Rock History

2016 – Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder speaks out against a controversial transgender “bathroom bill” during the group’s appearance at the Bonnaroo Festival. The Tennessee proposal would have public school students only use the bathroom corresponding with their sex at birth.

2007 – It goes on and on and on. Journey’s ’81 hit “Don’t Stop Believin’” is heard during the finale of HBO’s The Sopranos. Former Journey singer Steve Perry, who co-wrote the tune with keyboardist Jonathan Cain and guitarist Neal Schon, says the way the song was utilized in the last scene “blew my mind.”

2010 – KoЯn calls for a boycott of oil giant BP, which is responsible for the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. “We need to do our part to let BP know there are consequences for causing something like this,” writes frontman Jonathan Davis via a press release. “The more costly their punishment, the more money they will spend to make sure disasters like this don’t happen again.” Disturbed, Rise Against and Godsmack join the boycott.

1999 – Pearl Jam’s cover of “Last Kiss” (originally recorded by Wayne Cochran in ’61) for the charity album “No Boundaries: A Benefit For The Kosovar Refugees,” is released as a single. The song peaks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 becoming the group’s highest charting single.

2008 – During the encore at the Foo Fighters concert at London’s Wembley Stadium Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones come onstage for renditions of Zep’s “Rock And Roll” and “Ramble On.” “This is the greatest f-in’ night in our band’s life,” Grohl (pictured) tells the audience.

1989 – During a London press conference, The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde, a well-known environmentalist and animal rights activist, says her contribution to the environment would be “firebombing McDonald’s restaurants.” The fast-food corporation confronts Hynde, threatening legal action, forcing her to sign a document vowing to never repeat that statement again.

2014 – Beastie Boys win a $1.7 million verdict in their copyright lawsuit against Monster Beverage over the company’s use of the group’s music in a promotional video. Monster calls the case “illogical,” but admits an employee inadvertently believed Monster had permission to use the music.

2021 – Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” has the greatest riff of all time according to the readers of Total Guitar and Guitar World magazines.  “Crazy Train” (Ozzy Osbourne w/ guitarist Randy Rhodes), “Back In Black” (AC/DC) and “Smoke On The Water” (Deep Purple) are next in line.   

2018 – Jack White (White Stripes/Raconteurs) is given a key to the City of Cincinnati after closing the Bunbury Music Festival.  He is given the key by Mayor John Cranley during a trip to King Records.  The R&B label was nation’s sixth-largest record company during the ‘40s and ‘50s.

2022 – Halestorm’s sophomore album “The Strange Case Of…” is certified platinum (one million sales) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).  The album was released ten years earlier.