1969 in music
Appearance
See also: 1968 in music, other events of 1969, 1970 in music and the list of 'years in music'.
Events
- January 18 - Pete Best wins his defamation lawsuit against the Beatles. Best had originally sought $8 million, but ended up being awarded much less.
- January 30 - The Beatles perform for the last time in public, on the roof of Apple Studios at 3 Saville Row, in London. The performance, which was filmed for the Let It Be movie, is stopped early by police after neighbors complain about the noise.
- February 3 - John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr hire Allen Klein as the Beatles' new business manager, against the wishes of Paul McCartney.
- February 4 - Paul McCartney hires the law firm of Eastman & Eastman, Linda Eastman's father's law firm, as general legal counsel for Apple.
- February 7 - George Harrison is admitted to London's University College Hospital with an infected back molar that has infected his tonsils.
- February 8 - George Harrison's tonsils are removed at London's University College Hospital.
- February 15 - Vickie Jones is arrested for impersonating Aretha Franklin in a concert performance. Jones' impersonation was so convincing that nobody in the audience asked for a refund.
- March 12 - The 11th Grammy Awards are presented
- March 12 - Paul McCartney marries Linda Eastman
- August 9 - Sharon Tate & the LaBiancas are found murdered by Charles Manson & "family"
- August 15-17 - The Woodstock Music and Art Festival was held at Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, near Woodstock, New York. Performers included Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Joan Baez, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Jefferson Airplane and Sly and the Family Stone.
- November 8 - Simon and Garfunkel, on tour for the first time with a band, give live concert in Carbondale, Illinois, presumably at Southern Illinois University. The concert is not released until 1999 as part of a recording compiled by Head Records, called Village Vanguard.
- November 11 - Simon and Garfunkel give live concert at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The recording is later released in the 1990s as Back To College on Yellow Dog Records and A Time Of Innocence on Bell Bottom Records.
- November 30 - Simon and Garfunkel air TV special Songs Of America, ostensibly an hour-long show that is anti-war and anti-poverty featuring live footage from their 1969 tour.
- November - Simon and Garfunkel give live concert in Ames, Iowa, presumably at Iowa State University, where they record track "Bye, Bye Love" for their upcoming album, Bridge Over Troubled Water.
- Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash perform together on The Johnny Cash Show.
- A Rolling Stones fan is killed at the group's Altamont, California, concert by members of the Hell's Angels.
- Diana Ross leaves the Supremes for a solo career
- Cream breaks up, and Blind Faith is formed
- David Bowie's musical career begins with the single "Space Oddity", the unofficial anthem for the moon landing in August of this year
- Brian Eno's musical career begins as a member of Cardew's Scratch Orchestra
- Jim Croce's musical career begins
- Roberta Flack's musical career begins
- Mott the Hoople's musical career begins
- King Crimson's musical career begins
- Bonnie Raitt's musical career begins
- John Denver's musical career begins
- Alice Cooper's musical career begins
- The Jackson 5's musical career begins
- Rod Stewart's leaves Faces for a solo career
- The Doobie Brothers form
Albums Released
- I Say a Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin
- 20/20 - The Beach Boys
- Abbey Road - The Beatles
- Yellow Submarine - The Beatles
- Odessa - The Bee Gees
- Blind Faith - Blind Faith
- Blood Sweat & Tears - Blood, Sweat & Tears
- Nashville Skyline - Bob Dylan
- Soul Shakedown - Bob Marley & the Wailers (debut)
- Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde - The Byrds
- Ballad of Easy Rider - The Byrds
- Caetano Veloso - Caetano Veloso
- Three in the Attic - Chad & Jeremy
- Chicago Transit Authority - Chicago (debut)
- Surround Yourself with Cilla - Cilla Black
- Goodbye - Cream
- Crosby, Stills & Nash - Crosby, Stills & Nash
- Man of Words/Man of Music - David Bowie (debut; later re-released as Space Oddity)
- This Is - Desmond Dekker
- Barabajagal - Donovan
- The Soft Parade - The Doors
- Empty Sky - Elton John
- What We Did on Our Holidays - Fairport Convention
- Unhalfbricking - Fairport Convention
- English Rose - Fleetwood Mac
- And Then Play On - Fleetwood Mac
- From Genesis to Revelation - Genesis
- Gilberto Gil - Gilberto Gil
- Aoxomoxoa - The Grateful Dead
- Live/Dead - The Grateful Dead
- Hollies Sing Dylan - The Hollies
- Hollies Sing Hollies - The Hollies
- He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother - The Hollies
- Words and Music by Bob Dylan - The Hollies
- The Young Mods' Forgotten Story - The Impressions
- It's Our Thing - The Isley Brothers
- Live at Yankee Stadium - The Isley Brothers
- The Brothers: Isley - The Isley Brothers
- Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 - Jackson 5
- Get Down to It - James Brown
- Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud - James Brown
- It's a Mother - James Brown
- The Popcorn - James Brown
- I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! - Janis Joplin (solo debut)
- Bless Its Pointed Little Head - Jefferson Airplane
- Volunteers - Jefferson Airplane
- Stand Up - Jethro Tull
- David's Album - Joan Baez
- Rhymes and Reason - John Denver (debut)
- Johnny Cash - Johnny Cash
- The Holy Land - Johnny Cash
- More Old Golden Throat - Johnny Cash
- Jackson - Johnny Cash
- At San Quentin - Johnny Cash
- Hello, I'm Johnny Cash - Johnny Cash
- Grand Canyon Suite - Johnny Cash
- Clouds - Joni Mitchell
- In the Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson (debut)
- Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire - The Kinks
- New York Tendaberry - Laura Nyro
- Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
- M.P.G. - Marvin Gaye
- Easy - Marvin Gaye
- Same Train, Different Time - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
- Pride in What I Am - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
- Okie from Muskogee - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
- The Instrumental Sounds of Merle Haggard's Strangers - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
- Bitches Brew - Miles Davis
- Moby Grape '69 - Moby Grape
- Truly Fine Citizen - Moby Grape
- Instant Replay - The Monkees
- Present the Monkees - The Monkees
- To Our Children's Children's Children - The Moody Blues
- On the Threshold of a Dream - The Moody Blues
- Mott the Hoople - Mott the Hoople (debut)
- Brother Red's Travelling Salvation Show - Neil Diamond
- Touching You, Touching Me - Neil Diamond
- The Nice - The Nice
- Ornette at 12 - Ornette Coleman
- Love Man - Otis Redding
- Rehearsals for Retirement - Phil Ochs
- Ummagumma - Pink Floyd
- More - Pink Floyd
- A Salty Dog - Procol Harum
- I'm All Yours-Baby! - Ray Charles
- Doing His Thing - Ray Charles
- Let It Bleed - The Rolling Stones
- Four in Blue - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
- My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
- The Stooges - The Stooges (debut)
- My Brother the Wind, Vol. 1 - Sun Ra
- My Brother the Wind, Vol. 2 - Sun Ra
- As I Am - The Troggs
- Trogglomania - The Troggs
- Turtle Soup - The Turtles
- The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground
- Country Folk - Waylon Jennings
- Just to Satisfy You - Waylon Jennings
- Waylon Jennings - Waylon Jennings
- Tommy - The Who
- My Own Peculiar Way - Willie Nelson
- Yes - Yes (debut)
- Elephant Mountain - The Youngbloods
Top Hits
- "The Boxer" - Simon and Garfunkel
- "Pinball Wizard" - The Who
- "Honky Tonk Women" - Rolling Stones
- "Come Together" - The Beatles
- "Something" - The Beatles
- "Get Back" - The Beatles
- "The Ballad of John and Yoko" - The Beatles
- "Sophisticated Cissy" - The Meters
- "Love Child" - Diana Ross & the Supremes
- "Someday We'll Be Together" - Diana Ross & the Supremes
- "Cissy Strut" - The Meters
- "Someday We'll Be Together" - Diana Ross & the Supremes
- "Touch Me" - The Doors
- "Cloud Nine" - The Temptations
- "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" - Crosby, Stills & Nash
- "Get Together" - Youngbloods
- "Proud Mary" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
- "Whole Lotta Love" - Led Zeppelin
- "Aquarius"/"Let The Sunshine In" - Fifth Dimension
- "My Cherie Amour" - Stevie Wonder
Births
- January 5 - Marilyn Manson
- January 14 - Dave Grohl, Nirvana, Foo Fighters
- February 5 - Bobby Brown
- March 11 - Pete Droge
- May 20 - Susan Cowsill, The Cowsills, Continental Drifters
- May 24 - Rich Robinson, The Black Crowes
- May 29 - Chandler Kinchla, Blues Traveler
- August 29 - Me'Shell NdegeOcello
- September 5 - Dweezil Zappa, son of Frank Zappa
- October 3 - Gwen Stefani, No Doubt
- October 9 - P.J. Harvey
- October 16 - Wendy Wilson, Wilson Phillips
- November 19 - Travis McNabb, Better Than Ezra
- November 29 - Jon Knight, New Kids on The Block
- December 26 - Peter Klett, Candlebox