This Day in Rock History: November 25

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1966: The Jimi Hendrix Experience made their official live debut in the U.K. at the Bag O'Nails Club in London. Many of the biggest names in music at the time, including Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, and some members of The Beatles, attended the show.
• 1976: The Band played their final concert, which was turned into a documentary film called The Last Waltz, at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. The show featured guest appearances by many legendary artists, such as Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Van Morrison.

Cultural Milestones

• 1940: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Percy Sledge was born in Leighton, Alabama. Sledge shot to stardom in the 1960s and 1970s with a string of soulful hits. His most successful one was 1966's "When a Man Loves a Woman."
• 1964: Singer-songwriter Mark Lanegan was born in Ellensburg, Washington. He was the lead singer of pioneering grunge band Screaming Trees and also released 12 influential solo albums.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1968: The Beatles' self-titled ninth album, commonly known as The White Album, was released in the U.S., just three days after its U.K. launch. It spent 215 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart and has sold over 12 million copies in the U.S. alone.
• 1997: The original members of The Zombies reunited for a one-off performance for the first time in 30 years at the Jazz Cafe in Camden Town, London. The band promoted their greatest hits box set, titled Zombie Heaven, and played only their two biggest songs: "She's Not There" and "Time of the Season."