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TODAY IN ROCK AND ROLL HISTORY - 09/03/1966
Donovan enjoyed his only US number one hit, "Sunshine Superman", which featured then Yardbird and future Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. The single wouldn't be released in the UK for another five months, but when it was, it rose to number 3
TODAY IN ROCK AND ROLL HISTORY - 12/21/1983
Van Halen released what would become their most successful song, "Jump", as the lead single from the album "1984". The tune would top the Billboard Hot 100 on February 25th, 1984 and stay there for five weeks. Over the years, vocalist David Lee Roth has given various accounts of the meaning behind the lyrics, but he usually says they were inspired by a TV news story he saw where a man was about to commit suicide by jumping off a building.
TODAY IN ROCK AND ROLL HISTORY - 12/20/1965
Vocalist Ian Anderson and bassist Glenn Cornick leave the John Evans Blues Band to form Jethro Tull, naming their group after the 18th century inventor of a number of farm implements. John Evan himself will later join them as Jethro Tull's keyboard player.
TODAY IN ROCK AND ROLL HISTORY - 12/19/1955
Carl Perkins records "Blue Suede Shoes", a song that he wrote after seeing a young man get angry at his date for scuffing his shoes. Even though today we more often hear Elvis Presley's version, it only made it to number 20 on the Billboard Top 100 during a five week stay, while was Perkins' original went to number 2 and stayed on the chart for 17 weeks.
TODAY IN ROCK AND ROLL HISTORY - 12/18/1982
Hall And Oates overtook The Everly Brothers as the top recording duo of all time when their biggest hit, "Maneater" reached number 1 on the US singles chart. It made #6 in the UK.
TODAY IN ROCK AND ROLL HISTORY - 12/17/1954
Bill Haley And His Comets put the first Rock and Roll song on the UK singles chart with "Rock Around The Clock", which would later peak at number 4.
TODAY IN ROCK AND ROLL HISTORY - 12/16/1966
Polydor Records releases Jimi Hendrix's first single, "Hey Joe". The record made it to number 6 in the UK, but failed to chart at all in America. He followed with "Purple Haze", "The Wind Cries Mary", "All Along the Watchtower" and "Voodoo Chile", all of which made the British Top 10, but in America, only "All Along the Watchtower" reached the Top 40, peaking at number 20.
