Recording events
- The Original Dixieland Jass Band, shortly after changing the name “Jass” to “Jazz”, made the first recording of the song “Tiger Rag”.
- Sophie Tucker recorded her song “Some of These Days”. This version was not released for approximately another 30 years; in the first part of the verse, Tucker tells and explains how the song described the story of her life.
- Wingy Manone recorded “Downright Disgusted” with Gene Krupa on drums.
- Ben Pollack and his band recorded the song “Forever”. The lineup also included Benny Goodman and Jack Teagarden.
- Duke Ellington recorded the song “The Mooche”.
- The first professional recording session in the Nashville area took place. DeFord Bailey recorded eight songs at the Victor Records studios, later RCA; the released recordings came from this first recording session in the area that later became known as Music City, USA.
- Leo Reisman and His Orchestra with Lew Conrad recorded “Ain't Misbehavin'”
- Guy Lombardo and his orchestra recorded the song “Go Home and Tell Your Mother”.
- Russ Columbo recorded the song "Prisoner of Love," which became his best-known hit and a classic standard.
- George Gershwin completed the orchestral score for the opera Porgy and Bess.
- Benny Goodman and his orchestra recorded the song "Sugar Foot Stomp".
- Benny Goodman recorded the song “Flying Home.”
- At the age of 16, Judy Garland recorded “Over the Rainbow” on the MGM soundstage in Beverly Hills for the film The Wizard of Oz. The recording was made on October 7, 1938, and became the basis for the later film version; the commercial studio recording for Decca was not made until 1939.
- The Dick Jurgens Orchestra recorded “Day Dreams Come True at Night”.
- Orrin Tucker recorded the song “Oh, Johnny, Oh, Johnny, Oh!”.
- Opera tenor Allan Jones recorded the song “I'm Falling in Love with Someone”.
- Frank Sinatra recorded "All or Nothing at All" with the Harry James Orchestra, one of his first major hits.
- Perry Como recorded the song “That Old Gang of Mine” with the Ted Weems Orchestra in New York. The recording was made on October 4, 1939, and was released on the Decca label.
- “I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now” was recorded by Perry Como and the Ted Weems Orchestra.
- Jazz saxophonist Coleman Hawkins recorded "Body and Soul," which became one of his best-known recordings.
- Harry James and his orchestra recorded "On a Little Street in Singapore".
- Frankie Masters and his orchestra recorded the song "Marching Along Together".
- Artie Shaw and his orchestra recorded the song “Temptation”.
- Artie Shaw recorded Hoagy Carmichael's “Stardust” in Hollywood, arranged by Lennie Hayton.
- Lanny Ross recorded the song “Moonlight and Roses.”
- Glenn Miller recorded "Make Believe Ballroom Time" in New York City.
- Glenn Miller and His Orchestra recorded “Elmer's Tune.”
- Skinnay Ennis recorded the song “Don't Let Julia Fool Ya”.
- Claude Thornhill recorded the song “Autumn Nocturne.”
- Benny Goodman's orchestra recorded “Buckle Down Winsocki” with singer Tom Dix as the lead vocalist.
- Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five recorded the song “Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby?” on October 4, 1943. The recording was later released in 1944 as the B-side of the single “G.I. Jive” and became one of Jordan's best-known songs.
- Stan Kenton and his orchestra recorded the song “Painted Rhythm.”
- Ella Fitzgerald and The Delta Rhythm Boys recorded the song "It's a Pity to Say Goodnight".
- Bing Crosby broadcast his “Philco Radio Time” program on ABC as the first radio program to be prerecorded on magnetic tape. A Magnetophon tape recorder was used for the recording, a technology originally developed in Germany; Crosby later became an investor in the technology, which contributed to the further development of multitrack recording.
- Ralph Flanagan and his orchestra recorded the song “You're Breaking My Heart.”
- Hank Williams came to Herzog Studio in Cincinnati to record “I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry”. He originally wrote it with the intention that the words would be recited rather than sung. The song about loneliness was largely inspired by his troubled relationship with his wife Audrey Sheppard.
- Nat King Cole recorded the original mono version of the song “Unforgettable” at Capitol Recording Studio in Hollywood. He re-recorded it in stereo in 1961, and this version was used in 1991 for an electronic duet with his daughter Natalie Cole.
- In Los Angeles, she recorded the original version of “Hound Dog”, which became the first hit for songwriting duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The recording spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and sold nearly two million copies.
- Sun Records released the song “I Forgot to Remember to Forget”. Billboard published a review of it and predicted that it would receive considerable attention. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard National Country Music Chart and No. 4 on the Billboard Most Played By Jockeys chart in February 1956, bringing Elvis his first nationwide publicity and success.
- Elvis Presley recorded on the soundstage at 20th Century Fox in Hollywood from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Among the recordings made there with studio musicians were „We're Gonna Move“, „Poor Boy“ and „Love Me Tender“. Ken Darby wrote new lyrics to the melody of the 1861 folk song „Aura Lee“. Presley was credited as a co-writer because of the terms of his publishing contract with Hill & Range. „Love Me Tender“ appeared in the film of the same name and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 and Cashbox Top 100, No. 1 in Canada and No. 11 in the U.K.
- Elvis Presley recorded his first spoken-word single, "The Truth About Me", which was released as a flexidisc attached to magazine covers.
- Elvis Presley worked from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Radio Recorders recording studio on Santa Monica Boulevard, recording material for his second album and a new single. Because the pianist was absent, the piano parts were played either by Elvis or Gordon Stoker.
- Elvis Presley continued recording at Radio Recorders on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood. The session ran from 1:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and produced recordings of “Paralyzed”, “When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again”, “Long Tall Sally”, “Old Shep”, “Too Much” and “Anyplace Is Paradise”. RCA Victor released “Too Much” as a single on January 4, 1957, and Presley sang it two days later on The Ed Sullivan Show. The song reached number two on the Billboard Top 100, number one on the Cashbox Best Sellers chart and number three on the Billboard R&B chart.
- On the third day of recording sessions at Radio Recorders Studios on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, Elvis Presley worked on songs connected with the Love Me Tender project. He worked from 2:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and the session included recordings of “Ready Teddy”, “First In Line” and “Rip It Up”.
- Music for Elvis Presley's new film Love Me Tender was recorded on the soundstage at 20th Century Fox.
- Elvis Presley worked on vocal overdubs for the film Love Me Tender at the 20th Century Fox soundstage in Hollywood, including the song “Let Me” and additional parts of “Poor Boy.”
- Ricky Nelson recorded "Be-Bop Baby" during his first recording session for Imperial Records. The song had 750,000 advance orders before its release; it later sold more than one million copies and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the R&B chart.
- Elvis Presley began work on his Christmas album at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, recording “Treat Me Nice,” “My Wish Came True” and “Blue Christmas.” “Treat Me Nice” was later released as the B-side of “Jailhouse Rock” and reached number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, while “Blue Christmas” became a Christmas classic.
- Elvis Presley returned to Radio Recorders studio in Hollywood, where he worked on Christmas songs for his new album and on the single "Don't". During the day, he recorded "My Wish Came True", "White Christmas", "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)", "Silent Night" and "Don't", among others.
- 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.
- After a heated argument with her father, Connie Francis reluctantly recorded the 34-year-old standard “Who's Sorry Now” in two attempts at Brunswick Studios in New York. She did not like the song herself, but listeners embraced it, and the following March it became her first major hit, reaching No. 4 in the United States and No. 1 in the United Kingdom.
- Jerry Lee Lewis recorded his biggest hit, “Great Balls of Fire,” at Sam Phillips's Sun Studio in Memphis as a follow-up to “Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On.” After its release a month later, more than one million copies were sold within the first ten days, followed by another five million eventually. In January 1958, the recording reached No. 2, kept from the top spot by “At the Hop” by Danny and the Juniors.
- Ricky Nelson recorded the song “Lonesome Town” at Master Recorders in Hollywood, California.
- Little Anthony and the Imperials recorded Neil Sedaka’s song “The Diary”. The songwriter was dissatisfied with their version and decided to record it himself, giving him his first chart hit.
- Eddie Cochran recorded the classic song "C'mon Everybody," which became a 1959 UK No. 6 single for Cochran and a 1979 hit for The Sex Pistols.
- Eddie Cochran recorded the song “C'mon Everybody” for Liberty Records. It was released as the B-side of the single “Don't Ever Let Me Go.” Radio DJs soon flipped the record and favored the energetic, rebellious song. It became Cochran's final U.S. Top 40 hit, reaching number 35.
- She recorded “Sweet Nothin's”, a song about young love that became her breakthrough hit, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the first of her 29 Top 40 songs. She was only 15 at the time of the recording.
- Accompanied by the Anita Kerr Singers, he recorded “The Rebel-Johnny Yuma”, “The Little Drummer Boy”, “I’ll Remember You”, “Lorena”, “The Ballad Of Boot Hill” and “Remember The Alamo” at Owen Bradley's Quonset Hut Studio in Nashville.
- Bobby Darin released the classic single “Mack the Knife”.
- Paul Anka released the song “Put Your Head on My Shoulder”.
- 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.
- Elvis Presley recorded “Flaming Star” at Radio Recorders studio in Hollywood during an evening recording session from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The song was intended for the film of the same name, reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1961, and was released in the UK on the EP Elvis by Request rather than as a standalone single.
- Patsy Cline began recording Willie Nelson's song “Crazy” at Bradley Film and Recording Studio in Nashville. She was still using crutches after a head-on car collision two months earlier and initially had difficulty reaching the high notes because of her broken ribs. The car accident forced her to interrupt the recording, and she returned to the studio on September 15, when she completed the song with a single vocal take. The recording reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart, spending 21 weeks on the chart. In November 2021, Willie Nelson told David Letterman that when he originally wrote the song, he called it “Stupid”. In 1996, the Amusement and Music Operators Association named it the most-played song of all time on American jukeboxes. “Crazy” later became one of Patsy Cline's signature songs.
- Tamla Records released The Marvelettes' first single, “Please Mr. Postman”. The song sold more than one million copies and became the group's biggest hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Pop and R&B charts. It was Motown's first song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Twenty-four-year-old Gene Chandler recorded the song “Duke Of Earl” at Universal Recording studio in Chicago with his vocal group The Dukays. The recording session was originally intended for Nat Records, but the original tapes were later sold to Vee Jay Records, which scored its first No. 1 hit and first million-selling record with the song the following February. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2002, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included it among the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll. Gene Chandler later placed another 25 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, but none was as successful as “Duke Of Earl”.
- A group of teenagers from Hawthorne, California, calling themselves The Pendletones, recorded the song "Surfin'" on October 3 at World Pacific Studios in Los Angeles. The song was created during their first recording session, and the final master was selected from the recorded takes. When it was released as a single by Candix Records, it was credited to The Beach Boys, the new name given to the group by promotional executive Russ Reagan. "Surfin'" reached No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100, and Candix estimated sales of 50,000 copies. The recording launched the career of one of America's most successful rock'n'roll groups.
- Neil Sedaka recorded the song “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen” at RCA Victor Studio A in New York. It became the eighth of his 21 singles to reach the Billboard Top 40.
- Peter, Paul & Mary released the song “If I Had a Hammer.”
- The Beatles recorded their first proper recording session for EMI at Abbey Road Studios, where they recorded “Love Me Do” and “How Do You Do It”.
- The Beatles held their first formal joint recording session at EMI Studios at Abbey Road, following an earlier June 6 session with which George Martin was dissatisfied. They rehearsed and recorded a total of six songs, including “Love Me Do.” Sources differ on the other songs and details of the session, citing such tracks as “Please Please Me,” “P.S. I Love You” and a version of “How Do You Do It?” that remained unreleased until its appearance on Anthology 1 in 1995. It was also Ringo Starr's first recording session with the group.
- The Beatles recorded a session at EMI House on Manchester Square in London, which was scheduled to be broadcast on Radio Luxembourg's Friday Spectacular program on October 12.
- 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”.
- The Beatles completed the third of a total of five recording sessions for the song "I Wanna Be Your Man." The song, written by Lennon and McCartney, was originally intended exclusively as a single for The Rolling Stones, but they abandoned that plan. Both bands released the song as a single in November of the same year.
- The Rolling Stones recorded “I Wanna Be Your Man,” written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, at De Lane Lea Studios in London. The song, written primarily by Paul McCartney and completed together with Lennon, later reached No. 12 on the UK chart.
- Elvis Presley recorded vocal parts for the songs “Once Is Enough,” “Catchin' On Fast,” “Anyone (Could Fall in Love with You),” “Smokey Mountain Boy,” “There's Gold in the Mountains,” “One Boy, Two Little Girls,” “Kissin' Cousins,” “Barefoot Ballad” and “Tender Feeling.” The source notes several different versions, edits and composite recordings for the film Kissin' Cousins.
- The Beatles recorded the song “Baby's In Black” on this day.
- The Supremes recorded “Baby Love”, written and produced by the Holland–Dozier–Holland team. The song later became their second US No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and their first UK No. 1.
- Shirley Bassey recorded “Goldfinger” in London for the upcoming James Bond film of the same name.
- The Rolling Stones recorded a cover version of Willie Dixon’s “Little Red Rooster” at Regent Sound Studios in London. Brian Jones’s prominent slide guitar helped create the recording’s distinctive sound, which became the only purely blues song to reach number one on the UK singles chart.
- Elvis Presley appeared at Allied Artists studio, where work began on the film Tickle Me.
- The Beatles spent the afternoon recording “Eight Days A Week” at EMI Studios (Abbey Road) in London. Paul McCartney later said the title was inspired by a remark from a driver who said he worked eight days a week. Late that evening they visited The Ad Lib club, where they socialized with The Ronettes and Mick Jagger. The song was later released as a U.S. single on February 15, 1965, and reached No. 1 on the U.S. chart.
- The Beatles recorded “She's a Woman” at Abbey Road Studios in London, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. They made seven takes, with the sixth selected as the best, and added overdubs during a further evening session. The entire recording session lasted five hours from start to finish. The song was released as a single in November and reached the Top 10 in several countries.
- The Beach Boys recorded "Dance Dance Dance" at RCA Victor Studios in Los Angeles, with Glen Campbell playing guitar, including the lead guitar intro. The song became their twelfth US Top 40 hit, reaching No. 8; Campbell later toured with the band from December 1964 into early March 1965.
- Davy Jones & The Lower Third released the single “You've Got a Habit of Leaving”, the last song David Bowie, then still performing under his birth name David Jones, released before changing his name. He made the change to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees. It was also the first of two singles he recorded with The Lower Third after leaving his previous group, The Manish Boys.
- The Rolling Stones released the single “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction” in the U.S.
- Barry McGuire released his version of P. F. Sloan's protest song “Eve Of Destruction”. The song reached No. 1 on the singles charts in Canada, Norway and the US and No. 3 in the UK.
- “Eve Of Destruction” by Barry McGuire and “Do You Believe In Magic” by The Lovin' Spoonful were released in America. The first song reached No. 1 on September 25, while the second reached No. 9 in mid-October.
- The Lovin' Spoonful released the song “Do You Believe In Magic”.
- The Doors recorded their first demo recordings at World Pacific Jazz Studios in Los Angeles, California, where they recorded six songs by Jim Morrison.
- Lou Christie recorded the song “Lightnin’ Strikes” at Olmstead Studios in New York with backing vocals from Bernadette Carroll, Peggy Santiglia and Denise Ferri of The Delicates. Studio guitarist Ralph Casale improvised a distinctive guitar solo resembling thunder during the recording. The following February, the song reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cashbox chart.
- The Rolling Stones flew to Los Angeles, where they recorded their eighth single, “Get Off of My Cloud,” at RCA Studios in Hollywood. The song later reached number one in both the US and UK.
- 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.
- Gary Lewis and the Playboys entered the studio to record two of their biggest songs, “She's Just My Style” and “Sure Gonna Miss Her.”
- The Beatles record “Run for Your Life” in five takes at Abbey Road Studios in London for the album Rubber Soul. They also work on “This Bird Has Flown,” later reworked and renamed “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown).” John Lennon later admits that he borrowed two lines of “Run for Your Life” from Elvis Presley’s “Baby Let’s Play House.”
- The Beatles completed recording “Drive My Car” for the album Rubber Soul during an approximately five-hour studio session at Abbey Road Studios in London, which ended after midnight. They finished the song in four takes, with additional overdubs.
- The Who recorded “My Generation” at a studio in London. Pete Townshend wrote it to express the anger and frustration of teenagers at the time. Roger Daltrey later explained that he deliberately stuttered the lyrics to match the rhythm of the music. The BBC initially refused to broadcast the song, fearing it might offend people who stuttered, but later changed its position. The single was released on October 29, became one of the band’s best-known songs, and reached number two on the UK chart, where it was beaten by “The Carnival Is Over” by The Seekers. In the US, it reached number 74.
- As a follow-up to her previous hit “Born A Woman”, Sandy Posey recorded “Single Girl” for MGM Records at Fred Foster Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Like “Born A Woman”, the song reached No. 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 15 on the UK singles chart.
- The Doors began recording their self-titled debut album at Sunset Sound Recording Studios on West Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. They had already been developing the material through live performances, particularly at the Whisky a Go Go. The album was released in January 1967, contained the full version of their breakthrough single „Light My Fire“ and reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top LPs chart.
- The Youngbloods recorded „Get Together“ at RCA Studios in New York. The single originally stalled at No. 62, but its 1969 reissue reached No. 5; The Dave Clark Five later took their cover version into the U.K. Top 10.
- The Who began two days of recording at IBC Studios and Pye No. 2 Studio in London. During these sessions, the group recorded “Barbara Ann” by The Regents, “Man with Money” by The Everly Brothers, “Heatwave” by Martha and the Vandellas and the theme tune from the then-popular television series Batman. The recordings were intended for a new album with the working title “Jigsaw Puzzle”. The producer was Kit Lambert and the sound engineer was Paul Clay.
- Elvis Presley completed his work on the soundtrack for Double Trouble.
- Louis Armstrong went to United Recording Studios in Las Vegas after his midnight performance at the Tropicana, where he recorded "What a Wonderful World". The recording session ended around 6 a.m.
- Pink Floyd worked in Studio 3 at EMI Studios on Abbey Road, recording material for the album A Saucerful of Secrets.
- Gary Puckett and the Union Gap recorded the song “Woman, Woman” at Columbia Studios in Hollywood. It later reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Cashbox chart and earned a gold record for sales of one million copies.
- The Who's manager Kit Lambert was at Columbia Recording Studios in Hollywood mixing mono versions of “Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand”, “Summertime Blues”, “Someone’s Coming” and “Relax”.
- The Rolling Stones released the single “We Love You,” featuring John Lennon and Paul McCartney on backing vocals.
- The Doors began recording their second album “Strange Days” at Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, California.
- The Beatles continued recording the song “Your Mother Should Know” at Chappell Recording Studios in London's Mayfair. The temporary relocation of the recording session was due to scheduling conflicts at EMI Studios. During the session, they concentrated on layering backing vocals for the song intended for the “Magical Mystery Tour” project. This evening was also the last visit to the studio by their manager Brian Epstein; he died four days later.
- The Beatles began recording “I Am the Walrus” at Abbey Road Studios in London, recording 16 takes of the basic backing track on the first day. Sound effects and additional overdubs, including an excerpt from a BBC radio broadcast, were added later.
- At RCA Studio B in Nashville, Elvis Presley recorded three songs for the soundtrack to the film “Stay Away Joe”. He was dissatisfied with the quality of the material and promised Felton Jarvis that none of the songs would ever be released.
- The Beatles recorded the song “Blue Jay Way.”
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded a session at London's BBC Playhouse Theatre for the British radio program BBC Top Gear, which was broadcast on October 15, 1967. Stevie Wonder played drums with Hendrix on “Jammin',” “I Was Made to Love Her” and “Ain't Too Proud to Beg.”
- The Who spent two days at Talentmasters Studio in New York. Al Kooper joined the group on organ while recording two versions of “Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand.” One was released on the B-side of the U.S. edition of the single “I Can See For Miles,” while the other remained in the archives until the release of The Who Sell Out in 1995. A studio version of “Summertime Blues,” an organ overdub of “Relax” performed by Pete, and new vocals replacing the guide vocals on “I Can See For Miles” were also recorded.
- The Who recorded at De Lane Lea Studios in London for the BBC Radio One program Top Gear. The BBC was allowing a musical group to record outside its own studios for the first time. They recorded alternative versions of several songs, new recordings of “Summertime Blues” and “My Way,” and five jingles for Top Gear and Radio One.
- Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham met together in the studio on Lisle Street in London's West End for the first time. The first song the future Led Zeppelin members created together was “Train Kept A-Rollin’.”
- The Beatles recorded the song “Yer Blues”.
- The Beatles recorded 14 versions of George Harrison's new song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at Abbey Road, developing it from its original acoustic version into an electric arrangement.
- Pink Floyd released the single Let There Be More Light / Remember a Day in the US.
- 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 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.
- During a recording session for her fifth album at CBS Studios in Nashville on August 28, 1968, Tammy Wynette recorded the song “Stand By Your Man”. Producer Billy Sherrill suggested during the session that she finish a song he had started working on, and they completed it together in just 15 minutes. The song became Wynette’s signature hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Country Songs chart and No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 after its release on September 20, 1968, and selling more than two million copies.
- At Trident Studios in London, The Beatles began recording a new John Lennon song, “Dear Prudence”. They built the song instrument by instrument using the studio’s eight-track equipment. John Lennon and George Harrison played guitars, while Paul McCartney played drums because Ringo Starr had left The Beatles on August 22.
- The Beatles began recording “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” featuring Eric Clapton on lead guitar.
- Eric Clapton recorded the guitar solo for The Beatles' “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” at Abbey Road Studios in London.
- Eric Clapton recorded the guitar solo for The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", becoming the first major rock solo guitarist from outside the group to guest on a Beatles recording. George Harrison later said that Clapton's presence encouraged the other members of the band to try harder.
- The Beatles worked at London's Abbey Road Studios on overdubs for George Harrison's new song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Eric Clapton recorded the guitar solo and became the first musician from outside the Beatles to appear on one of their recordings. George Harrison also recorded the lead vocal. The Beatles subsequently completed the recording; the song was released as a single on November 22, and although Eric Clapton was not credited, he played the main guitar part.
- Jerry Butler recorded the song “Only The Strong Survive” at Sigma Sound Studios in Los Angeles.
- The Beatles recorded the first take of George Harrison's new song "Savoy Truffle" at Trident Studios in London. George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr recorded the basic track in a single take – drums, bass, and lead guitar. John Lennon was not present and did not participate in the recording. The song was inspired by Eric Clapton's love of chocolate, particularly Mackintosh's Good News chocolates. Further overdubs followed on October 5, 11, and 14, and the song appeared on The Beatles album, commonly known as the "White Album."
- The Beatles recorded “I'm So Tired” and “The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill” for the forthcoming album The White Album.
- During recording sessions at Abbey Road, six saxophonists recorded parts for "Savoy Truffle," intended for the White Album. George Harrison distorted the saxophone sound to achieve the desired effect.
- John Lennon recorded three takes of "Julia" as his solo contribution to The Beatles' album commonly known as the White Album.
- Deep Purple recorded “Speed King” in Studio 2 at Aeolian Hall. The recording was broadcast six days later on Symonds On Sunday.
- The Beatles worked on the song “You Never Give Me Your Money” during the recording of the album Abbey Road.
- The Guess Who recorded the song “American Woman” at RCA Mid-America Recording Center in Chicago. The song was released in March 1970 and later reached No. 1 on both the US and Canadian singles charts.
- John Lennon wrote the song „Cold Turkey“ about heroin withdrawal, rehearsed it during the afternoon and recorded it that evening with Ringo Starr and Klaus Voormann. During the recording he also drew on his recent experience with primal scream therapy. Despite unfavorable reviews and a BBC ban, the song reached the U.K. Top 20 and U.S. Top 30 and became a precursor to his later album „Plastic Ono Band“.
- Crosby, Stills & Nash released the song “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.”
- 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.
- While recording the album “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs”, producer Tom Dowd took Eric Clapton and his group to a concert by The Allman Brothers Band, where Clapton heard Duane Allman play in person for the first time. After the concert, an immediate bond developed between Clapton and Allman, and Allman was invited to the studio to record with the new group Derek & the Dominos. After an all-night jam, Allman asked Clapton if he could visit the recording sessions, and Clapton agreed on the condition that Allman would also participate in the recording. During the following ten days, Allman contributed to most of the album's songs, making it the result of their collaboration.
- Jimi Hendrix made his final studio recording when he recorded “Slow Blues” at Electric Lady Studios in New York.
- Janis Joplin began recording her version of “Me and Bobby McGee” by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster. It was also her final recording with the Full Tilt Boogie Band. After her death, the song reached number one on the US singles chart in 1971.
- Janis Joplin held her final recording session at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood. During the session, she recorded an a cappella solo version of “Mercedes Benz”, which was later released on the posthumous album “Pearl”. According to one source variant, she also recorded a humorous version of “Happy Trails” during the same session as a birthday gift for John Lennon. She died three days later.
- Janis Joplin listened to the instrumental track of “Buried Alive In The Blues” at Sunset Studios and planned to record the vocals for her album Pearl on October 5. She died the following day.
- 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.
- On October 6, 1972, David Bowie recorded “The Jean Genie” at RCA Studios in New York. It became the lead single from his 1973 album Aladdin Sane and was released on November 24, 1972. It spent 13 weeks on the UK chart and reached No. 2. A line from the lyrics later inspired the Scottish band Simple Minds to choose its name.
- The Doobie Brothers released the song “China Grove.”
- The Allman Brothers Band released the single “Ramblin' Man”.
- The Rolling Stones released “Angie”, the lead single from their studio album “Goats Head Soup”. The single reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard chart and No. 5 in Britain; it also topped the charts in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland. Speculation surrounded the song's title and possible inspiration, including Angela, the first wife of David Bowie, actress Angie Dickinson, Keith Richards' daughter Dandelion Angela and Marianne Faithfull. Richards, however, stated in his autobiography “Life” that he chose the name at random while writing the song, before he knew that his child would be named Angela or that the child would be a girl.
- Neil Young and The Santa Monica Flyers recorded “Mellow My Mind”, “Speakin' Out”, “World on a String”, “Tired Eyes” and “Tonight's the Night”. All five recordings were included on the final version of the album “Tonight's the Night”.
- Paul and Linda McCartney, together with Denny Laine, began recording the forthcoming album “Band On The Run” at EMI studios in Lagos, Nigeria. Shortly before leaving for Lagos, drummer Denny Seiwell and guitarist Henry McCullough left the group, so McCartney took over bass, drums and most of the lead guitar parts. Recording took place in a poorly equipped studio and amid tense circumstances. During their stay, the McCartneys were held up at knifepoint and lost a bag containing song lyrics and demo recordings.
- Pink Floyd began recording the album “Wish You Were Here” at Abbey Road Studios in London.
- 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.
- Four Seasons released the single “Who Loves You,” which became their first Top 10 hit in eight years.
- Queen began recording the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales.
- Queen began recording „Bohemian Rhapsody“ at Rockfield Studio 1 in Monmouth, Wales. Freddie Mercury had prepared the song in advance and led the band during the three-week recording process; Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor sang their parts for 10–12 hours a day, producing 180 separate vocal overdubs. Four additional studios were also used to complete the song. After its release, the song reached No. 1 in the U.K., No. 9 in the U.S. and the Top 10 in 13 other countries.
- Neil Young recorded an entire album in a single evening at Indigo Ranch Recording Studio in Malibu. The recording included “Pocahontas” and “Powderfinger,” among others, but executives shelved it until September 8, 2017, when it was released as Hitchhiker.
- Salsoul Orchestra recorded “Christmas Medley.”
- Led Zeppelin began rehearsals for a new album that would later become their final studio album, In Through the Out Door.
- Gary Numan released the single “Cars”.
- John Lennon began recording his final album, “Double Fantasy”. The album was released on November 17 by the newly established Geffen Records and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart three weeks later. In February 1982, it won Album of the Year at the 24th Grammy Awards.
- Debbie Gibson began recording the album Out of the Blue. She was 16 years old and still attending school at the time.
- R.E.M. began recording their album Out of Time at Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York.
- Metallica began recording their self-titled album, also known as The Black Album.
- Eddie Vedder flew from his home in San Diego to Seattle, where he first met his future Pearl Jam bandmates and began a week of recording that became the foundation of their debut album Ten. He was selected based on vocals he had added to the band's three-song instrumental demo.
- Madonna began filming the music video for “Erotica” at The Kitchen in New York City.
- 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.
- Blur, Oasis, Radiohead, Paul Weller, Manic Street Preachers and The Stone Roses recorded tracks for the charity album War Child, which was released five days later. All proceeds went to children affected by the war in the former Yugoslavia.
- Boyz II Men released the single “4 Seasons of Loneliness” to radio stations for airplay. The single was made available to the public on September 9.
- Elton John recorded a new version of "Candle in the Wind" after performing it live at Diana, Princess of Wales's funeral. The original song was written in tribute to Marilyn Monroe, but Elton John revised the lyrics as a tribute to the late princess. His performance was estimated to have been watched by 2.5 billion people worldwide. "Candle in the Wind 1997" reached No. 1 in the U.S., UK and many other countries and subsequently became the best-selling single of all time.
- Nearly 26 years after Elvis Presley's death, radio stations and other media began reporting that BMG/RCA had discovered a previously unheard song, “I'm a Roustabout.” The song had originally been commissioned and written by Winfield Scott and Otis Blackwell for the 1964 film Roustabout but was not used. Winfield Scott found the original acetate recording in the basement of his home in New Jersey, and BMG/RCA subsequently added it to the album Elvis, 2nd to None.
- Live recordings by Rory Storm And The Hurricanes were discovered in the basement of Storm's sister's home. Although the tapes were reportedly in very poor condition, an edited debut and only album, Live at the Jive Hive March 1960, was being prepared. After listening to the recordings, Ringo Starr officially denied that he was the drummer on them.
- An original recording of The Beatles performing at the Cavern Club in 1962 was discovered in Liverpool. The recording included the song “Some Other Guy” and had remained forgotten in a desk drawer for almost 50 years.
- Guitarist Steve Morse revealed in the GuitCast podcast that Deep Purple had completed several recording and songwriting sessions while preparing a new album. The material later developed into the album inFinite, released on April 7, 2017.