July 22 is a big date in rock history, full of memorable moments and milestone releases tied to major acts like The Beatles, The Doors, and The Eagles.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
1963: The first U.S. Beatles album, Introducing The Beatles, was set for release by Vee-Jay Records. Legal and debt problems delayed it until January 10 the next year.
1971: The Doors’ album L.A. Woman earned RIAA Gold just 19 days after Jim Morrison’s death. The record proved the band still had commercial strength.
2006: Johnny Cash’s posthumous album American V: A Hundred Highways debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It was his first chart-topper in 37 years.
2019: Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” hit one billion YouTube views, the first pre-1990 music video to do so. A remastered video helped push it past two billion later.
Cultural Milestones
1941: Funk pioneer George Clinton was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina. He’s seen as a founding figure in funk and joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
1947: Don Henley of The Eagles was born. Henley helped lead The Eagles to massive success, with over 200 million records sold worldwide.
1971: John Lennon and Yoko Ono filmed promo shots for “Imagine” at home. The footage included Lennon at his white piano and the couple’s morning walk.
Notable Recordings and Performances
1966: John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers released Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton. The album helped introduce key blues-rock players and shaped the scene that followed.
