On March 28, 1964, Madame Tussauds in London revealed wax figures of The Beatles. They were the first rock band to be featured in the museum. As The Beatles evolved, so did their wax figures, which were updated several times in the ’60s.
Here are some notable moments in rock history from this day:
1970: Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” hit No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart, marking their only chart-topping hit there.
1981: Blondie made history with “Rapture,” the first song featuring rap vocals to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Cultural events that shaped rock music include:
1971: The final episode of The Ed Sullivan Show aired. For 23 years, it helped launch many rock and roll careers.
1996: Phil Collins announced he was leaving Genesis to focus on his solo career. He later returned to the band but found great success on his own, winning an Academy Award for “You’ll Be In My Heart.”
Key recordings and performances from March 28:
1958: Eddie Cochran recorded “Summertime Blues” in Hollywood. It peaked at No. 8 but became a teenage anthem.
1967: Van Morrison recorded “Brown Eyed Girl” in New York City after 22 takes. It was released two months later.
1973: Led Zeppelin released “Houses of the Holy,” their first album with all original material.
1973: The Doobie Brothers released “Long Train Runnin’,” which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
2005: U2 kicked off their Vertigo Tour in San Diego, playing to nearly 30,000 fans.
2005: Queen began their first tour with Paul Rodgers at Brixton Academy.
