On this day in 1964, English blues rock band, The Animals, reached number one on the singles charts in the UK with their rendition of “House of The Rising Sun.” With it’s howling vocals and haunting organ riffs, the song is viewed by many music historians as the first mainstream, folk rock hit. Although The Animals popularized this particular ballad, musicologists have traced its theme and wordage back to a 16th century. The song was eventually brought to the US, where the location changed from England to New Orleans by Southern performers. The oldest published version of the song dates back to 1925, and the oldest known recording is by Appalachian musicians from 1933. Woody Guthrie recorded a version in 1941, and Bob Dylan followed suite 20 years later. But it wasn’t until The Animals’ 1964 version of the song that it became a mainstream hit, and eventually, a rock classic.

On this day in 1964, The Rolling Stones landed in New York City to embark on their first U.S. Tour, which would run from June 5th-20th. The tour was in support of their first album, “The Rolling Stones,” which featured early hits such as “Route 66” and “Can I Get a Witness.” The album remained #1 on U.K. charts for 12 weeks. Along with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones were at the forefront of the “British Invasion” of English rock bands to take the U.S. by storm, identifying with the emerging counterculture that began to develop in the early 1960’s. However, this first tour was not a success: at the time, the band had yet to have their big break in the U.S., and television personalities mocked their appearance and performances. It wouldn’t be until the following year, with the success of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” that the band would become a household name.

On this day in 1973, celebrated singer-songwriter, Carole King, performed a free concert in New York City’s Central Park for an audience of roughly 70,000 people. The most successful female songwriter of the 1960’s and 1970’s, King had released her most critically acclaimed album, “Tapestry,” just two years prior. The album, which went on to be one of the best selling albums of all time, solidified her title as “The Queen of Rock.” The Central Park Concert, which lasted an hour and fifteen minutes, took place on the Great Lawn behind the Delacorte Theater and drew the largest crowd the city’s Parks Department had seen at the time. Celebrities in attendance included Joni Mitchell and Jack Nicholson. The concert was staged by Chip Monck, who previously helped mastermind a little music festival called Woodstock. King began the night with “Beautiful,” and ended with “You’ve Got a Friend.”

On this day in 1999, iconic 90’s boy band, the Backstreet Boys, released their third, and most successful, studio album, “Millennium,” which featured the singles “Larger than Life,” “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely,” and “I Want It That Way.” “I Want It That Way” eventually became the Orlando based group’s biggest hit to date. On the day of the album’s release, the group appeared on MTV’s Total Request Live (RIP) in front of hundreds of screaming fans. “Millennium” became the best selling album of 1999, selling 9,445,732 albums. Of those albums, nearly 500,000 in the US were sold on the first day alone. Although the boy band craze of the 90’s died with the Beanie Baby, the Backstreet Boys are still making music and are set to release their ninth studio album this year. On top of that, the group recently began a four month Las Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood called “Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life.”

On this day in 1981, Jamaican reggae musician, Bob Marley, died in a Miami hospital from complications caused by skin cancer. With hits like “One Love,” “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” and “Buffalo Soldier,” Marley popularized reggae music across the world, and is best known for his mellow sound and messages of peace and acceptance. To this day, Marley is still seen as an icon for anti-racism. In 1994, Marley was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2001, he was bestowed a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His dying words, spoken to his son, Ziggy, were: “Money can’t buy life.”

“May the fourth be with you!” On this day in 2011, the first organized celebration of “Star Wars Day” was held in Toronto, Canada. This day was chosen to celebrate the Star Wars franchise, created by George Lucas, because of it’s pun with the Jedi phrase “May the force be with you.” Since the “unofficial” holiday’s founding in 2011, Star Wars fans across the galaxy use this day to show off their Jedi pride by dressing up as their favorite character, going to trivia events, and of course, re-watching all the Star Wars films (but maybe skipping Episode I. Sorry Jar Jar…) The music for the immediately recognizable Star Wars theme song was written by legendary composer John Williams. Find a droid, grab your lightsaber, and listen below.

On this day in 1994, San Francisco’s historic concert venue, The Fillmore, reopened to the public after years of refurbishments. Originally built in 1912 as a dance hall, The Fillmore was made famous thanks to legendary concert promoter, Bill Graham, who began booking high profile shows there throughout the 1960’s. Pretty soon, the San Francisco venue become a mainstay for the decade’s burgeoning counterculture, playing host to artists such as The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, and Jimi Hendrix. In the early 1980’s under new management, The Fillmore became a punk rock venue called The Elite Club, but several years later, Graham decided to take it back. Unfortunately, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the Bay Area in 1989, severely damaging the building and forcing it to close. Then, in 1991, Graham was killed in a helicopter crash. In honor of his memory, Graham’s family and friends decided to refurbish and retrofit The Fillmore, restoring it to it’s former glory. The Fillmore reopened to the public on April 27, 1994 with a surprise performance by the Smashing Pumpkins.

Brought to you by Blackfire Research….On this day in 1959, a thirteen year old Dolly Parton released her first single, “Puppy Love,” with Goldband Records. Dolly and her grandmother endured a 30 hour bus ride from Tennessee to Louisiana so the young, aspiring singer could record the song at the Goldband studio. “Puppy Love,” which was written when Parton was just eleven years old, was commercially unsuccessful, but did provide her with enough confidence to set her on course to becoming a country music sensation. In 1967, Parton released her debut full-length album, “Hello, I’m Dolly.” Soon after, she was invited to be on Porter Wagoner’s television show as a singer and performer, gaining even more country notoriety, eventually signing a record deal with RCA Victor. In 2005, Parton was awarded with The National Medal of Arts, and in 2006, she received the Kennedy Center Honors for her lifetime of contributions to the arts.

On this day in 1985, supergroup “USA for Africa” hit Number 1 on the US singles chart with their charity song, “We Are the World.” Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie (who also lent their vocals to the track), and produced by Quincy Jones, the single was arranged to raise money for African famine relief efforts. The recording of “We Are the World” brought together some of the most famous recording artists of the time, including: Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, and Ray Charles. Sales of the benefit single – which exceeded over 20 million copies – combined with merchandise sales, raised over $63 million for the famine relief fund, which corresponds to $138 million today. “We Are the World” enjoyed critical success as well, receiving three Grammy Awards, including one for “Song of the Year.” A remake of the original song, “We Are the World 25 for Haiti,” was produced and recorded in 2010 after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, causing massive devastation for the country. Watch the original and the remake below.

35 years ago today, folk rock duo, Simon & Garfunkel, released their album, “The Concert in Central Park (Live).” The album was recorded in September of 1981 at a benefit concert in Central Park, New York City, which was attended by more than 500,000 people. Proceeds for the concert went towards the redevelopment and maintenance of Central Park, which had begun to deteriorate in the mid 1970s. The duo had split up over eleven years prior to the concert due to artistic and personal differences, but reunited for the benefit, playing old hits like “Mrs. Robinson,” “Wake Up Little Susie,” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” The album itself was a massive success, and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The video recordings were initially broadcast on HBO, but were eventually made available for purchase on Laserdisc and VHS.

Today is Groundhog Day, which means that America’s favorite marmot, Punxsutawney Phil, will either emerge from his burrow to cloudy skies – and announce the arrival of an early spring! – or to sunshine – causing Phil to retreat back into his burrow in fear of his shadow, suggesting we’ll have to endure six more weeks of winter. Whatever happens, this day will always take us back to 1993, when comedy icon Bill Murray starred in a little film called Groundhog Day, directed by Harold Ramis. Since then, this day has become synonymous with one song and one song only: Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe.” Listen on repeat for the full Groundhog Day effect.

Trailer:

“I Got You Babe”:

On this day in 1980, Pink Floyd’s eleventh studio album “The Wall,” began it’s 15-week residence atop the Billboard charts. The rock opera, which explores abandonment and isolation, was released on November 30, 1979 and sold over 19 million copies worldwide between its release and 1990. Following the release of the album, Pink Floyd kicked off The Wall Tour, where, during each performance, a 40-ft high wall was constructed between the band and the audience, and torn down during the show’s finale. “The Wall” remains one of the most profitable albums in the U.S., but is Pink Floyd’s second best-selling album, behind “Dark Side of the Moon” (1973). In 2003, Rolling Stone awarded “The Wall” the #87 spot on its “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list.

This day in 1974, Swedish pop group, ABBA, began its first tour of Europe, marking the group’s debut circuit outside their homeland. One of the most commercially successful pop groups in history, ABBA skyrocketed to fame by winning the Eurovision Song Contest of that same year, introducing to the world their now infamous hit “Waterloo.” The beginning of their European tour, which brought them to Denmark, West Germany and Austria, was anything but a success – even forcing the group to cancel a handful of appearances. However, by January of 1975, disco fever swept through Europe and the States, and ABBA was playing to sold out audiences everywhere they went. Mamma Mia!