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- Composer, conductor and pianist Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He became known for his Broadway work, particularly the musical “West Side Story”, and at the age of 25 conducted the New York Philharmonic. During his career he received numerous major awards.
- American jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter was born in Newark, New Jersey. He became known for his work with Art Blakey and Miles Davis and as co-founder of jazz-fusion group Weather Report. He wrote several notable compositions, including “Prince of Darkness”, “Footprints” and “Sanctuary”. He won ten Grammy Awards and received the Polar Music Prize in 2017.
- Christopher Augustine, drummer of Every Mother's Son, was born in New York City. The group is known for the 1967 hit “Come on Down to My Boat”.
- Skinnay Ennis recorded the song “Don't Let Julia Fool Ya”.
- Walter Lee Williams, founding member of R&B group The O'Jays, was born in Canton, Ohio. The group had, among others, the US hit “Back Stabbers” and the 1973 US number-one single “Love Train”. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1983, he became a spokesperson for the condition.
- American drummer and founding member of The Box Tops Danny Smythe was born. With The Box Tops he had, among others, the hit “The Letter”, which reached number one in the US in 1967.
- Israeli-American musician Chaim Witz, known by his stage name Gene Simmons, was born in Haifa, Israel. He became famous as co-founder, bassist and singer of the rock band KISS.
- American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist William Borsey, known as Willy DeVille, was born in Stamford, Connecticut. He became known as frontman of Mink DeVille, which was associated with New York's CBGB and had the UK hit “Spanish Stroll” in 1977. His song “Storybook Love”, on which he collaborated with Mark Knopfler, became the theme song of the 1987 film “The Princess Bride”.
- James Warren, bassist, singer, guitarist and keyboardist of British group The Korgis, was born. The group had the 1980 hit “Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime”, which reached number five in the UK and number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- English singer and songwriter Robert “Rob” Halford was born in Sutton Coldfield, England. He became known as frontman and lead singer of heavy metal band Judas Priest and also performed with the projects Fight, 2wo and Halford.
- English keyboardist, songwriter and producer Geoffrey Downes was born in Stockport, Cheshire, England. He became known for his work with The Buggles, Yes and Asia.
- English singer, songwriter and producer Declan Patrick MacManus, known as Elvis Costello, was born in Paddington, London. His stage surname came from his father, who performed as Day Costello. In 1979 he had the UK hit “Oliver's Army” with The Attractions, and the album “Armed Forces” spent 28 weeks on the chart.
- Elvis worked for Crown Electric and remained there until the middle of October 1954.
- Elvis performed “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” at the Sportcenter in Austin, Texas. The concert began at 8:00 p.m. and was part of the Louisiana Hayride Tour. Other performers included Johnny Horton, Betty Amos, David Houston, Dalton & Lulu Jo, Sonny Crammer, Ray Gallman, Tillman Franks and Willie Birdbrain.
- Biologist, entomologist, sexologist and author Alfred Kinsey died at the age of 62 from heart disease and pneumonia.
- Frank Sinatra reached number one on the UK album chart with his tenth studio album “Songs for Swingin’ Lovers!”. In the US the album reached number two.
- English songwriter and producer Matt Aitken was born in Coventry, England. He was part of the Stock, Aitken and Waterman production team, one of the most successful songwriting and production teams, which created more than 100 UK Top 40 hits, including Rick Astley's “Never Gonna Give You Up”.
- The Platters spent another week at number one on the R&B chart with the classic song “My Prayer”.
- Paul Anka reached number one on the UK singles chart with “Diana”. It was his only UK chart-topper and also the first UK number-one hit by a teenage solo artist. At the time of the success he was only a few days short of his 16th birthday, and he wrote the song about his brother's babysitter.
- The Staten Island group The Elegants reached number one on the US singles chart with “Little Star”, a reworking of the melody of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”. For the next 18 months they promoted the song through television appearances and concerts, but their subsequent recordings “Please Believe Me”, “True Love Affair” and “Little Boy Blue” failed to repeat its success.
- Tommy Edwards moved from number 96 to number 40 on the US chart with “It's All In The Game”.
- Elvis Presley was photographed by Don Cravens at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel for Life magazine.
- The Shadows reached number one on the UK singles chart with their version of Jerry Lordan's “Apache”. It was the first of their five UK number-one singles.
- American country singer, songwriter and actor Billy Ray Cyrus was born in Flatwoods, Kentucky. He became famous for the hit “Achy Breaky Heart”, and his album “Some Gave All” reached number one in the US. In 2019 he appeared on the remix of Lil Nas X's “Old Town Road”. He is also the father of Miley Cyrus.
- The Beatles performed at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in the afternoon and then played on the riverboat M.V. Royal Iris on the River Mersey as the support act for Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band. It was one of four “riverboat shuffles” in which the group participated.
- Carole King's first single “It Might As Well Rain Until September” debuted on the chart.
- Elvis Presley moved up to number eight on the US singles chart with “She's Not You”.
- Producer Don Kirshner of Dimension Records gave singer Eva Boyd a chance and had her re-record Gerry Goffin and Carole King's “The Loco-Motion”. The recording reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Best Sellers and number two in the UK.
- Little Eva reached number one on the US singles chart with “The Loco-Motion”, written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, after nine weeks on the chart. She had previously worked as a nanny for King and Goffin's daughter, and the song had originally been offered to Dee Dee Sharp, who turned it down. In 1974 the same song also reached number one in a version by Grand Funk Railroad.
- Peter, Paul & Mary moved from number 90 to number 59 with “If I Had A Hammer”.
- New Jersey doo-wop group The Duprees reached the Billboard Top 40 with “You Belong to Me” and later reached number seven. During the following year and a half they had three more chart hits.
- Northern Irish guitarist Vivian Campbell was born in Lisburn. He became known as a member of Dio and Whitesnake and joined Def Leppard in 1992 as a replacement for the late Steve Clark.
- Northern Irish musician Candida Doyle was born. She became known as a member of English rock band Pulp, which had the UK hit “Common People” in 1995.
- Paul McCartney was fined £31 and lost his driving licence for one year after being caught speeding.
- Erik Dahlgren, drummer of Swedish alternative rock band The Wannadies, was born. The group had the UK hit “You And Me Song” in 1996.
- The Beatles' second feature film “Help!” went into wide theatrical release across North America following its London premiere on July 29 and New York premiere on August 11.
- American DJ Norman Lee Rogers, known by his stage name Terminator X, was born in New York City. He became known as a member of hip-hop group Public Enemy, which was formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985. In the late 1990s he joined the family business and began raising African black ostriches on a farm in North Carolina.
- During their final US tour, The Beatles played two concerts at the Coliseum in Seattle, Washington. The 3:00 p.m. afternoon concert attracted only 8,000 fans in the 15,000-capacity arena, while the evening concert was sold out.
- After a two-year hiatus caused by anxiety and stage fright, Brian Wilson returned to live performing with The Beach Boys at the Honolulu International Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.
- American musician, songwriter, author and producer Jeffrey “Jeff” Tweedy was born in Belleville, Illinois. He became known as frontman and co-founder of alternative rock band Wilco; he previously performed with Uncle Tupelo. Wilco won two Grammy Awards for the 2004 album “A Ghost Is Born”.
- The Beatles released the single “Baby You’re a Rich Man” in the US.
- The Yardbirds performed in New York at the then Village Theatre, later known as Fillmore East. Their opening act Jake Holmes performed the song “Dazed And Confused”, which Jimmy Page later released with Led Zeppelin in a very similar form under the same title.
- Blues musician Albert King performed at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening concert at 8:15 p.m. and a midnight concert at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Each was attended by approximately 2,200 people. The evening programme included “Blue Suede Shoes”, “I Got A Woman”, “All Shook Up”, “Love Me Tender”, “Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Hound Dog”, “Mystery Train/Tiger Man”, “In The Ghetto” and “Suspicious Minds”. The midnight concert had a similar programme and additionally included “I Can't Stop Loving You”, “My Babe”, “Words” and “Polk Salad Annie”, and Elvis introduced Nancy Sinatra, Mac Davis, Buddy Hackett, Thomas Jones and Shelley Fabares.
- Luke Scott of Babybird was born. The group had the UK hit “You're Gorgeous” in 1996 and the album “Ugly Beautiful” reached number nine on the UK chart.
- The Band's album “The Band” was released.
- A party was held in New York to celebrate the official opening of Electric Ladyland Studios.
- Then little-known 23-year-old Elton John performed his first live concert in the United States at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, California. He appeared alongside singer and songwriter David Ackles and began his 17-concert US tour; according to one source, Neil Diamond introduced him to the audience. Among those in attendance were Don Henley, Quincy Jones and Leon Russell. Elton John performed songs including “Border Song”, “Your Song”, “Take Me to the Pilot” and a cover of The Rolling Stones' “Honky Tonk Women”. The concert received enthusiastic reviews and significantly boosted his career in America.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening concert at 8:30 p.m. and a midnight concert at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Both had a capacity of approximately 2,200 spectators; the source does not provide the setlist.
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer performed live for the first time at The Guildhall in Plymouth, England. Keith Emerson had previously been a member of The Nice, Greg Lake had been in King Crimson and Carl Palmer was the drummer of Atomic Rooster. Four days later they played to a much larger audience at the Isle of Wight Festival.
- A celebration of the official opening of Electric Ladyland Studios was held in New York. Jimi Hendrix had opened the studio. He died a few months later, but the studio continued operating and was later used for recordings by John Lennon, AC/DC, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Frank Zappa and Guns N’ Roses, among others.
- Country singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jo Dee Marie Messina was born in Framingham, Massachusetts. At 19 she moved to Nashville, and in 1996 she scored her first hit with “Heads Carolina, Tails California”. In 2022 the song gained a new life when Cole Swindell referenced it in his song “She Had Me At Heads Carolina”.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening concert at 8:30 p.m. and a midnight concert at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, both for approximately 2,200 spectators. The evening programme included “That's All Right”, “Proud Mary”, “Love Me Tender”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “Suspicious Minds” and “I'm Leavin'”. The midnight programme was similar and a recording of “That's All Right” exists from it.
- During their North American tour, Led Zeppelin performed at the Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston, Texas.
- The Who released their fifth studio album “Who's Next” in the UK, one of the most significant albums in rock history.
- Deep Purple performed at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening concert at 8:30 p.m. and a midnight concert at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, both for approximately 2,200 spectators. The evening setlist included “See See Rider”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “Proud Mary”, “You Gave Me A Mountain”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “Suspicious Minds”, “My Way” and “An American Trilogy”. The midnight programme included “C.C. Rider”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “Fever”, “Little Sister/Get Back”, “For The Good Times”, “Mystery Train/Tiger Man” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”.
- Bobby Darin performed his final concert at the Las Vegas Hilton. He died on December 20, 1973, at the age of 37 after his second open-heart surgery.
- Butch Trucks, drummer of The Allman Brothers Band, was involved in a car accident near Macon, Georgia, and broke his leg. The accident occurred near the site where Duane Allman had died in an accident two years earlier.
- Donny Osmond began a four-week run at number one on the UK singles chart with his version of “Young Love”. It was his third and final UK chart-topper; the same song had also been a hit for Tab Hunter in 1957.
- Earth, Wind & Fire performed at Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening and a midnight concert at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas for approximately 2,200 spectators. The midnight programme included “See See Rider”, “I Got A Woman/Amen”, “Steamroller Blues”, “Suspicious Minds”, “An American Trilogy”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. Elvis also introduced Dee and Vernon Presley.
- Stories, led by former Left Banke keyboardist Michael Brown, reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Best Sellers with their version of Hot Chocolate's “Brother Louie”, beginning a two-week run at the top and overtaking Wings' “Live And Let Die”. The prominent lead vocal was sung by Ian Lloyd, who later worked with Billy Joel, Foreigner and Peter Frampton.
- Todd Rundgren staged a free concert at Wollman Rink in Central Park, where he recorded “Sons Of 1984” for the forthcoming album “Todd”. The audience was given lyrics so they could join in the chorus.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening and a midnight concert at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas for approximately 2,200 spectators. The evening programme included “See See Rider”, “I Got A Woman/Amen”, “Big Boss Man”, “Fever”, “The Wonder Of You”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “If You Talk In Your Sleep” and “Why Me Lord”. The midnight programme was similar and also included “Bridge Over Troubled Water”.
- Bruce Springsteen released his third studio album “Born to Run” on Columbia Records, marking a major breakthrough in his career. The album reached number three on the US Billboard chart and eventually sold seven million copies in the US. The title track reached number 23 on the US chart and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” reached number 83.
- Bruce Springsteen performed a legendary five-night series of concerts at New York's The Bottom Line, which preceded his breakthrough with the album “Born to Run”.
- Bruce Springsteen released the single “Born to Run”.
- Elton John performed the first of three nights at The Troubadour in Los Angeles. The concerts were intended to raise $150,000 for the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA.
- Boston released their self-titled debut album on Epic Records. Much of the album was recorded in Tom Scholz's basement studio, and it became the fastest-selling debut album in history and one of the best-selling debut albums of all time. It included the singles “More Than a Feeling” (#5 USA, #22 UK), “Foreplay / Long Time” (#22 USA) and “Peace of Mind” (#38 USA), and has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.
- Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello premiered their four-week summer variety series “Easy Does It” on CBS. The programme drew on nostalgia for their iconic Beach Party film era of the 1960s and featured notable guests each week, including Andy Griffith, Liz Torres, Phyllis Diller and Anson Williams from Happy Days.
- California Governor Jerry Brown appointed singer and longtime environmental activist Helen Reddy to the state Parks Commission.
- Cliff Richard scored his tenth chart-topping hit 20 years after his first UK number one, with “We Don’t Talk Anymore”, his first number one in eleven years. The song became the best-selling recording of his career and sold more than four million copies worldwide.
- American bandleader, pianist, composer and arranger Stanley “Stan” Kenton died in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 67, several days after suffering a stroke. He was known for hits with June Christy and a popular version of “Laura”, named after the 1944 film noir of the same name.
- “My Sharona” by The Knack reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and began a six-week run at the top. Billboard later named it the number-one single of 1979. The song also reached number one in Australia and Canada and number six in the UK. Singer Doug Fieger said he wrote the lyrics in about 15 minutes and was inspired by 17-year-old Sharrona Alperin, who later became his girlfriend.
- David Bowie released the single “Ashes to Ashes”.
- Alice Cooper's album “Zipper Catches Skin” was released.
- Bruce Springsteen's album “Born in the U.S.A.” moved to a different position after ten weeks on the chart compared with the previous week.
- Huey Lewis and the News' album “Sports” returned to number two on the album chart after 47 weeks since its release.
- Puerto Rican boy band Menudo released their sixteenth studio album “Evolucion”. The album marked the first appearance of their new 12-year-old singer Ricky Martin.
- The Cars' album “Heartbeat City” was at number five on the album chart.
- The Pointer Sisters reached the Top 10 of the album chart with “Break Out”.
- Tina Turner made a significant move up the album chart with “Private Dancer”.
- R&B singer and songwriter Diana “Wynter” Gordon was born in New York City. In 2011 she had the worldwide hit “Dirty Talk” and worked as a songwriter or backing vocalist on songs by other artists.
- Paul Simon released his seventh solo studio album “Graceland”, which became his most successful album and his highest-charting album in more than a decade. It reached number three in the US and number one in the UK, and sold more than 16 million copies worldwide. In 1987 it won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, and in 2006 it was added to the US National Recording Registry.
- Paul Simon released the single “Graceland” with backing vocals by The Everly Brothers. The song was the title track of the album of the same name, which had been released two weeks earlier.
- Tina Turner's album “Break Every Rule” was released.
- Scottish singer, songwriter and guitarist Amy Macdonald was born in Bishopbriggs. Her debut album “This Is the Life” reached number one in the UK in 2008, and the title track was a number-one hit in six countries.
- Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil injured his hand before a concert in Rochester, New York, after angrily smashing a glass of Gulden's mustard because he wanted Frenchie's. The concert was cancelled and Neil was flown to Baltimore, where surgeons repaired damaged nerves and tendons in his hand.
- English singer, songwriter and actress Alexandra Burke was born. In 2008 she won the British talent competition The X Factor. Her winning single “Hallelujah” became the fastest-selling single in Europe within 24 hours and was the UK's best-selling single of 2008 as well as the Christmas number one.
- Guns N' Roses shortened the extensive Use Your Illusion project and split it into two albums.
- Metallica released their fourth studio album “...And Justice for All”, which included “One” and “To Live Is To Die” and represented their final project before a significant change in their early musical style.
- John Mellencamp became a grandfather at the age of 37 when his daughter Michelle gave birth to Elexis Suzanne Peach. The event attracted national media attention also because Mellencamp's second wife Victoria Granucci filed for divorce four days later.
- Chicago Mayor Richard Michael Daley proclaimed this day “Pops Staples Day” in honor of the musician and leader of The Staple Singers.
- “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” by Bombalurina reached number one on the UK singles chart. Bombalurina was a project by children's television presenter Timmy Mallett and was a new version of Brian Hyland's 1960 hit.
- “Come Back To Me” by Janet Jackson was a new song at number one on the Adult Contemporary chart.
- Alice in Chains' album “Dirt” was released.
- Eric Clapton released “Unplugged”, recorded for the MTV Unplugged television series in January of the same year. The album included “Tears in Heaven” and an acoustic version of “Layla”, helped revive his career and became his best-selling album. It reached number one in the US and number two in the UK and sold 26 million copies worldwide.
- Mary J. Blige released “Real Love”, her first hit to reach the Top 10 of the Hot 100.
- Snoop Doggy Dogg drove his passenger McKinley Lee in a Jeep Cherokee to Woodbine Park in Los Angeles, where Lee shot and killed a member of a rival gang. Both were charged with murder and Snoop Doggy Dogg was released on $1 million bail. In 1996 both were found not guilty.
- A New York judge officially ended Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley's nine-year marriage. Despite the separation, they remained lifelong friends, and Joel continued to perform the song “Uptown Girl” in concert, which Brinkley had inspired.
- Jimmy Buffett crashed his Grumman G-44 Widgeon seaplane while taking off from Madaket Harbor on Nantucket, Massachusetts. The aircraft struck a large ocean wave, overturned and sank. Buffett escaped from the wreck and two local fishermen pulled him from the water and took him to hospital. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
- Jimmy Page and Robert Plant filmed the concert film No Quarter, documenting their reunion.
- Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin reunited in London studios to record a performance for MTV Unplugged, later released as the television special “Unledded” and the album “No Quarter”. John Paul Jones was excluded from the project and, according to sources, learned about the reunion from the media.
- Take That began a 36-date sold-out UK tour with three concerts at SEC Glasgow; during the tour they played nine sold-out nights at London's Wembley Arena.
- Dutch rock'n'roll singer Arnie Treffers of Long Tall Ernie & the Shakers died in Westeremden, Netherlands, at the age of 48 from lung cancer. In 1977 he had the international hit “Do You Remember”.
- American musician Douglas “Doug” Stegmeyer died by suicide at the age of 43. The New York bassist and singer worked during his career with, among others, Billy Joel, Hall & Oates and The Carpenters.
- At this year's British Reading Festival, performers included Smashing Pumpkins, Björk, Neil Young, Green Day, Hole, Paul Weller, Soundgarden, Beck, Foo Fighters, Ash, Deus and Gene.
- Tony Nicole of TNT Records filed a lawsuit against Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS over alleged intentional interference with drummer Peter Criss's contract with the record company. The lawsuit claimed that Simmons and Stanley persuaded Criss to breach his contract and rejoin the original lineup. The case was settled out of court shortly after it was filed under undisclosed terms.
- A man who escaped from a psychiatric facility near Helsinki, Finland, was arrested after planning to set fire to the stage where Michael Jackson was due to perform. He had already placed petrol on the stage but was arrested before he could ignite it.
- Oasis released the single “Stand by Me”.
- Lauryn Hill released her debut solo studio album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”. The album sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, reached number one in Canada, Ireland and the US and number two in the UK. It became the first hip-hop album to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
- Lionel Richie performed under the stars in front of the pyramids at Giza in Egypt as part of a series of concerts by major musicians intended to support tourism in the country. Approximately 3,000 people attended the exclusive outdoor concert, including Egyptian diplomats, celebrities and foreign visitors.
- Oasis bassist Paul McGuigan announced his departure from the band several days after guitarist Bonehead had left.
- Robert Fisher of the new wave duo Naked Eyes and the group Climie Fisher died of cancer at the age of 39. With Climie Fisher he had the 1988 UK hit “Love Changes Everything” and wrote songs for Rod Stewart, Milli Vanilli, Fleetwood Mac and Jermaine Jackson.
- Oscar-winning composer, arranger, producer and musician Jack Nitzsche died at the age of 63 at Queen of Angels Hospital in Hollywood from cardiac arrest caused by a recurring bronchial infection. He was known for his work with Phil Spector, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Buffalo Springfield and The Walker Brothers; with The Rolling Stones he also worked as an arranger and keyboardist. He contributed music to the films “The Exorcist” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and co-wrote the Oscar-winning song “Up Where We Belong” with Buffy Sainte-Marie and Will Jennings for the 1982 film “An Officer and a Gentleman”.
- At the Carling Weekend Reading and Leeds festival in England, performers included Oasis, Primal Scream, Foo Fighters, The Bluetones, Muse, Eminem, Beck, Stereophonics, Blink 182, Slipknot, Placebo, Pulp, Rage Against The Machine, Gomez, Limp Bizkit, Embrace and The Wannadies.
- Aaliyah Haughton, a 22-year-old American R&B singer and actress, died along with eight other people in a plane crash in the Bahamas shortly after takeoff. She had been filming the music video for “Rock the Boat” there. Her third studio album “Aaliyah” continued to be successful after her death and has sold more than 13 million copies worldwide.
- David Gray reached number one on the UK album chart with “White Ladder”.
- British boy band Five scored their third and final UK number-one single with “Let's Dance”.
- Blazin’ Squad reached number one on the UK singles chart with “Crossroads”.
- Eva Cassidy reached number one on the UK album chart with “Imagine”, her second UK number-one album.
- Former Guns N' Roses members Slash and Duff McKagan sued singer Axl Rose over claims that he had taken exclusive control of the band's copyrights. They claimed that Rose was no longer willing to recognize the contributions of his former bandmates.
- Deana Martin, daughter of Dean Martin, released her first album “Memories Are Made of This”. The collection included her versions of hits by her father as well as songs by Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.
- Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco and The Subways performed on the first day of the three-day Reading Festival in Leeds and Reading, England.
- While singing his 1968 hit “Fire” on stage in Lewes, England, Arthur Brown caught fire after the characteristic foil cap he was wearing, with a small fire in the middle, ignited.
- The compilation album “Elvis the King”, containing eighteen of Elvis Presley's greatest singles, reached number one on the UK chart.
- Kanye West reached number one on the UK singles chart with the Grammy-winning song “Stronger”.
- The Veronicas' fashion collection for the Target retail chain was launched in Australia.
- During his weekly radio programme on 6 Music, Bob Dylan revealed that he was in talks with several car companies about possibly becoming the voice of their satellite navigation systems.
- Edward “Ted” Kennedy died; although he was best known as an American senator, he supported music and the arts through legislation.
- Chris Brown was sentenced to five years' probation and six months of community service for assaulting Rihanna in February 2009 on the night before the Grammy Awards. He was also ordered to stay away from her for five years and complete a one-year domestic violence programme.
- Christian rock band Skillet released their seventh studio album “Awake”. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, tying Underoath's “Define The Great Line” and Casting Crowns' “The Altar and the Door” as the highest-charting Christian rock albums. It included the hits “Hero” and “Monster” as well as “Awake and Alive”, the band's first song to reach the Billboard Hot 100.
- An unpublished series of photographs of The Beatles by Astrid Kirchherr was exhibited at the Victoria Gallery and Museum in Liverpool, documenting their early years, their stay in Tenerife and the filming of “A Hard Day’s Night” in Liverpool in 1964.
- Emeli Sandé reached number one on the UK album chart with her debut studio album “Our Version of Events”.
- Flo Rida ended Carly Rae Jepsen's nine-week reign at number one on the US singles chart with “Whistle”. The song became an international hit and reached number one in more than twenty countries.
- American lyricist Hal David, longtime collaborator of Burt Bacharach, died at the age of 91.
- Rita Ora reached number one on the UK singles chart with her debut solo single “How We Do (Party)”. The song also reached number one in Ireland and on the Euro Digital Songs chart.
- Miley Cyrus released “Wrecking Ball”, which became her first number-one song following the release of its controversial video. Nine weeks later the song returned to the top.
- N Sync reunited for a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, where Justin Timberlake received the Video Vanguard Award. It was their first joint performance since 2004.
- BBC Radio 2 listeners voted Led Zeppelin's “Whole Lotta Love” the greatest guitar riff of all time. It beat, among others, “Sweet Child O' Mine” by Guns N' Roses, “Back In Black” by AC/DC, “Smoke On The Water” by Deep Purple and “Layla” by Derek and the Dominos.
- Taylor Swift released the single “Shake It Off”, which launched its dominance of the global charts.
- Iron Maiden announced that they would use a huge Boeing 747-400 Jumbo Jet named “Ed Force One” for the 2016 The Book of Souls World Tour, carrying the band, their crew and more than 12 tons of stage equipment. Singer Bruce Dickinson was preparing to pilot it. The aircraft subsequently transported the band and equipment more than 55,000 miles across six continents and 35 countries.
- Bruce Springsteen set his personal record for the length of a concert in the US by playing for four hours. He surpassed his previous performance of 3 hours and 52 minutes, which he had played two nights earlier with The E Street Band.
- Trumpeter Herb Alpert donated $10.1 million to Los Angeles City College, enabling the school to provide students in music programmes with free tuition and individual lessons for several years.
- Kanye West began his Saint Pablo Tour with a concert in Indianapolis. During the performance West sang on a floating stage suspended about 15 feet above the audience.
- Queens of the Stone Age's album “Villains” was released.
- Ariana Grande scored her third US number-one album when “Sweetener” debuted at the top of the Billboard 200.
- Neil Young and American actress and environmental activist Daryl Hannah married in a secret ceremony in Atascadero, California. It was Young's third marriage and Hannah's first.
- During the Reputation Tour, Taylor Swift headlined at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, where Tim McGraw and Faith Hill joined her on stage for a performance of her landmark country hit “Tim McGraw”.
- American blues singer Mable John died at the age of 91. She was the first female singer signed by Berry Gordy to Motown's Tamla label. In 1960 she released her first single, “Who Wouldn't Love a Man Like That?”. After leaving Motown she spent several years as a Raelette, backing Ray Charles.
- Amy Winehouse's 2007 performance on Radio 1 Live Lounge, in which she sang a cover of “Valerie” by The Zutons, was voted the best performance on the programme during its first 25 years. Arctic Monkeys came second and third.
- Dolly Parton died at the age of 80 after a short battle with cancer. Rising from poverty through her talent, she became an iconic songwriter, singer and entertainer and used her wealth to support various projects, including Imagination Library, which promotes children's literacy by distributing books.