This Day in Music History: The Jeff Beck group plays their first show with Rod Stewart, Robert Plant writes the lyrics for “Immigrant Song”
1959 – Chuck Berry releases “Memphis.”
1963 – The Surfaris’ “Wipe Out” is released.
1963 – Stevie Wonder first enters the US singles chart as 13-year old Little Stevie Wonder with “Fingertips Parts One and Two” featuring a young Marvin Gaye on drums.
1967 – The Young Rascals record “How Can I Be Sure?”
1968 – The Jeff Beck Group play their first US concert with Rod Stewart as lead singer at the Fillmore East in New York.
1970 – Led Zeppelin appear at Laugardalsholl Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland on the group’s one and only visit to Iceland. It is suggested that Robert Plant was inspired to write the lyrics to “Immigrant Song” during this trip.
1990 – Billy Joel becomes the first rock act to play at Yankee Stadium when he performs the first of two sellout shows.
1998 – Todd Rundgren marries Michele Gray on his 50th birthday. The wedding takes place in Hawaii, the 50th state.
2008 – Coldplay goes to #1 on the UK singles chart with “Viva La Vida,” their first chart-topper in their home country. History is made by this single as it is available by internet download only (no physical release). The song goes on to win the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2009.
Information for this post was gathered from This Day in Music, The Music History Calendar, On This Day, and Wikipedia.