This Day in Rock History: January 8

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1966: The Beatles' sixth studio album, Rubber Soul, hit No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard albums chart, where it spent six weeks. The album was a big step in the band's transition from pop tunes to deeper, more complex music, and it's estimated to have sold over 15 million copies worldwide.
• 1966: The Beatles also took over the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, with their double A-side "We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper" hitting No. 1. It also reached the top spot in several other countries, including their native U.K.

Cultural Milestones

• 1935: Elvis Aaron Presley, the "King of Rock and Roll", was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. He moved to Memphis at age 13 with his family and started his career at 19, in 1954.
• 1946: The Doors' lead guitarist, Robby Krieger, was born in Los Angeles, California. He joined the band in 1965, teaming up with Jim Morrison, John Densmore, and Ray Manzarek, and they went on to sell over 100 million albums worldwide.
• 1947: David Bowie was born in London, England. He started his music career in 1962 but struggled to find his style and audience until the late 1960s, when he finally broke into the top 5 of the U.K. singles chart with "Space Oddity."

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1968: Otis Redding's "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay" single was released in the U.S., less than a month after the artist lost his life in a plane crash on Dec. 10. It went to No. 1 on the charts, becoming the first posthumous No. 1 in U.S. history.
• 2016: David Bowie released his 26th and final studio album, Blackstar, on his 69th birthday, two days before passing away from cancer, which he had not revealed to the public. The album, recorded with the help of New York jazz musicians, was a huge success with both critics and the public, reaching Platinum status in multiple countries.