore studio album, ‘White Light/White Heat’.
8	March	1968	The famous New York live music venue Fillmore East opened its doors at 105 Second Avenue and East 6^th Street in Manhattan. It closed 3 years later on 27 June 1971.
6	April	1968	English progressive rock band Pink Floyd announced that guitarist and singer Syd Barrett had left the band he helped to found.
15	April	1968	English guitarist, singer, songwriter and original member of alternative rock band Radiohead, Ed O’Brien was born in Oxford.
20	April	1968	After changing their name from Roundabout, English hard rock band Deep Purple played their first live concert as Deep Purple in Tastrup, Denmark.
24	May	1968	English rock band, Small Faces released their classic 4^th studio album ‘Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake’.
24	May	1968	English rock band, The Rolling Stones released their massive hit single, ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’.
28	May	1968	Multi-talented Australian singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur and sex symbol, Kylie Minogue was born in Melbourne, Victoria.
5	June	1968	Marc Bolan’s band Tyrannosaurus Rex released their debut album, ‘My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair… But Now They’re Content To Wear Stars On Their Brows’ in the UK.
15	June	1968	Acclaimed American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery died of a heart attack at his home in Indianapolis at the age of 45.
28	June	1968	English progressive rock group Pink Floyd released their sophomore studio album, ‘A Saucerful Of Secrets’ in the UK. It was the only Pink Floyd album to feature both Syd Barrett and David Gilmour.
29	June	1968	The first Hyde Park Free Concert was held in London, UK, featuring Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Tyrannosaurus Rex and Roy Harper.
5	July	1968	The legendary San Francisco live music venue Fillmore West opened its doors at 10 South Van Ness Avenue. It stayed at this location until 4 July 1971.
10	July	1968	English guitarist Eric Clapton announced that the blues/rock super group Cream were splitting up, after just 3 studio albums.
13	July	1968	Under their original name, Earth, English heavy metal pioneers, Black Sabbath played their first live concert at The Crown pub in Birmingham.
17	July	1968	The unique psychedelic animated film ‘Yellow Submarine’, featuring characters based on The Beatles premiered in London.
5	August	1968	Influential American country guitarist and principal sideman for Johnny Cash, Luther Perkins, one of the famed ‘Tennessee Three’, died tragically in a fire accident in Hendersonville, Tennessee at the age of 40.
9	August	1968	English blues/rock super group Cream released their 3^rd studio album, ‘Wheels Of Fire’.
6	September	1968	English blues/rock guitarist Eric Clapton recorded the guitar solo on The Beatles’ song, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’.
7	September	1968	English rock band The New Yardbrids, later to become Led Zeppelin performed their live concert debut at Gladsaxe, near Copenhagen in Denmark.
14	September	1968	The animated series based around a fictional pop band, ‘The Archies’, from the original comic strip, premiered on CBS TV in America.
20	September	1968	English Heavy rock band, Led Zeppelin started recording their ground-breaking debut album ‘Led Zeppelin (I)’ in London, to be released in 1969.
7	October	1968	English singer, songwriter and guitarist with alternative rock band Radiohead, Thom Yorke was born in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.
14	October	1968	English psychedelic folk rock duo Tyrannosaurus Rex released their 2^nd studio album, ‘Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages’.
25	October	1968	Nine days after its American launch, The Jimi Hendrix Experience released their final studio album ‘Electric Ladyland’ in the UK.
9	November	1968	English hard rock band Led Zeppelin performed their debut London concert at The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm. Members’ tickets cost 16 shillings.
21	November	1968	English bass guitarist and songwriter, principally with Britpop band Blur, Alex James was born in Bournemouth.
22	November	1968	English group, The Beatles released their highly regarded 9^th studio double album, ‘The Beatles’, a.k.a. the ‘White Album’ in the UK.
26	November	1968	Aside from their 2005 reunion gigs, English blues/rock super group, Cream played their final ‘Farewell Concert’ at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
29	November	1968	Emerging British/American blues/rock band Fleetwood Mac released their classic instrumental hit single ‘Albatross’.
6	December	1968	British rock band, The Rolling Stones released their classic 7^th studio album, ‘Beggars Banquet’ in the UK.
24	December	1968	American blues/rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, prolific musical collaborator as well as solo artist, Doyle Bramhall II was born in Dallas, Texas.
5	January	1969	Controversial American rock singer and songwriter, Brian Warner, better known as the artist Marilyn Manson, was born in Canton, Ohio.
12	January	1969	British rock band Led Zeppelin released their self‑titled debut studio album, ‘Led Zeppelin’ on Atlantic Records in the UK.
13	January	1969	English band The Beatles released their studio album ‘Yellow Submarine’ as a soundtrack to the psychedelic animated film of the same name featuring the Fab Four.
14	January	1969	American singer, songwriter, drummer and guitarist with rock bands Nirvana and Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl was born in Springfield, Virginia.
22	January	1969	Legendary Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist, Neil Young released his eponymous debut album, ‘Neil Young’.
30	January	1969	English rock band The Beatles made their final live public performance, filming their famous unannounced rooftop gig atop the Apple Studio building in London for the film ‘Let It Be’.
21	February	1969	Welsh singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer with rock band Manic Street Preachers, James Dean Bradfield was born in Pontypool.
22	February	1969	Legendary English pop/rock band The Beatles started recording their classic studio album, ‘Abbey Road’ at the famous London recording studio of the same name.
24	February	1969	Anglo-American rock trio, The Jimi Hendrix Experience performed their final UK live indoor concert at The Royal Albert Hall in London.
12	March	1969	English singer, songwriter, guitarist and founder of indie rock/britpop band Blur, Graham Coxon was born in Rinteln, Germany where his father was stationed with the British Army.
7	April	1969	Legendary Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist, Leonard Cohen released his classic sophomore studio album, ‘Songs From a Room’.
9	April	1969	American folk rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Bob Dylan released his change of direction 9^th studio album, ‘Nashville Skyline’.
13	May	1969	Prolific and inventive American rock guitarist, Buckethead (a.k.a. Brian Carroll) was born in Pomona, California.
14	May	1969	Canadian guitarist, singer and songwriter, Neil Young with his band Crazy Horse released their sophomore studio album, ‘Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere’.
16	May	1969	Before pioneering glam rock, English singer, songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan with Tyrannosaurus Rex released their 3^rd studio album, ‘Unicorn’.
23	May	1969	English rock band, The Who released their ground breaking epic rock opera double album, ‘Tommy’ in the UK.
26	May	1969	John Lennon and Yoko Ono promoted world peace through an 8-day ‘bed-in’ in Canada proclaiming ‘Give Peace a Chance’.
4	June	1969	American country artist Johnny Cash released his classic live album, ‘At San Quentin’, recorded at the (in)famous high security prison in California.
20	June	1969	Emerging English singer David Bowie recorded his first hit single ‘Space Oddity’ at Trident Studios, London.
3	July	1969	English guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and founder of The Rolling Stones, Brian Jones drowned in his swimming pool at his home in Hartfield, East Sussex at the age of 27.
11	July	1969	Emerging English rock singer and songwriter David Bowie released his classic debut single, ‘Space Oddity’ in the UK.
1	August	1969	The point at which aspiring rock band Earth changed their name to Black Sabbath, announced at a concert held at the Pokey Hole Club in Lichfield, Staffordshire, UK.
5	August	1969	American singer and songwriter Iggy Pop launched his long and varied music career, with or without The Stooges, with the release of his/their debut studio album, ‘The Stooges’.
15	August	1969	The legendary hippie counter-culture Woodstock Festival ‘Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace and Music’ Arts Fair began at Max Yasgur’s dairy farm near Bethel, New York, attended by over 400,000 people. Tickets were priced at $6 per day. Artists included Melanie, Arlo Guthrie and Joan Baez.
16	August	1969	The second day of the legendary Woodstock Festival took place in upstate New York. Artists included Canned Heat, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Sly & the Family Stone, The Who and Jefferson Airplane.
17	August	1969	The third and (sort of) final day of the legendary Woodstock Festival took place on Max Yasgur’s 600-acre farm 43 miles south west of the town of Woodstock, New York state. Artists included Ten Years After, The Band, Johnny Winter, Blood, Sweat & Tears and CSN&Y.
18	August	1969	As the last of 32 acts, American guitar legend, Jimi Hendrix closed the fabled Woodstock Festival by playing a 2-hour set at 9:00 in the morning with a temporary band.
30	August	1969	After changing their name from Earth, English heavy metal pioneers, Black Sabbath played their first live concert as Black Sabbath at a local pub in Workington, Cumbria.
5	September	1969	Talented American guitarist, son of Frank and carrying on the formidable family legacy, Dweezil Zappa was born in Los Angeles, California.
7	September	1969	English guitarist, best known as a member of Britpop group Cast and his work with alternative rock artist Robert Plant, Liam ‘Skin’ Tyson was born in Liverpool.
22	September	1969	Canadian/American roots/folk/country rock artists, The Band released their classic self-titled 2^nd studio album, ‘The Band’.
25	September	1969	American guitarist, songwriter, producer and one-time member of rock band Guns N’ Roses (2006-2014), Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal was born in Brooklyn, New York.
26	September	1969	Legendary English pop/rock band The Beatles released their classic final studio album with the iconic zebra crossing cover photograph, ‘Abbey Road’ in the UK.
3	October	1969	Influential American delta blues singer and guitarist Skip James died in Pennsylvania at the age of 67.
10	October	1969	American rock guitarist and composer Frank Zappa released his outstanding, classic career-peak studio album, ‘Hot Rats’.
10	October	1969	English progressive rock band King Crimson released their classic studio album, ‘In the Court of the Crimson King’ in the UK.
16	October	1969	Anglo‑American rock trio the Jimi Hendrix Experience released their 3^rd and final studio album, the classic ‘Electric Ladyland’ in the U.S.
18	October	1969	American music family, The Jackson 5 made their debut on American TV, appearing on ABC’s ‘Hollywood Palace’.
22	October	1969	English hard rock group Led Zeppelin released their classic multi-million-selling 2^nd studio album, ‘Led Zeppelin II’ on Atlantic Records in the U.S.
28	October	1969	Award-winning multi-genre American guitarist, singer and songwriter Ben Harper was born in Pomona, California.
4	November	1969	English singer and songwriter David Bowie released his 2^nd studio album, ‘David Bowie’ (also released as ‘Space Oddity’ after the hit single from the album).
7	November	1969	English progressive rock group, Pink Floyd released their 4^th part live, part studio experimental double album, ‘Ummagumma’, with cover art by Hipgnosis.
14	November	1969	Cartoon bubblegum pop group, The Archies began the longest ‘one hit wonder’ UK singles chart-topping streak (8 weeks), with their classic song, ‘Sugar, Sugar’.
27	November	1969	American guitarist, singer and songwriter, a member of heavy rock band Alter Bridge, as well as pursuing many side projects, Myles Kennedy was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
29	November	1969	English rock band, The Rolling Stones, released their classic 11^th studio album, ‘Let It Bleed’ in the UK.
6	December	1969	A man was stabbed to death by a member of the Hells Angels during The Rolling Stones set at the infamous Altamont Free Festival in California.
14	December	1969	American music family, The Jackson 5 made their American Network TV debut, appearing on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’.

Tailpiece

Well there you go… that’s the 1960s in a proverbial (and quite sizeable) nutshell. An appreciation of music genre development and music facts from the 1960s catalogues the seemingly sudden eruption of creativity that took place against the background of momentous global events. The vibrancy and liberalism of the 1960s was exploratory, liberating and empowering for many, mostly young people at the time. Much of the optimistic idealism was, perhaps in hindsight, naively transient and disappointingly ephemeral. All good things come to an end and things were about to change quite fundamentally all over again.

How the heck do you follow the decade of decadence? Well, that will be the fascinating story of the 1970s, which will unfold in all its hedonistic, nihilistic grime and glory. Intrigued? Why not come back for the next enthralling episode of the ‘History of Music’. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “I’m glad I’m alive. What else would I do?”

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Jeff Healey