This Day in Rock History: April 4

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1964: When "Can't Buy Me Love" took over the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100, The Beatles made history as the first group to hold the top five spots on this chart. Their other four songs at the top were "Twist and Shout," "She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," and "Please Please Me."
• 1981: Paradise Theater, an album by Styx, hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. This was the band's first chart-topping album, and for three nonconsecutive weeks, the hit would retain the top spot.
• 1982: After being reissued as a single in the UK, "Layla" by Derek and the Dominoes peaked at No. 4 on the UK singles chart. Unlike the original 1971 single, this version included the full 7-minute version from the album.

Cultural Milestones

• 1915: Blues giant Muddy Waters was born in Issaquena County, Mississippi. Inspired by local artists like Robert Johnson and Son House, he moved to Chicago in 1943 to pursue his dream of becoming a professional musician and achieved massive success in the 1950s, often being cited as an inspiration for the British blues resurgence of the 1960s.
• 1948: Original Dire Straits drummer Pick Withers was born in Leicester, England. He played drums on the band's first four albums, Dire Straits (1978), Communiqué (1979), Making Movies (1980), and Love Over Gold (1982).
• 1973: NBC aired a TV special of Elvis Presley's concert, Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite. The special's airing in the U.S. was delayed to avoid conflicting with the Super Bowl and an Elvis movie that was in theaters at the time.
• 2009: Metallica was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony was held in Cleveland, Ohio, where Jeff Beck, Run-D.M.C., and Bobby Womack were also inducted.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1976: At El Paradise Club in London, England, the Sex Pistols played a gig before starting their residency at the 100 Club in May. This was the group's 10th show of the year, but it would be their only one at the venue.
• 1987: U2's fifth studio album, The Joshua Tree, debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. It hit No. 1 three weeks later, becoming U2's first album to do so.
• 2003: The Rolling Stones performed in India for the first time, at the Palace Grounds in Bangalore. The show was part of their 40 Licks tour and was attended by over 30,000 fans.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1952: Northern Irish musician Gary Moore was born in Belfast. He was the guitarist for Skid Row and Thin Lizzy and has influenced many guitarists.
• 1960: RCA Victor Records announced that all their singles would be released in mono and stereo mixes simultaneously, setting a new industry standard for audio recordings. On the same day, they released Elvis Presley's "Stuck on You."
• 1968: While standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated. His influential leadership in the civil rights movement and tragic death have inspired many rock musicians, including U2 who recorded "MLK" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)" in his honor.