This Day in Rock History: October 9

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1961: "Hit the Road Jack," arguably Ray Charles' most famous song, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained there for two weeks. It was Charles' second chart-topper after "Georgia on My Mind" and later earned him a GRAMMY for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording.
• 1971: Rod Stewart scored his first U.K. No. 1 single with "Maggie May," which held the top spot for five weeks.

Cultural Milestones

• 1940: John Lennon was born in Liverpool, England. He formed the group The Quarrymen in 1956 at the age of 16, and the band evolved into The Beatles a few years later.
• 1944: John Entwistle, the original bass guitarist for The Who, was born in Hammersmith, London, England. He was the only member of the band with formal musical training, and he often contributed backing vocals.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1978: Judas Priest released their fifth studio album, Killing Machine, in the U.K. through CBS Records. Columbia Records released it in the United States a few months later, with the same content but under the name Hellbent for Leather.
• 1987: Bruce Springsteen released his eighth studio album, Tunnel of Love, through Columbia Records. It's widely regarded as one of Springsteen's best albums from the 1980s and went 3x Platinum in the United States.