Happy New Year!

1962: The Beatles with Pete Best still on drums audition for Decca Records in London. Decca A&R man Dick Rowe tells the boys’ manager, Brain Epstein, "Guitar groups are on the way out,” and instead signs Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, who also had a New Years’ audition. Rowe redeems himself by signing The Rolling Stones, Them (Van Morrison), The Moody Blues, The Zombies, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Tom Jones, and The Small Faces to Decca in the years after Beatlemania sweeps the UK.

Two rock icons made their stage debuts on this day.

1961: The Beach Boys (formerly The Pendletons) play their first gig under their new name at the Ritchie Valens Memorial Concert in Long Beach, CA. They are paid a whopping $300.

The very same night, a young Janis Joplin makes her first on-stage appearance at the Halfway House in Beaumont, TX.

Happy Birthday to a whole bunch of rock legends…

1928: Bo Diddley

1934: Del Shannon

1937: Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul & Mary)

1942: Michael Nesmith

1945: Davy Jones

1947: Jeff Lynne

1956: On this day and for the entire week, Elvis Presley singles hold 10 chart positions on Billboard's Hot 100. This record will stand for nearly 8 years until (we’re sure you guessed it) the Beatles land 14 singles on the same chart in 1964.

1968: A year before Woodstock, the East Coast sees its first 3-day rock festival, the Miami Pop Festival. Headliners include: Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, The Turtles, Joni Mitchell, Procol Harum, Steppenwolf, Canned Heat, Iron Butterfly, The McCoys, Fleetwood Mac, The Box Tops, Three Dog Night, Pacific Gas and Electric and The Grateful Dead.

1957: The U.S. Army relents and lets its newest draftee, Elvis Presley delay his induction in order to finish filming King Creole.

1963: The Beatles release a little song called “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” That would be the song that would very quickly make them a worldwide sensation.

Merry Christmas! (Also a good day for drummers)

1959: 18-year old apprentice electrician, Richard Starkey gets his first real set of drums for Christmas. Shortly thereafter he changes his name to Ringo Starr and becomes an important fixture of Liverpool’s emerging rock scene.

1966: 16-year old Canadian kid Robbie Bachman gets his first drum kit. Three years later, brother Randy Bachmann asks him to join Randy’s new band Bachmann-Turner Overdrive.

Make sure you listen to “The Little Drummer Boy” today!

Two rock ‘n’ roll classics were recorded in this day.

1958: Bobby Darin is in the studio laying down vocals for his classic version of “Beyond the Sea."

1966: Tommy James and his band the Shondells record “I Think We’re Alone Now,” the first of an impressive run of Sixties’ hits. (Tommy had yet to get the memo about Beatles' haircuts being mandatory for rock stars.)

1964: Following up their first appearance on ABC's Shindig! (performing "Little Saint Nick," "Dance, Dance, Dance," "Papa Oom Mow Mow," and "Monster Mash"), the Beach Boys board a flight from Los Angeles to a concert in Houston. During the flight group leader, Brian Wilson suffers a nervous breakdown. In the immediate aftermath, Brian retires from touring with the band. Prominent L.A. session guitar player, Glen Campbell (who had already been playing on many of the Beach Boys records) takes his place on stage. Campbell is eventually replaced by permanent member Bruce Johnston.