Today in Tunes
On this day in music

December 31

10 moments from 1925 to 2015: 4 things that happened, 4 birthdays and 2 farewells.

Tune of the day
I'm a Believer
The Monkees
Why today: 1966 · The Monkees' "I'm a Believer" begins seven weeks at No. 1
Play on Spotify

What happened on December 31

  1. 196165 yrs ago
    HappenedPop

    The Beach Boys play their first paying gig

    Murry Wilson, acting as manager, landed them a $300 New Year's Eve show at the Ritchie Valens Memorial Dance in Long Beach. They had signed to Candix Records on December 8.

    Play on Spotify Source: The Beach Boys - Wikipedia
  2. 196660 yrs ago
    HappenedPop

    The Monkees' "I'm a Believer" begins seven weeks at No. 1

    Neil Diamond wrote it, and it became the biggest-selling single of 1967. Worldwide sales are put at around 10 million.

    Play on Spotify Source: I'm a Believer - Wikipedia
  3. 197056 yrs ago
    HappenedRock

    Paul McCartney sues to dissolve the Beatles

    He had announced his exit in April amid fights over Allen Klein's management. In March 1971 a court put Apple's finances under a receiver.

    Play on Spotify Source: Paul McCartney - Wikipedia
  4. 197353 yrs ago
    HappenedRock

    AC/DC play their first official gig in Sydney

    The band made its debut at the Chequers nightclub on New Year's Eve.

    Play on Spotify Source: AC/DC - Wikipedia
  5. 1925101 yrs ago
    BornElectronic

    Radiophonic Workshop co-founder Daphne Oram is born

    She co-founded the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in 1958. She also invented Oramics, which turned shapes drawn on film strips into sound.

    Play on Spotify Source: Daphne Oram - Wikipedia
  6. 193096 yrs ago
    BornFolk

    Odetta is born in Birmingham, Alabama

    Martin Luther King Jr. called her the Queen of American Folk Music. Bob Dylan said hearing her record made him trade his electric guitar for an acoustic.

    Play on Spotify Source: Odetta - Wikipedia
  7. 194779 yrs ago
    BornLatin

    Brazilian rock star Rita Lee is born

    She sang with the Tropicália band Os Mutantes before going solo. With over 55 million records sold, she is Brazil's top-selling female artist.

    Play on Spotify Source: Rita Lee - Wikipedia
  8. 194878 yrs ago
    BornPop

    Donna Summer, the Queen of Disco, is born in Boston

    Her Giorgio Moroder production "I Feel Love" is hailed as a landmark record. Moroder said it was really the beginning of electronic dance music.

    Play on Spotify Source: Donna Summer - Wikipedia
  9. 198541 yrs ago
    DiedRock

    Ricky Nelson dies in a plane crash at 45

    His plane caught fire and crash-landed near De Kalb, Texas. He had No. 1 hits with "Poor Little Fool" and "Travelin' Man."

    Play on Spotify Source: Ricky Nelson - Wikipedia
  10. 201511 yrs ago
    DiedR&B / Soul

    Natalie Cole dies at 65

    "This Will Be" won her a Grammy early on. Unforgettable... with Love, with its virtual duet with her father, won Album of the Year and made her the first African-American woman to take that award.

    Play on Spotify Source: Natalie Cole - Wikipedia