In 1949, Imperial Records was formed by Lew Chudd.
On this day in 1958, "Tequila" by the Champs was the #1 song.
In 1958, the Recording Industry Association of America introduced its awards for record sales, (RIAA). The Beatles hold the record for being awarded the most with 76 platinum certifications.
In 1960, Johnny Preston was at #1 on the US singles chart with “Running Bear,” also #1 in the UK.
In 1961, at United Recording in Hollywood, Rick Nelson recorded "Travelin' Man," a song Jerry Fuller had originally written for Sam Cooke. The Jordanaires overdubbed the track's background vocals on March 22.
In 1962, Cliff Richard is named Show Business Personality of 1961 at the Variety Club of Great Britain Awards. Helen Shapiro is voted Most Promising Newcomer Of The Year, an honor she shared with actress Rita Tushingham.
In 1964, Billboard reported that sales of Beatles singles currently accounted for 60 percent of the US singles market and The Beatles album Meet the Beatles had reached a record 3.5 million copies sold.
In 1965, unhappy with the pop direction taken with their latest single "For Your Love," Eric Clapton quit the Yardbirds. Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker later formed the band Cream.
On this week's Cash Box chart in 1965, the Beatles held down the top four positions, with "Eight Days a Week" at #1. (the groups 7th US #1 hit). Paul McCartney would later say the name of the song came from a chauffeur who drove him one day. "I said, 'How've you been?'. 'Oh working hard,' he said, 'Working eight days a week.'"
In 1965, Freddie And The Dreamers'"I'm Telling You Now" enters Billboard's Hot 100, where it will stay for eleven weeks, eventually climbing to #1 for two weeks starting April 10. It will be the biggest hit of the band's brief career.
In 1965, at the Columbia Recording Studio in Nashville, the Statler Brothers recorded "Flowers On The Wall."
In 1967, working at Abbey Road studios in London, six members of Sounds, Inc. recorded the horn parts for The Beatles song 'Good Morning Good Morning' (three saxophones, two trombones, and one french horn).
In 1967, at Bell Sound Studios in New York City, Spanky And Our Gang recorded "Sunday Will Never Be The Same."
In 1968, Elvis Presley began filming his 28th movie, "Live A Little, Love A Little," changed from its original title, "Kiss My Firm But Pliant Lips," which was the title of the book on which the film was based. A little racier and grittier than most of his previous films, it was also less musical, featuring just four songs.
In 1970, police feared a Beatles connection when a terrorist organization calling itself Revolutionary Force 9 takes credit for three bombings in New York.
Harry Nilsson was at #1 on the UK singles chart in 1972 with his version of the Peter Ham and Tom Evans song "Without You." The song was also a #1 for Mariah Carey in 1994.
In 1976, the Four Seasons started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart with “December 1963, (Oh What A Night),” the groups 5th US #1, also their only UK #1 hit.
In 1976, the Jackson 5 moved from Motown to Epic Records and changed their name to the Jacksons.
In 1976, Johnny Taylor's "Disco Lady" begins a six week stay at the top of the Billboard R&B chart. It is the first number one song to contain the word "Disco" in the title.
In 1977, Iggy Pop and David Bowie kicked off a North American tour at Le Plateau Theatre, Montreal, Canada with Blondie as the opening act.
In 1980, Pink Floyd's album 'The Wall' was certified Platinum.
In 1987, Bryan Adams' recording of "Heat of the Night" became the first commercially released cassette single in the U.S.
In 1991, jazz cornetist/Big Band and Jazz Hall of Famer Jimmy McPartland died of lung cancer at age 83. For more than 20 years and until 1970, he was the husband of pianist Marian McPartland. They continued to work together, stayed friends, and remarried just a few weeks before his death.
In 1993, Canadian rapper Snow, (Darrin O'Brien), started a 7-week run at #1 on the US singles chart with "Informer," a #2 hit in the UK.
In 1999, Cher started a four week run at #1 on the US singles chart with “Believe,” making Cher the oldest woman to top the Hot 100 at the age of 53.
In 2003, a jury awarded concert promoter Marcel Avram $5.3 million in his suit against Michael Jackson over the cancellation of two planned 1999 concerts. Avram filed suit against Jackson in 2000 in Santa Barbara County Superior Court, claiming the singer had pulled out of New Years shows planned for Sydney and Honolulu. On the witness stand, Jackson insisted that Avram cancelled the shows over concerns they would not be profitable.
In 2004, Luciano Pavarotti gave his final opera performance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He died of pancreatic cancer in September 2007 at age 71.
Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Sex Pistols and Blondie are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006. Sabbath is introduced by Metallica frontman James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, who say, "Sabbath is and always will be synonymous with Heavy Metal." Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne calls the honor "an achievement I'm really proud about." Kid Rock inducts Skynyrd then performs with the band. The night also has Deborah Harry refusing to let former members of Blondie perform with the group. The Sex Pistols refused to attend their own induction into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. . Blondie, Herb Alpert and Black Sabbath were all inducted but the Pistols posted a handwritten note on their website, calling the institution "urine in wine", adding "We're not your monkeys, we're not coming. You're not paying attention." The event takes place at New York's Waldorf-Astoria.
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In 2007, coffee house Starbucks announced the launch of its own music label, saying it would sign both established and new artists. The chain, which had 13,000 stores worldwide, had already released albums under its Hear Music brand, licensing songs from other companies. Starbucks bosses said the label would now become more independent and that music fitted with the firm's identity.
In 2008, Michael Jackson refinanced his Neverland ranch in California after being told that if he failed to pay the $25 million he owed on the property, it would be auctioned within a week.
In 2013, Bob Dylan was voted into the century-old American Academy of Arts and Letters.
