April 9th
1970 Paul McCartney quits The Beatles.
Following McCartney’s announcement, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr unanimously decide to disband.
1994 “Far Beyond Driven,” Pantera’s seventh album, is released.
The set debuts at #1 on the Billboard 200 becoming the first Extreme-Metal effort to top the chart. The platinum album is the first to credit guitarist Darrell Abbott as “Dimebag Darrell.”
2022 Machine Gun Kelly goes straight to #1.
This is on the Billboard 200. “Mainstream Sellout” moves 93,000 units during its debut week.
MORE TODAY IN ROCK…
1969 Kevin Martin, vocalist-guitarist with the Seattle-based Candlebox, has a birthday.
1971 Ringo Starr releases his best solo effort and biggest chart success, “It Don’t Come Easy.” The track was written by Ringo and produced by George Harrison.
1973 In London, Queen takes the stage for the first time.
1977 Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance is born.
1980 The Strokes guitarist, Albert Hammond Jr., has a birthday.
1992 Fort Smith, Arkansas resident Sean Pierce is walking home wearing a T-shirt he purchased the day before at a Van Halen concert when he’s arrested for ‘violating a statute against wearing a smutty shirt’. The shirt has the title of the group’s album “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” printed on it. How could anyone have a problem with that? Van Halen offers to pay Pierce’s fine.
1994 “Keep Talking” (Pink Floyd) is #1 Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs chart.
1997 After thirteen years, Soundgarden, one of Seattle’s premier Grunge bands, say they are disbanding. The group reforms thirteen years later.
2008 Elton John’s benefit concert for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in New York nets $2.5 million for her campaign. “There is no one more qualified to lead America,” Elton tells the crowd at Radio City Music Hall.
2010 Based on a true story of an Army vet who snapped and stole a tank, Megadeth unveil the video for “The Right To Go Insane.” The clip features frontman Dave Mustaine sneaking onto a military facility, stealing a tank, and crashing into things. Filming caused a stir a month earlier because no one informed authorities of the tank so the police stormed the set assuming it was some terrorist activity.
2018 Black Veil Brides’ “In The End” and The Pretty Reckless’ “Heaven Knows” are certified gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 units.
2018 Fleetwood Mac officially announce that they had fired Lindsey Buckingham after a disagreement over the band’s upcoming tour and that Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Neil Finn of Crowded House are his replacements. Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham served as the catalyst taking Fleetwood Mac from inconsequential to superstar status in the ’70s and ’80s – with lots of drama. Rumors of Buckingham’s departure had been circulating for days.
2019 Godsmack’s Sully Erna states the creation of The Scars Foundation is to support people with ongoing mental health struggles as a result of bullying, addiction, and/or abuse which often leads to suicide. “Scars come in all forms,” Sully explains. “They are physical and emotional. Everyone has something that makes him or her insecure or embarrassed. But instead of hiding them or internalizing them, own them and show them off to the world!”
2023 Avenged Sevenfold introduces TicketPass, a blockchain-based verification and rewards system. The TicketPass system rewards “the people who have been participating in merchandise, listening habits, music consumption, live events, and other metrics.”
2025 Soulfly part ways with bassist Mike Leon. “We’re going in different directions now and we thank Mike for all the time spent with us Rocking hard on stage,” writes the band in a post. Leon joined the band in’15.
