Rocktober 4th
1969 Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Green River” is #1 on the Billboard Album Chart.
The set features the song “Bad Moon Rising” (“there’s a bathroom on the right”).
1975 “Wish You Were Here,” is #1 on the Billboard 200.
Pink Floyd’s ninth album has the title track and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” a song inspired by the band’s founder Syd Barrett.
2005 Nickelback’s “All The Right Reasons” drops.
With over 7-million copies sold it is one of the best-selling albums of all time in the U.S.
2011 Duff McKagan’s memoir, “It’s So Easy: And Other Lies” is out.
“On a lot of accounts I shouldn’t even be here,” says the ex-Guns N’ Roses bassist. “Cocaine was the drug that made me be able to do more drugs and drink more and so when I quit I was really proud of myself.”
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1963 The Beatles make their first appearance on the British teen pop music show Ready Steady Go! They lip-synch “She Loves You” and “Twist And Shout.”
1970 Janis Joplin dies from what is termed an “accidental heroin overdose.”
1976 Carla Harvey, vocalist for Butcher Babies, is born in Detroit. Harvey is also an author, artist, and actress.
1978 Marc Roberge, lead singer and rhythm guitarist for O.A.R., is born in Silver Springs, MD.
1980 Queen’s thumping, bass-driven, “Another One Bites The Dust” tops the pop chart.
1980 Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham, and Stevie Nicks present a platinum record to the USC Marching Band for their contributions to “Tusk.”
1986 Muggers attack CBS News anchor Dan Rather and yell “What’s the frequency Kenneth?” Later, R.E.M. turns this bizarre incident into a song.
1994 Smashing Pumpkins release their “Pisces Iscariot” album.
1997 “Touch, Peel and Stand” begins a sixteen-week stand at #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs chart. The acoustic ballad is on the band’s self-titled debut effort.
1999 Ozzy Osbourne writes a letter to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame requesting that Black Sabbath’s name be removed from the list of nominees. “Black Sabbath have never been media darlings,” writes the Prince of Darkness. “We’re a people’s band and that suits us just fine.” Somebody must have paid attention because Sabbath wasn’t inducted until ’06 (after their 8th nomination).
2004 Elton John rips Madonna for allegedly lip-synching in concert. “Anyone who lip-synchs in public on stage when you pay to see them should be shot,” states John.
2006 Dave Grohl fulfills his promise to drink a beer with an Australian miner named Brant Webb who asked to hear Foo Fighters music while he was trapped underground for nearly two weeks. Grohl performs a new instrumental song called “The Ballad Of Beaconsfield Miners” during an acoustic concert in Sydney. After the show, Grohl hooks up with Webb and his friends for a brew or two.
2008 Theory Of A Deadman score their first #1 on Billboard’s Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks with “Bad Girlfriend.” For the next three weeks, the song traded the top spot with Metallica’s “The Day That Never Comes.”
2008 Nearly 50,000 fans attend Bruce Springsteen’s free performance in Philadelphia, the first of three appearances in support of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. “(Our country) needs someone with Senator Obama’s understanding, temperateness, deliberativeness, maturity, compassion, toughness, and faith, to help us rebuild our house once again,” says the Boss during his set.
2010 Bret Michaels is the “Face of Diabetes” during the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Month. The reality TV star and former Poison singer has lived with Type 1 diabetes since the age of six.
2013 In time for Halloween. “Nothing Left To Fear,” the first horror movie from Slash’s production company, Slasher Films, is in theaters. “The special effects people are great, the cast is great, the story’s great – everything’s great about it,” claims the GN’R guitarist.
2014 Folsom city officials dedicate the first phase of the Johnny Cash Trail and Overpass in honor of the classic “At Folsom Prison” album Cash recorded live in ’68.
2014 Paul Revere, organist and leader of Paul Revere & The Raiders passes away at his home in Idaho at the age of 76.
2016 Former Flyleaf singer Lacey Sturm publishes her memoir, “The Mystery: Finding True Love In A World Of Broken Lovers.” The book touches on the topics of love, relationships, divorce, and depression.
2016 Slipknot guitarist Jim Root undergoes disk replacement surgery — two days after the band’s headlining performance at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, KY. “[It] seems as if fractured vertebrae and hemorrhaged disks are an occupational hazard for Metal bands,” Root writes on Instagram.
2016 Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich says that he might consider returning to his native Denmark if Donald Trump wins the U.S. presidential election. Ulrich, who moved to the U.S. in ‘80, when he was 17 years old, is a Danish citizen.
2018 Pearl Jam announced that its Home Shows initiative (concerts and fundraisers) has netted $10.8 million that is distributed to nearly 100 organizations working to fight homelessness in Seattle and King County. More than 170 business and philanthropic partners along with thousands of individuals contribute.
2021 Slipknot’s “Psychosocial” is certified gold in the U.K. having moved 400,000 units. The song is from the “All Hope Is Gone” album.
2024 Metallica’s All Within My Hands foundation donates $100,000 for immediate Hurricane Helene disaster relief – $50,000 each to World Central Kitchen and Team Rubicon – to serve victims in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
2024 Oasis sell out. ‘Oasis Live ’25’ reunion tour tickets with shows in Toronto, Chicago, New Jersey, Los Angeles and Mexico City are snapped up in an hour.