This Month in Rock History: October

October has played host to some of rock’s most defining moments. It’s the month The Who released Tommy, Elton John dropped Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Def Leppard made their live U.S. debut. Rock legends like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lindsey Buckingham and Tommy Lee all celebrate birthdays this month, while fans remember the losses of Tom Petty and Eddie Van Halen. Here’s a look back at the events, releases and milestones that shaped rock history every October:

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Oct. 1

1942 – The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia was born on this day, 83 years ago.

1946 – Boz Burrell, bassist for King Crimson and Bad Company, was born on this day, 79 years ago.

1947 – The Tubes’ bassist Rick Anderson was born on this day, 78 years ago.

1951 – Tim Bachman, founding member of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, was born on this day, 74 years ago.

Guitarist Tommy Bolin, known for his work with Deep Purple and The James Gang, was born on this day, 74 years ago.

1959 – Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott was born. He turns 66.

1963 – The first issue of Beatles Monthly was published. The magazine went on for 77 editions until 1969.

1964 – Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz was born. He turns 61.

1971 – George Harrison’s “The Concert for Bangladesh,” which was organized to aid victims of famine and war in the region, took place at Madison Square Garden in New York. The show featured performances from several artists, including Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Billy Preston, Ringo Starr and more.

1980 – George Harrison formed Handmade Films, a movie production company responsible for producing fils like Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Time Bandits and Shanghai Surprise.

On singer Joe Elliott’s 21st birthday, Def Leppard made their U.S. live debut in New York City, opening for AC/DC.

1981 – MTV launched just after midnight. The first music video featured on the legendary channel was Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles.

Rick Springfield’s Jessie’s Girl started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart. The song would land the Australian singer a Grammy Award for “Best Male Vocal Performance.”

1986 – Crowded House released their self-titled debut album, which features Don’t Dream It’s Over.

1987 – Midnight Oil released their sixth studio album, Diesel and Dust, which features Beds Are Burning.

Guns N’ Roses filmed the music video for Welcome to the Jungle at Park Plaza and 450 South La Brea in Hollywood. It was their first video.

1988 – Soundgarden released their second EP, Fopp.

1989 – The Rolling Stones released Steel Wheels, which features Mixed Emotions. The record was the band’s 19th U.K and 21st U.S. studio album.

1994 – Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley announced their marriage, after wedding in the Dominican Republic several weeks earlier.

2015 – Rush played their final concert, ending their R40 Live tour at The Forum in Los Angeles. The show was notable for drummer Neil Peart taking a bow with his bandmates at the front of the stage, something he wasn’t known for doing. The show wasn’t billed as an official farewell for the band, but the band had previously hinted at the idea. Peart died on Jan. 7, 2020.

Oct. 2

1945 – Singer Don McLean was born. He turns 80.

1949 – Famed Rolling Stone photographer Annie Leibovitz was born. She is 76.

1950 – Mike Rutherford, cofounder of Genesis, was born. He is 75.

1951 – Sting was born. He is 74.

1965 – The McCoys reached No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with Hang On, Sloopy.

1967 – All six members of The Grateful Dead were arrested by narcotics agents for marijuana possession at their 710 Ashbury Street House in San Francisco.

1970 – Pink Floyd released their fourth album, Atom Heart Mother, in the U.K. It’d go on to become their first No. 1 album in their home territory.

1971 – Rod Stewart dominates the U.S. charts, as Maggie May / Reason to Believe started a five-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart, his first No. 1 single. At the same time, his album, Every Picture Tells a Story, started a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. and U.K. album charts.

1981 – The Police released their fourth studio album, Ghost in the Machine, which features Every Little Thing She Does is Magic.

1982 – John Mellencamp’s Jack & Diane reached No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart.

1983 – Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart reached No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart, making her the first and only Welsh artist to do so.

1984 – The Replacements released their third studio album, Let It Be. The record was a notable shift away from their post-punk sound.

1989 – Neil Young released his 19th studio album, Freedom, featuring Rockin’ in the Free World.

1995 – Oasis released their second studio album, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory, which features Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova.

2000 – Radiohead released their fourth studio album, Kid A.

2002 – Elvis Presley, who passed away 25 years earlier, reached No. 1 on the U.S. album charts with Elvis 30 #1 Hits. The record features A Little Less Conversation – JXL Remix.

2017 – Tom Petty died of cardiac arrest at the age of 66.

Oct. 3

1901 – The Victor Talking Machine Company was incorporated. It was the first record company, and would later merge with the Radio Corporation of America in 1929 to become RCA-Victor.

1941 – Chubby Checker was born on this day. He is 84.

1945 – A 10-year-old Elvis Presley made his first public appearance, singing Old Shep at the Mississippi Alabama Dairy Show. He placed second in the talent contest.

1949 – Lindsey Buckingham was born on this day. He is 76.

1954 – Stevie Ray Vaughan was born on this day, 71 years ago.

1955 – Allen Woody, bassist for the Allman Brothers Band, was born on this day, 70 years ago.

1962 – Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee was born on this day. He is 63.

1967 – Gwen Stefani was born on this day. She is 58.

1975 – The Who released their seventh studio album, The Who by Numbers, featuring Squeeze Box.

1977 – The Heartbreakers released their only studio album, L.A.M.F.

1978 – Members of Aerosmith bailed 30 fans out of jail, who were arrested for smoking marijuana at their concert at Fort Wayne Coliseum.

1979 – Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Josh Klinghoffer was born on this day. He is 46.

1980 – The Police released their third studio album, Zenyatta Mondatta, which features Don’t Stand so Close to Me.

1981 – Rod Stewart performs Hot Legs with Tina Turner during his appearance on Saturday Night Live.

1988 – Keith Richards makes his studio album debut with the release of Talk is Cheap.

1994 – The Cranberries released their second studio album, No Need to Argue, which features Zombie.

2000 – Benjamin Orr, singer and bassist of The Cars, died of cancer at his home in Atlanta. He was 53.

Green Day released their sixth studio album, Warning.

2002 – The original guitarist and vocalist for Iron Butterfly, Darryl DeLoach, died of liver cancer at the age of 56.

2003 – School of Rock, starring Jack Black and Miranda Cosgrove, opened in theaters. The movie featured several classic rock songs in the soundtrack, including Highway to Hell, Smoke on the Water and Immigrant Song.

2014 – Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors achieved certified Double Diamond status by the RIAA for 20 million sales in the U.S. It was the ninth album to accomplish this.

Oct. 4

1947 – Jim Fielder, bassist for Blood, Sweat & Tears and Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, was born on this day. He is 78.

1952 – Big Star’s Jody Stephens was born on this day. He is the last surviving original member of the band. He is 73.

1963 – Eric Clapton replaces Anthony “Top” Topham in the Yardbirds.

The Beatles their first appearance on the U.K. show, Ready Steady Go!

1969 – Creedence Clearwater Revival earn their first U.S. No. 1 album with Green River. it’d remain there for four weeks.

The Beatles’ Abbey Road reached No. 1 on the U.K. album charts.

1970 – Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose at the Landmark Hotel in Hollywood. She was 27.

1974 – John Lennon released Walls & Bridges.

1975 – Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here reached No. 1 on the U.K. album charts.

1980 – Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. single charts.

1982 – Hall & Oates released their 11th studio album, H2O, which features Maneater.

The Smiths make their live debut at The Ritz in Manchester.

1986 – CBS reporter Dan Rather was assaulted in New York City by a man who yelled “Kenneth, what is the frequency?” This would inspire R.E.M. to write a song about it for their 1994 record, Monster.

2005 – Badfinger drummer Mike Gibbins died in his sleep at the age of 56.

Nickelback released their fifth album, All The Right Reasons, which features Photograph, Far Away and Rockstar. It would later reach No. 1 in the U.S. and Canada.

Oct. 5

1933 – Rockabilly star Billy Lee Riley, known for the hit song Red Hot, was born on this day, 92 years ago.

1943 – Steve Miller was born on this day. He is 82.

1945 – Sweet lead singer Brian Connolly was born on this day, 80 years ago.

1947 – AC/DC’s Brian Johnson was born on this day. He is 78.

1950 – Motörhead’s Fast Eddie Clarke was born on this day, 75 years ago.

1951 – Bob Geldof was born on this day. He is 74.

1957 – Madness saxophonist Lee Thompson was born on this day. He is 68.

1962 – The first Beatles single, Love Me Do, is released in the U.K. Radio Luxembourg put it on air, making it the first time a Beatles saw was played on the radio.

1970 – Led Zeppelin released Led Zeppelin III, which features Immigrant Song.

1973 – Elton John released Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. It would go on to be the legendary musician’s best-selling studio album, featuring hits like Candle in the Wind and Bennie and the Jets.

1974 – The Beach Boys earn their second No. 1 album in the U.S. with Endless Summer.

1978 – Maroon 5’s James Valentine was born on this day. He is 47.

1979 – The Police released their second studio album, Reggatta de Blanc, which features Message in a Bottle.

1980 – Good Charlotte’s Paul Thomas was born on this day. He is 45.

1987 – Belinda Carlisle released her second solo studio album, Heaven on Earth, which features Circle in the Sand.

1991 – Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion II started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album charts.

1999 – Roger Daltrey announced The Who would be re-forming as a five-piece band for the first time since 1983. They’d perform their first show later that month in Las Vegas.

2004 – R.E.M. released their 13th studio album, Around the Sun.

2011 – Steve Jobs, cofounder of Apple, died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. He revolutionized the music industry with the emergence of iTunes and the iPod.

2025 – Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson announced they will be returning to the stage during the summer of 2026 as Rush for their “Fifty Something” tour. The duo made the difficult decision to continue on after drummer Neil Peart died in 2020. They tapped German composer and producer Anika Nilles to sit behind the kit.

Oct. 6

1951 – REO Spedwagon’s Kevin Cronin was born on this day. He is 74.

1954 – Los Lobos singer David Hidalgo was born on this day. He is 71.

1956 – Elvis Presley released Love Me Tender, the title track to his first movie. It would go on to become his fifth No. 1 U.S. single.

1960 – The Skids’ Richard Jobson was born on this day. He is 65.

1964 – The Beatles’ Eight Days a Week was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.

1966 – The Replacements’ Tommy Stinson was born on this day. He is 59.

1969 – George Harrison’s Something was released.

1972 – David Bowie recorded The Jean Genie at RCA Studios in New York City. A line in the song would inspire the members of Simple Minds to choose the name for the band.

1978 – Johnny Thunders released his debut solo album, So Alone, which features You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory.

1979 – Led Zeppelin’s In Through the Out Door reached No. 1 on the U.S. album charts.

1992 – R.E.M. released their eighth studio album, Automatic for the People, which features Everybody Hurts.

2004 – During his show, Howard Stern announced his show would move to satellite radio, broadcasting on Sirius.

2008 – Oasis released their seventh studio album, Dig Out Your Soul.

2009 – KISS released their 19th studio album, Sonic Boom.

2011 – Starship’s We Built This City was named the “worst song of the 1980s” in a poll by Rolling Stone. Europe’s The Final Countdown came in second.

2016 – Prince’s Paisley Park compound opened to the public. It serves as a memorial and museum for the late singer, and is managed by Graceland Holdings. Prince intended for the compound to become a public venue like Elvis Presley’s Graceland prior to his death.

2019 – Larry Junstrom, founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd and 38 Special bassist, died at the age of 70.

Cream founder and drummer Ginger Baker died at the age of 80.

2020 – Eddie Van Halen, co-founder of Van Halen and widely-regarded as one of the greatest guitarists in rock history, died of throat cancer at the age of 65.

Oct. 7

1949 – Kansas’ Dave Hope was born on this day. He is 76.

1951 – John Mellencamp was born on this day. He is 74.

1953 – Bon Jovi’s Tico Torres was born on this day. He is 72.

1956 – Australian record producer Mike Shipley was born on this day, 69 years ago. He worked with the Cars, Green Day, Def Leppard, Sex Pistols and Queen.

1967 – The Beatles declined promoter Sid Bernstein’s offer of $1 million to play at Shea Stadium in New York. The band had played there the previous two years.

1976 – John Lennon was awarded his green card, allowing him permanent residency in the U.S. The hearing was held in New York, which overturned a previous ruling as the U.S. government was attempting to deport him.

1977 – The Runaways released their third studio album, Waitin’ for the Night.

1995 – Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill reached No. 1 on the U.S. album charts. The record is one of the highest-selling albums by a female artist ever.

2008 – Spotify launched in Sweden. The most-streamed song during October 2008 was Coldplay’s Viva La Vida, and for all of 2008, The Killers’ Human. Spotify would launch in the U.S. in July of 2011.

Tesla released their eighth studio album, Forever More.

2009 – Monkees singer Davy Jones ruled out the idea of ever reuniting with his former bandmates, according to The National Enquirer. “It’s not a case of dollars and cents,” Jones said. “It’s a case of satisfying yourself. I don’t have anything to prove. The Monkees proved it for me.”

2016 – Green Day released their 12th studio album, Revolution Radio.

2017 – Country music star Jason Aldean paid tribute to Tom Petty and the victims of the Las Vegas shooting a week earlier, performing I Won’t Back Down on Saturday Night Live.

Oct. 8

1948 – The Ramones’ John William Cummings (Johnny Ramone) was born on this day, 77 years ago.

1957 – Jerry Lee Lewis recorded Great Balls of Fire at Sun Records in Memphis.

1965 – The Ramones’ Christopher Joseph Ward (C.J. Ramone) was born on this day. He is 60.

1966 – Cream drummer Ginger Baker collapsed during a show at Sussex University in England after playing a 20-minute drum solo. He recovered at a local hospital.

1972 – Evanescence’s Terry Balsamo was born on this day. He is 53.

1980 – Prince released his third album, Dirty Mind, which saw Prince incorporating more of a rock sound.

Talking Heads released their fourth album, Remain in Light.

1987 – Chuck Berry was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the same night a film based on his life, Hail, Hail Rock & Roll, premiered.

1988 – After 741 weeks on the Billbard 200 Album Chart, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon finally fell off.

Def Leppard’s Love Bites reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

1990 – Eddie Vedder flew from his home in San Diego to Seattle, marking the first time the singer met his Pearl Jam bandmates. A week of recording followed, which resulted in most of the material for their debut album, Ten. Vedder was reportedly chosen after sending the band their own demo, with his vocals added.

1991 – Soundgarden released their second album, Badmotorfinger.

1996 – The Heads, comprised of several former Talking Heads members, released No Talking, Just Head. The album features a variety of guest singers.

2002 – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released their 11th studio album, The Last DJ.

2013 – Cage the Elephant released their third studio album, Melophobia, which features Come a Little Closer and Cigarette Daydreams.

Oct. 9

1940 – John Lennon was born on this day, 85 years ago. His son, Sean Ono Lennon, was also born on this day in 1975. He is 50.

1944 – The Who bassist John Entwistle was born on this day, 81 years ago.

1948 – Jackson Browne was born on this day. He is 77.

1952 – Sharon Osbourne was born on this day. She is 73.

Former Iron Maiden guitarist Dennis Stratton was born on this day. He is 73.

1964 – The Rolling Stones canceled a South African tour due to an anti-apartheid embargo by the British Musicians’ Union.

1965 – The Beatles achieved their 10th U.S. No. 1 single with Yesterday.

1973 – Elvis Presley and his wife, Priscilla, divorced after six years of marriage. Priscilla was awarded property, $725,000 and $4,200 a month support.

1976 – EMI Records signed the Sex Pistols for $68,000, only top terminate the contract three months later. The label stopped production of Anarchy in the U.K., and felt they couldn’t promote the band due to the backlash the song was facing.

1984 – Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends began airing on BBC TV. The popular children’s show was narrated by Ringo Starr.

1985 – In honor of what would’ve been John Lennon’s 45th birthday, a section of New York City’s Central Park was christened “Strawberry Fields.”

1987 – Bruce Springsteen released his eighth studio album, Tunnel of Love.

1993 – Nirvana’s In Utero debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. album charts. It was the band’s third and final record.

2000 – Dennis DeYoung sued Styx for touring without him. The singer stepped away from the band due to “debilitating fatigue,” and eventually settled with the band. DeYoung hasn’t returned to the band since.

2007 – The Hives released their fourth studio album, The Black and White Album, which features Tick Tick Boom.

Oct. 10

1902 – The Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co. was founded in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

1954 – David Lee Roth was born on this day. He is 71.

1960 – Mr. Big’s Eric Martin was born on this day. He is 65.

Pete Townsend’s brother, Simon, was born on this day. He’s performed with The Who.

1970 – Neil Diamond earned his first U.S. No. 1 single with Cracklin’ Rosie.

Black Sabbath reached No. 1 on the U.K. album charts with Paranoid.

1977 – Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and Steven Tyler were injured when a cherry bomb was thrown onstage during a performance at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. It was the first of a few notable incidents in the city that the band would experience.

1983 – Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale was born on this day. She is 41.

1987 – Whitesnake’s Here I Go Again reached No. 1 on the U.S. singles charts, after peaking at No. 9 in the U.K.

1995 – No Doubt released their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom, which features Just a Girl, Spiderwebs and Don’t Speak. It went on to become the band’s most-successful release.

Green Day released their fourth studio album, Insomniac.

1997 – Davy Jones sings Daydream Believer on an episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.

2007 – Radiohead released their seventh studio album, In Rainbows, offering a pay-what-you-want download. Most who downloaded the record paid nothing, but the album still faired well commercially.

2009 – Pearl Jam’s Backspacer reached No. 1 on the U.S. album charts.

2013 – Paul McCartney and his band performed a short impromptu concert for free on a longed truck in the middle of Times Square.

Oct. 11

1946 – Daryl Hall was born on this day. He is 79.

Steve Miller Band’s Gary Mallaber was born on this day. He is 79.

1976 – The Sex Pistols recorded Anarchy in the U.K., their first single. Despite a ban by the BBC, the song was very popular in the U.K.

1978 – Billy Joel released his sixth studio album, 52nd Street, which features Big Shot.

1981 – Prince was booed off the stage at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, while opening for The Rolling Stones. This marked the last time Prince performed as an opening act.

1982 – Adam Ant released his debut solo album, Friend or Foe, which features Desperate But Not Serious.

1990 – Dave Grohl made his first appearance behind the drum kit for Nirvana, when the band played a gig at North Shore Surf Club in Olympia, Washington.

1991 – Apple settled a lawsuit with the Beatles’ record company, Apple Corporation, over name and logo rights. The computer company reportedly paid $29 million in the settlement.

1994 – Korn released their self-titled debut album, which features Blind.

1997 – Elton John’s rewrite of his 1974 hit, Candle in the Wind, went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles charts. Originally written for Marilyn Monroe, this version was written as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales following her death in Paris. Funds generated by the song were donated to her charity. The single would become the best-selling single in U.K. history, and the second-best-selling physical single in world history.

2012 – The Rolling Stones released their first new studio material since 2005’s A Bigger Bang, with their single Doom and Gloom. It was the lead single for their greatest hits collection, GRRR!

2016 – Rod Stewart was knighted at Buckingham Palace.

2018 – The Music Modernization Act was signed into law after it passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. The law clarifies how artists, songwriters and producers are compensated for their music when it’s played on streaming services, online radio and satellite radio, while also granting royalties for pre-1972 recordings.

Oct. 12

1957 – Little Richard renounces “rock ‘n’ roll.” The musician claimed God doesn’t like rock music, and gave up non-religious music to become an ordained minister. He didn’t return to performing rock music until 1962.

1958 – Jeff Keith, lead singer of Tesla, was born on this day. He is 67.

1965 – The Beatles recorded Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), marking the first time an Indian instrument appeared on a pop record. George Harrison played a sitar on the track.

1968 – Big Brother and The Holding Company, with Janis Joplin as their lead singer, earned a No. 1 record on the U.S. album charts with Cheap Thrills. The record features Piece of My Heart.

1969 – Rumors of Paul McCartney being dead began to circulate worldwide, thanks to a call made to a DJ at WKNR in Detroit. A caller claimed that playing the Beatles’ Strawberry Fields Forever backward resulted in hearing John Lennon utter the words “I buried Paul.” The conspiracy theory is still a subject to this day.

1975 – Rod Stewart and the Faces made their final live appearance together at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.

1978 – Sid Vicious of The Sex Pistols is arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen. She was found stabbed to death in their hotel room. Vicious would die the following February of a heroin overdose before he could be tried for her murder.

1979 – Fleetwood Mac released their 13th studio album, Tusk, the follow-up to 1977’s Rumours.

1981 – U2 released their second studio album, October, which features Gloria.

1984 – Hall & Oates released their 12th studio album, Big Bam Boom.

1985 – Guitarist Ricky Wilson, a founding member of the B-52s, died of complications from AIDS.

2001 – Guitarist Wes Borland quits Limp Bizkit. He would return in 2009.

2005 – Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee suffered burns from a pyrotechnic effect incident during a show in Casper, Wyoming. He was treated at a local hospital.

Oct. 13

1944 – Chicago’s Robert Lamm was born on this day. He is 81.

1947 – Sammy Hagar was born on this day. He is 78.

1973 – The Rolling Stones’ Goats Head Soup earned the band their fourth U.S. No. 1 album, and it’d stay at the top for four weeks.

1974 – Ed Sullivan dies of esophageal cancer in New York City. The television host was responsible for one of the biggest television events in music history, as the Beatles made their live U.S. debut on The Ed Sullivan Show.

1978 – Queen released the dual single, Fat Bottomed Girls/Bicycle Race.

1980 – INXS released their self-titled debut album, initially released exclusively to Australia and New Zealand.

1982 – INXS released their third studio album, Shabooh Shoobah, their first record to be released worldwide.

1983 – Cyndi Lauper released her first solo album, She’s So Unusual, featuring Girls Just Want to Have Fun and Time After Time.

1992 – Prince & the New Generation released his 14th studio album, Love Symbol.

4 Non Blondes released their debut album, Bigger, Better, Faster, More!

2016 – Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, the first songwriter to win the award. He gave a Nobel Lecture, which is required to accept the award, on June 4, 2017.

Oct. 14

1946 – Nazareth singer Dan McCafferty was born on this day, 79 years ago.

1958 – Thomas Dolby was born on this day. He is 67.

1977 – David Bowie released his 12th studio album, Heroes.

1981 – Prince released his fourth studio album, Controversy.

1985 – INXS released their fifth studio album, Listen Like Thieves.

1986 – Wang Chung released their fourth studio album, Mosaic, which features Everybody Have Fun Tonight.

1988 – Def Leppard became the first recording artist in history to have two consecutive LPs sell 7 million copies, with 1983’s Pyromania and 1987’s Hysteria. The latter went on to sell 20 million copies.

1989 – Mötley Crüe’s Dr. Feelgood began a two-week run on the U.S. album charts.

1997 – Green Day released their fifth studio album, Nimrod.

2000 – The Beatles’ autobiography, Anthology, achieved No. 1 on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list.

2011 – Edgar Winter Group and Sammy Hagar drummer Chuck Ruff died in San Francisco at the age of 60 after a long illness.

2016 – Kings of Leon released their seventh studio album, Walls.

Oct. 15

1955 – In his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, Buddy Holly opened for Elvis Presley. His performance led to an audition and record demos for Decca.

1965 – Jimi Hendrix signed his first recording contract in the U.K., which gave him $1 and 1% on all of his recordings.

1973 – The U.S. Supreme Court votes 7-2 to uphold a 1971 FCC directive that bans radio DJs from playing songs that glorify drugs.

Keith Richards is found guilty for trafficking cannabis in France. He was given a one-year suspended sentenced, fined 5,000 francs and was banned from entering France for two years.

1976 – Electric Light Orchestra released their sixth studio album, A New World Record, which features Livin’ Thing, Do Ya, Rockaria! and Telephone Line.

1978 – Toto released their self-titled debut studio album, which features Hold the Line.

1988 – Bon Jovi’s New Jersey started a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album charts. The record gave the band five Billboard Hot 100 top-10 singles.

1994 – R.E.M. entered the Billboard 200 album chart at No. 1 with Monster, their ninth studio album. The album includes What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?

1995 – Paul and Linda McCartney appeared as guest voices on an episode of The Simpsons, Lisa the Vegetarian. Paul said he’d do the show, only if Lisa Simpson became a vegetarian permanently, and producer David Mirkin agreed.

1996 – Counting Crows released their second studio album, Recovering the Satellites.

Phish released their Sith studio album, Billy Breathes.

2000 – Radiohead’s Kid A landed at No. 1 on the U.S. album charts.

2010 – Kings of Leon released their fifth studio album, Come Around Sundown.

2013 – Pearl Jam released their 10th studio album, Lightning Bolt.

2014 – Bono apologizes for U2’s album, Songs of Innocence, being added to every iTunes users’ library in the world. iTunes users were upset that the record was added to their libraries without permission, and there was no clear way to delete it.

2021 – Coldplay released their ninth studio album, Music of the Spheres.

Oct. 16

1938 – Nico, from The Velvet Underground, was born on this day, 87 years ago.

1943 – Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s Fred Turner was born on this day. He is 82.

1947 – The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir was born on this day. He is 78.

1951 – Little Richard, at 18, made his first recordings for RCA Camden. The recordings were made at WGST in Atlanta.

1962 – Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea was born on this day. He is 63.

1966 – Grace Slick, who replaced Jefferson Airplane’s original vocalist, Signe Anderson, made her first appearance with the band in San Francisco.

1968 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience released their third and final studio album, Electric Ladyland. It includes a cover of Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower, which became the band’s best-selling single and is widely regarded as one of the greatest songs in rock history.

1972 – Creedence Clearwater Revival breaks up, thanks in part to the failure of their most recent album, Mardi Gras.

1976 – Thin Lizzy released their seventh studio album, Johnny the Fox.

1977 – John Mayer was born on this day. He is 48.

1987 – Sting released his second solo studio album, Nothing Like the Sun, which features Be Still My Beating Heart.

2006 – CBGB, the legendary punk club responsible for giving Patti Smith and the Ramones their big break, closed. Smith performed the final gig for the venue.

2015 – A fan returned a bag full of stolen goods to Patti Smith. The items, which included a shirt from her 1978 Rolling Stone cover shoot and a bandana from her late brother. The items were in a truck, along with around $40,000-worth of amplifiers, guitars and more, that was stolen outside a hotel after Smith and her band played a show in Chicago in June of 1979.

2025 – Legendary former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, also known for his onstage “The Spaceman” persona, died at the age of 74. In September, Frehley suffered a fall at his studio, resulting in a brain bleed. He was put on a ventilator, later being removed from life support.

Oct. 17

1941 – Seals & Croft’s Jim Seals was born on this day, 84 years ago.

1946 – Doobie Brothers drummer Michael Hossack was born on this day, 79 years ago.

1947 – Michael McKean, a member of the fiction rock band “Spinal Tap,” was born on this day. He is 78. He appears in 1984’s This is Spinal Tap and 2025’s Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.

1956 – Boston singer and guitarist Fran Cosmo was born on this day. He is 69.

1962 – The Beatles make their first TV appearance in Britain on People & Places. They performed Love Me Do.

1977 – Lynyrd Skynyrd released their fifth studio album, Street Survivors, which features What’s Your Name and You Got That Right. It was the final album recorded by singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Allen Collins, founding members of the band.

1980 – Dire Straits released their third studio album, Making Movies.

1986 – Sid and Nancy, a biopic of the Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen, was released. It stars Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb.

1989 – Billy Joel released his 11th studio album, Storm Front, which features We Didn’t Start the Fire.

2000 – Singer George Michael pays 1.5 million pounds for the upright piano John Lennon wrote his 1971 hit, Imagine, on. It was sold at a charity auction organized by Mick Fleetwood in London.

2011 – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds released their self-titled debut studio album.

2017 – Canadian rocker Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip died of glioblastoma at the age of 53.

Oct. 18

1926 – Chuck Berry was born on this day, 99 years ago.

1949 – Stealers Wheel’s Joe Egan was born on this day. He is 76.

REO Speedwagon guitarist Gary Richrath was born on this day, 76 years ago.

1952 – Doobie Brothers drummer and singer Keith Knudson was born on this day, 73 years ago.

1957 – Paul McCartney makes his first onstage appearence with the Quarrymen at New Clubmoor Hall Conservative Club in Liverpool.

1964 – Eric Burdon and The Animals headline their first tour in England.

1985 – The Cult released their second studio album, Love, which features She Sells Sanctuary and Rain.

2000 – Drummer Zack De La Rocha quits Rage Against the Machine, prompting the remaining three members to form supergroup Audioslave with Chris Cornell.

2011 – Jane’s Addiction released their fourth studio album, The Great Escape Artist.

The Stone Roses announced they’re reuniting after a 15-year split.

2013 – Rockabilly guitarist Roland Janes died at the age of 80 following a heart attack.

Oct. 19

1948 – Dobbie Brothers guitarist and singer Pat Simmons was born on this day. He is 77.

1957 – World Party singer Karl Wallinger was born on this day, 68 years ago.

1960 – Madness drummer Daniel Woodgate was born on this day. He is 65.

1970 – Bob Dylan released his 11th studio album, New Morning, which features If Not for You.

1973 – David Bowie released his seventh album, Pin Ups, which was a collection of cover songs.

1979 – Madness released their debut studio album, One Step Beyond….

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers released their third studio album, Damn the Torpedos, which features Don’t Do Me Like That and Refugee. They were finally able to release the album after a legal battle with MCA Records.

1987 – INXS released their sixth studio album, Kick, which features Never Tear Us Apart and Need You Tonight.

1991 – Oasis plays their first show with Noel Gallagher in the lineup in Manchester.

1993 – Pearl Jam released their second studio album, Vs, which features Daughter and Animal.

1995 – Despite disbanding after the death of singer Kurt Cobain, Nirvana was at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart due to their live compilation album, From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah.

2018 – Greta Van Fleet released their debut studio album, Anthem of the Peaceful Army, which features When the Curtain Falls, You’re the One and Lover, Leaver.

Oct. 20

1950 – Tom Petty was born on this day, 75 years ago.

1951 – Foreigner keyboardist Al Greenwood was born on this day. He is 74.

1956 – Elvis Presley’s Love Me Tender debuted at No. 2 on the pop charts.

1960 – Elvis Presley’s film G.I. Blues premiered.

1964 – Hootie & the Blowfish drummer Jim Sonefeld was born on this day. He is 61.

1969 – John Lennon, against the other Beatles’ wishes, released his single, Cold Turkey. The song is about his heroin withdrawal, and it was released under the name of the Plastic Ono Band.

1973 – The Rolling Stones achieved their first U.S. No. 1 single with Angie.

1977 – Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines of Lynyrd Skynyrd are all killed when their plane ran out of fuel and crashed. The planed crashed in the middle of a swamp in Gillsburg, Mississippi. The surviving band members and crew were severely injured.

1978 – The Police made their U.S. debut at a show at CBGB in New York.

1979 – The Eagles began a nine-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with The Long Run.

1980 – U2 released their debut album, Boy, which features I Will Follow.

1986 – Billy Idol released his third studio album, Whiplash Smile.

1989 – Nine Inch Nails released their debut studio album, Pretty Hate Machine.

2001 – VH1’s Concert for New York City was held to benefit the victims and families of the 9/11 attacks. Over $35 million of donations were raised.

Oct. 21

1940 – Manfred Mann was born on this day. He is 85.

1942 – Elvin Bishop was born on this day. He is 83.

1946 – Lee Loughnane of Chicago was born on this day. He is 79.

1952 – Brent Mydland of the Grateful Dead was born on this day, 73 years ago.

1953 – Charlotte Caffey of the Go-Go’s was born on this day. She is 72.

Eric Faulkner of the Bay City Rollers was born on this day. He is 72.

1957 – Elvis Presley’s Jailhouse Rock goes No. 1 on the U.S. singles charts.

Steve Lukather of Toto was born on this day. He is 68.

1958 – Buddy Holly’s last recording session took place at Pythian Temple Studios in New York City.

1972 – Chuck Berry earned his first and only U.S. No. 1 single with My Ding-a-Ling, a novelty song.

1976 – Kansas released their fourth studio album, Leftoverture, which features What’s on My Mind and the immortal classic rock hit, Carry On Wayward Son.

1977 – Meat Loaf released his debut studio album, Bat Out of Hell, which features hits like You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night) and Paradise by the Dashboard Light.

1978 – Neil Young released his ninth studio album, Comes at a Time.

1985 – Simple Minds released their seventh studio album, Once Upon a Time.

1995 – Blind Melon lead singer Shannon Hoon was found dead on his tour bus following an accidental drug overdose. He was 28.

2006 – Sandy West, founding member and drummer of The Runaways, died from lung cancer at the age of 47.

Oct. 22

1942 – Bobby Fuller was born on this day, 83 years ago.

1945 – Leslie West of Mountain was born on this day, 80 years ago.

1958 – Bobby Blotzer of Ratt was born on this day. He is 67.

1965 – The Beatles’ Yesterday tops the U.S. single charts at No. 1.

1976 – Bob Seger released his ninth studio album, Night Moves, his first with the Silver Bullet Band.

Patti Smith Group released their second studio album, Radio Ethiopia.

Jon Forman of Switchfoot was born on this day. He is 49.

1990 – Pearl Jam, under the name “Mookie Blaylock” (named after the former New Jersey Nets point guard), played their first-ever concert. It was at Off Ramp Café in Seattle.

2002 – Foo Fighters released their fourth studio album, One by One.

2008 – Guns N’ Roses released their first music since 1999, with the release of the single Chinese Democracy, from the album of the same name. The band had performed the song for the first time seven years earlier.

2017 – George Young, founding member of the Easybeats and brother to AC/DC’s Angus and Malcolm Young, died at the age of 70.

Oct. 23

1947 – Greg Ridley of Humble Pie was born on this day, 78 years ago.

1949 – Michael “Würzel” Burston of Motörhead was born on this day, 76 years ago.

1959 – “Weird Al” Yankovic was born on this day. He is 66.

1961 – Dion’s Runaround Sue began a two-week run on top of the U.S. singles charts.

1964 – Robert Trujillo of Metallica was born on this day. He is 61.

1976 – Chicago’s If You Leave Me Now began a two-week run on top of the U.S. singles charts.

1991 – Rage Against the Machine played live for the first time. Their show took place at California State University, opening with Killing in the Name, which at the time was an instrumental.

1995 – Def Leppard earned a Guinness World Record for playing on three continents within 24 hours. They performed in London, England, Vancouver, Canada and Tangier, Morocco.

2009 – Wolfmother released their second studio album, Cosmic Egg, which features New Moon Rising.

Oct. 24

1930 – J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson was born on this day, 95 years ago.

1936 – Bill Wyman, formerly of The Rolling Stones, was born on this day. He is 89.

1946 – Jerry Edmonton of Steppenwolf was born on this day, 79 years ago.

1948 – Dale Griffin of Mott The Hoople was born on this day, 77 years ago.

1971 – Don McLean’s second studio album, American Pie, was released. It features the legendary song of the same name, which made McLean a household name.

1979 – The Guinness Book of World Records declared Paul McCartney the most successful composer of all time. Between 1962 and 1978, McCartney had written 43 songs that sold at least 1 million copies.

1995 – Smashing Pumpkins released their third studio album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which features Bullet with Butterfly Wings, 1979 and Zero. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and racked up seven Grammy nominations.

2000 – Linkin Park released their debut studio album, Hybrid Theory. It features In the End and Crawling, the latter of which won a Grammy. The record became the best-selling album of 2001.

2004 – Queen became the first rock act to receive a seal of approval in Iran. Despite most Western music being censored in Iran and homosexuality being a crime, a Queen album featuring several of their greatest hits was released.

2006 – According to Forbes.com, Kurt Cobain overtook Elvis Presley as the highest-earning dead celebrity.

Oct. 25

1944 – Jon Anderson of Yes was born on this day. He is 81.

1947 – Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest was born on this day. He is 78.

1955 – Matthias Jabs of Scorpions was born on this day. He is 70.

1961 – Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers was born on this day. He is 64.

1964 – The Rolling Stones made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

1986 – Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet reached No. 1 on the U.S. album charts.

2014 – Jack Bruce of Cream died of liver disease at the age of 71.

Oct. 26

1952 – Bobby Bandiera of Bon Jovi was born on this day. He is 73.

1953 – Keith Strickland of the B-52s was born on this day. He is 72.

1961 – Bob Dylan signs with Columbia Records, his first recording contract.

1962 – The Rolling Stones (then known as the “Rollin’ Stones”) recorded their first demo at Curly Clayton Studios in London.

1965 – Queen Elizabeth II awarded the Beatles with MBEs (Member of the British Empire), an order of chivalry of British Democracy, at Buckingham Palace in London.

1970 – Elton John released Your Song.

1993 – Bob Dylan released his 29th studio album, World Gone Wrong.

1999 – Stone Temple Pilots released their fourth studio album, No. 4.

2006 – Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor quit the band during the U.S. leg of their world tour.

2019 – Paul Barrere, of Little Feat, died at the age of 71.

Oct. 27

1949 – Gary Tallent of the Bruce Springsteen E Street Band was born on this day. He is 76.

1951 – KK Downing, formerly of Judas Priest, was born on this day. He is 74.

1958 – Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran was born on this day. He is 67.

1967 – Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots was born on this day, 58 years ago.

1980 – Steve Took, the original percussionist of T. Rex, died at the age of 31, due to asphyxiation after inhaling a cocktail cherry.

1982 – Prince released his fifth studio album, 1999, which features Little Red Corvette and 1999. It sold over 5 million copies woldwide.

1983 – Bob Dylan released his 22nd studio album, Infidels.

Night Ranger released their second studio album, Midnight Madness, which features Sister Christian and Rumours in the Air.

1984 – Kelly Osbourne was born on this day. She is 41.

1988 – U2’s movie, Rattle and Hum, premiered in Dublin.

2002 – American record producer Tom Dowd died of emphysema.

2013 – Lou Reed died at the age of 71.

Oct. 28

1953 – Desmond Child, an accomplished song writer known for writing several rock hits for Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, KISS and more, was born on this day. He is 72.

1956 – Elvis Presley makes his second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, where he sang Don’t Be Cruel, Love Me Tender, Hound Dog and Love Me.

1957 – After performing at Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles, Elvis Presley was told by local police that he was not allowed to shake his hips onstage.

Stephen Morris of Joy Division and New Order was born on this day. He is 68.

1977 – Queen released their sixth studio album, News of the World, which features We are the Champions, We Will Rock You and It’s Late.

1978 – Nick Glider earned a U.S. No. 1 single with Hot Child in the City.

KISS starred in the TV movie, KISS Meets the Phantom in the Park.

1996 – The Beatles released the compilation album, Anthology 3.

1997 – R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry quits the band after 17 years.

2014 – The Allman Brothers Band played their final show at Beacon Theater in New York City. The show was a four-hour set, which concluded past midnight, on the anniversary of Duane Allman’s death.

2016 – Elvis Presley’s The Wonder of You goes No. 1 on the album charts, separating him from Madonna with 13 No. 1 albums, the most by any solo artist ever.

2022 – Jerry Lee Lewis died at the age of 87.

Oct. 29

1946 – Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac was born on this day, 79 years ago.

1949 – David Paton of Pilot and the Alan Parson Project was born on this day. He is 76.

James Williamson of the Stooges was born on this day. He is 76.

1955 – Kevin DuBrow was born on this day, 70 years ago.

Roger O’Donnell of The Cure was born on this day. He is 70.

1982 – Pat Benatar released her fourth studio album, Get Nervous, which features Shadows of the Night.

1983 – Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon reached 491 weeks on the Billboard charts, breaking the record for the longest-charting album in history.

1996 – Axl Rose announces Slash is no longer with Guns N’ Roses.

2000 – Limp Bizkit’s Chocolate Starfish started a two-week run on top of the album charts.

2002 – Nirvana released the compilation album, Nirvana, which features You Know You’re Right.

2014 – Phil Collins handed over his large collection of Alamo memorabilia, including Davy Crockett’s fringed leather pouch and Jim Bowie’s knife, over to a Texas museum.

2018 – Former Molly Hatchet lead singer James Edwin Farrar died at the age of 67, due to heart failure.

Oct. 30

1939 – Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship was born on this day. She is 86.

1946 – Chris Slade of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band and AC/DC was born on this day. He is 79.

1947 – Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles and Poco was born on this day. He is 78.

1970 – Jim Morrison was sentenced to six months in jail and fined $500 for exposing himself during a Doors concert in Miami.

Elton John released his third studio album, Tumbleweed Connection.

1971 – Pink Floyd released their sixth studio album, Meddle.

1998 – Black Sabbath’s four original members reunited to perform Paranoid on Late Night with David Letterman. They hadn’t appeared on TV since 1976.

2000 – U2 released their 10th studio album, All That You Can’t Leave Behind, which features Beautiful Day.

2002 – Jam Master Jay, the DJ of Run-D.M.C., was murdered by an unknown assailant at his recording studio in Queens, New York. Run-D.M.C., one of the biggest hip-hop groups of the 1980s, may be best remembered for their collaboration with Aerosmith on a remix of Walk This Way, which exposed the group to a new audience, and revived Aerosmith’s career and then some.

2003 – Pink Floyd manager Steve O’Rourke suffered a stroke and died in Miami.

2016 – Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, a well-known Chicago Cubs fan, led the crowd in Take Me Out to the Ballgame at Wrigley Field during the seventh inning stretch. It was the first World Series game played at Wrigley Field since 1945. The Cubs went on to defeat the Cleveland Indians in seven games, in Cleveland, for their first championship since 1908.

Oct. 31

1945 – Russ Ballard of Argent was born on this day. He is 80.

1949 – Bob Sieberberg of Supertramp was born on this day. He is 76.

1952 – Pianist Johnnie Johnson hired a 26-year-old Chuck Berry to be the guitarist in his band. Berry continued his day job as a hairdresser for the next three years.

1963 – Ed Sullivan, who was at Heathrow Airport, observed a crowd of hundreds of screaming fans greet the Beatles upon their return to London. Sullivan decided to look into the possibility of getting the band to appear on his show.

Mikkey Dee of Scorpions was born on this day. He is 62.

Guitarist Johnny Marr, formerly of the Smiths, was born on this day. He is 62.

1966 – Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys was born on this day. He is 59.

1970 – Led Zeppelin III started a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album charts.

1975 – Queen released Bohemian Rhapsody. It was supposedly the most expensive single ever made at the time of its release.

1989 – The very first MTV Unplugged show was recorded, featuring the band Squeeze.

1990 – During a show in Seattle, Billy Idol dumped 600 dead fish in Faith No More’s dressing room. To pay back Idol, the members of the band walked onstage naked in a conga line during his set, to which Idol reportedly grinned in amusement.

1994 – Jimmy Page and Robert Plant released a live album, No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded, which featured new songs and Led Zeppelin covers.

1996 – Slash announced he is no longer in Guns N’ Roses.

2005 – Wolfmother released their debut studio album, Public Warning.