This Day in Rock History: August 1
Aug. 1 is an eventful day in rock history. In addition to legendary performances and famous birthdays, it’s the date when music became an integral part of mainstream TV. These…
Photo by Tom Cooper/Getty Images
Aug. 1 is an eventful day in rock history. In addition to legendary performances and famous birthdays, it's the date when music became an integral part of mainstream TV. These are some of the most important rock-related events to happen on this day in history.
Cultural Milestones
These are some culture-shaping events that happened on this date:
- 1942: Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead was born in San Francisco, California.
- 1959: Joe Elliot of Def Leppard was born in the United Kingdom.
- 1963: The first edition of The Beatles Monthly hit the shelves. It was a fanzine dedicated to the band that chronicled all their activities.
- 1964: Adam Duritz of Counting Crows was born in Baltimore, Maryland.
- 1964: The Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" topped the Billboard Hot 100. It was already at No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Chart, showcasing the band's popularity on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
- 1968: Dan Donegan of Disturbed was born in Illinois.
- 1981: MTV was launched in the U.S. and changed the way people consume music. Fittingly, the first song they aired was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles.
- 1987: MTV Europe was launched exactly six years after the original MTV. The first video to air was "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits, which featured early computer-generated graphics as part of its storytelling.
Notable Recordings and Performances
From a lesser-known music festival to an awareness-raising pair of concerts, Aug. 1 has seen its share of legendary performances. Here are some of them:
- 1969: The Atlantic City Pop Festival, a three-day music festival, opened on this date. It featured performances by many rock and blues legends, including Iron Butterfly, Janis Joplin, B.B. King, and Santana.
- 1971: George Harrison and Ravi Shankar put on The Concert for Bangladesh, a pair of shows occurring on the same day at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Some of the iconic performers who participated in the effort to raise awareness about Bangladesh included Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, and Bob Dylan.
Over the years, Aug. 1 has seen a little bit of everything: huge hits, famous concerts, and the birth of the first TV channel to show music 24/7. Come back tomorrow to find out what happened on that date in rock history.
Dan TeodorescuWriter
