188 Classic Rock

August 17th 1974, Eric Clapton started a four-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with '461 Ocean Boulevard', a No.3 hit in the UK. The house featured on the album cover is 461 Ocean Boulevard in the town of Golden Beach, Florida near Miami where Clapton...

Very sad to hear the news that Aretha Franklin, the "queen of soul" who became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has died in Detroit at the age of 76. In a 50-year recording career she scored 20 Top 10 albums, a dozen million-selling...

August 16th 1977, Elvis Presley was found dead lying on the floor in his bathroom by his girlfriend Ginger Alden, he had been seated on the toilet reading 'The Scientific Search For Jesus'. He died of heart failure at the age of 42. His first record for...

August 16th 1958, Born on this day, Madonna, (Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone), singer, actress, (first hit 1984 UK No.6 single 'Holiday', 1984 US No.1 'Like A Virgin', first UK No.1 1985 'Into The Groove', plus 6 other UK No.1's & over 10 US No.1 singles...

August 16th 1945, Born on this day, Kevin Ayers, singer, songwriter, and founder member of Soft Machine, who had the 1970 UK No.18 album, 'Third'. Ayers who was a major influential force in the English psychedelic movement died on 18th February 2013.

August 16th 1979, The biggest single of the summer in the US, The Knack's 'My Sharona' was awarded a Gold record for selling one million copies. The Knack's Doug Fieger wrote the song for his girlfriend, Sharona Alperin, whose picture appeared on the...

August 16th 1975, Peter Gabriel announced that he was leaving Genesis. The group auditioned more than 400 singers during the next 18 months before deciding that Phil Collins, who had been the drummer for Genesis since 1970, could front the band.

August 16th 1968, Bruce Springsteen's new band Earth made their live debut at the Off Broad Street Coffee House in Red Bank, New Jersey, admission was 75c. The lineup of the group consisted of Springsteen (guitars & vocals), John Graham (bass), Michael...

August 16th 1968, Working at Abbey Road studios on The White Album, The Beatles recorded 14 takes of the new George Harrison song 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps', taking the song from its early acoustic version into an electric version.