January 8

2016 David Bowie‘ Blackstar album released on his 69th birthday. When Bowie dies two days later, his ruminations on mortality are his parting words.

1991 Steve Clark of Def Leppard dies of an accidental drug overdose at age 30.

1968 Stax Records releases Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay“ and Sam & Dave’s “I Thank You.” Both are very successful, but neither artist scores another hit (Redding had died about a month earlier).

1957 Bill Haley, LaVern Baker and The Platters kick off a tour at Newcastle Stadium that continues on to West Melbourne Stadium and Sydney Stadium. It’s the first rock stadium show, pre-dating the Beatles Shea Stadium concert by eight years.

1947 David Jones is born in London. At age 18, he changes his name to David Bowie (after the Bowie knife) to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees.

January 9

1981 Jazz drummer Cozy Cole, known for the 1958 hits “Topsy” and “Topsy II,” dies of cancer at age 71.

1979 The Bee Gees perform “Too Much Heaven,” the #1 song in America, at the Music For UNICEF Concert at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, and also donate royalties from the song to the charity. Other performers include Donna Summer, Rod Stewart and John Denver. It airs on NBC the next night, and later, a soundtrack album.

1963 Charlie Watts joins The Rolling Stones, replacing Tony Chapman as their drummer.

January 10

1969 Frustrated by a film crew recording the Let It Be sessions and plans his bandmates are making for a concert he wants no part of, George Harrison quits The Beatles, writing in his diary: “Got up. Went to Twickenham. Rehearsed until lunchtime. Left The Beatles. Went home.” Lured back a few days later with assurances the concert would be cancelled and his wishes respected.

1953 Pat Benatar is born Patricia Andrzejewski in Lindenhurst, Long Island, New York. Classically trained as a vocalist, she uses her exceptional range to soar into the choruses of hits like “Love Is A Battlefield“ and “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.” A fixture on MTV, she becomes one of the biggest stars of the ‘80s.

1949 The vinyl record format war heats as RCA introduces the 45-RPM, 7-inch record. It eventually replaces the 78-RPM record for “singles” – one song on each side. The format takes off in the early years of the rock era.

January 11

2016 In the day after David Bowie’s passing, we view his music videos on VEVO 51 million times, shattering the previous record of 36 million held by Adele after she released “Hello.” Most of the views are for Bowie’s last two videos, “Lazarus“ and “Blackstar,” which portend his death.

1992 Paul Simon becomes the first international artist to perform in Johannesburg, South Africa, since the lifting of the UN boycott. Simon had violated the UN ban by traveling to South Africa years earlier to find musicians for his Graceland album.

1992 Nirvana‘ Nevermind album hits #1 in America, unseating Michael Jackson‘ Dangerous.

1992 Nirvana debuts on Saturday Night Live. They leave a mark: after performing their hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” they play “Territorial Pissings“ for their second song, then trash their instruments and anything else they can find on stage.

1942 Clarence Clemons, of Bruce Springsteen‘ E Street Band, is born in Virginia. 

January 12

1993 At the eighth annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Cream, Ruth Brown, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, Etta James, Van Morrison, and Sly & the Family Stone are welcomed into the hall. Cream reunites on stage, but Morrison skips the ceremony, becoming the first living inductee to do so.

1974 Steve Miller’s “The Joker“ hits #1 in the US, leaving many to wonder what exactly is the “pompatus of love.”

January 13

1979 YMCA sues Village People for their hit single “Y.M.C.A.,” claiming the song is defaming to the organization. The suit is not only dropped, but the Y.M.C.A. adopts the song as their nonofficial commercial jingle after seeing the enormous popularity boost the group brings them. Later, the US Navy recruits Village People to work similar magic for Navy recruitment.

1973 Eric Clapton returns to the stage for the first time in about 18 months, playing the first of two all-star shows at the Rainbow Theater in London. Recorded as Eric Clapton’s Rainbow Concert, it also features Pete Townshend (of The Who); Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Ric Grech and Rebop Kwaku Baah (of Traffic); and Ronnie Wood (of Faces). Townshend helped set up the shows to get Clapton out of his drug-induced depression. A highlight of both shows is Clapton performing on “Layla.”

January 14

1980 Rush release Permanent Waves, their seventh studio album. “The Spirit of Radio“ and “Freewill“ help make it their first to reach the Top 5 on the US albums chart, where it peaks at #4. The album represents a new direction for the band, with songs becoming denser and more radio friendly, setting the stage for the upcoming Moving Pictures.

1978 At the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, The Sex Pistols lead singer, Johnny Rotten, ends the show by telling the crowd, “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated? Goodbye.” It is their last concert until their 1996 reunion.

1978 Fleetwood Mac‘ Rumours album hits #1 for a record 31st week on the US chart.

January 15

1994 Ska music bubbles under in America as Billboard publishes a cover story called “Hunt for ‘Next Big Thing’ Unearths Ska Underground.” Bands like No Doubt, Reel Big Fish and Sublime soon break through with ska-inflected sounds.

1993 Prolific lyricist Sammy Cahn, known for enduring tunes like “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!,” dies of heart failure at age 79.

1992  Johnny Cash, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Booker T. & the MG’s, The Isley Brothers, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Sam & Dave, and The Yardbirds are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.