This Day in Rock History: July 10
July 10th is a pretty eventful day in rock history. Bands and artists like The Rolling Stones, Cream, and Slash all feature in our breakdown for the most memorable moments…
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July 10th is a pretty eventful day in rock history. Bands and artists like The Rolling Stones, Cream, and Slash all feature in our breakdown for the most memorable moments in rock that happened on this day.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
July 10th is a memorable day for some of the most legendary bands in rock. Some breakthrough moments that happened on this day are:
- 1965: The Rolling Stones go to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart with "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", staying there for four weeks and marking their first U.S. Number 1.
- 2007: The Smashing Pumpkins release their seventh studio album, Zeitgeist, in the US. It marks their return after disbanding seven years earlier.
Cultural Milestones
Some notable rock culture moments also took place on this day:
- 1942: Ronnie James Dio, frontman for bands like Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio, and Heaven & Hell, was born on this day in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
- 1954: New York City radio station WINS hires Alan Freed, which would turn out to be a pivotal moment in rock history. Freed hosted Rock 'n' Roll Party, popularizing the term "Rock 'n' Roll" and paving the way for the birth of this new genre of music.
- 1974: David Bowie played the first of five shows at Philadelphia's Tower Theater. The recordings from these shows would be released in the form of a live album called David Live later that year.
- 1979: Chuck Berry began his four-month prison term for tax evasion.
- 2009: Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant was given the Commander of the British Empire title by then-Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.
- 2012: Guns N' Roses lead guitarist Slash got his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Industry Changes and Challenges
Some impactful events for the rock music industry happening on this day include:
- 1968: Eric Clapton announced that his band Cream would break up after completing the tour they were currently on, surprising fans, peers, and the industry as a whole.
- 2016: Aerosmith lead guitarist Joe Perry collapsed on stage while performing alongside Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp, from a suspected cardiac arrest. While fans feared this would be the end of one of the most successful rock bands in U.S. history, Perry made a remarkable recovery and was already playing with Aerosmith a few months later.
Rock's over seven-decade history means that each day is likely to mark culture-defining hits and performances, industry milestones, and many other notable events. July 10th is no different, as events from this day helped shape the rock world.
Dan TeodorescuWriter
