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- Composer Josef Strauss was born.
- Composer Achille-Claude Debussy was born.
- The Victor Talking Machine Company of Camden, New Jersey, began manufacturing the Victrola, the first practical home phonograph with an “internal horn”. The hand-operated machine with a cabinet containing a built-in horn sold for $200, while records were purchased separately, usually for $1 to $7. Famous conductor John Philip Sousa warned about “canned music” and predicted that recordings would replace generations of amateur musicians.
- American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist John Lee Hooker was born in Coahoma County, Mississippi. He later became known for the songs “I'm in the Mood” and “Dimples” and a series of successful albums, including “The Healer” (1989), “Mr. Lucky” (1991), “Chill Out” (1995) and “Don't Look Back” (1997). He died on June 21, 2001, at the age of 83.
- Singer of The Flamingos and later a member of The Dells was born.
- German avant-garde composer Karlheinz Stockhausen was born.
- “Godfather of go-go” Chuck Brown was born in Gaston, North Carolina. He later moved to Washington, D.C., and became a pioneer of the go-go style, best represented by his hit “Bustin' Loose”.
- American doo-wop singer Fred Milano was born in the Bronx, New York. He became best known as a member of the vocal trio Dion and the Belmonts.
- Blues musician and son of John Lee Hooker was born.
- Singer, songwriter, and producer Carmine John Granito, professionally known as Ron Dante, was born in New York. He became known as the lead singer of The Archies, and his voice was also featured in the studio group The Cuff Links. The Archies had the 1969 U.S. and UK No. 1 hit “Sugar Sugar”, while The Cuff Links reached No. 4 on the British chart that same year with “Tracy”. Dante was rarely seen as a member of these studio projects.
- American singer and songwriter Donna Jean Godchaux, née Donna Jean Thatcher, was born in Florence, Alabama. She became best known as a member of Grateful Dead from 1972–1979, where she was the only woman in the lineup. Before that, she worked as a session singer in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and later sang with the group Southern Comfort. Her backing vocals appeared on at least two songs that reached No. 1 on the U.S. chart: Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman” in 1966 and Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds” in 1969. She also sang on recordings by Boz Scaggs, Duane Allman, Cher, Joe Tex, Neil Diamond, and others. In 1970, she married keyboardist Keith Godchaux, who later also joined Grateful Dead. She died on November 2, 2025, at a hospice in Nashville from cancer at the age of 78.
- American guitarist and singer David Lee Marks was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania. At the age of seven, he moved with his family to Hawthorne, California, where they lived across the street from the Wilson family. He became known with The Beach Boys in 1962, when he joined the group as rhythm guitarist following Al Jardine’s departure; he remained with the group until 1963 and contributed to their first four studio albums.
- American singer Evelyn Thomas, known primarily for the 1980s hi-NRG dance hits “High Energy”, “Masquerade”, “Standing at the Crossroads”, “Reflections” and “Weak Spot”. Thomas died on July 21, 2024, at the age of 70.
- Elvis Presley worked for Crown Electric until mid-October 1954.
- Saxophonist and composer Alan Wilkinson was born in Ilford, England.
- Elvis Presley performed at Spudder Park in Wichita Falls, Texas, beginning a week-long tour with several performers from Louisiana Hayride: Bill Mack & Band, Johnny Horton, Betty Amos, David Houston, Sonny Crammer, Ray Gallman, Tillman Franks, and Willie Birdbrain. The performance began at 8:15 p.m.
- Elvis Presley began the first day of filming his first movie, “The Reno Brothers”, later renamed “Love Me Tender”. The drama, set during and shortly after the American Civil War, tells the story of Clint Reno, the youngest of four brothers. Elvis originally had only a supporting role, but after his song “Love Me Tender” was added to the film, the movie was renamed after the song. It was the only Elvis film in which he was not the leading actor. He began work on the film just four days after “Don't Be Cruel” and “Hound Dog” reached No. 1 on the U.S. chart. Elvis wanted to continue his film career and gradually created his own film subgenre known as the “Presley Picture”.
- Chris Biondo, a guitarist and producer who worked with Eva Cassidy. Eva Cassidy is described as the only performer to have three posthumous UK No. 1 albums: Songbird (2001), Imagine (2002) and American Tune (2003). In 2001, she also had the UK No. 42 single “Over The Rainbow”.
- The Five Satins made their chart debut on the Billboard R&B chart with “In the Still of the Night”, which they recorded in the basement of a church in New Haven, Connecticut. It was originally released as the B-side of “The Jones Girl” on the small Standard label, but after significant local success it was reissued by Ember Records. The single reached No. 3 on the R&B chart and No. 24 on the pop chart and sold more than one million copies. The song is often credited with popularizing the term “doo-wop” because of its distinctive “doo-wop, doo-wah” refrain.
- Country singer and songwriter Holly Dunn was born in San Antonio, Texas. She became best known for her No. 1 singles “You Really Had Me Going” and “Are You Ever Gonna Love Me”.
- Elvis Presley was on leave in Memphis during his military service.
- Guitarist Ian Mitchell of the Bay City Rollers was born in Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland. In 1976, he joined the group at the age of just 17. Bay City Rollers had the 1975 UK No. 1 hit “Bye Bye Baby”, 11 more UK Top 20 singles, and the 1976 U.S. No. 1 hit “Saturday Night”.
- The Kalin Twins reached No. 1 on the British singles chart with their version of “When”. The song also topped the charts in France and the Netherlands and reached the Top 5 in North America that year.
- British-American guitarist and songwriter Vernon Reid was born in London, England. He grew up in Brooklyn and later founded the rock band Living Colour, in which he serves as guitarist and principal songwriter. The group became famous for its 1988 debut album “Vivid” and the song “Cult of Personality”, which won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1990. In 1991, they had the UK No. 12 hit “Love Rears Its Ugly Head”.
- In the United Kingdom, the song “It's Now or Never” was released after the necessary copyright clearances had been obtained. It was an English-language version of the Neapolitan standard “O Sole Mio”, which had been made famous by Enrico Caruso in 1916. The song reached No. 1 on the British chart and received a Silver Record for sales of more than 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom.
- Drummer, singer, and founding member of the pop-rock group The Bangles, Debbi Peterson was born in Los Angeles, California. In 1986, the group had the No. 2 UK hit “Manic Monday”, a song written by Prince, and in the same year the U.S. No. 1 hit “Walk Like an Egyptian”.
- Singer, songwriter, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and co-founder of Tears for Fears Roland Orzabal was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The group had the 1985 U.S. No. 1 hit and UK No. 2 hit “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, and their second album, “Songs from the Big Chair”, released in 1985, reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
- An early form of karaoke was demonstrated at the National Radio Show at London's Earl's Court. The new device allowed vocals to be combined with guitars, tapes, and even radio, making it possible to sing and play along with recordings. The Earl's Court Radio Show was a major annual event for showcasing the latest consumer electronics in Britain.
- Granada TV filmed The Beatles' lunchtime performance at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, including the song “Some Other Guy”, which was the first time the group was filmed by television cameras. However, because of the grainy picture and poor sound quality, Granada did not broadcast the footage at the time and placed it in its archive. It was first broadcast on November 6, 1963, on the program “Scene at 6:30”. In the meantime, The Beatles' actual television debut took place live from a studio in Manchester on October 17, 1962, on the program “People and Places”.
- The Beatles officially performed with their new drummer Ringo Starr for the first time at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, just days after the dismissal of original drummer Pete Best.
- “Bad to Me” reached No. 1 on the British singles chart. The song was officially credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting team; John Lennon later claimed it as his own and said he wrote it for Billy J. Kramer while on vacation in Spain. In a 1964 interview, however, he stated that Paul McCartney had also collaborated on the song. The following year, “Bad to Me” also reached the U.S. Top 10 in the version by Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas.
- R&B and soul singer James DeBarge was born in Detroit, Michigan. He became best known as a member of the family vocal group DeBarge, which had the 1985 UK No. 4 hit “Rhythm of the Night”.
- American singer, songwriter, and pianist Myra Ellen Amos, professionally known as Tori Amos, was born in Newton, North Carolina. At the age of five, she received a full scholarship to the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University and became the youngest person ever admitted to the school, but at eleven she was expelled for “musical disobedience”. In the 1990s, she became a prominent figure in alternative rock and became known for songs addressing women's issues, right-wing politics, and religious oppression. In 1994, she had the UK No. 4 hit “Cornflake Girl”, and her 1996 song “Professional Widow” was widely speculated to be about Courtney Love.
- Elvis Presley reached No. 16 on the U.S. chart with “Such A Night”.
- The Beatles performed at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, before 20,261 fans. The opening acts were The Bill Black Combo, The Exciters, The Righteous Brothers, and Jackie DeShannon. The concert was broadcast locally by CKNW.
- The Four Tops' “Baby I Need Your Loving” jumped from No. 90 to No. 54 on the U.S. chart.
- Liberty Records announced that the album “The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles” was selling at a rate of 25,000 copies per day. The album later reached No. 14 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and remained on the chart for more than five months. Chipmunks creator Ross Bagdasarian had actually spoken with The Beatles before beginning the project and later said that the group was very supportive.
- The Supremes achieved their first U.S. No. 1 single when “Where Did Our Love Go” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks. It was the first of five consecutive No. 1 singles for the group and also the first of their twelve total U.S. No. 1 hits. The song also reached No. 1 on the R&B chart, No. 3 in the United Kingdom, and No. 1 in Canada and New Zealand. Holland–Dozier–Holland originally wrote it for The Marvelettes, who rejected it because they thought it sounded too childish. At the top of the Billboard Hot 100, The Supremes replaced Dean Martin with “Everybody Loves Somebody”; The Beatles were at No. 3 with “A Hard Day's Night”.
- During their North American tour, The Beatles played two concerts at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. Between the performances, Carl Wilson and Mike Love of The Beach Boys visited them in their dressing room.
- Security staff at Granada Television's studio in Manchester used fire hoses against around two hundred screaming teenagers after they broke through security barriers while waiting for The Rolling Stones to arrive. Despite the chaotic atmosphere, the group successfully filmed its television segment, which included a performance of “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction”.
- Two New York teenagers, Carol Hopkins and Susan Richmond, climbed onto a second-floor hotel ledge and threatened to jump unless they were allowed to meet The Beatles. Police eventually persuaded them to climb down.
- Founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, Gary Earl Grice, professionally known as GZA and also as The Genius, was born in New York.
- Jerry Lee Lewis was cast as Iago in the film “Catch My Soul”, a rock version of Shakespeare's “Othello”.
- The Beatles' album “Revolver” received gold certification.
- The Beatles played a concert at Shea Stadium in New York, which became their final performance as part of their American concert tour.
- Elvis Presley was released from Speedway and was due to begin two nights of recording at RCA Studio A on Sunset Boulevard. However, because of an accident near Elvis's home in Bel Air, Colonel Parker, fearing negative publicity, sent Elvis and Priscilla to Las Vegas.
- American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Layne Staley was born in Kirkland, Washington. He became known as the frontman of the grunge band Alice in Chains and was also a member of the supergroups Mad Season and Class of '99. He died on April 5, 2002, at his home from a combination of heroin and cocaine.
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared on the British television program “Simon Dee” on the BBC. Other guests on the program included Kiki Dee and Cat Stevens.
- Cynthia Powell Lennon initiated divorce proceedings against John Lennon because of his infidelity. After returning from a vacation in Greece, she discovered that John was with Yoko Ono, who was staying at their London home. She filed the petition on August 22, 1968, one day before the sixth anniversary of their wedding; the subsequent decree nisi was issued on November 8, 1968.
- Ringo Starr temporarily left The Beatles because of growing tension and arguments during the recording of “The White Album”. He felt that he was not playing well and was an outsider to the others. His departure was kept secret, and the remaining three continued working on “Back in the U.S.S.R.” and “Dear Prudence”, with Paul McCartney playing drums and John Lennon playing bass. During his absence, Starr relaxed on a yacht off Sardinia, where he wrote the song “Octopus's Garden”. After the others sent him an apologetic telegram, he returned to the group on September 3 and found his drum kit decorated with flowers in the studio. The following day, the Beatles filmed promotional videos for “Hey Jude” and “Revolution”.
- The Grateful Dead performed at the Fillmore West in San Francisco.
- The original instrumental tracks for Tommy Roe's song “Dizzy” were recorded at Western Recorders in Hollywood. The song was written by Roe and Freddy Weller and produced by Steve Barri. The single was released on November 13, 1968, by ABC Records and in March 1969 spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, reached No. 1 on the British chart for one week in June 1969, and also reached No. 1 in Canada in March 1969. The recording featured Tommy Roe – vocals, Hal Blaine – drums, Joe Osborn – bass, Ben Benay – guitar, Michael Deasy – guitar, and Don Randi – piano.
- Blind Faith performed at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah, during their only North American tour. Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood would not perform together again until 2008.
- On August 22, 1969, Elvis Presley performed two shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas as part of his first Las Vegas engagement, which ran from July 31 to August 28. The evening show began at 8:15 p.m. and the midnight show at midnight; both had a capacity of 2,200 spectators and were recorded by RCA. The evening show included Opening Theme, Blue Suede Shoes, I Got A Woman, Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel, Heartbreak Hotel, Hound Dog, Memories, Mystery Train/Tiger Man, monologue, Baby What You Want Me To Do, Runaway, Are You Lonesome Tonight?, Yesterday/Hey Jude, Suspicious Minds and What'd I Say. The midnight show included Opening Theme, Blue Suede Shoes, I Got A Woman, All Shook Up, Love Me Tender, Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel, Heartbreak Hotel, Hound Dog, Memories, Mystery Train/Tiger Man, Baby What You Want Me To Do, Runaway, Funny How Times Slip Away, Are You Lonesome Tonight?, Yesterday/Hey Jude, In The Ghetto, Suspicious Minds, What'd I Say and Can't Help Falling In Love. For the evening show, Elvis wore a black herringbone suit with red pleats and a red-and-black macramé belt; for the midnight show, he wore a white herringbone suit with a white macramé belt.
- During their North American tour, Led Zeppelin played the first of two concerts at Pirates World in Dania, Florida. The bill also included The Royal Ascots, Brimstone, and The Echo.
- The Latin rock band Santana released its self-titled debut studio album through Columbia Records. The album reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and No. 34 in the United Kingdom. It included the single “Evil Ways”, which reached No. 9 in the U.S. and introduced Gregg Rolie as lead singer; Rolie later became a co-founder of the band Journey.
- English guitarist Stephen “Steve” Cradock was born in Solihull. He became best known for his work with Ocean Colour Scene and Paul Weller. Ocean Colour Scene formed in Moseley, Birmingham, in 1989; in 1996 they had the UK No. 4 hit “The Day We Caught the Train”, more than 12 other Top 40 singles, and in 1997 the UK No. 1 album “Marchin' Already”.
- The Beatles gathered at Tittenhurst Park in Sunninghill, England, the home of John and Yoko Lennon, for their final joint photo session. Photographers Ethan Russell and Monte Fresco of the Daily Mirror took photographs, and The Beatles' assistant Mal Evans also took additional pictures. Three of Ethan Russell's photographs from the session were later used on the front and back covers of the compilation album “Hey Jude”, released by Capitol in 1970. Yoko Ono and a pregnant Linda McCartney, who would give birth to her daughter Mary six days later, also appeared in some of the photographs.
- The Beatles filmed a short film for the song “The Long and Winding Road”.
- The song “Snowbird” entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and later climbed to No. 8. It became a million-selling hit and the first American Gold Record awarded to a Canadian female solo singer. The song’s success made her the first Canadian female solo singer to receive this honor in the United States. Songwriter Gene MacLellan said he wrote “Snowbird” in approximately 25 minutes after seeing a flock of snow buntings on a beach on Prince Edward Island.
- B.J. Thomas was at No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart with the song “I Just Can't Help Believing”.
- “Make It with You” reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for one week. It was Bread’s first and only single to reach the top of the U.S. chart; in the United Kingdom, it reached No. 5. The song was written by singer David Gates. It was later recorded by, among others, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Earth, Wind & Fire, Dusty Springfield, Andy Williams, and Marc Cohn.
- The fifth studio album “Cosmo's Factory” began a nine-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart, later known as the Billboard 200, and also reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Finland, Canada, and Norway. The album contained the hits “Up Around the Bend” (#4 U.S.), “Lookin' Out My Back Door” (#23 U.S.), and “Who'll Stop the Rain” (#2 U.S.). The title “Cosmo's Factory” came from the warehouse in Berkeley where the group rehearsed; John Fogerty insisted on rehearsing almost every day, and drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford therefore began calling the place “the factory”.
- Derek & the Dominos began recording their first and only studio album, “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs”. Eric Clapton was a member of the group and, in an effort to remain low-profile, tried to downplay his involvement in the band.
- Derek and the Dominos performed at the Van Dike club in Plymouth, England.
- Elton John signed a recording contract as a solo artist with Uni Records, a division of MCA Records.
- It was announced that Elvis Presley would undertake his first U.S. tour since the mid-1950s.
- On August 22, 1970, Elvis Presley performed two shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas during his third Las Vegas season, which ran from August 10 to September 8, 1970. The evening show began at 8:30 p.m. and the midnight show at midnight; both had a capacity of 2,200 spectators. The setlist was not provided. The song “Runaway” was recorded during the evening show and later released on the album “Elvis On Stage”, while according to the source no recording was made of the midnight show.
- After leaving The Animals the previous year, Eric Burdon returned to the charts with his new group War and the song “Spill the Wine”, which reached No. 3. Burdon separated from War in 1971, while the group later continued successfully without him and recorded further hits, including “The World Is a Ghetto” (#9), “The Cisco Kid” (#12), “Gypsy Man” (#8), “Why Can't We Be Friends?” (#6), “Low Rider” (#7) and “Summer” (#7).
- The Moody Blues began a three-week run at No. 1 on the British album chart with their sixth studio album, “A Question of Balance”. In the U.S., the album peaked at No. 3.
- Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul & Mary performed together at the Odeon Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland.
- On August 22, 1971, Elvis Presley performed two shows at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas during his fifth Las Vegas season. The evening show began at 8:30 p.m. and the midnight show at midnight; both had a capacity of 2,200 spectators. The setlist for the evening show was not provided. The midnight show included Also Sprach Zarathustra, That's All Right, Proud Mary, I Got A Woman/Amen, Sweet Caroline, Polk Salad Annie, Johnny B. Goode, It's Impossible, Love Me, Blue Suede Shoes, Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On, Heartbreak Hotel, Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel, Hound Dog, Love Me Tender, Suspicious Minds, I'm Leavin', Lawdy Miss Clawdy and Can't Help Falling In Love. The recording is listed as “The Cisco Kid Strikes Again”. Elvis wore a white two-piece Cisco Kid suit with black shoulders and a gold attendance belt.
- Elvis Presley was feeling somewhat better, but was still concerned about throat problems, and a specialist was called in.
- On August 22, 1972, Elvis Presley performed two shows at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas before 2,200 spectators. The evening show began at 8:30 p.m.; Elvis wore a Porthole Suit and introduced Tom Jones during the performance. The midnight show included Also Sprach Zarathustra, See See Rider, Johnny B. Goode, Proud Mary, Until It's Time For You To Go, You Don't Have To Say You Love Me, You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', Polk Salad Annie, What Now My Love, Fever, Love Me, Heartbreak Hotel, All Shook Up, Little Sister/Get Back, Love Me Tender, Hound Dog, I'll Remember You, Suspicious Minds, introduction of the band, introduction of Tom Jones, A Big Hunk O' Love, Mystery Train/Tiger Man and Can't Help Falling In Love.
- Genesis performed at the Teatro Alcione in Genoa, Italy.
- Multi-instrumentalist, singer, and co-founder of the rock band Matchbox Twenty Paul Doucette was born in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. The group achieved international fame with its 1996 debut album “Yourself or Someone Like You”, which received twelve-times-platinum certification in the United States and multiple-platinum certifications in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
- On August 22, 1973, Elvis Presley performed two shows at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas before 2,200 spectators. The evening show began at 8:30 p.m. and included Also Sprach Zarathustra, See See Rider, I Got A Woman/Amen, Love Me, You Gave Me A Mountain, Blue Suede Shoes, Long Tall Sally/Mama Don't Dance/Flip, Flop And Fly/Jailhouse Rock, Hound Dog, Love Me Tender, Fever, What Now My Love, Suspicious Minds, My Boy, Release Me, An American Trilogy, Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel and Can't Help Falling In Love. Elvis wore a white jumpsuit with red inserts. The midnight show included Also Sprach Zarathustra, See See Rider, I Got A Woman/Amen, Love Me, Steamroller Blues, You Gave Me A Mountain, Blue Suede Shoes, Long Tall Sally/Mama Don't Dance/Flip, Flop And Fly/Jailhouse Rock, Hound Dog, Love Me Tender, Fever, What Now My Love, Suspicious Minds, My Boy, Release Me, An American Trilogy, A Big Hunk O' Love and Can't Help Falling In Love. Elvis wore a white jumpsuit with blue inserts.
- Hawkwind performed at the Assembly Hall in Worthing, West Sussex, England.
- Pop singer and co-founder of the Backstreet Boys Howard “Howie” Dorough was born in Orlando, Florida.
- Carole King released the single “Jazzman”.
- During the recording of David Bowie’s album “Young Americans”, fans kept watch outside Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios and at 5 a.m. were invited into the studio to listen to a playback of the album while Bowie observed their reactions to the music.
- On August 22, 1974, Elvis Presley performed two shows at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas before 2,200 spectators. The evening show began at 8:30 p.m. and included Also Sprach Zarathustra, See See Rider, I Got A Woman/Amen, Love Me, If You Love Me, It's Midnight, Big Boss Man, Fever, Love Me Tender, All Shook Up, I'm Leavin', Softly, As I Leave You, Hound Dog, You Gave Me A Mountain, Polk Salad Annie, If You Talk In Your Sleep, Why Me Lord, Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel, Heartbreak Hotel, Hawaiian Wedding Song, Let Me Be There and Can't Help Falling In Love. Elvis wore the 1974 American Eagle suit. The midnight show included Also Sprach Zarathustra, See See Rider, I Got A Woman/Amen, Love Me, If You Love Me, It's Midnight, Big Boss Man with a reprise, Fever, Love Me Tender, All Shook Up, I'm Leavin', Softly, As I Leave You, Hound Dog, You Gave Me A Mountain, Polk Salad Annie, If You Talk In Your Sleep, Why Me Lord, Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel, Help Me, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Let Me Be There and Can't Help Falling In Love. Elvis wore a simple beige two-piece leather suit.
- America performed at Canadian National Exhibition Stadium in Toronto.
- Black Sabbath performed at the International Amphitheater in Chicago, Illinois.
- Yes performed at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
- Donovan performed at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
- Peter Frampton played the first of three sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden.
- Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols made his final live stage appearance when he appeared together with Rat Scabies of The Damned, former Sex Pistols member Glen Matlock, and Nancy Spungen at London's Electric Ballroom. The audience included Elvis Costello, Blondie, Joan Jett, The Slits, and Captain Sensible.
- “In Through the Out Door” was released in the United States on August 22, 1979, as the band's eighth and final studio album. The album reached No. 1 on both the U.S. and British album charts and included the song “Fool in the Rain”, which reached No. 21 in the United States.
- Led Zeppelin played the final concert of their two-day comeback at the Knebworth Festival, which was their last British performance with John Bonham.
- Queen performed at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during their North American tour.
- Bon Jovi were the main attraction at the Monsters of Rock festival in Donington Park, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England.
- The Diana Ross and Lionel Richie duet “Endless Love” was at No. 1 on the R&B chart.
- “Girls On Film” reached No. 5 on the British chart and gave Duran Duran their breakthrough hit in Britain. Upon its release in the U.S., the song did not enter the chart, but its popularity increased sharply after the music video was placed in heavy rotation on MTV. The video, directed by Godley and Creme, had to be heavily edited for television broadcast because it was originally intended only for nightclubs and contained adult themes and nudity.
- British-American rock band Foreigner reached No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with their fourth studio album “4”, after just five weeks. Stevie Nicks was at No. 3 with “Bella Donna”, Journey at No. 4 with “Escape”, and the Moody Blues at No. 5 with “Long Distance Voyager”.
- The Carpenters achieved their 15th No. 1 hit on the Adult Contemporary chart with “Touch Me When We're Dancing”.
- Blue Öyster Cult performed at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia.
- Aerosmith performed at the Golden Hall in San Diego, California.
- Rick Nelson and Fats Domino filmed the PBS television special “Rockin' With Rick And Fats”, recorded live at Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. Nelson first performed with his longtime backing group The Jordanaires and sang several of his hits, while in the second part Fats Domino performed several of his classic songs. The finale was their joint duet “I'm Walkin'”, which both singers had taken to No. 4 on the U.S. chart in 1957. For Nelson, it was his final television appearance before his death in a plane crash on December 31, 1985, at the age of 45.
- The film “Stand by Me” was released in theaters. It is based on Stephen King's novella “The Body”, but director Rob Reiner decided to name the film after the famous song to emphasize the story of friendship and avoid making the title sound like a horror film.
- Bon Jovi were the headliners of the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington, England.
- Madonna reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with “Who's That Girl”, her sixth U.S. No. 1 single and also a No. 1 hit in the United Kingdom. It was a Spanish-English song with the refrain “¿Quién es esta niña?” and the title track of the soundtrack album to the comedy film of the same name, in which Madonna starred alongside Griffin Dunne.
- The television documentary Aretha Franklin: Queen of Soul was broadcast on PBS.
- Boyz II Men reached No. 1 on the R&B chart with “End Of The Road”.
- Genesis returned to No. 1 on the British chart with their fourteenth studio album “We Can’t Dance”. The album also reached No. 1 in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Switzerland and was the group's last album with Phil Collins.
- Madonna began filming the music video for “Erotica” at The Kitchen in New York City.
- Sting and Trudie Styler held a wedding reception and church blessing at St. Andrew's Church in Great Durnford, Wiltshire; they had already officially married in a civil ceremony in London on August 20. The Troggs performed at the celebration, and all three members of The Police subsequently came together on stage and played several songs.
- English singer and songwriter Dua Lipa was born in London to parents who had emigrated there from Kosovo. At the age of 11, she moved with her family to Kosovo, but at 15 she persuaded her parents to allow her to return to London alone, where she completed secondary school and began her music career. Her self-titled debut album was released in 2017 and produced seven singles, including the hits “Be the One” and “New Rules”, which reached No. 1. Her second album, “Future Nostalgia”, released in 2020, became her first UK No. 1 album and won the Brit Award for British Album of the Year and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. During her career, she has received numerous awards, including seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards.
- Foo Fighters' debut album was released in the United Kingdom; it had already been released in the United States in July of the same year.
- Twelve-year-old Georgia Lee Moses was found dead in South Petaluma, California. Tom Waits learned of her story and was inspired by it to write the song “Georgia Lee”, the thirteenth track on the album “Mule Variations”.
- Mark Wills made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry and performed his song “Jacob's Ladder”.
- Tim Weisberg sued his former collaborator Dan Fogelberg over alleged breach of contract and fraud related to the recording of the album “No Resemblance Whatsoever”.
- U2 played the first of two sold-out concerts at Wembley Stadium in London. During the encore, they performed a medley of several songs and six songs in full.
- During the second of two concerts at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, Elton John invited comedian Jim Carrey onto the stage, in the presence of Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley, for an unexpected duet of “Rocket Man”. Carrey wore one of Elton’s distinctive red Versace jackets, alternated vocals with him, and harmonized; while singing, he improvised the line “a long, long time” as “friggin' forever”. After the performance, he sat down at the piano and struck his head against the keys.
- Mark David Chapman stated that he did not want any money obtained from the sale of the signed album “Double Fantasy”, which John Lennon had signed for him on the same day Lennon was murdered. At the time, Chapman was serving his sentence for the murder of John Lennon on December 8, 1980.
- Rapper Snoop Dogg achieved his third consecutive U.S. No. 1 album with “Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told”.
- Former Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell achieved her first solo No. 1 single on the British chart with “Mi Chico Latino”, the second single from her debut solo album “Schizophonic”.
- Stevie Nicks postponed two concerts to undergo treatment for severe bronchitis.
- Jimmy Buffett's first Cheeseburger In Paradise restaurant, named after his 1978 song, opened in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- Norwegian Elvis Presley impersonator Kjell Henning Bjoernestad set a world record by singing the rock'n'roll legend's hits continuously for more than 26 hours. The previous record was held by British Elvis fan Gary Jay with a time of 25 hours, 33 minutes and 30 seconds.
- The IRS seized Peabo Bryson's personal property to pay his outstanding taxes.
- Al Dvorin died at the age of 81 in a car accident near Ivanpah, California, while returning to Las Vegas after appearing at an Elvis tribute show at Trump 29 Casino in Coachella, where he hosted the program with Elvis impersonator Paul Casey. Dvorin was the longtime announcer at Elvis concerts, introducing them for 22 years from 1955, and became famous for the distinctive phrase “Elvis has left the building”, which he used in the early 1970s to announce that Presley would not return for an encore. At the time of the accident, he was riding in a car driven by Elvis photographer Ed Bonja. He was never paid for recordings of his announcements and harbored resentment toward Elvis Presley Enterprises because of this.
- 50 Cent sued American car dealer Gary Barbera Enterprises over the alleged unauthorized use of his name and photograph in an advertisement. In the lawsuit, he described himself as an exceptionally successful artist known for his appearance, gangster image, and hard life story. He sought more than $1 million over an advertisement for the Dodge Magnum with the slogan “Just Like 50 Says”.
- Robert Moog died at the age of 71; he was a pioneer of the synthesizer and electronic music.
- Bruce Gary, American musician, producer, and drummer for The Knack, died at the age of 55 in Tarzana, California, from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He was best known as the drummer of The Knack on their multimillion-selling hit “My Sharona”. He was also a sought-after session musician and recorded or performed with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, Rod Stewart, and Jack Bruce.
- Former Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes was arrested on suspicion of racially assaulting an employee of a Thai restaurant in London’s Soho. He was released on bail pending further investigation.
- Judge Rodney Melville ruled that the lawsuit filed by the family of a woman who died in a hospital after being moved to make room for Michael Jackson could not proceed in its original form. The lawsuit alleged that 73-year-old Manuela Gomez Ruiz did not receive the necessary intensive care after suffering a heart attack on the same day Jackson was admitted with flu-like symptoms during his child-abuse trial. Jackson was dismissed from the lawsuit in April 2008, and in September 2008 the family decided to voluntarily end the entire dispute with the hospital because of the stress of the lengthy legal proceedings.
- Disgraced pop singer Gary Glitter, whose real name was Paul Francis Gadd, returned to Britain after being deported from Vietnam, where he had served two years and three months for abusing two girls aged 10 and 11. In an attempt to avoid repatriation, he flew 2,661 miles from Vietnam to Bangkok, then to Hong Kong and back to Bangkok, with each country refusing him entry. He spent three days at Asian airports and was refused entry by at least 19 countries, forcing him to return to Britain. After his return, he had to register as a sex offender and his movements in Britain were restricted so that he could not approach children.
- Soul and doo-wop singer Johnny Carter, a member of The Dells and The Flamingos, died of lung cancer at the age of 75. He was known for his distinctive falsetto and was among the few artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with two different groups.
- Johnny Horton and guitarist James Burton were inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
- The Black Eyed Peas reached No. 1 on the British singles chart with “I Gotta Feeling”. The song was a worldwide hit and reached No. 1 on a total of 28 singles charts.
- Plans were announced for an auction of a toilet from John Lennon's luxury estate, Tittenhurst Park, in Berkshire. Lennon used the floral-patterned porcelain toilet while living at the estate from 1969 to 1971. When it was replaced, he reportedly told builder John Hancock to keep it and “use it as a flower pot”. Instead, Hancock stored it in his shed for 40 years, and after his death, his family offered it for sale. It was expected to sell for $1,500. However, the August 28, 2010 auction far exceeded expectations, with the item acquired by a private overseas bidder for £9,500, approximately $14,740, nearly ten times the original estimate.
- Songwriter and producer Jerry Leiber, half of the songwriting and production team Leiber & Stoller, died at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 78 from cardiopulmonary failure. Together with Mike Stoller, he wrote and produced more than 70 hit singles, including “Hound Dog”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “King Creole”, “There Goes My Baby”, “Searchin'”, “Yakety Yak”, “Stand By Me”, “Poison Ivy” and “Kansas City”. The duo also wrote hits for The Coasters and The Drifters. Leiber & Stoller were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
- Lindsay Lohan sued Pitbull, Ne-Yo, and DJ Afrojack over the mention of her in the song “Give Me Everything (Tonight)” (“Hustlers move aside, so I'm tiptoeing, keep flowin', I got it locked up like Lindsay Lohan”). The judge ruled in Pitbull's favor, citing protection of freedom of speech and creative expression under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
- One half of the married songwriting, production, and recording duo Ashford & Simpson, Nickolas Ashford, died in New York at the age of 70 from complications related to throat cancer. With his wife Valerie Simpson, he wrote some of Motown's most significant hits, including “Ain't No Mountain High Enough”, “You're All I Need to Get By”, “Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing”, and “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)”. The duo also had hits of their own, including “Found a Cure”, which reached No. 36 on the U.S. chart in 1979, and “Solid”, which reached No. 3 on the British chart in 1985.
- Rapper LL Cool J heard an alarm at his home in Los Angeles during the night and ran downstairs to confront alleged intruder Jonathan Kirby. After a struggle in which Kirby suffered a broken nose, jaw, and rib, LL Cool J subdued the intruder, who was subsequently arrested by police.
- John Lennon's murderer, 59-year-old Mark David Chapman, was denied parole for the eighth time by New York State authorities. The parole board stated that his release would be incompatible with public safety and would diminish the seriousness of his crime to such an extent that it would undermine respect for the law.
- The soundtrack album to the musical fantasy adventure comedy film “Descendants” reached No. 1 in the United States.
- Singer and songwriter The Weeknd achieved his first U.S. No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Can't Feel My Face”.
- It was announced that pills seized at Prince's home contained the dangerously potent synthetic opioid fentanyl but were incorrectly labeled as hydrocodone, a weaker type of opioid. Investigators into his death said that the autopsy results released in June revealed that Prince had died from an accidental fentanyl overdose.
- Belgian jazz multi-instrumentalist and composer Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, professionally known as Toots Thielemans, died in Brussels at the age of 94. He became best known as a legendary harmonica player.
- American musician and songwriter Ed King died at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 68. He became known as the guitarist of the psychedelic rock group Strawberry Alarm Clock and as guitarist and bassist of the Southern rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd, where he performed from 1972–1975 and again from 1987–1996. With Strawberry Alarm Clock, he co-wrote the 1967 hit “Incense and Peppermints”, and with Lynyrd Skynyrd he co-wrote the 1974 song “Sweet Home Alabama”. In 2006, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
- Heavy metal band Slipknot reached No. 1 on the British chart with their sixth studio album “We Are Not Your Kind”. The album also reached No. 1 in the U.S., Canada, and nine other countries.
- “WAP” by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion reached No. 1 in America and became the most sexually explicit song ever to reach the top of the chart. Two weeks later, it was knocked from No. 1 by BTS’s innocuous K-pop song “Dynamite”.
- Jerry Allison, drummer of the American rock'n'roll group The Crickets and a member of Buddy Holly's backing band, died of cancer at the age of 82. Together with Buddy Holly, he co-wrote the songs “That'll Be the Day” and “Peggy Sue”, which he recorded with him. His only solo appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 was the song “Real Wild Child”, released in 1958 under the name Ivan. After Holly's death in 1959, Allison retained control of the name The Crickets and later performed and recorded with bassist Joe B. Mauldin and guitarist Sonny Curtis.
- Reports emerged that former Beatles drummer Pete Best had converted his mother's former home at 8 Haymans Green in Liverpool into a short-term Airbnb rental. The basement of the house once housed the Casbah Coffee Club, where the early Beatles played almost forty times. Best, who was dismissed by the group's manager Brian Epstein on August 16, 1962, still maintained that he was neither angry nor bitter about his dismissal and that the event no longer bothered him.
- Shelley Fabares, who reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962 with the million-selling hit “Johnny Angel”, died at the age of 82. At the height of her fame as a teen idol, she moved into film and appeared alongside Elvis Presley in three films: Girl Happy (1965), Spinout (1966), and Clambake (1967). In addition to other films, she also starred in the television series The Donna Reed Show from 1958 and in the series Coach alongside Craig T. Nelson from 1989. In 1984, she married MAS*H actor Mike Farrell, with whom she remained married for more than 41 years.