A directory for happenings on this day in music history which I have covered on this blog. Note that there’s plenty more that happened on these days that haven’t been covered! Stick around to see what I get next time around, or else comment with what I’ve missed!
Another note: if there’s an event which I am not 100% sure occurred on that day, I will include it with an asterisk. Unconfirmed dates will be justified within the post, so be sure to check those out.
January In Music History
- Total January events covered: 73
- Total banner days: 1
January 1st in Music History

- 1782–Johann Christian Bach dies at 46
- 1968–Bill Bruford Chooses to Spend his Gap Year Pursuing a Career in Music
- 1971–Deep Purple Perform at De Doelen in Rotterdam, Netherlands
January 2nd in Music History
January 3rd in Music History
- 1926–Producer and composer Sir George Martin is born
- 1969–Deep Purple return to England from their first U.S. tour
January 4th in Music History

January 5th in Music History
- 1932–Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand premieres
- 1970–Deep Purple perform at Anciennes Halles in Paris, France
January 6th in Music History
- 1970–Deep Purple perform a gig at Worthing Assembly Hall
- 1975–Pink Floyd go into the studio to begin work on Wish You Were Here
January 7th in Music History
January 8th in Music History
January 9th in Music History
- 1975–Deep Purple album Stormbringer is certified gold by the RIAA
- 1980–Cozy Powell and Friends perform at the BBC Paris Theatre
- 1997–Krzysztof Penderecki’s Seventh Symphony premieres
- 2001–Apple launches the first version of iTunes
January 10th in Music History
January 11th in Music History
January 12th in Music History
January 13th in Music History
January 14th in Music History
January 15th in Music History
- 1985–Deep Purple’s Perfect Strangers is certified gold by the RIAA
- 1993–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts in Regina
January 16th in Music History
- 1964–The Beatles perform at L’Olympia in Paris
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Forum in Montreal
January 17th in Music History
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Forum in Montreal
- 1980–Rainbow perform at the Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden
January 18th in Music History
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium in Kitchener, Ontario
- 1980–Rainbow perform at the Johanneshov Isstadion in Stockholm, Sweden
January 19th in Music History
- 1947–Singer Rod Evans is born
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Fairgrounds Coliseum in Columbus, Ohio
- 1980–Rainbow record “Weiss Heim” at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark
January 20th in Music History
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform in Chicago
- 1980–Rainbow perform at the Falkoner Theater in Copenhagen
- 2015–Edgar Froese dies at 70
January 21st in Music History
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform in Chicago
- 2006–Deep Purple perform at La Cubierta de Leganés in Madrid
January 22nd in Music History
- 1934–Dmitri Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk premieres
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago
- 1980–Rainbow perform at Eilenriedehalle in Hannover, Germany
- 1983–Gary Moore performs at Shibuya Kōkaidō in Tokyo
- 1993–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Massey Hall in Toronto
- 2006–Deep Purple perform at the Pavelló de la Vall d’Hebrón in Barcelona
January 23rd in Music History
- 1980–Rainbow perform at Festhalle in Frankfurt, Germany
- 1993–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Massey Hall in Toronto
January 24th in Music History
- 1974–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Omni in Atlanta, Georgia
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Hulman Civic Center in Terra Haute, Indiana
January 25th in Music History
- 1974–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the University of Alabama Memorial Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio
- 1979–Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s album Love Beach is is certified gold by the RIAA
- 1980–Rainbow perform at Saarlandhalle in Saarbrücken, Germany
January 26th in Music History
- 1936–Joseph Stalin walks out of a performance of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
- 1974–Emerson, Lake & Palmer performed at Barton Coliseum in Little Rock, Arkansas
- *1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer were scheduled to perform at the University of West Virginia in Morgantown, West Virginia
- 1980–Rainbow performed in Strasbourg, France
January 27th in Music History
- 1756–composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is born
- 1973–Deep Purple perform at the Sporthalle in Cologne, Germany
- 1980–Rainbow perform at the Palais des Grottes in Cambrai, France
January 28th in Music History
- 1936–Dmitri Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk is rebuked in Pravda
- 1974–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Coliseum in Denver, Colorado
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Capital Theater in Landover, Maryland
January 29th in Music History
- 1953–Keyboardist and label executive Peter Baumann is born
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Springfield Civic Center in Springfield, Massachusetts
- 1980–Rainbow perform at Grugahalle in Essen, Germany
January 30th in Music History
- 1947–English composer Paddy Kingsland is born
- 1974–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Barton Hall at Cornell University
- 1980–Rainbow perform at the Stadthalle in Bremen, Germany
January 31st in Music History
February In Music History
- Total events covered: 50+
- Total banner days: 1
February 1st in Music History
- 1969–Deep Purple perform at Gladsaxe Teen Club in Copenhagen, Denmark
- 1974–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform in California
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York
- 1980–Rainbow perform at Vorst Nationaal in Brussels, Belgium
- 2006–Deep Purple perform at Jäähalli in Helsinki
February 2nd in Music History
- 1969–Deep Purple perform at Gladsaxe Teen Club in Copenhagen, Demark
- 1974–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto
- 1980–Rainbow perform at Sportpaleis Ahoy in Rotterdam, Netherlands
February 3rd in Music History
- *1974–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto
- 1980–Rainbow perform at Rodahal in Kerkrade, Netherlands
- 1981–Rainbow release Difficult to Cure
February 4th in Music History
February 5th in Music History
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Spectrum in Philadelphia
- 1980–Rainbow perform at the Sporthalle in Cologne, Germany
February 6th in Music History
- 1971–Deep Purple perform at Sheffield City Hall in Sheffield, England
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Theater 140 in Brussels, Belgium
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York
- 2011–Gary Moore dies at 58
February 7th in Music History
- 1969–Deep Purple perform at Sheffield City Hall in Sheffield, England
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Theater 140 in Brussels, Belgium
- *1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey
- 1980–Rainbow perform at the Messehalle in Stuttgart, Germany
February 8th in Music History
February 9th in Music History
- 1974–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernadino, California
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York
- 1980–Rainbow perform at the Alp Expo in Grenoble, France
February 10th in Music History
February 11th in Music History
February 12th in Music History
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the War Memorial Arena in Syracuse, New York
- 2012–Deep Purple perform at Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada
February 13th in Music History
- 1970–Black Sabbath release Black Sabbath
- 1974–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon
February 14th in Music History
February 15th in Music History
- 1867–Johann Strauss II’s Blue Danube Waltz Premieres
- 1970–Deep Purple perform at the Boat Club in Nottingham, England
- 1974–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the WSU Performing Arts Center in Pullman, Washington
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Assembly Hall in the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois
- 1980–Rainbow perform at Eppelheim Rhein-Neckarhalle in Heidelberg, Germany
- 1988–Ian Gillan and Roger Glover release Accidentally on Purpose
February 16th in Music History
February 17th in Music History
- 1974–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California
- 1996–Deep Purple release Purpendicular
February 18th in Music History
February 19th in Music History
February 20th in Music History
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Ector County Coliseum in Odessa, Texas
- 1981–Rainbow perform at the Peppermint Club in Virginia Beach, Virginia
February 21st in Music History
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Expo Square Pavilion in Tulsa, Oklahoma
- 1981–Rainbow perform at the Empire Theater in Richmond, Virginia
February 22nd in Music History
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Civic Center in Amarillo, Texas
- 1981–Rainbow perform at Louie’s Rock City in Virginia
- 2008–Don Airey releases A Light in the Sky
February 23rd in Music History
February 24th in Music History
February 25th in Music History
February 26th in Music History
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado
- 2004–Deep Purple perform at Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada
February 27th in Music History
February 28th in Music History
February 29th in Music History
- 1972–Deep Purple perform at the Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden
- 1976–Deep Purple perform at the Sun Devil Arena in Tempe, Arizona
- 1980–Rainbow perform at the Wembley Arena in London
- 1996–Deep Purple perform at Newcastle City Hall in Newcastle, England
March In Music History
- Total events Covered: 58
- Total banner days: 0
March 1st in Music History
March 2nd in Music History
March 3rd in Music History
March 4th in Music History
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the ABC Theater in Stockton, England
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit, Michigan
March 5th in Music History
March 6th in Music History
- 1974–Yes perform at the International Amphitheater in Chicago, Illinois
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Coliseum in New Haven, Connecticut
March 7th in Music History
- *1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the University of West Virginia in Morgantown, West Virginia
March 8th in Music History
March 9th in Music History
March 10th in Music History
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Freedom Hall in Johnson City, Tennessee
- 1981–Rainbow and Pat Travers perform at the Max Bell Centre in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
March 11th in Music History
March 12th in Music History
- 1953–Keyboardist Jürgen Fritz is born
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the ABC in Plymouth, England
- 1976–Deep Purple perform at the Empire Pool in London, England
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Civic Center in Springfield, Massachusetts
- 2019–Jon Anderson performs at the American Garden Center in EPCOT, Florida
March 13th in Music History
- 1976–Deep Purple perform at the Empire Pool in London, England
- 1978–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island
March 14th in Music History
- 1976–Deep Purple perform at the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow
- 1981–Rainbow and Pat Travers perform in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
March 15th in Music History
March 16th in Music History
March 17th in Music History
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the ABC in Cheltenham, England
- 1977–Emerson, Lake & Palmer release Works, Volume 1
March 18th in Music History
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Big Apple Club in Brighton
- 1981–Rainbow and Pat Travers perform at the Seattle Center Arena in Seattle, Washington
March 19th in Music History
- 1981–Rainbow and Pat Travers perform at the Memorial Coliseum Complex in Portland, Oregon
- 1982–Randy Rhoads dies at 25
- 2002–Deep Purple perform at the Olimpijski Sports Complex in Moscow, Russia
March 20th in Music History
March 21st in Music History
March 22nd in Music History
March 23rd in Music History
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at St. George’s Hall in Bradford, England
- 1981–Rainbow and Pat Travers perform at the Sports Arena in San Diego, California
March 24th in Music History
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Sheffield City Hall in Sheffield, England
- 1981–Rainbow and Pat Travers perform at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona
March 25th in Music History
- 1972–Deep Purple release Machine Head
- 1981–Rainbow and Pat Travers perform at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernadino, California
- 2011–Deep Purple perform at the International Exhibition Centre in Kyiv, Ukraine
March 26th in Music History
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer record Pictures at an Exhibition at Newcastle City Hall in Newcastle, England
- 1981–Rainbow and Pat Travers perform at the Selland Arena in Fresno, California
March 27th in Music History
- 1993–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Palace in São Paulo, Brazil
- 2002–Deep Purple perform at the Meteor Sport Hall in Dnipro, Ukraine
March 28th in Music History
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Lewisham Odeon in London, England
- 2002–Deep Purple perform at the Kharkiv Opera House in Kharkiv, Ukraine
March 29th in Music History
- 1963–The Beatles perform at the Lewisham Odeon in London, England
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Winter Gardens in Margate, England
- 1977–Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s album Works, Volume 1 is certified Gold by the RIAA
- 1981–Rainbow and Pat Travers perform at the Salt Palace Expo Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah
March 30th in Music History
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Portsmouth Guildhall in Portsmouth, England
- 1973–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Ostseehalle in Kiel, Germany
- 1981–Rainbow and Pat Travers perform at the University of Denver Arena in Denver, Colorado
March 31st in Music History
- 1972–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida
- 1973–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Philipshalle in Düsseldorf, Germany
April in Music History
- Total events covered: 7
- Banner days:
April 1st in Music History
April 2nd in Music History
- 1969–Deep Purple perform at the Evergreen Ballroom in Olympia, Washington
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Green’s Playhouse in Glasgow, Scotland
- 1981–Rainbow and Pat Travers perform at the San Antonio Convention Center Arena in San Antonio, Texas
April 3rd in Music History
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Caird Hall in Dundee, Scotland
- 1973–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Saint Ouen in Paris, France
- 1981–Rainbow and Pat Travers perform at the Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas
April 4
April 5
April 6
April 7
April 8
April 9
April 10
April 11
April 12
April 13
April 14
April 15
April 16
April 17
April 18
April 19th
April 20th
April 21st
April 22
April 23
April 24
April 25
April 26
April 27
April 28
April 29
April 30
May 1
May 2
May 3
May 4th
May 5th
May 6th
May 7th
May 8th
May 9
May 10
May 11
May 12
May 13
May 14
May 15
May 16
May 17
May 18
May 19
May 20
May 21
May 22
May 23
May 24
May 25
May 26
May 27
May 28
May 29
May 30
May 31
June 1
June 2
June 3
June 4
June 5
June 6
June 7
June 8
June 9
June 10th
June 11th
June 12
June 13
June 14
June 15
June 16
June 17
June 18
June 19
June 20
June 21
June 22
June 23
June 24
June 25
June 26
June 27
June 28
June 29
June 30
July 1
July 2
July 3
July 4
July 5
July 6
July 7
July 8
July 9
July 10
July 11
July 12
July 13
July 14
July 15th
July 16th
July 17th
July 18th
July 19
July 20
July 21
July 22
July 23
July 24
July 25
July 26
August 24th
September 1st
September 25th
October 7th
October 8th
October 9th
October 10th
November 2nd
November 10th
- 1947–Musician Greg Lake is born
- 1967–The Moody Blues release Days of Future Passed
- 2017–Greta Van Fleet release their first EP “From the Fires”
November 14th
November 15th
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Yes perform at Eastown Theater in Detroit
- 1975–Rainbow perform at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia
November 16th
November 17th
November 18th
November 19th
- 1973–Emerson, Lake & Palmer release Brain Salad Surgery
- 2007–Deep Purple perform at Country Hall Liege in Belgium
November 20th
November 21st
November 22nd
- 1969–King Crimson perform two (more) shows at Fillmore East
- 1970–Deep Purple perform at Fairfield Hall in Croydon
- 1976–Tangerine Dream perform at Dôme de Paris
November 23rd
November 24th
November 25th
November 26th
November 27th
- 1970–Deep Purple perform at Stadhalle Offenbach
- 1972–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Brighton Dome in Brighton
- 1977–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at the Bayfront Theater in St. Petersburg (FL)
November 28th
November 29th
November 30th
- 1945–Musician and producer Roger Glover is born
- 1979–Rainbow perform at Hempstead Calderone in Hempstead, New York
December 1st
- 1972–ELP finish their Trilogy tour at Caird Hall in Dundee, Scotland
- 1979–Rainbow perform at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, New Jersey
December 2nd
December 3rd
December 4th
- 1970–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Limmathaus in Zurich
- 1971–The Montreux Casino burns down during a Frank Zappa Concert
- 1976–Tommy Bolin Dies at 25
- 1976–Benjamin Britten Dies at 63
- 1979–Rainbow Performs at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
December 5th
December 6th
December 7th
- 1973–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto
- 1976–Rainbow Perform at Nagoya-Shi Kokaido
- 2016–Greg Lake dies at 69
December 8th
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer Perform two shows at City Hall Newcastle
- 1972–Ian Gillan writes a letter of resignation from Deep Purple
- 1975–Deep Purple Perform at Nagoya-Shi Kokaido
December 9th
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform two shows at Sheffield City Hall
- 1973–Deep Purple Mark III perform for the first time in Copenhagen
December 10th
- 1973–Emerson, Lake & Palmer Perform at Boston Garden
- 1981–Kraftwerk perform at the Musikcentrum in Utrecht
December 11th
December 12th
December 13th
December 14th
December 15th
December 16th
December 17th
- 1971–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Caird Hall in Dundee, Scotland
- 1973–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Madison Square Garden
December 18th
- 1892–The Nutrcracker premieres in St. Petersburg
- 1973–Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform at Madison Square Garden
December 19th
December 20th
December 21st
- 1968–Deep Purple perform two shows at the Fillmore East in New York
- 1993–Musician Rachel Flowers is born
December 22nd
December 23rd
December 24th
December 25th
December 26th
December 27th
- 1943–Lyricist Peter Sinfield is born
- 1968–Deep Purple play two shows at the Electric Circus in New York City
December 28th
December 29th
- 1947–Drummer Cozy Powell is born
- 1968–Deep Purple play two shows at the Electric Circus in New York City
December 30th
December 31st