1967: Britain’s The Who open their first large-scale tour of America But they are not the headliners. At each of the 55 tour dates, the band is simply the opening act for Herman’s Hermits. Contrary to what rock & blues wisdom teaches, the little girls do NOT understand.

1973: After years of increasing tension between The Everly Brothers, Phil Everly storms off stage during the duo’s concert at Knott’s Berry Farm in California.

The two would not perform together again for ten years, finally reuniting in 1983 with a show at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

1979: Chicago DJ’s Steve Dahl and Gerry Meier stage a “Disco Demolition Night” at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The event is supposed to feature a bonfire of disco records between games of a Chicago White Sox doubleheader.

Unfortunately, many fans start flinging records around the ballpark during the first game, leading to fights and a mini-riot. The resulting pandemonium causes the Sox to forfeit the second game.

Classic rock & roll recordings released on this day:

1964: “Where Did Our Love Go” (Supremes)

1969: “Honky Tonk Woman” (Rolling Stones)

1969: “Space Oddity” (David Bowie)

1970: “Summertime Blues (The Who)

2000: The Supremes’ much publicized “Return to Love” reunion tour (that in reality, only featured Diana Ross and none of the other original members) is cancelled when ticket sales prove extremely disappointing.

Guess “You Can’t Hurry Love.”

1956: A young Dick Clark makes his first appearance as host of a local Philadelphia TV dance show called Bandstand.

He steps into the role when the previous host, Bob Horn, is arrested for DUI. The show would go national on ABC-TV the following year, renamed American Bandstand, and run an astonishing 37 years.

1954: Elvis Presley is played on the radio for the very first time when DJ Dewey Phillips of his home town radio station WHBQ, plays the future king’s first single, “That’s Alright, Mama.” Response is so positive, Phillips will play it 14 more times on that same show.

1968: Following a gig in Luton, England, the Yardbirds disband.

Their guitarist, a young kid named Jimmy Page, decides to try and honor some of the gigs the band had committed to and starts recruiting members for “the New Yardbirds.” He gets Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham. Wonder how that worked out?

1964: The Beatles first film, A Hard Day’s Night, premieres in London. Some consider it the greatest rock & roll film ever made. Its fast edits on some of the musical numbers are credited with being the inspiration for music videos.

Future pop star Phil Collins is one of the kids in the audience during the live television concert scenes that close the film.

1969: A free concert in London’s Hyde Park that had been planned for months is turned into a memorial concert for Brian Jones when the former Rolling Stone dies just days before the event.

Mick Jagger reads a poem by Shelly in tribute and the band releases thousands of butterflies over the gathered crowd.