This Day in Rock History: August 15
Aug. 15 is a huge day in rock history. It’s the day when arguably the most well-known and influential festival in history opened its gates, but it was not the…
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Aug. 15 is a huge day in rock history. It's the day when arguably the most well-known and influential festival in history opened its gates, but it was not the most attended show to take place on this date. Here are some of the major rock-related events that happened on this day throughout the years.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
These albums achieved success on Aug. 15.
- 1969: Three Dog Night's self-titled album, Three Dog Night, grabbed Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
- 1997: Ozzy Osbourne & Randy Rhoads Tribute became 2x Platinum Certified by the RIAA. Ozzy Osbourne would also achieve 2x Platinum status for his album, No Rest For The Wicked.
- 2017: Jay-Z and Linkin Park's Collision Course was certified 2x Platinum.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Aug. 15 is a huge date in the rock calendar, mainly due to a few legendary performances that took place on this day. These included:
- 1965: The Beatles performed at Shea Stadium in Queens, New York City, in front of an audience of almost 56,000, the largest concert attendance at the time.
- 1969: The Woodstock Music and Art Festival, commonly known as Woodstock, began in Bethel, New York. Over four days, artists and bands such as Santana, Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Canned Heat, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Joe Cocker, Ten Years After, Johnny Winter, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and Jimi Hendrix delighted audiences and made music history.
- 1991: Paul Simon performed a free concert in New York City's Central Park. An estimated 750,000 people came to see him, despite it being broadcast live on TV.
- 1991: During a show in Los Angeles, Nirvana invited the audience to attend the shoot for their first music video, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
The Woodstock festival dominated the list of rock-related events that took place on Aug. 15, while other notable occasions included memorable performances by The Beatles and Paul Simon.
Dan TeodorescuWriter
