1968 In Music ,
Other Events Of 1969 ,
1970 In Music , 1960s In Music and the
List Of 'years In Music'
Perhaps the most famous musical events of 1969 are two legendary concerts. At a Rolling Stones concert in Altamont, California , a fan was stabbed to death by Hell's Angels , a biker gang that had been hired to provide security for the event. In retrospect, many commentators have concluded that the violence signalled the failure of the so-called " Hippie s", who espoused an ethos of Free Love and peace. Even more famous than the Altamont concert is Woodstock , which consisted of dozens of the most famous performers in the world at the time, playing together in an atmosphere of peace with nature and love, with many thousands of concertgoers; it is still one of the largest concerts in the history of the world.
'' Soul Shakedown '' was the debut album by Bob Marley & The Wailers , who would go on to become one of the most popular groups around the world. The album achieved very little popularity outside of the group's native country, Jamaica , but began establishing themselves as superstars there. Musically, ''Soul Shakedown'' is more Ska than Reggae , the style of music the Wailers would eventually make world-famous; the pioneering style of the music helped move ska and Rocksteady towards reggae.
David Bowie 's debut single, " Space Oddity ", became a huge hit in this year, partially due to the remarkable coincidence that it was released in the same year as American astronauts first landed on the moon. The song, the story of an astronaut named Major Tom who goes into space and is entranced by the beauty of seeing Earth from such a great distance and consequently lets himself float off into space, never again to return, was chosen by the BBC as the theme song for the television coverage of the moon landing. The remainder of the album, '' Man Of Words/Man Of Music '', was too avant-garde for mainstream acceptance, though it established a devoted fanbase for Bowie, who would go on to become one of the most popular musicians in the world.
King Crimson 's '' In The Court Of The Crimson King '' is a pioneering album in the development of Prog Rock . The album drew upon influences like Procol Harum , The Moody Blues and The Nice to form an original sound melding Rock And Roll with Classical influences in long, avant-garde pieces of music. Similar albums by The Moody Blues, Procol Harum and The Nice, as well as Genesis , Yes and Pink Floyd were also released this year, expanding the range of prog rock and developing it into a full-fledged genre.
Miles Davis ' '' Bitches Brew '' is widely considered the first successful full-fledged fusion of Rock And Roll and Jazz , as well as being one of the most famous and well-remembered albums by Davis.
The Stooges ' eponymous debut, '' The Stooges '', was also released this year to little critical or popular acceptance. The album, however, went on to become one of the most important recordings in the early development of Punk Rock .
Johnny Cash 's '' At San Quentin '' included his only Top Ten pop hit, " A Boy Named Sue ". The album was a sequel to last year's '' At Folsolm Prison ''. Also in Country Music , Merle Haggard 's '' Same Train, Different Time '', a tribute to Jimmie Rodgers , was enormously popular and influenced the development of the Bakersfield Sound into Outlaw Country within a few years.
Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso released enormously popular albums in Brazil , '' Gilberto Gil '' and '' Caetano Veloso '', respectively. The pair's fusion of Bossa Nova , Samba and other native Brazilian folk influences, melded with politically and socially aware lyrics, kickstarted what came to be known as Tropicalia .
Elvis Presley returns to live performances at the International Hotel in Las Vegas ; 57 concerts. He breaks all attendance records in Vegas. He also enjoys a great success with his songs " In The Ghetto " and " Suspicious Minds ".
- January 4 - Guitarist Jimi Hendrix causes complaints of arrogance from television producers after playing an impromptu version of "Sunshine of your Love" past his allotted timeslot on the BBC1 show ''Happening for Lulu''.
- January 12 - Led Zeppelin 's eponymous debut album released.
- January 18 - Pete Best wins his defamation lawsuit against The Beatles . Best had originally sought $8 million, but ended up being awarded much less.
- January 30 - The Beatles perform for the last time in public, on the roof of the Apple building at 3 Savile Row , London . The performance, which was filmed for the '' Let It Be '' movie, is stopped early by police after neighbors complain about the noise.
- February 3 - John Lennon , George Harrison and Ringo Starr hire Allen Klein as The Beatles ' new business manager, against the wishes of Paul McCartney .
- February 4 - Paul McCartney hires the law firm of Eastman & Eastman, Linda Eastman 's father's law firm, as general legal counsel for Apple.
- February 7 - George Harrison is admitted to London 's University College Hospital with an infected back molar that has infected his tonsils.
- February 8 - George Harrison's tonsils are removed at London 's University College Hospital.
- February 15 - Vickie Jones is arrested for impersonating Aretha Franklin in a concert performance. Jones' impersonation was so convincing that nobody in the audience asked for a refund.
- February 17 - Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan record together in Nashville, Tennessee . Only one song, "Girl from the North Country", would be released from these sessions.
- February 18 - Lulu and Bee Gee Maurice Gibb are married in England
- March 1 - During a performance at Miami 's Dinner Key Auditorium, Jim Morrison of The Doors is arrested for exposing himself during the show. Morrison is officially charged with lewd and lascivious behavior, indecent behavior, open profanity and public drunkenness.
- March 9 - '' The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour '' is canceled by CBS
- March 12 - The 11th Grammy Awards are presented
- March 12 - Paul McCartney marries Linda Eastman
- March 12 - George Harrison and his wife Pattie are arrested in England on charges of Hashish possession
- March 20 - John Lennon marries Yoko Ono in Gibraltar
- March 25 - 31 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono host a "bed-in" for peace in their room at the Amsterdam Hilton, turning their honeymoon into an antiwar event. Lennon also learns from a morning newspaper that Publisher Dick James has sold his shares of Northern Songs to Lew Grade 's Associated Television (ATV).
- April 1 - The Beach Boys file a lawsuit against their Record Label , Capitol Records , for $2,041,446.64 in unpaid royalties and producer's fees for Brian Wilson . Capitol retaliates by deleting most of its Beach Boys catalog, severely limiting the band's income.
- April 20 - The L.A. Free Festival in Venice, California ends early following a riot of audience members, 117 of which were arrested.
- April 22 - The first complete performance of The Who 's rock opera '' Tommy '' during a performance in Dolton , England
- April 22 - John Lennon officially changes his name from John Winston Lennon to John Ono Lennon.
- April - The Beatles make a $5.1 million counter offer to the Northern Songs stockholders in an attempt to keep Associated TV from controlling the band's music.
- April - Chicago releases its debut album, '' The Chicago Transit Authority ''.
- May 3 - Sly & The Family Stone release their breakthrough album, '' Stand! '', which became one of the top-selling albums of the decade and made the band one of the most popular acts in Rock and Soul Music .
- May 3 - Jimi Hendrix is arrested by Canadian Mounties at Toronto 's International Airport for possession of narcotics. Hendrix is released on $10,000 bail.
- May 6 - In London , representatives of Warner Brothers -Seven Arts discuss the purchase of fifteen percent of The Beatles ' Northern Songs .
- May 10 - The Turtles perform at the White House. Singer Mark Volman falls off the stage five times.
- June 2 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono host a "bed-in" at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal , Canada . The couple records the song "Give Peace a Chance" live in their suite with Tommy Smothers , Timothy Leary , and several others.
- June 29 - Bass player Noel Redding formally announces to the media that he has quit the Jimi Hendrix Experience, although he effectively ceased to be with Hendrix during most of the recording of ''Electric Ladyland''.
- August 9 - Sharon Tate and several others are found murdered, in the home Tate shares with husband Roman Polanski . The culprits turn out to be Charles Manson , a would-be folk singer, and his "Family".
- August 15 - 17 - The Woodstock Music And Art Festival was held at Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York , near Woodstock, New York . Performers included Janis Joplin , Jimi Hendrix , The Who , Joan Baez , Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young , Jefferson Airplane , Santana , Country Joe And The Fish , Ten Years After , and Sly & The Family Stone .
- August 28 - Elvis Presley returns to live performances in Las Vegas.
- September 13 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono perform at a Rock And Roll Revival festival at Varsity Stadium in Toronto , Ontario, Canada, backed by Eric Clapton , Klaus Voormann and Alan White . Other performers on the bill include Chuck Berry , Little Richard , Jerry Lee Lewis and up-and-comers Chicago . It is Lennon's first-ever public rock performance without one or more of the Beatles since meeting Paul McCartney in 1957 . Well-received, Lennon decides before returning to England to leave the Beatles permanently.
- October - Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band release Trout Mask Replica.
- October 14 - The final single by Diana Ross & The Supremes , " Someday We'll Be Together ," is released. The single becomes the final #1 hit of 1969 (and of the 1960s ). After a farewell concert in January 1970 , Diana Ross leaves The Supremes for a solo career.
- November 1 - After seven years off the top of the charts, Elvis Presley 's song "Suspicious Minds," hits No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' chart (this was the last time any song by Presley hit no. 1 while he was still alive).
- November 8 - Simon And Garfunkel , on tour for the first time with a band, give live concert in Carbondale, Illinois , presumably at Southern Illinois University . The concert is not released until 1999 as part of a recording compiled by Head Records, called '' Village Vanguard ''.
- November 11 - Simon And Garfunkel give live concert at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio . The recording is later released in the 1990s as '' Back To College '' on Yellow Dog Records and '' A Time Of Innocence '' on Bell Bottom Records.
- November 30 - Simon And Garfunkel air TV special ''Songs Of America'', ostensibly an hour-long show that is anti-war and anti-poverty featuring live footage from their 1969 tour.
- November - Simon And Garfunkel give live concert in Ames, Iowa , presumably at Iowa State University , where they record track "Bye, Bye Love" for their upcoming album, '' Bridge Over Troubled Water ''.
- December - The Jackson 5 release their debut album, '' Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 ''.
- ''David's Album'' - Joan Baez
- '' 20/20 '' - The Beach Boys
- '' Abbey Road '' - The Beatles
- '' Yellow Submarine '' - The Beatles
- ''Odessa'' - The Bee Gees
- '' Blind Faith '' - Blind Faith
- ''Blood Sweat & Tears'' - Blood, Sweat & Tears
- ''Man of Words/Man of Music'' - David Bowie (later re-released as ''Space Oddity'')
- ''Get Down to It'' - James Brown
- ''Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud'' - James Brown
- ''It's a Mother'' - James Brown
- ''The Popcorn'' - James Brown
- ''Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde'' - The Byrds
- ''Ballad of Easy Rider'' - The Byrds
- ''Canta In Italiano'' - Dalida
- ''Ma Mère me disait'' - Dalida
- '' Nashville Skyline '' - Bob Dylan
- ''Caetano Veloso'' - Caetano Veloso
- '' Monster Movie '' - Can
- ''Johnny Cash'' - Johnny Cash
- ''The Holy Land'' - Johnny Cash
- ''More Old Golden Throat'' - Johnny Cash
- ''Jackson'' - Johnny Cash
- '' At San Quentin '' - Johnny Cash
- ''Hello, I'm Johnny Cash'' - Johnny Cash
- ''Grand Canyon Suite'' - Johnny Cash
- ''Three in the Attic'' - Chad And Jeremy
- ''I'm All Yours-Baby!'' - Ray Charles
- ''Doing His Thing'' - Ray Charles
- '' Chicago Transit Authority '' - Chicago (debut)
- ''Surround Yourself with Cilla'' - Cilla Black
- ''Ornette at 12'' - Ornette Coleman
- '' Goodbye '' - Cream
- '' Grand Funk '' - Grand Funk Railroad
- ''Green River'' - Creedence Clearwater Revival
- ''Crosby, Stills & Nash'' - Crosby, Stills & Nash
- ''This Is'' - Desmond Dekker
- ''Rhymes and Reason'' - John Denver (debut)
- ''Brother Red's Travelling Salvation Show'' - Neil Diamond
- ''Touching You, Touching Me'' - Neil Diamond
- ''Wonder Where I'm Bound'' - Dion DiMucci
- '' Donovan's Greatest Hits '' - Donovan
- '' Barabajagal '' - Donovan
- '' The Soft Parade '' - The Doors
- ''What We Did on Our Holidays'' - Fairport Convention
- ''Unhalfbricking'' - Fairport Convention
- '' Ella '' - Ella Fitzgerald
- '' Sunshine Of Your Love '' - Ella Fitzgerald
- '' English Rose '' - Fleetwood Mac
- ''And Then Play On'' - Fleetwood Mac
- ''I Say a Little Prayer'' - Aretha Franklin
- ''M.P.G.'' - Marvin Gaye
- '' Easy '' - Marvin Gaye
- ''From Genesis to Revelation'' - Genesis
- ''Gilberto Gil'' - Gilberto Gil
- ''Aoxomoxoa'' - Grateful Dead
- '' Live/Dead '' - Grateful Dead
- ''Same Train, Different Time'' - Merle Haggard & The Strangers
- ''Pride in What I Am'' - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
- ''Okie from Muskogee'' - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
- ''The Instrumental Sounds of Merle Haggard's Strangers'' - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
- ''Hollies Sing Dylan'' - The Hollies
- ''Hollies Sing Hollies'' - The Hollies
- ''He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother'' - The Hollies
- ''Words and Music by Bob Dylan'' - The Hollies
- ''The Young Mods' Forgotten Story'' - The Impressions
- '' Ball '' - Iron Butterfly
- ''It's Our Thing'' - The Isley Brothers
- ''Live at Yankee Stadium'' - The Isley Brothers
- ''The Brothers: Isley'' - The Isley Brothers
- ''Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5'' - Jackson 5
- ''Bless Its Pointed Little Head'' - Jefferson Airplane
- '' Volunteers '' - Jefferson Airplane
- ''Country Folk'' - Waylon Jennings
- ''Just to Satisfy You'' - Waylon Jennings
- ''Waylon Jennings'' - Waylon Jennings
- '' Stand Up '' - Jethro Tull
- '' Empty Sky '' - Elton John
- ''I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!'' - Janis Joplin (solo debut)
- '' In The Court Of The Crimson King '' - King Crimson (debut)
- ''Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire'' - The Kinks
- '' Led Zeppelin '' - Led Zeppelin (debut)
- '' Led Zeppelin II '' - Led Zeppelin
- ''Soul Shakedown'' - Bob Marley & The Wailers (debut)
- ''Clouds'' - Joni Mitchell
- ''Moby Grape '69'' - Moby Grape
- ''Truly Fine Citizen'' - Moby Grape
- ''Instant Replay'' - The Monkees
- ''The Monkees Present'' - The Monkees
- ''To Our Children's Children's Children'' - The Moody Blues
- '' On The Threshold Of A Dream '' - The Moody Blues
- ''Mott the Hoople'' - Mott The Hoople (debut)
- ''My Own Peculiar Way'' - Willie Nelson
- ''On Time'' - Grand Funk Railroad
- ''The Nice'' - The Nice
- ''New York Tendaberry'' - Laura Nyro
- ''Rehearsals for Retirement'' - Phil Ochs
- ''The Open Mind'' - The Open Mind
- ''Hair (West End)'' - Original Cast
- '' Ummagumma '' - Pink Floyd
- '' More '' - Pink Floyd
- ''From Elvis In Memphis'' - Elvis Presley
- '' Three Week Hero '' - P.J. Proby
- ''A Salty Dog'' - Procol Harum
- ''Love Man'' - Otis Redding
- ''Four in Blue'' - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
- ''Dizzy'' - Tommy Roe
- '' Let It Bleed '' - The Rolling Stones
- '' Santana '' - Santana
- '' My Way '' - Frank Sinatra
- '' A Man Alone '' - Frank Sinatra
- ''Joe South's Greatest Hits Vol.1'' - Joe South
- '' The Stooges '' - The Stooges (debut)
- ''My Brother the Wind, Vol. 1'' - Sun Ra
- ''My Brother the Wind, Vol. 2'' - Sun Ra
- ''As I Am'' - The Troggs
- ''Trogglomania'' - The Troggs
- ''Turtle Soup'' - The Turtles
- '' The Velvet Underground '' - The Velvet Underground
- ''Scott 3'' - Scott Walker
- ''Scott 4'' - Scott Walker
- '' Tommy '' - The Who
- ''My Cherie Amour'' - Stevie Wonder
- ''Yes'' - Yes (debut)
- '' Neil Young '' - Neil Young
- '' Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere '' - Neil Young
- ''Elephant Mountain'' - The Youngbloods
- '' Hot Rats '' - Frank Zappa
- "The April Fools" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach from the film '' April Fools ''
- "Bad Moon Rising" w.m. John C. Fogerty
- " The Brady Bunch theme", by Frank DeVol
- "Bridge Over Troubled Water" w.m. Paul Simon
- "But, Mister Adams" w.m. Sherman Edwards
- "Come Together" w.m. John Lennon & Paul McCartney
- "Cool, Cool Considerate Men" w.m. Sherman Edwards
- "Didn't We?" w.m. Jimmy Webb
- "Down On The Corner" w.m. John C. Fogerty
- "The Egg" w.m. Sherman Edwards
- "Everybody's Talkin'" w.m. Fred Neil
- "Hawaii Five-O" m. Mort Stevens
- "He Plays The Violin" w.m. Sherman Edwards
- If You Could Read My Mind" w.m. Gordon Lightfoot
- "In The Ghetto" w.m. Mac Davis
- "Is Anybody There?" w.m. Sherman Edwards
- "Is That All There Is?" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
- "Israelites" w.m. Desmond Dekker & Leslie Kong
- "Keem-O-Sabe" m. Bernard Binnick & Bernice Borisoff
- "Jean" w.m. Rod McKuen from the film '' The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie ''
- "Just Leave Everything to Me" w.m. Jerry Herman , from the film version of '' Hello, Dolly! ''
- "Leaving On A Jet Plane" w.m. John Denver
- "The Lees Of Old Virginia" w.m. Sherman Edwards
- "Marrakesh Express" w.m. Graham Nash
- "Molasses To Rum" w.m. Sherman Edwards
- "Momma, Look Sharp" w.m. Sherman Edwards
- "Odds And Ends (Of A Beautiful Love Affair)" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach
- "Piddle, Twiddle And Resolve" w.m. Sherman Edwards
- "Proud Mary" w.m. John C. Fogerty
- "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" w.m. Jimmy Holiday, Randy Myers & Jackie DeShannon
- " Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head " w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach . Introduced by B. J. Thomas on the soundtrack of the film '' Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid ''. The song won the Academy Award .
- "Something" w.m. George Harrison
- "Sweet Caroline" w.m. Neil Diamond
- "Till Then" w.m. Sherman Edwards
- "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" w. Alan Bergman & Marilyn Bergman m. Michel LeGrand
- "Yellow River" w.m. Jeff Christie
- "You Don't Love Me When I Cry" w.m. Laura Nyro
- "Yours, Yours, Yours" w.m. Sherman Edwards
- Gavin Bryars - ''The Sinking of the Titanic''
- Sylvano Bussotti - ''Rara Requiem''
- George Crumb - ''Night of the Four Moons'' for alto, alto flute/piccolo, banjo, electric cello, and percussion
- George Crumb - ''Madrigals, Books III'' for soprano, harp, and percussion
- George Crumb - ''Madrigals, Books IV''for soprano, flute/alto flute/piccolo, harp, double bass, and percussion
- Mario Davidovsky - ''Synchronisms No. 5'' for percussion players and tape
- Peter Maxwell Davies - ''St Thomas Wake''
- Vagn Holmboe - ''String Quartet no. 10'', op. 102
- György Ligeti - ''Ramifications'' for 12 solo strings (1968-69)
- Francis Jackson - ''Sonata for Organ No. 1''
- Miklós Rózsa - ''Concerto for Cello''
- Dmitri Shostakovich - ''Symphony No. 14, Op. 135'' For Soprano, Bass, String Orchestra And Percussion
- Leif Thybo - ''Concerto for violin and orchestra''
- January 5 - Marilyn Manson
- January 14 - Dave Grohl , Nirvana , Foo Fighters
- January 27 - Cornelius ,
- February 5 - Bobby Brown
- February 21 - James Dean Bradfield , Manic Street Preachers
- March 1 - Dafydd Ieuan , drummer, Super Furry Animals
- March 11 - Pete Droge
- March 25 - Cathy Dennis , singer
- April 11 - Cerys Matthews , singer
- April 27 - Darcey Bussell , ballerina
- April 27 - Mica Paris , singer
- May 18 - Martika , singer
- May 24 - Rich Robinson , The Black Crowes
- May 29 - Chandler Kinchla , Blues Traveler
- June 5 - Brian McKnight , singer-songwriter
- June 15 - Ice Cube , rapper
- June 16 - Bénabar , singer-songwriter
- July 5 - RZA , record producer
- August 18 - Everlast , singer
- August 19 - Clay Walker , country singer
- August 29 - Me'Shell NdegeOcello
- September 5 - Dweezil Zappa , guitarist and son of Frank Zappa
- September 6 - CeCe Peniston , singer
- September 16 - Marc Anthony , singer-songwriter
- September 24 - DeVante Swing , singer-songwriter, record producer
- October 3 - Gwen Stefani , No Doubt
- October 9 - PJ Harvey
- October 16 - Wendy Wilson , Wilson Phillips
- November - Scarface , rapper
- November 3 - Robert Miles , DJ
- November 4 - P. Diddy , rapper
- November 19 - Travis McNabb , Better Than Ezra
- November 29 - Jon Knight , New Kids On The Block
- December 4 - Scott St. John , viola player
- December 9 - Jakob Dylan , The Wallflowers , son of Bob Dylan and Sara Lowndes
- December 26 - Peter Klett , Candlebox
- ''date unknown'' - Boris Berezovsky (pianist)
- February 15 - Pee Wee Russell , jazz clarinetist
- February 20 - Ernest Ansermet , conductor
- March 25 - Billy Cotton , bandleader
- April 23 - Krzysztof Komeda , jazz musician and composer
- May 23 - Jimmy McHugh , US composer and pianist
- June 14 - Wynonie Harris , R & B singer known as Mister Blues
- June 22 - Judy Garland
- July 3 - Brian Jones , of The Rolling Stones
- July 5 - Wilhelm Backhaus , pianist
- July 26 - Frank Loesser , US songwriter
- July 28 - Gabriel von Wayditch, american opera composer
- August 6 - Theodor Adorno , exponent of the " New Music "
- October 3 - Skip James , blues musician
- October 4 - Natalino Otto , Italian singer
- December 12 - Magic Sam , blues musician
- Nicola Salerno , Italian lyricist
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