As the sounds of jazz, blues, country, and other genres began to blend in the mid-50s, rock and roll music was born. Since then, the genre has undergone many transformations to get where it is now, and May 6 has played its part in shaping the rock music you love. Here’s some rock history from May 6 to help you understand how this day influenced an entire music scene.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
May 6 saw many breakthrough hits and milestones for rock artists:
- 1978: The award-winning soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever hit No. 1 on the U.K. Albums Chart, where it spent 18 weeks. Today, the album is still one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time, with more than 40 million copies sold worldwide.
- 1995: Oasis got their first No. 1 hit song in the U.K. when “Some Might Say” went to the top of the chart. This was the last release from the band to feature all five original members, as Tony McCarroll was fired not long after it came out.
Cultural Milestones
Spanning decades and affecting several generations, rock music has experienced these cultural milestones on May 6:
- 1945: Bob Seger was born on this day in Detroit, Michigan, where he lived until he was five years old. Seger has had a prolific music career and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
- 1997: For the first time ever, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame held its induction ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio, instead of New York City. Inductees at the event included The Jackson 5, Bee Gees, Buffalo Springfield, and Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Notable Recordings and Performances
The following rock concerts and recordings on May 6 had a big impact on the industry:
- 1957: Chuck Berry recorded “Rock and Roll Music,” which would become one of his most popular songs. The hit made it to the top 10 on the U.S. Hot 100 chart and was included on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s list of 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.
- 2005: Cuba got its first free outdoor American rock band concert when Audioslave performed a show at the José Martí Anti-Imperialist Tribune in Havana. The band had to jump through bureaucratic hurdles to make the concert happen, but they performed in front of an estimated 70,000 fans.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The rock music industry endured and overcame many changes and challenges on this day:
- 1994: When Pearl Jam wasn’t able to find enough venues not using Ticketmaster to play, they canceled their summer tour. The group was upset when they learned Ticketmaster was charging fees for tickets to charity concerts, and they later filed an antitrust lawsuit against the company.
- 2002: Otis Blackwell, a prominent and respected rock and roll songwriter, died of a heart attack in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2010, Blackwell was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
With these events, milestones, changes, and hit songs and albums, May 6 has changed the landscape of rock and roll forever. As time goes on, you can expect more rock history to emerge.
