188 Classic Rock

Happy birthday to Pete Townshend, born 19th May 1945, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, The Who, (1965 UK No.2 single 'My Generation' 1967 US No.9 single 'I Can See For Miles' plus over 20 other UK Top 40 hit singles, 16 US Top 40 singles...

May 19th 1973, Stevie Wonder went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'You Are The Sunshine Of My Life'. His third US No.1, won Wonder a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. This song was the second single released from the album 'Talking...

May 19th 1973, Paul Simon released the single 'Kodachrome' named after the Kodak 35mm film Kodachrome which became a No.2 hit in the US. It was not released as a single in Britain, because the BBC would not play the trademarked name.

May 19th 1978, Dire Straits released their first major label single 'Sultans Of Swing', recorded on a £120 budget. The song was first recorded as a demo at Pathway Studios, North London, in July 1977, and quickly acquired a following after it was put...

May 19th 1979, Supertramp went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Breakfast In America', the group's only US No.1. It featured three US Billboard hit singles: 'The Logical Song', 'Goodbye Stranger' and 'Take the Long Way Home'.

18th May 1967, Pink Floyd started recording their forthcoming single 'See Emily Play' at Sound Techniques Studios, Chelsea, London. Syd Barrett was inspired to write See Emily Play, by the ‘looning about’ of the early Pink Floyd fan Emily Young, (who...

May 18th 1967, The Beatles were selected to represent the UK for the first-ever global-wide satellite broadcast. The group agreed to be shown in the studio recording a song written especially for the occasion, scheduled for June 25. John Lennon wrote...

May 18th 1985, Simple Minds were at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Don't You Forget About Me', (a No. 7 hit in the UK). Written by Keith Forsey (who won an Oscar for "Flashdance... What a Feeling") and Steve Schiff (guitarist and songwriter from the...

May 18th 1942, Born on this day, Albert Hammond, Gibraltarian singer, songwriter, and record producer. In 1966 Hammond co-founded the British vocal group the Family Dogg, scoring a UK Top 10 hit with "A Way of Life" in 1969. As a solo artist he scored...

May 17th 1948, Born on this day, Bill Bruford, English drummer. He was the original drummer for the progressive rock group Yes, from 1968–1972, and then joined King Crimson. He worked as the touring drummer for Genesis in 1976 and U.K. in 1978.