188 Classic Rock

May 13th 1941, Born on this day, Ritchie Valens, US singer, (1958 US No.2 and 1959 UK No.29 single 'Donna'). Valens died on 3rd February 1959.

May 12th 1965, The Rolling Stones recorded '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' at RCA Hollywood studios. Keith Richards had come up with the guitar riff in the middle of the night a week earlier. It gave the band their first number 1 single in the US.

May 12th 1973, Led Zeppelin started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with their fifth album Houses Of The Holy. The group's third US No.1 album went on to spend 39 weeks on the US chart. Houses Of The Holy has now been certified 11 times...

May 12th 1942, Born on this day, Ian Dury, singer, songwriter, poet, actor, (1977 UK No.5 album 'New Boots And Panties!!' spent 90 weeks on the UK chart, 1979 UK No.1 single 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick'). Dury died on 27th March 2000 aged 57.

May 12th 1944, Born on this day, Billy Swan, US singer, (1974 US No.1 & 1975 UK No.6 single 'I Can Help').

May 12th 1946, Born on this day, Ian McLagan, keyboards, Small Faces (1967 UK No.3 & US No.17 single 'Itchycoo Park', & 1968 UK No.1 album 'Ogden's Nut Gone Flake'). The Faces, (1971 UK No.6 & US No.17 single 'Stay With Me'). Also worked withThe Rolling...

May 12th 1948, Born on this day, Steve Winwood, vocals, keyboards, Spencer Davis Group, (1966 UK No.1 single 'Keep On Running'), Traffic, (1967 UK No.2 single 'Hole In My Shoe'), Blind Faith, (1969 UK & US No.1 album), Solo (1986 US No.1 & UK No.1 single...

11th May 1970, The triple soundtrack album Woodstock was released in the US, going gold within two weeks. The album featured tracks by; Canned Heat, Richie Havens, Country Joe McDonald, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Joe Cocker, Santana...

May 11th 1963, The Beatles started a 30 week run at No.1 on the UK album charts with their debut album 'Please Please Me', making it the longest running No.1 album by a group ever. The bands follow up 'With The Beatles' replaced it at the top of the charts...

11th May 1981, Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley died of lung cancer and a brain tumour aged 36. Had the 1981 single 'No Woman No Cry', plus over ten other UK Top 40 singles. In 1990, the 6th February was proclaimed a national holiday in Jamaica to...