This Day in Rock History: March 29
March 29 is an important day in rock history. Today, we celebrate Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin breaking records, Jeff Beck releasing his first solo record, and much more. Stick…
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March 29 is an important day in rock history. Today, we celebrate Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin breaking records, Jeff Beck releasing his first solo record, and much more. Stick around to find out more about these, and about all other notable events that took place on this day in rock history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Some of the most consequential breakthrough moments and milestones we remember today include:
- 1975: Led Zeppelin achieved the historic milestone of having no less than six of their albums in the US Billboard Top 100 at the same time. This happened after the release of Physical Graffiti, with the other albums featured in the chart being Led Zeppelin I, II, III, IV, and Houses of the Holy.
- 1980: Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon became the longest-charting album in US Billboard album chart history, with a total of 303 weeks. It stayed on the chart much longer than that, being there for 741 non-consecutive weeks until 1988.
- 1986: Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus" reached the top spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and stayed there for three weeks. It was the first German-language song to top the US charts.
Cultural Milestones
Today's rock culture milestones include:
- 1947: Original Toto frontman Bobby Kimball was born in Orange, Texas. He joined the band in the mid-1970s and fronted them until 1984, and again from 1998 to 2008.
- 1959: Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell was born in Queens, New York. They rose to fame in the 1990s Los Angeles music scene and sold over seven million records in the US alone, before officially calling it quits in late 2025.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Some of the most noteworthy recordings of the day include:
- 1967: The Beatles recorded "With a Little Help from My Friends" at EMI Studios. Featuring Ringo Starr on main vocals, the song was included on the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album.
- 1974: King Crimson released their sixth studio album, Starless and Bible Black, via Island Records in the UK and Atlantic Records in the US. It was mostly recorded live by the band in the studio, featuring many improvised parts.
- 1975: Jeff Beck released his first solo album, Blow by Blow, through Epic Records. It's his highest-charting album, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard album charts and being certified Platinum in the US for selling over a million copies.
- 1982: Scorpions released their eighth studio album, Blackout, on Harvest and EMI Records. It went Platinum in the States, and it's considered to be one of the most influential metal albums of all time.
These are the most notable rock-related events that happened on March 29 throughout the years, with huge names like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and the Beatles stealing the headlines. Join us again tomorrow as we explore what happened on that day in rock history.
Dan TeodorescuWriter
