This Day in Rock History: July 30

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1966: The song "Wild Thing" by The Troggs reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Aside from being a huge milestone in the band's history, the song is also remembered for being the only one to reach No. 1 in the singles chart while being released by two record companies simultaneously. A contract dispute meant that both the Atco and Fontana labels claimed the single, and Billboard tallied their combined sales figures.
• 2002: Bruce Springsteen released his 12th studio album, The Rising. It was successful with both critics and the public, earning him a GRAMMY Award for Best Rock Album at the awards show the following year.

Cultural Milestones

• 1936: Blues legend Buddy Guy was born in Lettsworth, Louisiana. His Chicago blues style is cited as an inspiration by legends such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, and John Mayer. He's still going strong at 89, with a new album called Ain't Done With The Blues out later this summer.
• 1941: Canadian-American singer Paul Anka is born in Ottawa, Canada. He recorded his first single at the age of 14 and went on to have an illustrious career that included hit songs such as "Diana." He is also an acclaimed songwriter and lyricist, having written the song "She's a Lady" by Tom Jones, as well as the lyrics for Frank Sinatra's "My Way."

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1955: Johnny Cash recorded his signature song, "Folsom Prison Blues," in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1968, Cash performed it live for a crowd of inmates at Folsom Prison for his live album, At Folsom Prison.
• 2003: A large benefit show called Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto took place in Toronto, Canada. It featured bands such as The Rolling Stones, Rush, and AC/DC and was attended by almost half a million people, making it the largest ever outdoor event in Canada's history.