March 29, 2024

This Day in History: 2024-11-10

NOVRMBER 10th

“Led Zeppelin II” is certified gold (even before the band’s self-titled debut reaches that mark).  1969

The lead track is “Whole Lotta Love” but the real highlight is Jimmy Page’s solo on “Heartbreaker.”

By the end of the decade the album has sold over 12-million copies.

Elton John starts an eight-week run at the top of the album chart with “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” his third #1 record. 1973

In addition to the title track there’s “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting,” “Bennie And The Jets” and the ballad “Candle In The wind.”  1973

Foo Fighters issue “Sonic Highways.” The album, recorded in eight cities (hence the title), features guest performances by The Eagles’ Joe Walsh and Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen. 2014

The BeatlesThe Beatles return to the top of the U.K. music chart with “Now And Then.” Using artificial intelligence, the song features the voice of the late John Lennon and guitar parts that were laid down by George Harrison in the ’90s. Those tracks were augmented by Paul McCartney (piano/bass) and Ringo Starr (drums).  2023

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

Greg Lake, is born in Poole, Dorset, England. He’s a founding member of King Crimson and Emerson. Lake & Palmer. 1948

DJ (Daren Jay) Ashba, former guitarist for Guns N’ Roses and the lead guitarist in Sixx: A.M., has a birthday.  1972

Singer/guitarist Jim Adkins (Jimmy Eat World) is born in Mesa, AZ.  1975

Even though MTV is still years away, Queen film a video for “Bohemian Rhapsody,” The song, aided by the video, goes to #1 in the U.K. 1975

The Patti Smith Group releases their debut, “Horses.” 1976

The Clash release their second U.K. album “Give ‘Em Enough Rope.” The set becomes their first U.S. release. 1978

Rod Stewart puts a capper on the whole disco mess with the release of “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy.” It’s the biggest hit of his career, so apparently the answer is ‘yes’. 1978

Silverchair’s bassist Chris Joannou is born. 1979

Any song written by Don Henley, Glenn Frey (both of The Eagles), Bob Seger and legendary songwriter J.D. Souther would have to be pretty good. “Heartache Tonight” (The Eagles) proves the point. It’s the #1 song on the Hot 100. 1979

“Highway To Hell” drives to #17 on the U.S. album chart. The AC/DC set is the group’s first million-seller. 1979

“Too Fast for Love,” the debut studio album by Mötley Crüe is released on the band’s Leathur Records.  Elektra Records signs the band the following year with the album going platinum.  1981

Bruce Springsteen’s “Live 1975-1985” arrives.  The 40-track set enters the U.S. Album Chart at #1. Can’t do any better than that. 1986

A St. Louis judge finds singer Axl Rose guilty of assault and property damage in connection with a ’91 Guns N’ Roses concert/riot. Rose gets probation but has to donate several thousand dollars to charity. 1992

Less than two months after its release, Green Day’s “American Idiot” is certified platinum (one-million copies moved) by the Recording Industry Association of America. 2004

Courtney Love (Hole) enters a not-guilty plea to a felony assault charge in Los Angeles Superior Court. She is accused of attacking a woman with a bottle during an alleged incident at her ex-boyfriend’s house. 2004

Evanescence’s Amy Lee is named the American Chair of the “Out Of The Shadows” initiative, which seeks to increase epilepsy awareness and fund research into the disorder. “I’m committed to this cause because epilepsy affects someone very dear to me, and I’m humbled to know that I can be a catalyst for change,” says Lee. Her younger brother suffers from epilepsy. 2006

The Rock for Darfur concerts take place. Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin and Seether are in Belton, TX; Puddle Of Mudd and Saliva perform in Sauget, IL; and Megadeth hit the stage in Perth, Australia. Proceeds benefit the troubled African region. 2007

E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt launches a program to educate middle school and high school students about the history of Rock music. The Rock and Roll Forever Foundation partners with the National Association for Music Education and Scholastic publishers for “Little Steven’s Rock and Roll High School.” 2007

Coldplay is declared the biggest-selling act of the year at the World Music Awards in Monaco.  They also win the Rock Act of the Year Award after their album, “Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends,” tops the charts around the world.  2008

Jerry Montano (ex-Hellyeah) sues Country star John Rich for assault and battery stemming from an altercation in an L.A. hotel. The bassist claims that he suffered “severe injuries,” “permanent scarring” and “extreme mental anguish” and asks for damages. 2008

“Memento Mori,” Flyleaf’s first album in four years, is out. “We were able to figure out who were as a band and see a lot of the world and the U.S. a couple times over,” says bassist Pat Seals. 2009

Switchfoot roll out “Hello Hurricane.” The album is inspired by the group’s ’05 work (post-Hurricane Katrina) with Habitat For Humanity in Baton Rouge. 2009

Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne is at the center of a bomb scare at Will Rogers airport in Oklahoma City when a dead grenade in his carry-on sets off alarms at a TSA checkpoint. He tells police that the grenade was given to him at a party as a joke. Coyne is allowed to board his flight to L.A. and tweets “Sorry Sorry Sorry!! Everyone that was inconvenienced because of my grenade at OKC airport!!” 2012

Green Day takes the Best Rock Band honor at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Amsterdam. 2013

The Waitemata Local Board votes unanimously for a temporary liquor ban during an upcoming AC/DC concert at Western Springs Stadium in Auckland to “significantly assist in curbing alcohol-related harm and offending in public areas.” 2015

AFI’s Davey Havok goes nude for a PETA (People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals) anti-leather ad campaign.  “I’d rather go naked than wear leather,” reads the copy. “Rock the skin you were born in. Let animals keep theirs.”  2016

The first day of a two-day auction of the late David Bowie’s estate begins. The auction, which nets more than $41-million, features paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Frank Auerbach and Damien Hirst.  2016

Evanescence’s “Synthesis,” an orchestral and electronic reimaging of the group’s songs, is released. The album lands at #8 on the Billboard 200 chart becoming the group’s fourth Top 10 effort (“Evanescence”, “The Open Door” and “Fallen” are the other three). 2017

President Trump’s tweet about California forest fires generates its own firestorm.  Three fires scorch the state destroying hundreds of homes and leaving over two-dozen dead which Trump blames on “gross mismanagement of the forests.”  “Actually, it’s a lack of federal funding that’s at the ‘root’ of the purported forest mismanagement,” tweets Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose. Ex-Skid Row vocalist Sebastian Bach chimes in stating that Trump is “the most USELESS human being to ever walk the Planet Earth.” Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee rhetorically asks Trump, “Can you be anymore insensitive you f*cking moron?”  Rose gets the last word.  “Only a demented n’ truly pathetic individual would use a tragedy to once again misrepresent facts for attempted public/political gain at other’s expense.”    2018

Panic! At The Disco top the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart with “High Hopes.” 2018

Ghost’s Tobias Forge tells the Los Angeles Daily News that he appreciates being able to maintain a sense of anonymity even after his true identity was revealed. “I am actually quite happy that I am personally not so well-known and that the band is far more known than I am,” says Forge who portrays a Cardinal Copia. He revealed his identity while responding to a lawsuit filed by four former band members who accused him of cheating them out of their rightful share of the band’s profits.  2018

Sex Pistols’ John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten) is revealed as the jester on “The Masked Singer,” the reality singing competition.  He explains his appearance as “mostly as a gift to his wife” who is living with Alzheimer’s. She “might get a great sense of fun out of it if she managed to guess who it was,” says Lydon.  2021

Stone Temple Pilots announce the cancelation of the remaining dates (2) on their current tour after a “member” of the band’s “organization” tests positive for COVID-19.   2021

Nik Turner, Hawkwind co-founder, passes away at age 82.  The sax-flutist was in the band from ’69 – ’76.  2022

Bring Me The Horizon’s concert in Jakarta, Indonesia is canceled mid-set due to safety concerns which leads fans to storm the stage.  2023