1949 : No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: That Lucky Old Sun by Frankie Laine.

1957 : No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: Jailhouse Rock by Elvis Presley.

1958 : Recorded on this day, Brenda Lee – “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”

1961 : The Beatles join Gerry and the Pacemakers for a show in Liverpool, where both bands are from.

1961 : Helen Shapiro was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Walkin’ Back To Happiness.’ The singers second and final UK No.1.

1963 : The Greatest Record Show, a package tour of American rock and pop acts, begins at London’s Finsbury Park Astoria, featuring Lesley Gore, Brook Benton, Dion, Trini Lopez and Timi Yuro.

1964 : The incredibly influential English concert called the “American Negro Blues Festival” kicks off, featuring Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Sonny Boy Williamson, among others. It is the first glimpse of these bluesmen for many upcoming British R&B and rock legends.

1966 : The Yardbirds arrived in New York for their first US tour with Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page on lead guitars. After two dates of the tour, Beck developed acute tonsillitis and quit the group. He would go on to form The Jeff Beck Group, that gave Rod Stewart his first major exposure.

1967 : The soundtrack to The Sound Of Music was at No.1 on the UK album chart, spending its 132 week on the chart. The Beatles were at No.2 with ‘Sgt Pepper’s’ and Scott Walker was at No.3 with ‘Scott.’

1968 : On their farewell tour Cream appeared at The Forum in Los Angeles, California, where live recordings were made which were included on the ‘Goodbye Cream’ album which was released the following year.

1968 : 18 year old Peter Frampton met Steve Marriott at a Small Faces show in London. After striking up a friendship, the two started planning a new group which emerged as Humble Pie next April.

1969 : No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: I Can’t Get Next to You by The Temptations.

1970 : Working from a design sketched out by his wife and himself, Elvis Presley orders a dozen 14-karat gold pendants from a Beverly Hills jeweler featuring the letters “TCB” set around a lightning bolt. Designed as totems for the Memphis Mafia (and also for security issues), the symbol stands, in Elvis’ words, for “Taking Care of Business in a Flash.” They would eventually come to symbolize the ’70s era for Presley.

1970 : The Australian outlaw film Ned Kelly, featuring Mick Jagger in his first starring role, is released to scathing reviews.

1973 : During their ‘Burnin’ North American tour, Bob Marley and The Wailers played the first of two nights at The Matrix Club, San Francisco, California.

1973 : David Bowie released his seventh album Pin Ups. The album, which features supermodel Twiggy on the front cover, is a collection of cover versions of some of the singer’s favourite songs, including tracks by Pink Floyd, The Pretty Things, The Who, The Yardbirds and The Kinks.

1974 : Billy Preston’s Nothing From Nothing hits #1

1974 : Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s Not Fragile hits #1

1977 : In Greenville, South Carolina, Lynyrd Skynyrd play their last show before the plane crash that would kill three of their members. Nazareth is the opening act.

1977 : Singer-songwriter Judy Collins appears on The Muppet Show, performing Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns.”

1980 : AC/DC kicked off a 20-date UK tour at Bristol Colston Hall. The bands first gigs since the death of singer Bon Scott.

1981 : Debbie Harry’s (ex-Blondie) first solo album, Koo Koo is certified gold.

1989 : Alan Murphy guitarist with Level 42 died of pneumonia related to aids. Murphy also worked with Kate Bush, Go West and Mike & the Mechanics.

1991 : Oasis played The Boardwalk in their hometown Manchester, the group’s first gig with Noel Gallagher in the group.

1994 : Pink Floyd play Earl’s Court in London – a section of seats collapses, but there are no serious injuries.

1995 : African-American jazz trumpeter Don Cherry died of liver failure aged 58. Developed the genre of world fusion music, incorporating influences of Middle Eastern, traditional African, and Indian music into his playing. Is the stepfather to singer’s musicians Neneh Cherry and Eagle-Eye Cherry.

1995 : Nirvana were at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah.’

1997 : American guitarist Glen Buxton died from pneumonia aged 49. Member of the Alice Cooper Band, he co-wrote their hits ‘School’s Out’ and ‘Elected.’

1997 : Vince Gill honors John Denver with a performance of “Take Me Home Country Roads” at the Grand Ole Opry. Denver died a week earlier in a plane crash.

1998 : Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher made a surprise appearance at the launch party of the new London venue Sound Republic. He jammed onstage with Pete Townshend and members from Ocean Colour Scene and Boo Radleys.

2000 : A judge ruled that Robbie Williams had substantially copied lyrics on his song ‘Jesus Was A Camper Van’ from the 1961 Woody Guthrie song ‘I Am The Way’ and also used parts of a parody by Loudon Wainwright III. EMI Records had offered 25% royalties but the publishers Ludlow Music were demanding 50%.

2001 : Luciano Pavarotti is acquitted of tax evasion in a trial in his home town of Modena, Italy. The opera star, who was accused of owing the government $18 million for income earned from 1989-95, faced a nominal 18-month prison sentence.

2004 : Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger and Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart are the lead performers on the Alfie soundtrack, released on Virgin. Jagger sings lead on about one-third of the songs, including first single Old Habits Die Hard. Another version with Jagger, Stewart and Sheryl Crow is included as a bonus track.

2005 : A survey concluded that the average person spent around $42,000 on music during their lives, the figure included the amount spent on Hi-Fi equipment, concerts and CDs. Music enthusiasts were likely to spend more than double that, parting with just over $89,000, in a lifetime, according to the survey conducted by UK company Prudential.

2005 : Yusuf Islam, the singer/songwriter formerly know as Cat Stevens, is named songwriter of the year at the ASCAP Awards in London. Islam also receives the song of the year honor for “First Cut Is The Deepest,” which was first released in 1967.

2007 : Johnny Marr was made a visiting professor of music at the University of Salford in Manchester. The former Smiths guitarist was set to deliver a series of workshops and masterclasses to students on the BA Popular Music and Recording degree.

2009 : A clump of hair believed to have been trimmed from Elvis Presley’s head when he joined the US Army in 1958 sold for $15,000 at an auction in Chicago, America. Other items sold belonging to Presley included a shirt which sold for $52,000, a set of concert-used handkerchiefs, $732 and photos from the reception of Presley’s 1967 wedding to Priscilla, sold for nearly $6,000.

2011 : At the involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr Conrad Murray, Dr Steven Shafer testified that it would have been impossible for Michael Jackson to have self-administered a lethal dose of the sedative propofol. He later said of Dr Murray’s delay in calling 911: “I almost don’t know what to say. That is so completely and utterly inexcusable.”

2011 : Coldplay released their fifth studio album ‘Mylo Xyloto’ which charted at No.1 in thirty-four countries. In the UK ‘Mylo Xyloto’ became Coldplay’s fifth album to debut at No.1 and became the group’s third to debut at No.1 on the US Billboard 200.