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- Composer Hernando de Cabezon was born.
- Oscar Hammerstein announced plans to build five opera houses in New York.
- Jazz composer and pianist Graeme Bell was born in Richmond, Victoria, Australia.
- Guitarist Al Caiola, who frequently worked as a session musician in the 1950s, was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.
- American blues singer and guitarist James Milton Campbell, known as Little Milton, was born in Inverness, Mississippi. He became known for songs including “We're Gonna Make It” and “Baby, I Love You”. He began recording with Sun Records in 1953. He died on August 4, 2005, from complications following a stroke.
- American country and pop singer-songwriter Ronald “Ronnie” Dove was born on September 7, 1935, in Herndon, Virginia. He became known, among other things, for his popular cover of Wanda Jackson's “Right or Wrong”. In 1965, he had the US hit “One Kiss For Old Times' Sake” at No. 14.
- Charles Hardin Holley, known as Buddy Holly, was born in Lubbock, Texas. His name was misspelled on his first recording contract, and he decided to keep the spelling. Holly, singer and songwriter with The Crickets, was one of the pioneers of rock'n'roll and had a major influence on The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and other stars of the 1960s. The Crickets had the US No. 1 hit “That'll Be The Day” in 1957, while Holly had the UK No. 1 single “It Doesn't Matter Anymore” in 1959 and more than 15 other UK Top 40 hits. He died at the age of 22 in a plane crash on February 3, 1959, alongside The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. Don McLean's song “American Pie” is about his death.
- American R&B and soul musician and producer Joe Simon was born in Simmesport, Louisiana. In 1975, he had the US hit “Get Down, Get Down On The Floor” at No. 8, and between 1964 and 1981 he had 51 hits on the US pop and R&B charts. He was also known for the hits “Power of Love” and “The Chokin’ Kind”. Some of his songs were later sampled by other artists, including OutKast and Lil' Kim. He died on December 13, 2021.
- Artie Shaw and his orchestra recorded the song “Temptation”.
- American singer Gloria Gaynor, born Gloria Fowles, was born on September 7, 1943, in Newark, New Jersey. She is best known for disco hits including “I Will Survive”, “I Am What I Am” and “Let Me Know (I Have a Right)”.
- American disco and soul singer Alfa Anderson, known as one of the lead singers of Chic, was born in Augusta, Georgia. Chic had the US No. 1 hit “Le Freak” in 1978 and the hit “Good Times” in 1979. Anderson recorded backing vocals for Roy Buchanan, Dionne Warwick, Odyssey and other artists, and her voice also appeared on the soundtrack to The Wiz. She died on December 17, 2024, at the age of 78.
- American musician and drummer Dennis Thompson of the hard rock group MC5 (Motor City 5) was born in Detroit, Michigan. The group was formed in 1964 and became known for its energetic live performances, one of which was captured on the 1969 debut album Kick Out the Jams. Thompson was nicknamed “Machine Gun” because of his fast and hard-hitting playing style. After suffering a heart attack in April 2024, he died on May 9, 2024, at the age of 75.
- American-British musician Chrissie Hynde, best known as a founding member, singer and frontwoman of The Pretenders, was born in Akron, Ohio. The Pretenders had the UK No. 1 single “Brass In Pocket” in 1980, and Hynde also released solo recordings.
- American musician and singer Benjamin “Benmont” Tench, keyboardist and founding member of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, was born in Gainesville, Florida. In 1995, he played organ on six tracks from Alanis Morissette's album Jagged Little Pill, including “You Oughta Know”, for which he was rewarded with dinner. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers had, among others, the 1977 single “American Girl”, the 1989 UK hit “I Won't Back Down” and the 1991 album Into The Great Wide Open. Tench also worked with Bob Dylan, U2, Roy Orbison and Stevie Nicks.
- Elvis Presley worked for Crown Electric, where he remained until mid-October 1954.
- Elvis Presley performed at the National Guard Armory in Sikeston, Missouri; the concert began at 8:00 p.m. and was part of a five-day tour.
- American songwriter, musician and producer Diane Warren was born in Van Nuys, California. She has written more than 80 US Top 20 hits and is known, among other songs, as the writer of “I Don't Want To Miss A Thing” for Aerosmith, “How Do I Live” for LeAnn Rimes, “Un-Break My Heart” for Toni Braxton, “If I Could Turn Back Time” for Cher and “Because You Loved Me” for Céline Dion. She is also the writer of nine songs that reached No. 1 on the charts.
- Elvis Presley appeared on the cover of TV Guide for the first time.
- Elvis Presley was at No. 1 on the UK chart with his first soundtrack album, Loving You. The album also reached No. 1 in the US, where it remained at the top for 10 weeks.
- Elvis Presley recorded at Radio Recorders in Hollywood from noon until 8:00 p.m. During the recording session, he recorded “Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem”, “Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)”, “Santa Claus Is Back In Town” and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”. On the same day, he also planned to record instrumental tracks with Scotty Moore, Bill Black and D. J. Fontana and suggested joining them as the pianist, but there was ultimately no time for those recordings.
- Singer Jermaine Stewart was born. He also performed with Shalamar and The Temptations and worked with Boy George. In 1986, he had the UK hit “We Don't Have To...Take Our Clothes Off” at No. 2. He died of cancer on March 17, 1997.
- Margot Chapman of Starland Vocal Band was born. The group had the US No. 1 hit “Afternoon Delight” in 1976, which reached No. 18 in the UK and was one of the best-selling singles of 1976.
- Sam Cooke released his debut single “You Send Me” on Keen Records. The song became his biggest hit, reaching No. 1 on both the Billboard R&B and Pop charts and selling 2.5 million copies. Over the following eight years, he placed another 28 songs on the Hot 100, three of which charted only after his death on December 11, 1964.
- Elvis Presley completed his military service at Fort Hood in Texas, where he spent six months training with tanks as part of the 2nd Armored Division.
- Forty-year-old Georgia Gibbs performed “The Hula-Hoop Song” on The Ed Sullivan Show, helping fuel the hula-hoop craze that swept North America. The recording reached No. 32 on the Billboard Pop chart and was her final Top 40 entry. It followed a successful run of 1950s hits including “Kiss of Fire” (No. 1 in 1952), “Tweedle Dee” (No. 2 in 1955) and “Dance With Me Henry” (No. 1 in 1955).
- Craig Douglas reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart with his own version of Sam Cooke's hit “Only Sixteen”. Born Terence Perkins, he worked as a milkman before becoming a professional singer, earning him the nickname “Singing Milkman”.
- Frankie Avalon, The Coasters, Lou Rawls, Bobby Rydell and Annette Funicello performed on the final night of their four-day engagement at the Michigan State Fair as part of a tour organized by Dick Clark.
- Lloyd Price returned to No. 1 on the rhythm & blues chart with “I’m Gonna’ Get Married”.
- Paul Anka moved up the chart from No. 67 to No. 41 with “Put Your Head On My Shoulder”.
- American bassist, baritone saxophonist and bass clarinet player Bradley “Brad” Houser was born. He became known as a co-founder of Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians and Critters Buggin. Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians had the UK hit “What I Am” at No. 31 in 1989. Houser was born in Dallas, Texas, and died on July 24, 2023, at the age of 62, from a stroke.
- Elvis Presley was associated with the film Flaming Star.
- Saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band LeRoi Moore was born in Durham, North Carolina. He co-wrote a number of the band's songs, including “Too Much” and “Stay (Wasting Time)”. After being injured in an accident at his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2008, he was hospitalized again because of complications and died on August 19, 2008.
- During the filming of It Happened at the World’s Fair, Elvis Presley met 18-year-old Sue Wouters, whom he later invited to his hotel suite.
- Elvis Presley filmed It Happened at the World’s Fair in Seattle; production ran from September 4 to 13.
- Bobby Vinton reached No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart with “Blue Velvet”.
- Little Stevie Wonder spent his sixth week at No. 1 on the rhythm & blues chart with “Fingertips Pt. 2”.
- The Angels remained at No. 1 on the US chart with “My Boyfriend’s Back”.
- The Beatles recorded a performance for the BBC radio program “Saturday Club” at the Playhouse Theatre in London. They performed “I Saw Her Standing There”, “Memphis”, “Happy Birthday Saturday Club” (an arrangement credited to John Lennon), “I’ll Get You”, “She Loves You” and “Lucille”.
- American rapper Eazy-E, born Eric Wright, was born on September 7, 1964, in Compton, California. As a member of N.W\.A. and founder of Ruthless Records, he helped establish West Coast rap and gangsta rap. He is often referred to as the “godfather of gangsta rap”. He died on March 26, 1995, from AIDS-related complications.
- The Beatles played two concerts at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, the first at 6:30 p.m. and the second at 10:00 p.m. More than 35,000 fans paid an average of $5 for tickets. During an afternoon press conference, a reporter asked John Lennon how long he thought The Beatles would last, and Lennon replied, “Longer than you.” Clarence “Frogman” Henry and Jackie DeShannon also performed at the concerts.
- The Rolling Stones completed the recording of “Get Off of My Cloud”. The song was released two weeks later and reached No. 1 in the charts in Canada, Germany, South Africa, the US and the UK.
- English drummer and songwriter Christopher “Chris” Acland was born in Lancaster. He became known as a member of the British alternative rock band Lush, who had the UK hit “Single Girl” at No. 21 in 1996. Acland died by suicide by hanging on September 7, 1996.
- Filming began on The Fastest Guitar Alive, a comedy set during the American Civil War featuring Roy Orbison and Sam the Sham.
- Creedence Clearwater Revival first appeared on the chart with their debut single “Suzie Q”.
- Iron Butterfly's album In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida entered the Billboard chart; it later reached No. 10 and became a multi-platinum title, selling more than 25 million copies.
- Jerry Butler recorded the song “Only The Strong Survive” at Sigma Sound Studios in Los Angeles.
- Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham performed live together for the first time on September 7, 1968, at the Gladsaxe Teen Club on the outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark, as The New Yardbirds. Approximately 1,200 young people attended the concert at Egegård School. Club chairman Lars Abel introduced The New Yardbirds on stage and accidentally introduced Robert Plant as Robert Plata. The local review described their performance as absolutely flawless. The group was still fulfilling commitments from the previous tour and adopted the name Led Zeppelin permanently several weeks later. The original Yardbirds did not break up until after this concert had been arranged, so the group was also billed as The Yardbirds for the performance.
- Pink Floyd performed at the Le Blboquet club in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris, where they played “Let There Be More Light” live as part of the four-hour television special “Surprise Partie”. The program, which also featured The Who, Joe Cocker, The Troggs, Fleetwood Mac, Small Faces, PP Arnold, The Equals and others, was broadcast in color by ORTF2 on December 31.
- Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 reached No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart with their cover of The Beatles' song “The Fool On The Hill”.
- The Beach Boys performed at Patio Gardens in Farmington, Utah.
- The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown album and the single “Fire”, with “Rest Cure” as the B-side, were released in the US. The single reached No. 2 on both the Billboard and Cash Box charts. Pete Townshend is credited as a co-producer on both recordings and played rhythm guitar on the B-side.
- The Doors played the first of two nights at The Roundhouse in London during their first visit to the UK. They played twice each night, and the sold-out concerts were filmed by Granada TV. The footage was later broadcast under the title “The Doors Are Open”. Members of The Rolling Stones and Traffic were among those in attendance.
- The Doors reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with their third studio album Waiting for the Sun. The album contained their first No. 1 single, “Hello, I Love You”, which contributed significantly to its success. The group decided to include the song on the album after abandoning plans to devote the entire first side to Morrison's poetic work “Celebration of the Lizard”.
- Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham performed publicly together for the first time as The New Yardbirds at the Teen Club in Gladsaxe near Copenhagen. Approximately 1,200 young people attended the concert. The New Yardbirds were the forerunners of Led Zeppelin and changed their name to Led Zeppelin approximately six weeks later.
- American magazine Eye published the lyrics to three Pete Townshend songs: “Party Piece from Rael”, a song from the unfinished rock opera that led to “Rael” from The Who Sell Out; “Joker James”, later recorded for the Quadrophenia soundtrack; and “Join My Gang”.
- King Crimson performed at the Victoria Ballroom in Chesterfield, England.
- The half-hour Saturday morning animated series “The Beatles” aired its final episode. The series premiered on September 25, 1965.
- Elvis Presley performed at the International Hotel in Las Vegas at 8:15 p.m. and again at midnight; approximately 2,200 people attended the two shows.
- The International Hotel presented Elvis Presley with a wide gold belt inscribed “World’s Championship / Attendance Record / Las Vegas Nevada / International Hotel”, reportedly worth around $10,000.
- Chad Sexton, drummer and percussionist with 311, was born in Lexington, Kentucky.
- Simon & Garfunkel released the song “El Condor Pasa” from the album Bridge Over Troubled Water.
- David Bowie began recording material at London's Trident Studios that would later become the concept album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. The character of Ziggy was initially inspired by British rock'n'roll singer Vince Taylor.
- Iggy Pop first met David Bowie at Max's Kansas City, a club and restaurant in New York City. They quickly became friends, and the following day Pop signed a recording contract with manager Tony DeFries's MainMan company on Bowie's recommendation.
- Led Zeppelin performed at Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Their setlist included “Immigrant Song”, “Heartbreaker”, “Since I’ve Been Loving You”, “Black Dog”, “Dazed and Confused”, “Stairway to Heaven”, “Celebration Day”, “That’s the Way”, “Going To California”, “What Is and What Should Never Be”, “Moby Dick”, “Whole Lotta Love” (medley), “Communication Breakdown”, “Organ solo / Thank You” and “Rock and Roll”.
- Curtis Mayfield's album Super Fly received a gold RIAA certification after reaching the top of the Billboard album chart. It was driven by two million-selling hits, “Freddie's Dead”, which reached No. 4, and the title track “Super Fly”, which reached No. 8. The album is one of the few soundtracks to earn more money than the film for which it was made.
- David Bowie performed at The Top Rank in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England.
- Slade interrupted their current US tour due to a contractual obligation and flew from San Francisco back to London to headline at the newly opened Sundown Theatre on Mile End Road in East London. Their current hit “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” reached No. 1 on the UK chart two days later.
- Elton John performed at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles; actress Linda Lovelace introduced him.
- The Grateful Dead performed at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.
- The Rolling Stones began their nine-date UK tour at Empire Pool in London. Tickets cost £2.20.
- Aerosmith performed at the Wollman Skating Rink Theater in New York City.
- Barry White reached No. 1 on the rhythm & blues chart with “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe”.
- Elton John reached No. 1 on the US chart with “Bennie and the Jets”.
- Elton John received a gold record for the single “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”, which spent four weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100.
- Paul Anka spent his third week at No. 1 on the US singles chart with “(You're) Having My Baby”, before Eric Clapton was expected to replace him with “I Shot The Sheriff”.
- Rufus scored their biggest career hit with “Tell Me Something Good”, which reached No. 3.
- The 101ers made their first public appearance at the Telegraph pub in Brixton. The pub rock group featured singer and guitarist Joe Strummer, who later became a member of The Clash.
- Steve Anderson set a record for guitar playing. At the age of 22, he played for 114 hours and 7 minutes, beating the previous record by more than four hours.
- The Guess Who played their final concert at the Montreal Forum. In 1987, they temporarily reunited for The Guess Who Juno Special. Later, a dispute arose among the original members because Jim Kale and Garry Peterson continued using the band's name with new musicians. In 2023, Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman regained the right to use the name The Guess Who, and in 2026 they began touring again.
- The first Buddy Holly Week was held in the UK, organized by his fans in London. Holly had visited the UK only once, during a tour in March 1958.
- The Memphis Press Scimitar published an article headlined “Fat and Forty” about Elvis Presley, which enraged him.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Convention Center in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, before approximately 7,500 people. The concert began at 8:30 p.m., and Elvis wore the blue Bicentennial suit.
- Paul McCartney launched “Buddy Holly Week” in the UK to mark the 40th anniversary of Buddy Holly's birth.
- Dutch house DJ and producer Fedde Le Grand was born. In 2006, his single “Put Your Hands Up For Detroit” reached No. 1 in the UK.
- Rush performed at Winnipeg Arena in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
- The Who drummer Keith Moon died in London on September 7, 1978, at the age of 32. He was born on August 23, 1946, at Central Middlesex Hospital in London. He died after overdosing on Heminevrin, a sedative prescribed to treat alcohol-related problems. Moon died in apartment No. 12 at 9 Curzon Place in London's Mayfair, which belonged to singer Harry Nilsson. Exactly four years earlier, Cass Elliot of The Mamas & The Papas had died in the same bedroom. The post-mortem found 32 tablets in his body, 26 of which remained undissolved. The previous evening, Moon had attended a party hosted by Paul McCartney to mark the release of The Buddy Holly Story. Moon played on all of The Who's albums from their 1965 debut My Generation through Who Are You in 1978, which was released two weeks before his death. After his death, he was replaced in The Who by Kenney Jones of Faces.
- Yes performed at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
- Blue Oyster Cult performed at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Cliff Richard released his 22nd studio album “Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile”, which included the internationally successful hit “We Don't Talk Anymore” (No. 7 in the US, No. 1 in the UK), as well as “Hot Shot” (No. 46 in the UK) and “Carrie” (No. 4 in the UK).
- Gary Numan released the album “The Pleasure Principle” in the UK.
- Black Sabbath performed at Jai Alai Fronton Hall in Miami, Florida.
- Madonna released her first single, “Holiday”.
- INXS played the first of two concerts in Guam after a three-month tour of the United States. After the Guam shows, they continued to Japan.
- Eighteen-year-old Janet Jackson secretly married 21-year-old James DeBarge of the group DeBarge. Most of her family, including her parents, were on the Victory tour with The Jacksons at the time. The marriage ended eight months later. Janet Jackson subsequently enjoyed a highly successful career, placing 39 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1986 and 2008.
- Queensrÿche released their first full-length studio album The Warning.
- Stevie Wonder achieved his first UK No. 1 single with “I Just Called To Say I Love You”, which remained at the top for six weeks.
- For the first time in the rock era, the first three songs on the Hot 100 had all been written for films: No. 1 was “St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)” by John Parr, No. 2 was “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis & the News from “Back to the Future”, and No. 3 was “We Don't Need Another Hero” by Tina Turner from “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome”.
- David Bowie and Mick Jagger reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart with their version of “Dancing In The Street” by Martha Reeves and The Vandellas from 1964. The song was recorded as part of the Live Aid charity campaign. It also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain, spending four weeks at No. 1 in the UK. Bowie and Jagger had originally planned to perform together live, with Bowie at Wembley Stadium and Jagger at JFK Stadium, but the satellite transmission would have caused a half-second delay, making the joint performance impossible.
- John Parr reached No. 1 on the US singles chart with “St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)” and remained at the top for two weeks. The song was written by David Foster and John Parr for the 1985 film of the same name and reached No. 6 in the UK. The story behind the song was inspired by Rick Hansen, who traveled around the world in a wheelchair during his “Man in Motion” journey, raising money for spinal cord injury research. Parr received a Grammy nomination for the song.
- Ringo Starr became the first member of The Beatles to become a grandfather when his son Zak and his wife Sarah had a daughter, Tatia Jayne.
- Spectacular Blue Smith, singer, entrepreneur, television personality, author and philanthropist from the American R&B/hip-hop group Pretty Ricky, was born. The group had the US No. 1 album “Late Night Special” in 2007. Smith is the creator of the Grumpy Cat brand, which went viral on social media and, according to the source, earned him $100 million.
- Michael Nesmith joined the other three members of The Monkees on stage at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles during their reunion tour. Because other commitments had prevented him from joining their 20th-anniversary tour, this was his first performance with all three original members since the group's breakup.
- Michael Jackson released the single “Bad”, the title track of his first album after “Thriller”. It was originally intended to be a duet with Prince, who turned down the offer. The song became a major hit, reaching No. 1 in the charts in the US, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands. The album Bad was also released in the UK.
- Pink Floyd released “A Momentary Lapse of Reason”, their thirteenth studio album and the band's first without founding member Roger Waters. Following the legal dispute, David Gilmour led the group. The album helped restore the band's prominent position, was followed by an extensive world tour and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. It reached No. 3 in the US and UK and No. 1 in New Zealand.
- Pink Floyd began the A Momentary Lapse of Reason tour in Ottawa, Canada, despite threats from former member Roger Waters to sue the promoters. Waters later withdrew his objection to the use of the Pink Floyd name in an out-of-court settlement in December 1987 in exchange for exclusive legal control over the concept, design and stage elements of The Wall. The agreement allowed the group to continue using the Pink Floyd name.
- Barry Sadler, known for the 1966 hit “Ballad Of The Green Berets”, was shot in the head while riding in a taxi in Guatemala City. It was unclear whether he had been shot by someone else or whether the injury resulted from an accidental discharge of his own pistol. The injury caused severe brain damage and paralysis. After being transferred to the US, he remained in hospital for 14 months and died from complications of his injuries on November 5, 1989, at a veterans' hospital in Tennessee.
- INXS, the new sensation from Australia, were the big winners at the MTV Video Music Awards, receiving five awards including Video of the Year for “Need You Tonight/Mediate”. The songs are separate tracks on the album but were combined for the music video; “Mediate” is a tribute to Bob Dylan's 1965 film “Subterranean Homesick Blues”.
- The musical “Street Scene” opened at the New York State Theatre.
- Bryan Adams spent his sixth consecutive week at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” from the film Robin Hood.
- Nirvana released the single “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, one of the defining songs of the grunge era.
- Counting Crows released the album August and Everything After.
- Fifteen-year-old Brandy released her debut album “Brandy”, which subsequently sold more than 4 million copies and made her an R&B star. The album's hits included “I Wanna Be Down” and “Baby”.
- After Pink Floyd's concert at Prague's Strahov Stadium, attended by 110,000 people, President of the Czech Republic Václav Havel invited the band to dinner.
- Weezer released their breakthrough single “Buddy Holly”, named after the rock'n'roll icon. The song appeared on the band's debut album “Weezer”, also known as “The Blue Album”, and reached No. 6 in Canada and No. 12 in the UK. It was released on the day Buddy Holly would have celebrated his 58th birthday.
- Michael Jackson began his third solo world concert tour, the HIStory World Tour, with the first concert at Letná Park in Prague. The tour consisted of 82 concerts, attracted approximately 4.5 million fans and, according to the source, surpassed his previous Bad Tour with 4.4 million attendees. Total gross exceeded $163.5 million.
- Rap star Tupac Shakur was shot five times in a drive-by attack after a boxing match in Las Vegas. Music manager “Suge” Knight was also wounded in the attack. Shakur died from his injuries six days later at the age of 25.
- Derek Taylor, press officer for The Beatles, died at the age of 65.
- Fleetwood Mac reached No. 1 on the US album chart with the live album The Dance, recorded following the group's reunion after a ten-year break. It sold more than 5 million copies in the US. The album featured the singles “Landslide”, “The Chain” and “Silver Springs” and received three Grammy nominations in 1998.
- David Bowie released the album Hours…
- American singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams was born in Los Angeles, California, to director J. J. Abrams and producer Katie McGrath. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she began building a fan base through livestreams from her childhood bedroom on Zoom. After releasing her debut album “Good Riddance” in 2023, she performed as an opening act on Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. In 2024, she had the UK No. 1 single “That's So True” and the US Top 20 hit “I Love You, I'm Sorry”.
- Timothy Commerford, bassist of Rage Against The Machine, disrupted the MTV Video Music Awards by climbing onto the stage structure while Limp Bizkit were accepting the award for Best Rock Video for “Break Stuff”. He confused the organizers and band members and delayed the program by 20 minutes. Rage Against The Machine had been nominated in the category for “Sleep Now in the Fire”. Commerford was eventually persuaded to come down, then arrested and charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
- Michael Jackson performed the first of two concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York as part of celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of his career. After an eleven-year break, he returned to the stage in the US together with the Jackson Five. The celebration also featured Eminem, Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Britney Spears, Destiny’s Child, Slash and 'N Sync. Footage from the concerts was edited and broadcast by CBS as a special on November 13.
- The film “Rock Star”, starring Mark Wahlberg as the singer of a tribute band who eventually joins his favorite group, was released in theaters. The film featured several musicians, including Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind and Brian Vander Ark of The Verve Pipe, whose song “Colorful” Wahlberg pretends to sing at the end of the film.
- Ryan Adams filmed the music video for “New York, New York” with the World Trade Center buildings in the background. Four days later, the buildings were destroyed in the terrorist attacks, and the video was dedicated to their victims after its release.
- Girl group Atomic Kitten reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart with their version of “The Tide Is High (Get The Feeling)”.
- Eminem returned to No. 1 on the US album chart with his fourth studio album The Eminem Show. The album was an international hit and topped the charts in 17 countries, including the UK, Canada and Australia.
- Frankie Miller returned to Glasgow for a benefit concert at Barrowlands, with proceeds going to the Drake Music Project. The concert featured, among others, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Nazareth, Gallagher & Lyle, Hamish Stuart, Brian Robertson, Ray Wilson and Joe Walsh. Miller was present at the concert but could no longer perform because of the brain hemorrhage he suffered in 1994.
- Black Eyed Peas began a six-week run at No. 1 on the UK singles chart with “Where Is The Love”. It was the best-selling single of 2003, with Justin Timberlake contributing to the recording without being credited.
- American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Warren Zevon died in Los Angeles at the age of 56 from mesothelioma, a cancer of the peritoneum. He was best known for the 1978 album “Excitable Boy”, which reached No. 21 on Billboard and contained his only US hit, “Werewolves Of London”, which reached No. 21. Zevon released more than 15 solo albums, eight of which also charted on the Billboard 200, and he also wrote Linda Ronstadt's hit “Poor Poor Pitiful Me”. He worked as a session musician, pianist and bandleader for The Everly Brothers and collaborated with, among others, Jackson Browne, The Eagles and Linda Ronstadt. His 1969 song “She Quit Me” appeared in the film Midnight Cowboy. He frequently appeared on David Letterman's show, who was among the first to promote his music.
- Aretha Franklin received the Lady of Soul Award for lifetime achievement at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
- Kanye West debuted at No. 1 on the album chart with Late Registration.
- Connie Stevens began filming Saving Grace in Missouri, her directorial debut.
- MTV made up for the previous year, when Britney Spears appeared tired during the opening of the Video Music Awards, by giving her three awards for “Piece Of Me”. Kanye West also premiered “Love Lockdown” at the ceremony.
- Noel Gallagher was attacked during Oasis's performance at the Virgin Festival in Toronto when a spectator ran onto the stage and knocked him to the ground. Gallagher suffered a broken rib and ligament damage, which led to the cancellation of several Oasis concerts.
- Queen's song “Bohemian Rhapsody” was voted the greatest song of all time for waving a lighter in the air in a poll conducted by Zippo. “Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin came second, followed by “I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” by Meat Loaf.
- Buddy Holly was posthumously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His widow Maria Elena, longtime friend Phil Everly and Gary Busey, who portrayed Holly in the 1978 film, attended the ceremony.
- Dorothy McGuire Williamson of The McGuire Sisters died at the age of 84. Together with her sisters Christine and Phyllis, she had 18 US Top 40 hits in the 1950s and 1960s, including the No. 1 songs “Sincerely” and “Sugartime”.
- Heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold reached No. 1 on the UK album chart with their sixth studio album Hail to the King. The album also topped the charts in the US, Canada, Brazil, Finland and Ireland that year.
- The Chainsmokers featuring American singer Halsey reached No. 1 on the US singles chart with “Closer”. The song remained at the top for 12 weeks and reached No. 1 in more than ten countries. It subsequently became the first song to spend 26 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100 Top Five and only the second in chart history to spend 32 weeks in the Top 10.
- American rock band Queens of the Stone Age reached No. 1 on the UK album chart with their seventh studio album Villains.
- Taylor Swift began a two-week run at No. 1 on the UK singles chart with “Look What You Made Me Do”.
- The US Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring John Lennon, featuring a photograph by Bob Gruen from the photo session for Lennon's 1974 album “Walls and Bridges”. The stamp was unveiled at a ceremony in New York's Central Park attended by Lennon's widow Yoko Ono and son Sean Lennon.
- Country singer Kathy Mattea ended a six-year recording hiatus with the release of the folk album “Pretty Bird”, which includes cover versions of “St. Teresa” by Joan Osborne, “Mercy Now” by Mary Gauthier and “Ode To Billie Joe” by Bobbie Gentry. The album also introduced a new vocal style for the singer, whose characteristically husky voice and vocal problems had led her to learn to use a lower register.
- Lenny Kravitz released his eleventh studio album Raise Vibration, which features vocals by the late Michael Jackson on the single “Low”. Kravitz had also worked with Jackson on his song “(I Can't Make It) Another Day” from the posthumously released album Michael.
- American rapper, songwriter and producer Malcolm McCormick, known as Mac Miller, died at the age of 26 from a drug overdose.
- Melissa Viviane Jefferson, known as Lizzo, reached No. 1 on the US singles chart with “Truth Hurts”, beginning a six-week run at the top. After appearing in the film “Someone Great”, where Gina Rodriguez sings the song after several drinks to cope with a breakup, the song reached No. 1 in the US almost two years after its initial release. Lizzo won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance for the song.
- Taylor Swift reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with her seventh studio album Lover. The album also reached No. 1 in 19 other countries, including the UK, Canada and Australia.
- Lily Allen married David Harbour in the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. Harbour is known as Hopper from the series Stranger Things. The ceremony was conducted by an Elvis Presley impersonator.
- The Yamaha piano on which the late Freddie Mercury composed some of Queen's best-known hits was sold at auction for £1.7 million. Other items sold included a silver snake bracelet from the “Bohemian Rhapsody” video, handwritten lyrics to “Somebody To Love”, “Killer Queen” and “We Are the Champions”, and a Cartier onyx and diamond ring given to Mercury by Elton John.
- British bassist Herbie Flowers, who played with David Bowie, Elton John, T. Rex and Paul McCartney, died at the age of 86. His family announced his death on social media; the cause of death was not disclosed. Flowers played the iconic bass line on Lou Reed's “Walk on the Wild Side”.
- Linkin Park announced new singer Emily Armstrong, who would join the band for a new album and tour. The new lineup announcement preceded the release of the album “From Zero” and a new world tour.
- Mariah Carey, a longtime MTV favorite who had never previously won a VMA, finally received the Video Vanguard Award. Video of the Year went to Ariana Grande for the 26-minute short film “Brighter Days Ahead”.