This Day in Rock History: February 11
On Feb. 11, 1964, The Beatles played their first concert at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C. From that day on, many British groups began performing in the U.S., starting…
On Feb. 11, 1964, The Beatles played their first concert at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C. From that day on, many British groups began performing in the U.S., starting a trend known as the "British Invasion." This was a historic milestone for the rock music industry. Here are the hottest hits, cultural shifts, memorable recordings, and notable performances of Feb. 11 throughout the years.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
- 1967: Jumping from 122 to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart was More of the Monkees by, you guessed it, the Monkees. This album was the band's second and was the first rock/pop album to become the best-selling album of the year in the U.S.
- 2014: Making history in the U.K., Queen was the first band to reach six million sales of a single album. This was Queen's first, Greatest Hits, album that came out in 1981.
Cultural Milestones
Here are some Feb. 11 milestones for the culture of rock music:
- 1962: Sheryl Crow was born in Kennett, Missouri. She broke into the mainstream in 1994 with "All I Wanna Do," and she's sold over 50 million albums worldwide since.
- 1977: Mike Shinoda was born in Agoura, California. He'd become the founder of Linkin Park.
- 1992: Vince Neil, Motley Crue's lead singer, was fired from the band. The other band members felt he had lost interest in music and was too focused on car racing. In 1996, Neil reunited with the band and remains a member.
- 2012: Whitney Houston was found dead in a Beverly Hilton Hotel suite. She's one of the best-selling artists of all time and was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.
Notable Recordings and Performances
After these notable rock and roll recordings and performances, the industry would be forever changed:
- 1956: Elvis Presley appeared for the third time on the popular musical variety series The Stage Show, where he made his first network television appearance in January of the same year. He performed "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Heartbreak Hotel."
- 1963: The Beatles recorded 10 songs in less than 10 hours on their first album at EMI Studios in London. Despite having a bad cold, John Lennon got "Twist and Shout" done in a single take during the session.
- 1977: David Bowie released the single "Sound and Vision" from his 11th studio album, Low, by RCA Records. Recorded at the Château d'Hérouville in Hérouville, France, the song was successful in the UK, making it to No. 3 on the singles chart, but only made it to No. 69 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Industry Changes and Challenges
Changes and challenges your favorite music genre went through on Feb. 11 include:
- 1998: At the Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, Axl Rose was arrested for threatening a security worker. He later pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace.
- 2013: Rick Huxley dies at the age of 72. He co-founded and played bass for the Dave Clark Five.
Rock and roll has had its ups and downs over the years — thankfully, more ups than downs. But the industry wouldn't be the same without the milestones, cultural events, performances, and challenges of Feb. 11.
