Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" is released in America, where it would become their highest charting single, reaching #8. If you listen carefully, you can hear Ronnie Van Zant shout "Turn it up", asking producer Al Kooper and engineer Rodney Mills to turn up the volume in his headphones so that he could hear the track better.

Jefferson Starship's LP "Red Octopus" was released. The album, marking the return of singer Marty Balin, went to number one in the US and became the band's biggest seller, eventually being certified 2X Platinum

English singer Robert Palmer releases the single, "Simply Irresistible", which will peak at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It would also win a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at next year's ceremony. In the UK, the record was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Single, even though it had only risen to #44 on the Official UK chart.

"Hot Fun In The Summertime" by Sly And The Family Stone is released by Epic Records. It would peak at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, kept out of the top spot by "I Can't Get Next to You" by The Temptations. The song would later be ranked by Rolling Stone at #247 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The three day Newport '69 Festival starts in Northridge, California. 150,000 people attend to hear Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, CCR, Ike And Tina Turner, Jethro Tull, The Rascals, Steppenwolf and others. Hendrix receives $125,000 for his appearance. At the time it was the highest fee ever paid to a Rock act for a single performance.

Carole King saw her "Tapestry" album hit number one in the US for the first of fifteen consecutive weeks. The LP contained such classic tracks as "It's Too Late" (#1), "I Feel the Earth Move" (#1), "So Far Away" (#14), "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?", "You've Got a Friend" (#1) and "Smackwater Jack" (#14). The Grammy Award winning disc was listed at #25 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2020

Songwhip: The Charlie Daniels Band - Long Haired Country Boy

Fleetwood Mac score their only Billboard number one hit with "Dreams", which made #24 in the UK. Over the next dozen years, they would reach the US Top 40 thirteen more times.

Rod Stewart sets an attendance record at Wembley Stadium in London when 83,000 fans attend his concert. The record would stand until 2009, when U2 drew 88,000 on their 360 tour.

Bob Dylan finishes recording "Like A Rolling Stone" at Columbia Studios in New York City. A young session musician named Al Kooper played the now iconic organ riff for which the track is known for. At 6:13 long, the record company was hesitant to release the single, and disc jockey's shied away from playing it, but somehow the record ended up reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 in the UK. Kooper would go on to found Blood, Sweat And Tears, and the guitarist on the track, Mike Bloomfield would later form The Electric Flag.

Jan And Dean’s "Surf City" is released by Liberty Records. The song featured Brian Wilson on backing vocals and would prove to be the duo's only US #1 record. It also charted in the UK, where it reached #26.

Warner Bros. release The Grateful Dead's fourth studio album (and fifth overall), "Workingman's Dead". A single from the LP, "Uncle John's Band" will climb to #69 on the Hot 100 and become one of the Dead's most beloved songs. The album itself would make it to #27 on the Billboard 200 chart, and was certified Platinum on October 13th, 1986.

Vertigo Records releases Uriah Heep's debut studio album, "...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble" in the UK. It will receive generally poor reviews by the mainstream Rock press, with Rolling Stone magazine's Melissa Mills beginning her review by saying, "If this group makes it I'll have to commit suicide. From the first note you know you don't want to hear any more." The LP did manage to reach #186 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The Zombies tape "She's Not There" at their first recording session for Decca Records in West Hampstead, London. The song would reach #2 in the US and #12 in the UK. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at #297 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Donovan becomes the first high-profile Rock star busted for drugs by the newly vigilant London drug squad. The singer and his girlfriend were taken to Marylebone Police Station, booked, fingerprinted, and given a cup of tea. When they were finally released around 4 AM, a police sergeant asked for an autograph for his daughter.

Joe Walsh's comic depiction of Rock stardom, "Life's Been Good", is released. It would become his highest charting solo single, reaching #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Paul McCartney's "Ram" LP goes Gold in the US, where it would reach #2 and spend over five months in the Top Ten, eventually going Platinum. The album topped the chart in the UK.

The Clovers record "Love Potion Number Nine" at Capitol Studios in New York City. The song would rise to #23 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the R&B chart.