Throughout history, 1945 brought major events, and rock history has its own moments felt worldwide. From birthday parties for the rich and famous to rock songs topping the charts, July 16 has been busy.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
– 1955: Elvis Presley, aged 19, entered the national US charts for the first time. His take on “Baby, Let’s Play House” hit No. 5 on the Billboard Country and Western chart.
– 1986: Peter Gabriel, Genesis, Bob Seger, and Van Halen had top albums on the Billboard 200. Gabriel’s So sat at No. 3.
– 1988: Van Halen held No. 1 with OU812, while Def Leppard stayed at No. 2 with Hysteria.
– 1993: Rod Stewart’s “Have I Told You Lately” climbed back to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
– 2000: Matchbox Twenty reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 with “Bent” after 13 weeks on the chart.
Cultural Moments
– 1962: The Beach Boys signed a seven-year deal with Capitol Records. They got a $300 bonus and small royalties per single and album.
– 1966: Cream — Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce — formed and soon played live. They released four albums before splitting three years later.
– 1996: Michael Jackson played the Sultan of Brunei’s 50th birthday, performing “Beat It” and “Black or White.”
– 2016: A handwritten letter from Paul McCartney to Prince, asking for help for the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, showed up at a Boston RR auction.
Industry Changes and Losses
– 2012: Jon Lord, co-founder of Deep Purple, died at 71. His keyboard work shaped hard rock and left a lasting legacy.
