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 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
Let’s take a look at some breakthrough hits and milestones from rock bands on Feb. 11 in years past:
- 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 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:
- 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.
Notable Recordings and Performances
After these notable rock and roll recordings and performances, the industry would be forever changed:
- 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.
- 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.”
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 pled 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.
