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.

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.