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Step back in time as The Beatles upstaged The Rolling Stones at their own party, while Paul McCartney opens up about the pain of leaving the Fab Four in his new Wings memoir. Plus, Foo Fighters announce a massive 2026 stadium tour, Rush adds even more dates to their reunion run, and we remember Ace Frehley as investigations continue into the KISS guitarist's tragic death more…

Today in Classic Rock History

1936 – Bill Wyman, bassist for The Rolling Stones, was born in Lewisham, South London. Wyman played with the Stones from 1962 until his retirement in 1993, appearing on 19 albums and helping create one of rock's greatest rhythm sections alongside drummer Charlie Watts.​
Watch Bill Wyman

1962 – James Brown recorded his legendary Live at the Apollo album at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. The 40-minute performance became one of the greatest live albums ever recorded, spending 66 weeks on the Billboard chart and peaking at #2. Many R&B disc jockeys played entire sides without interruption.​
Watch Lost Someone

1963 – The Beatles recorded a seven-song set for Swedish radio at the Karlaplansstudion in Stockholm. The performance included "I Saw Her Standing There," "Money," "Roll Over Beethoven," and "Twist and Shout." This marked their first tour outside the UK and the broadcast later appeared on Anthology 1.​
Watch Beatles Sweden

1964 – The Rolling Stones kicked off their second North American tour. The 11-date tour supported their album 12 X 5 and included hits like "Time Is On My Side" and "It's All Over Now."​
Watch Rolling Stones 1964

1970 – Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother reached #1 in the UK. The experimental album featured a 23-minute title suite with orchestra and choir, becoming the band's first chart-topping album. Roger Waters later found the title in a newspaper article about a woman with a plutonium pacemaker.​
Watch Atom Heart Mother

1970 – Santana scored their first #1 album with Abraxas, which spent 40 weeks on the chart and featured classics like "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va."​
Watch Black Magic Woman

1975 – Elton John released Rock of the Westies, his second consecutive album to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200—a feat no artist had achieved before. Recorded at Caribou Ranch in Colorado, the album featured the hit single "Island Girl" and marked a return to roots-rock sound.​
Watch Rock of the Westies

1975 – Roxy Music released their fifth album Siren, featuring their only US Top 40 hit "Love Is the Drug," which peaked at #2 in the UK. The iconic cover featured model Jerry Hall on rocks near South Stack, Anglesey. Producer Chris Thomas captured the band at their most focused and sophisticated.​
Watch Love Is the Drug

1975 – John Lennon released Shaved Fish in the UK, his only compilation of solo work released during his lifetime. The album featured singles like "Give Peace a Chance," "Instant Karma!," and "Imagine" (released as a UK single for the first time). It peaked at #8 in the UK and was Lennon's final album on Apple Records.​

1978 – Keith Richards was sentenced for heroin possession in Toronto. Judge Lloyd Graburn gave him a one-year suspended sentence and ordered him to play a benefit concert for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. The judge noted Richards was different from typical addicts because his wealth meant he didn't need to steal, and his efforts to get clean were "an example to others."​
Watch Keith Richards story

Have a Rockin Day,
Hippy Pete