Getty Images/Frank Micelotta

It was on this day in 1969 that The Who’s “Tommy” hit the stores.

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In 1956
Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes” peaked at number two on the pop singles chart.

The Platters’ “Magic Touch” peaked at number four on the pop singles chart.

In 1958
Bobby Darin released the single “Splish Splash.” It was the first song to be mastered on an eight-track recording.

In 1960
The Drifters recorded the song “Save The Last Dance For Me.”

Disc jockey Alan Freed and eight other people were charged by a federal grand jury with commercial bribery, also known as payola.

In 1961
The Everly Brothers created their own record label, Caliope, to discover and support new talent. They continued to release their own work on Warner Brothers Records.

In 1965
The Beatles’ “Ticket To Ride” hit number one on the pop singles chart.

The FBI visited Wand Records to investigate the lyrics to the Kingsmen’s hit “Louie Louie.”

In 1966
The Beatles shot promotional videos for the songs “Paperback Writer” and “Rain,” which were to air on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

In 1967
Beatles manager Brian Epstein hosted a media listening party for the group’s upcoming album, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

In 1968
The Fifth Dimension appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

In 1969
The Who released the album “Tommy.”

In 1973
Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round In Circles” broke into the Top 40.

Paul Simon released the single “Kodachrome.”

In 1975
Elton John released the album “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.”

In 1976
Keith Richards crashed his Bentley into a highway divider in a community about 50 miles north of London. Police found drugs in the car and eventually charged him with possession of cocaine and marijuana.

In 1978
Dire Straits released their first single, “Sultans of Swing,” in the UK.

Andy Gibb’s single “Shadow Dancing” was certified Gold.

In 1979
Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Denny Laine, and Mick Jagger joined Eric Clapton for a wedding reception jam celebrating Clapton’s marriage to George Harrison’s ex-wife Patti Boyd. The two had been married in March.

Supertramp’s album “Breakfast in America” was the top selling album in the U.S.

Paul McCartney and Wings’ single “Goodnight Tonight” peaked at number five on the pop singles

The Village People’s “In The Navy” peaked at number three on the pop singles chart.

The Jacksons’ “Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)” peaked at number seven on the pop singles chart.

In 1984
Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” marked its 520th week, a total of 10 years, on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart.

The O’Jays and The Romantics performed together on “Soul Train.”

The Go-Go’s “Head Over Heels” peaked at number eleven on the pop singles chart.

In 1986
Peter Gabriel released the album “So.”

Bryan Adams and Sheena Easton were among the artists who performed at the Expo 86 in Vancouver, Canada.

Belinda Carlisle released the album “Belinda.”

In 1988
Steve Winwood’s album “Chronicles” was certified Platinum.

In 1989
The Surfaris drummer Ron Wilson died of a brain aneurysm. He was 44.

In 1990
Madonna’s “Vogue” hit number one on the pop singles chart.

Taylor Dayne’s “I’ll Be Your Shelter” broke into the Top 40.

In 1992
New album releases included Kiss’ “Revenge” and Jimmy Buffett’s “Boats, Beaches, Bars, & Ballads.”

In 1993
Michael Jackson was honored by the Hollywood Guinness World of Records Museum for setting numerous show business records.

In 1998
Sonny & Cher received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 2000
James Brown was sued a former employee for harassment and wrongful dismissal.

The Allman Brothers Band announced that founding guitarist Dickey Betts would not be with the band on its upcoming summer tour, citing “creative differences.”

Peter, Paul, and Mary kicked off a 40th anniversary tour with a three night stand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In 2002
Ronnie Spector performed at Joey Ramone’s Annual Birthday Bash, a benefit concert honoring the late Ramones frontman Joey Ramone and supporting the Lymphoma Research Foundation. Ramone died a year earlier following a lengthy battle with the disease.

In 2003
Aretha Franklin led a candlelight vigil for Luther Vandross, who was in a coma following a stroke he suffered a month earlier. The Four Tops also participated in the event, which was held at a church in Detroit.

Sammy Hagar performed a benefit concert in New York’s Battery Park to support the city’s fire houses. Mayor Michael Bloomberg had planned to shut eight Manhattan fire houses as an effort to save the city money.

In 2004
Sharon Osbourne discussed the new Country Cow Creamery ice cream flavors that were named for her and husband Ozzy, including Death by Sharon and Ozzy’s Carnivorous Carrot Cake.

In 2005
Ronnie Spector was among the performers at the 5th annual Joey Ramone Birthday Bash concert and art exhibit fundraising party in honor of the late Ramones frontman Joey Ramone. Proceeds from the event went to the Lymphoma Research Foundation. Ramone died in April 2001 following a lengthy battle with the disease.

In 2006
Keith Richards returned to his home in Connecticut ten days after having surgery in an Auckland, New Zealand hospital relating to a head injury he suffered a few weeks earlier in Fiji.

Lynyrd Skynyrd had to cancel a concert in Mountain View, California because frontman Johnny Van Zant had an emergency appendectomy a day earlier.

Billy Joel and James Taylor were among the performers at Sting’s 2006 Rainforest Foundation Benefit Concert.

Freddie and the Dreamers frontman Freddie Garrity passed away at a hospital in Bangor, Wales after becoming ill on vacation. He was 69.

In 2007
Fats Domino played a 30-minute set at Tipitina’s, marking his first concert in New Orleans since losing his home and virtually all of his possessions in Hurricane Katrina nearly two years earlier.

Keith Richards attended the “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” premiere in Los Angeles. The Rolling Stones guitarist appears in the film as the father of Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow — whose mannerisms Depp has admitted to basing on the legendary rocker.

In 2008
Brian Wilson announced that he’d returned to Capitol Records, and would be releasing his album “That Lucky Old Sun” through the label in the fall.

Charlie Daniels was among those who took part in Vince Gill’s Pro-Celebrity Invitational charity golf tournament.

In 2009
Elton John was the keynote speaker for the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s BIO International Convention in Atlanta. John addressed the HIV and AIDS epidemic and the role of biotechnology in developing treatments and methods to stop the spread of the disease, and offered projections on future challenges and options in battling the illness.

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