This Day in Rock History: April 11

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1964: When "Can't Buy Me Love" topped the Billboard chart, The Beatles made history, setting a record by having 14 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart simultaneously. Only Billboard's change in entry metrics could break this record, which stood for 50 years.
• 1970: The Beatles' song "Let It Be," their final single before breaking up, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it spent two weeks. It also reached the top spot in multiple other countries, but only made it to No. 2 in their native UK.
• 1981: Hall & Oates reached the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 with their song, "Kiss on My List." Written by Darren Hall and Janna Allen, the song spent three consecutive weeks at the top of the chart.
• 2022: The Red Hot Chili Peppers album Unlimited Love debuted at the top of the U.K. albums chart. This was the band's first hit after 2011, when I'm with You was in the No. 1 spot.

Cultural Milestones

• 1967: While on a flight to London from the US, Paul McCartney came up with the idea for the Magical Mystery Tour film. It came out later that year, but it was largely poorly received by both the critics and the general public.
• 1970: Guitarist Peter Green announced that he was leaving Fleetwood Mac and joined a commune in Munich, Germany. He was still under contract to complete the tour, however, so he stayed on until after the final show, on May 20th.
• 1988: Cher proved her acting skills when she received an Academy Award for her performance in Moonstruck. She won the Best Actress Award over other nominees, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, and Sally Kirkland.
• 1991: Guest starring as himself, Ringo Starr appeared on an episode of The Simpsons, a long-running animated series. The episode was called "Brush With Greatness," and it was Ringo's only appearance on the show.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1961: In Greenwich Village, New York, Bob Dylan made his live debut, opening for the legendary John Lee Hooker. He played his first show at Gerde's Folk City, which was a prominent venue for folk music artists.
• 1966: Iconic folk-rock band Buffalo Springfield made their live debut at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California. The lineup included Stephen Stills and Neil Young, who later also worked together as part of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and as the Stills-Young Band duo.
• 1966: Frank Sinatra finished recording "Strangers in the Night," one of the artist's best-known songs. The hit climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard chart, won two GRAMMY Awards, and reached Platinum status with over a million copies sold.
• 1994: Oasis released their debut single, "Supersonic," in the UK. Written by the band's guitarist, Noel Gallagher, the song only peaked at No. 31 on the UK charts but was an early sign of the success that was to come.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1983: Metallica officially fired Dave Mustaine because of his struggles with addiction and aggressive behavior toward band members. He later formed Megadeth, which became a successful heavy metal band.
• 2017: Guitarist and founder of the J. Geils Band, John Warren Geils Jr., died of natural causes at the age of 71. He's best known for his popular '80s hits "Centerfold" and "Freeze Frame."