July 27 1981
Stevie Nicks released her debut solo album, Bella Donna
1977
Desperate for attention from American record executives attending a CBS Records conference at the London Hilton, Elvis Costello pulled up on the pavement outside with an amp and started busking wildly. He was promptly arrested by London police for street busking without a permit and fined £5—but the stunt worked, earning him massive press coverage and his US record deal.
July 28 1973
Over 600,000 rock fans descended on Watkins Glen Grand Prix Raceway in New York to see The Allman Brothers Band, The Grateful Dead, and The Band. It set a record at the time for one of the largest gatherings in American pop culture history.
1958
Esso Oil (Exxon) issued a serious scientific report warning drivers against playing rock 'n' roll on the car radio. Their reason? The heavy, fast beat would cause drivers to "unconsciously jiggle the gas pedal" rhythmically, leading to severe fuel inefficiency.
July 29 1970
To finish out their record contract with Decca (a label they despised), the Stones were legally obligated to submit one last single. They deliberately recorded a track so unbroadcastable and filthy—titled "Cocksucker Blues"—that Decca couldn't possibly release it. Decca refused to put it out, but technically, the band had fulfilled their contractual duty
1994
Bob Seger was called for jury duty in Oakland County, Michigan. Not only did he serve, but he was selected as the jury foreman and delivered a guilty verdict in a criminal trial.
1973
While Led Zeppelin were staying at the Drake Hotel in New York City during a legendary run at Madison Square Garden, $203,000 in cash vanished overnight from the hotel's safe deposit box. There was no sign of forced entry, and despite NYPD and FBI investigations, the money was never recovered and the case remains completely unsolved.
July 30 1968
After a chaotic and financially disastrous seven-month run, The Beatles shut the doors on their London shop. Instead of selling off the inventory, they gave away all remaining clothes and goods to passersby on the street for free!
July 31 1980
During an Eagles benefit concert in Long Beach, California, tension between Glenn Frey and Don Felder reached a boiling point. Microphones caught them threatening each other with physical violence between songs throughout the set ("Only three more songs until I kick your ass, pal"). As soon as the final encore ended, Felder smashed his guitar backstage and stormed off. The band broke up that night and didn't play together again for 14 years.
1967
Keith Richards was sentenced to a harsh year in prison over a minor drug bust at his Redlands estate. In an unusual turn of events, the conservative editor of The Times wrote a famous editorial titled "Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?", arguing the punishment was absurdly harsh just because Richards was a rock star. On July 31, the Appeals Court quashed his sentence.
August 1 1981
At midnight,MTV officially launched. The very first music video ever broadcast on the network was, fittingly, "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles, but you knew that. Who doesn’t?
