This Day in Rock History: October 25
On this day in rock history, The Rolling Stones appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, and Led Zeppelin performed for the first time under their legendary name. These are just…
On this day in rock history, The Rolling Stones appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, and Led Zeppelin performed for the first time under their legendary name. These are just some of the major rock-related events that happened on Oct. 25 over the years.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Two of the biggest names in rock celebrated major career milestones on this day:
- 1964: The Rolling Stones made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show shortly after arriving in New York City to start their second North American tour. They performed "Around And Around" and "Time Is On My Side," taking a major step toward establishing themselves in the United States.
- 1968: Led Zeppelin performed for the first time under this name at the University of Surrey in Guildford, England. This concert followed their Scandinavian tour the previous month, where they played as "The New Yardbirds." The Who's drummer, Keith Moon, is said to have inspired the name Led Zeppelin, reportedly commenting that the group would go down like a lead balloon.
Cultural Milestones
While the music is obviously the main attraction, rock's stories and characters are almost as interesting. Significant rock events on Oct. 25 included:
- 1944: Yes co-founder, singer, and songwriter, Jon Anderson, was born in Accrington, Lancashire, England. He formed the band in 1968 and created a unique style that blended multiple genres, including rock, blues, pop, and jazz.
- 1947: Glenn Tipton, lead guitarist for Judas Priest, was born in Blackheath, England. He joined the band in 1974 and is the second-longest serving member after bass player Ian Hill.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Oct. 25 witnessed some electric performances throughout the years, as well as the founding of one of the biggest and most influential heavy metal festivals in history:
- 1996: The inaugural Ozzfest took place at the Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavilion in Phoenix, Arizona. The event, founded by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, was a success and launched the annual festival, which ran almost every year until 2018.
- 2009: U2 played in front of 97,014 people at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, as part of the band's U2 360 Tour, which set a record for a US performance attendance for a single headline act. The show was live-streamed over the internet and was later released via Blu-ray and DVD.
From The Stones introducing themselves to the American public to Ozzy and his wife Sharon creating one of the biggest metal festivals ever, plenty of things happened on Oct. 25 in the rock world. Visit us again to discover more important events in rock music history.
