April 16th
1969 MC5 are dropped by Elektra Records.
Lasting little more than a month on the label, the band is dumped over an ad the group took out in an underground newspaper. The ad’s headline reads “F**k Dayton-Hudson” and goes on to slam the retail chain for not carrying MC5’s debut album. Now who could object to that?
1991 Temple Of The Dog release their self-titled debut set.
The band consists of Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron plus future Pearl Jam members Mike McCready, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament. Eddie Vedder, in Seattle to audition for Pearl Jam, contributes vocals.
1996 Rage Against The Machine unfurl their sophomore album, “Evil Empire.”
The multi-platinum set features “People Of The Sun” and “Bulls On Parade.”
2016 Metallica are Record Store Day Ambassadors.
Their Berkeley, CA in-store concert is streamed live. Following their performance Metallica go El Cerrito, where the group lived from ’83 to ’86. The band receives a proclamation from El Cerrito’s mayor recognizing the group’s ties to the community.
The day supports independent record stores and record store culture worldwide.
2022 Red Hot Chili Peppers “Unlimited Love” is #1 on the Billboard 200.
It sells 97,500 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release and is the band’s first chart-topping effort since ‘06’s “Stadium Arcadium.”
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1943 “Lonesome” Dave Peverett, vocals/guitar for Foghat and Savoy Brown, begins his life.
1953 Midnight Oil’s Peter Garrett sees his first light of day.
1964 Soul Asylum’s singer-guitarist, Dave Pirner, is born in Green Bay but eventually moves to Minneapolis.
1966 Everybody must get stoned. Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” is released.
1971 “Brown Sugar” is the first Rolling Stones single released on their own label. The song is from their “Sticky Fingers” album.
1977 After holding the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 for a week in January, February and March, The Eagles’ “Hotel California” returns to the top for a five-week stay.
1988 INXS single “Devil Inside” peaks at # 2 in the U.S.
1994 Featuring the song “Love Sneakin’ Up On You,” Bonnie Raitt’s “Longing in Their Hearts” is #1 album on the Billboard 200.
1996 Having been released four years earlier (to the month) Soundgarden’s “Badmotorfinger” is recognized for selling 2-million copies.
2004 Jet’s “Cold Hard Bitch” moves to the #1 spot on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock chart, ending the 13-week run at the top by Nickelback’s “Figured You Out.”
2011 Ozzy Osbourne is the head ambassador for Record Store Day.
2011 Jack White (White Stripes) is honored with Nashville’s first ever Music City Ambassador award. Originally from Detroit, White relocated to Nashville.
2014 Black Label Society’s, “Catacombs Of The Black Vatican,” debuts on top of Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart (#5 on the Billboard 200) selling 26,000 copies its first week of release.
2016 AC/DC announce that Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose will replace the ailing Brian Johnson for the remainder of AC/DC’s ’16 tour.
2022 Shinedown is inducted into the Mohegan Sun Walk Of Fame – the 36th group or individual to receive the honor. Located in Uncasville, CT the Mohegan Sun is “the Northeast’s premier entertainment destination.” The band gets a star outside Mohegan Sun’s Box Office before their sold-out show.
2022 The Ohio State University Spring Athletic Band pays tribute to Van Halen during its halftime show at Ohio Stadium as part of O.S.U.’s spring football game in Columbus. The band plays a selection of Van Halen songs including “Jump,” and “Panama” while in formation spelling out ‘Van Halen’.
2023 A statue of AC/DC’s Brian Johnson is unveiled in Namur, Belgium to commemorate the first concert he ever played with the band on June 29th, 1980, at the city’s Palais Des Expositions.
2024 Green Day’s third album “Dookie” is selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Viewed as one of the defining albums of the ’90s, it contains the tracks “Longview,” “Basket Case” and “When I Come Around.”
2024 “Journey’s Greatest Hits” reaches the 800-week mark on the Billboard 200. It’s the third-longest-charting title on the survey, behind Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon” and Bob Marley’s “Legend.”
2024 Japanese Rock star Yoshiki receives a standing ovation for his piano performance of the U.S. National Anthem at Dodger Stadium in L.A. on “Hello Kitty Night.”
