This Day in History: 2024-10-15

ROCKTOBER 15^th

“Alice Cooper’s Greatest Hits” goes gold (500,000 units) as frontman Alice (a.k.a. Vincent Furnier) plans to embark on a solo career. The rest of the group continues briefly as Billion Dollar Babies. 1974

“Life Is Peachy,” the second studio album from KoЯn, drops. Three months later, the set is certified gold (500,000 units sold) on its way to moving 6.5 million copies worldwide.  1996

“Lightning Bolt” is the title of Pearl Jam’s 10th studio album. Produced by Brendan O’Brien, the set features “Mind Your Manners.” 2013

The album has 166.000 first week sales to top the Billboard 200.

Coldplay deliver “Music Of The Spheres.” The band’s ninth album tops Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Albums chart in its first week of release. 2021

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John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison back Lu Walters, of Rory Storm And The Hurricanes, during a recording session in Hamburg, Germany. Because The Beatles drummer Pete Best is unavailable, the Hurricanes’ Ringo Starr fills in. This marks the first time John, Paul, George and Ringo record together. 1960

Future Jefferson Airplane singer Grace Slick makes her debut with The Great Society. “White Rabbit” and “Somebody To Love” are two Great Society songs Slick takes with her to the Airplane. 1965

Vocalist Signe Anderson performs her final show with Jefferson Airplane. She leaves to take care of her infant daughter and is replaced by former Great Society singer Grace Slick. 1966

“If memories are all I sing, I’d rather drive a truck.” Former teen idol Rick (then known as “Ricky”) Nelson is booed when he tries to put the past behind him and play new material at a Madison Square Garden oldies show (a Rock N’ Roll Spectacular). The experience prompts Nelson to write and record his last major hit “Garden Party.” 1971

A 1971 Federal Communications Commission (F.C.C.) directive that broadcasters censor songs with drug-oriented lyrics goes unchallenged by the Supreme Court when they refuse to review the case. 1973

Despite not being as strong as the two preceding albums, The Cars third album, “Panorama” goes platinum. 1980

The self-titled “Genesis,” with the hit “That’s All,” is the #1 album in the U.K. 1983

“New Jersey,” Bon Jovi’s fourth studio album, is #1 on the Billboard 200.  1988

R.E.M.’s “Monster” is #1 on the Billboard 200. The band’s ninth studio album features the song “What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?”  1994

Eric Clapton opens the Crossroads Center for drug abuse treatment in Antiqua. 1998

Guitarist Wes Borland leaves Limp Bizkit (he does return a few years later). 2001

Former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick is shot in the leg outside a West Hollywood club. He is treated and released. A man, apparently drunk, opened fire hitting Kulick and a friend. Kulick joined KISS in ’84 but left in the mid-90s. 2003

The legendary New York Punk Rock club CBGB (Ramones, Talking Heads, Blondie etc.) has its final show after a 33-year run. Patti Smith, who played her first show at CBGB in February ’75, performs. CBGB closes some 14 months after a dispute with its landlord, the Bowery Residents Committee, left the club without a new lease. 2006

The reject is accepted! Rob Zombie’s “The Devil’s Rejects” wins the Killer Movie prize at the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards in L.A. The event celebrates horror-themed cinema, music and television. 2006

AC/DC secure the rights to ACDC.com, which was previously held by a pornographic site. ‘Feel free to visit us from work, school or, for longtime visitors to the site, from the usual privacy of your basement,” reads an announcement from the band. 2007

Jon Bon Jovi joins the long list of music artists upset over Republican candidates using their songs without permission. Bon Jovi, a Barack Obama supporter, issues a statement complaining that vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin played his band’s “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” at two rallies. 2008

Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler is the voice of the Mad Hatter on Nickelodeon’s “The Wonder Pets” special Alice In Wonderland themed show. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do forever and to get a chance to do this is just another dream come true, another feather in the cap!” says Tyler 2010

At BMI’s London Awards ceremony, Sex Pistols John Lydon receives the Icon Award for his songwriting. “John Lydon is a true icon whose influence on music, fashion and art has been felt around the world,” says Del Bryant, president of BMI. 2013

Speaking of awards, Led Zeppelin’s ’07 concert film, “Celebration Day,” picks up two honors at the Event Cinema Association’s inaugural awards in London. The Zeppelin documentary earns a Silver Box Office Award for 250,000 theatrical admissions, and another one for Excellence in Programming. 2013

“We Will Rock You,” a musical produced with Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, begins a North American tour at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre. The show features 24 Queen songs. 2013

U2’s Bono officially apologizes for his part in making the group’s album, “Songs Of Innocence” a compulsory free download on iTunes. “I had this beautiful idea and we got carried away with ourselves,” says Bono. When the download controversy exploded iTunes offered an album delete option. 2014

Neil Young launches GoEarth.org, a website designed to promote global conservation. 2015

After demanding that presidential candidate Donald Trump stop playing “Dream On,” Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler pens an essay for the Huffington Post calling for an update of copyright laws. “Songwriters, producers and artists can’t survive on what they are being paid.” 2015

“Bang Bang,” the lead single off the Green Day album “Revolution Radio,” is #1 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart.  2016

The “Halloween Kills” soundtrack containing the Ghost track “Hunter’s Moon” is out.  2021

“The Velvet Underground: A Documentary Film By Todd Haynes” is in theaters and premieres on Apple TV+ along with the official soundtrack.  2021

Five Finger Death Punch’s concert in Salt Lake City comes to an abrupt end after just seven songs when a drunk driver strikes a transformer near the USANA Amphitheatre, which results in a power outage in the neighboring area. 2022