One of the most monumental albums in Rock history began to take it's final form on this day in 1973 when Pink Floyd members entered the studio to begin the final work on Dark Side of the Moon. The group had done some preliminary work in 1972 and had already played early versions of some of the songs live, but the Abbey Road sessions that began on January 18 with engineer Alan Parsons brought out a good deal of the sounds that would lead to the release becoming one of the top albums in recording history. All told, the album spent more than 900 weeks on the Billboard Album chart and has sold approximately 50 million copies.
Other Noteworthy Classic Rock events on January 18 include...
1965 The Rolling Stones record The Last Time and Play With Fire.
1973 Rolling Stones do benefit concert for Nicaragua earthquake relief in LA. The concert raises $200,000. Mick Jagger adds $150,000 of his own to the total.
1974 Bad Company forms.
1978 Sex Pistols end US tour, break-up the following day.
1978 Warren Zevon releases Excitable Boy.
1980 Capricorn Records announces bankruptcy.
1983 Bryan Adams releases Cuts Like A Knife.
1984 Van Halen opens its 1984 North American tour in Jacksonville, Florida.
1985 Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia busted in Golden Gate Park. Band gives him an ultimatum about getting his act together.
1989 Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, Dion and the Temptations inducted into Rock Hall Of Fame.
1991 3 killed in rush for general admission AC/DC concert at Salt Palace in Salt Lake City.
1995 Jerry Garcia wrecks his BMW in Mill Valley, CA crash.
1997 Queen reunites for AIDS benefit with Elton John in Paris.
1998 Jimi Hendrix Guitar Festival finals in Seattle judged by Kim Thayil of Soundgarden and Jerry Cantrell form Alice in Chains.
2006 Martin Guitars releases custom Tom Johnston Doobie Brothers model.
2009 Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp perform at a pre-inaugural concert for Barack Obama in front of the Lincoln memorial in Washington, DC.
2011 Gregg Allman releases Low Country Blues.
2011 Pearl Jam releases Live on Ten Legs.
2016 Glenn Frey of the Eagles dies of pneumonia and complications from other ailments.
2016 Don McLean is arrested on domestic violence charge in Maine…
