On This Date In Music

1972 - Don McLean's 'American Pie' started a four week run at No. 1 in the US singles chart. The song is somewhat of a recounting of "The Day the Music Died" (a term taken from the song) the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper (Jiles Perry Richardson, Jr.), and the aftermath. The song was listed as the No. 5 song on the RIAA project Songs of the Century. The single runs 8:36 and you have to flip the 45 over to hear all of it.

1974 - With '50s nostalgia trending, Happy Days premieres on ABC with "Rock Around The Clock" as its theme song.

1974 - Brownsville Station's "Smokin' In The Boys' Room" is certified Gold.

1977 - The Eagles hit No. 1 on the US album chart with Hotel California the group's third US No. 1 album. In the 2013 documentary History of the Eagles, Don Henley said the song was about "a journey from innocence to experience...that's all".

1977 - Leo Sayer's "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" hits No. 1.

1983 - Phil Collins had his first UK No. 1 single with his version of 'You Can't Hurry Love,' a hit for The Supremes in 1966.