This Day in Rock History: December 15
Plenty of interesting things have happened in the rock world on Dec. 15, with legends such as Elvis, Pink Floyd, and The Who taking center stage. These are the most…
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Plenty of interesting things have happened in the rock world on Dec. 15, with legends such as Elvis, Pink Floyd, and The Who taking center stage. These are the most important events from this day in rock history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Some of the most important milestones we celebrate today are:
- 1956: Elvis Presley appeared and performed on the Louisiana Hayride radio show for the 50th and final time. Many people in the audience attempted to follow him as he was leaving, leading program director Horace Logan to utter the famous words, "Elvis has left the building," in an attempt to calm the crowd.
- 1967: The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour LP was certified Gold in the U.S. just a couple of weeks after its Nov. 27 release. It went on to sell over 6 million copies in the U.S. alone.
- 1979: Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) reached the top spot on the U.K. singles chart, where it spent five weeks. Part of the band's The Wall concept album, it was their only U.K. No. 1 single and the last song to top the U.K. charts in the 1970s.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Great songs and live performances are rock music's bread and butter. These are some of the most famous releases and shows that took place on Dec. 15:
- 1955: Johnny Cash released the single "Folsom Prison Blues" via Sun Records. It had been recorded earlier that year at the Sun Studio in Memphis and became one of Cash's most iconic songs.
- 1967: The Who released their third studio album, The Who Sell Out, in the U.K. through Track Records. A U.S. release through Decca Records followed in January. Despite getting mostly positive reviews from critics, the album failed to gain commercial success on either side of the Atlantic.
- 1969: John Lennon performed in the U.K. for the last time. The event, held at London's Lyceum Ballroom, was a UNICEF Peace For Christmas benefit concert, and Lennon took to the stage as part of a supergroup that also included Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Keith Moon, and Billy Preston.
From early rock icons such as Johnny Cash to legendary bands such as The Beatles, many big names and their fans have something to remember and celebrate on Dec. 15. Visit us again tomorrow to find out what happened on that day in rock history.
Dan TeodorescuWriter
