July 18th
1966 “God Only Knows,” is released as the B-side of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.”
“God Only Knows,” is one of the Beach Boys all-time great songs, The A-side is a Top 10 hit while the much better flip side barely grazes the Top 40.
1998 “Armageddon: The Album” (the soundtrack to the film of the same name) is #1 on the Billboard 200.
The album has Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing.”
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1960 Roy Orbison’s “Only The Lonely” peaks at #4 on the U.S. pop chart. The song was originally offered to both Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers who passed.
1962 What do Pearl Jam and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have in common? Drummer Jack Irons. It’s his birthday. He becomes Pearl Jam’s drummer in ’94.
1975 System Of A Down’s lead guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian is born in Hollywood. Like the other members of the band, he is of Armenian ancestry.
1983 Underoath’s singer/guitarist Aaron Gillespie enters the world.
1988 A California appeals court upholds the dismissal of a suit against Ozzy Osbourne and CBS Records that claims a teen was driven to take his life by Osbourne’s song “Suicide Solution.” The track is from the “Blizzard Of Ozz” album.
1988 Ike Turner (Ike & Tina Turner) is sentenced to one year in jail for possessing and transporting cocaine. In a Santa Monica CA courtroom, the judge says, “You’re not just abusing yourself, you’re abusing others.”
1991 The first Lollapalooza Tour is launched Phoenix. The Alt. Rock trek, conceived by Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction, features his band, Living Colour and Siouxsie & The Banshees.
1992 After The Black Crowes’ “Remedy” has eleven-week run at #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs chart the band replaces it at the top with “Sting Me.”
1993 Rage against the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC). On the Philadelphia stop of the Lollapalooza tour, Rage Against The Machine appear nude onstage for a 25-minute silent protest (with duct tape across their mouths) of the PMRC’s censorship efforts. PMRC is scrawled across band member’s chests.
2008 Ex-Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler is arrested in Hollywood. He is charged with narcotics possession and being under the influence. Just to ice the case, there’s also an outstanding warrant. Adler has struggled with substance abuse.
2008 The last concert at Shea Stadium is held. The Billy Joel show features an appearance by Paul McCartney. The two perform renditions of The Beatles “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Let It Be.” The Beatles played Shea in the ’60s.
2011 R.E.M. and Maroon 5 officially support the First Fans Coalition. The not-for-profit organization’s mission is to protect fans from deceitful ticket-selling practices. “Our band wants our tickets to be sold at the face value that we set, so that the real fans can get the tickets — not scalpers,” says Maroon 5’s Adam Levine.
2012 Three original members of Live sue singer Ed Kowalczyk accusing him of trademark infringement. Kowalczyk named his solo album “Alive” and advertised his shows as “Ed Kowalczyk of Live.” The band, remembered for ’94 album “Throwing Copper” and hit single “I Alone,” split with Kowalczyk in ’09 and sued him in ’10 for using the band’s name and declaring himself the sole recipient of the group’s publishing income.
2014 Following an onstage anti-war tirade days earlier, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder performs John Lennon’s “Imagine” at the Super Rock Festival in Portugal. Before performing, Vedder says he won’t pick sides in the Israeli-Palestine conflict.
2018 Billy Joel gives his 100th concert at Madison Square Garden. Bruce Springsteen joins Joel onstage for “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and “Born To Run.”
2025 Shadows Fall receive an official proclamation from Springfield, MA mayor Domenic J. Sarno declaring “Shadows Fall Day.” The band says “Western Massachusetts has always been home sweet home.”
