This Day in Rock History: October 15
Oct. 15 is a pivotal day in rock history, as we celebrate career-defining moments for titans such as The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. It’s also the anniversary of notable record releases by AC/DC and Fleetwood Mac.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Some huge industry names kicked off their careers on this day, which also saw the recording of a song that contributed to the birth of the genre:
- 1956:Â Little Richard recorded “Good Golly, Miss Molly” in New Orleans, Louisiana, at J&M Studio. The song immediately became a rock ‘n’ roll standard and has been covered by hundreds of artists since, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Bruce Springsteen.
- 1960:Â The Beatles, consisting of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and their soon-to-be drummer Ringo Starr, made their first-ever recording as a band. As the backing group for Lu Walters, they covered the George Gershwin classic “Summertime.”
- 1965: Jimi Hendrix signed his first recording contract with P.P.X. Enterprises. It was to last three years, and Hendrix would receive 1% of all profits made from the sale of his recordings.
- 2000: U2 went to No. 1 on the UK singles chart with “Beautiful Day,” the lead single of their All That You Can’t Leave Behind album. The song also won three GRAMMY Awards the following year, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
- 2021:Â Elton John achieved his first UK No. 1 single in 16 years, with “Cold Heart (Pnau remix),” featuring Dua Lipa. The single went 4x Platinum in both the US and the UK.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Oct. 15 is also the anniversary of some classic album and EP releases:
- 1973:Â Fleetwood Mac released their eighth studio album, Mystery to Me. The record marked a pivotal moment in the group’s transition from being a blues band to taking on a more pop-rock sound.
- 1984: AC/DC released their ‘74 Jailbreak EP. It included five tracks that were previously only available in the band’s native Australia, with four of those appearing on their debut album, High Voltage.
- 1987:Â Joe Satriani released his second studio album, Surfing with the Alien, via Relativity Records. Despite being recorded on a modest budget of $13,000, the album was a major success and went Platinum in the US.
- 2013: Pearl Jam released their tenth studio album, Lightning Bolt, through their own Monkeywrench Records label. It was well received by music critics, while also topping the US Billboard 200 albums chart and peaking at No. 2 on the UK chart.
Oct. 15 was an important day for some of the biggest names in the industry, but it’s been a treat for rock fans, too, with a few amazing records released to the public. Visit us again tomorrow to find out what happened on that day in rock history.
