On this date, rock had its share of big moments. The Billboard charts saw major hits, bands faced drama, and stars dealt with emergencies. Here are the highlights from past July 8s.
1954: DJ Dewey Phillips in Memphis played a young singer’s debut, “That’s All Right.” Listeners flooded the station asking for more. The singer was Elvis Presley, and the moment helped start Elvis mania.
1978: Gerry Rafferty’s album City to City hit No. 1 on the US Billboard 200. It ended the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack’s 24-week run and went Platinum thanks to the hit “Baker Street.”
1984: Prince and Bruce Springsteen held the top two spots on the Billboard Hot 100. “When Doves Cry” was No. 1 and “Dancing in the Dark” was No. 2.
1986: Genesis reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 with “Invisible Touch,” just behind Simply Red’s “Holding Back the Years.”
1995: Bryan Adams stayed strong at No. 4 on the Hot 100 with “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” amid an R&B-dominated chart.
1967: The Monkees began a tour with The Jimi Hendrix Experience. The Hendrix group was dropped after a few shows following protests.
2001: Coldplay and Beck closed out T in the Park in Kinross, Scotland. Jimmy Eat World also played the festival.
2003: David Lee Roth released his final album, Diamond Dave, featuring covers of Beatles songs and Jimi Hendrix’s “If 6 Was 9.”
1958: The RIAA awarded its first Gold record to the Oklahoma! soundtrack for selling over 500,000 copies.
1961: Andy Fletcher of Depeche Mode was born in Nottingham. He later co-founded the band and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
