This Day in Rock History: April 16

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1964: The Rolling Stones released their self-titled debut album in the United Kingdom a month before its U.S. release.
• 1972: Electric Light Orchestra played its first gig at the Greyhound pub in London.
• 1974: Queen played its first show in the United States, supporting Mott the Hoople at Regis College in Denver.
• 1977: The Damned released its debut album Damned Damned Damned in the United States, two months after its U.K. release. It was the first full-length album from a British punk rock group.
• 1983: Kirk Hammett played his first show with Metallica at The Showplace in Dover, New Jersey. He was replacing original guitarist Dave Mustaine, and he had only auditioned five days earlier.
• 1994: Prince went to No. 1 on the UK singles chart with "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World." It was released independently through his NPG label due to a legal dispute he was having with Warner Bros. Records at the time, which also determined him to temporarily drop the "Prince" name.

Cultural Milestones

• 1947: Gerry Rafferty was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He founded the band Stealers Wheel and had a huge hit with "Stuck in the Middle with You," and then went on to have a successful solo career that includes the iconic song "Baker Street."
• 1964: The Beatles filmed the chase scenes for their movie A Hard Day's Night and recorded the title track at Abbey Road Studios.
• 1990: Rock icons Lou Reed, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, and Simple Minds were among the performers at the Nelson Mandela: An International Tribute for a Free South Africa concert at London's Wembley Stadium. This star-studded show celebrated Nelson Mandela's release from prison and campaigned for an end to apartheid.
• 2016: Axl Rose officially replaced Brian Johnson as the lead singer of the Australian rock act AC/DC.
• 2024: Journey's Greatest Hits became the only third album to stay on the Billboard 200 for 800 weeks, after Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and Bob Marley's Legend.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1956: Chuck Berry recorded the timeless hit "Roll Over Beethoven" in Chicago. It was released later that year in May and is considered to be a foundational rock anthem despite only peaking at No. 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
• 1971: The Rolling Stones released “Brown Sugar” in the United Kingdom. It was the lead single from their massive Sticky Fingers album and their first release under their Rolling Stones Records label.
• 1988: Def Leppard released “Pour Some Sugar on Me” in the United States. The song helped the band's album Hysteria reach the top of the Billboard 200 a year after its release.
• 1991: Temple of the Dog, featuring Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder, and other Soundgarden and Pearl Jam members, released its self-titled album.
• 1993: Paul McCartney headlined the Earth Day show at the Hollywood Bowl, during a break from his The New World tour that he was on to promote his Off the Ground album. The star-studded performance also included Ringo Starr, Steve Miller, and Don Henley.
• 1996: Rage Against the Machine released its sophomore album, Evil Empire, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1969: Elektra Records dropped Detroit band MC5 in response to the group's protest against Michigan department store Hudson's refusal to sell its albums.
• 2015: Nielsen SoundScan revealed vinyl sales were up 53% compared to the same time the previous year.