This Day in History: 2024-10-02

ROCKTOBER 2nd

Rod Stewart’s single “Maggie May” tops the pop chart and “Every Picture Tells A Story” is #1 on the album chart. 1971

The second album from The Police, “Regatta de Blanc” is released.  The set features the songs “Walking On The Moon” and “Message In A Bottle.” 1979

With classic songs “Wonderwall” and “Champagne Supernova,” Oasis release their “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory” album. 1995

Matchbox 20 unfurl their “Exile On Mainstream” album. 2007

The part new album and part remastered compilation peaks at #3 on the Billboard 200 and sells over 660,000 copies to be certified gold in the U.S.

Linkin Park’s fourth studio album, “A Thousand Suns,” is #1 on the Billboard 200.  2010

“Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness” goes Diamond (10 million units sold).  The Smashing Pumpkins album came out in ’95.  2012

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

Gordon Matthew Sumner is born. Due to a fondness for a black and yellow striped jersey he acquires the name Sting, frontman for The Police. 1951

Genesis/Mike + The Mechanics guitarist Mike Rutherford (Michael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford) is born in Guildford, Surrey. 1950

The Who make their U.S. TV debut on Shindig and perform “My Generation.” 1965

Garage Rock arrives. “Hang On Sloopy” by the McCoys tops the U.S. charts. 1965

Sublime’s Bud Graugh enters the world. 1967

Guitarist Jim Root, #4 in Slipknot, has a birthday.  He is also a former member of Stone Sour.  1971

A bomb scare cancels a Bruce Springsteen concert in Milwaukee. The show is re-scheduled for midnight. Meanwhile, Springsteen has a few drinks at the hotel and rides on the hood of a car back to the concert hall. A journalist writes “I have seen the future of Rock & Roll and he’s on my windshield.” 1975

Joe Cocker appears on Saturday Night Live. During “Feelin’ Alright” cast member John Belushi does a dead-on impersonation of Cocker’s ‘spastic’ moves. Cocker goes for Soul while Belushi aims for laughs. 1976

The bodies of Elvis Presley and his grandmother are moved to Graceland. A month earlier someone tried to steal Elvis’ body from Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis. 1977

Toto release their first, and best hit, “Hold The Line.” 1978

John ‘Cougar’ Mellencamp’s “Jack And Diane,” “two American kids living in the heartland,” begins a four-week run at #1 on the U.S. pop chart. 1982

At a benefit concert in England, current members of Genesis (Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks) are joined by past members Steve Hackett and Peter Gabriel. Finally, 1982

“Come Together: A Night For John Lennon’s Words and Music” is held at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. Dave Matthews and the Stone Temple Pilots are among the performers. 2001

Ex-Hole leader and actress Courtney Love (Hole) has a rough night. She is arrested for possession of illegal drugs after trying to break into a L.A. house. Later in the evening, after posting bail, the widow Cobain is rushed to the hospital suffering from a drug overdose. 2003

Supreme Court justices uphold lower-court decisions dismissing guitarist Vinnie Vincent’s claims against KISS over alleged unpaid royalties. Vincent, who replaced founding KISS member Ace Frehley in ’82 and played with the group until ’84, sued for money he said he was owed for co-writing several songs that appeared on the band’s ’83 effort, “Lick It Up.” 2006

Stone Sour’s “Say You’ll Haunt Me” begins an eight-week run atop the Rock Songs chart.  2010

Farm Aid celebrates its 25th anniversary with a concert at Milwaukee’s Miller Park. Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) and Dave Matthews are among the performers. 35,000 people attend the show raising over $2 million for the owners of family-run farms. 2010

Scott Stapp’s autobiography, “Sinner’s Creed,” is out. The Creed frontman discusses his career and his battle with alcoholism, and depression. “It’s definitely a cathartic process for me, and I really hope that those who read it can walk away knowing more about my life,” says Stapp. 2012

“Condition Human,” by Queensryche, is out. “It’s the evolution of Queensryche,” claims guitarist Michael Wilton. Frontman Todd La Torre adds, “there’s no fat or filler on it.” 2015

Slipknot’s Scream Park, a haunted house attraction in Sacramento, begins a one month run concluding on All Saints Day (that’s the day after Halloween for all you heathens), with three haunted houses: Prepare For Hell, Clown’s Playhouse and Skin Ticket. 2015

Former KoЯn members David Silveria and Zac Baird, appear at the first Rock To Recovery awareness event and fundraiser at the Fonda Theatre in L.A. Rock To Recovery is a treatment and recovery program.  2016

Puddle Of Mudd frontman Wes Scantlin cops a plea in his ‘16 vandalism case – when he trashed his foreclosed Hollywood Hills home. He gets 3 years-probation but must pay more than $40,000 in fees and restitution.  2017

The legendary Tom Petty dies of an accidental drug overdose, at the age of 66, one week after the end of the Heartbreakers’ 40th Anniversary Tour. 2017

The Muff’s singer-guitarist Kim Shattuck dies at the age of 56 after a battle with ALS.  Shattuck was also briefly a member of the Pixies.  2019

Stevie Nicks says, in a published interview, that she sees “no reason” to continue Fleetwood Mac without keyboardist and co-vocalist Christine McVie, who passed away the previous year.  2023