This Week in Rock History: Week of 07/20

**This Week in Rock History (Week of July 20)**

– **1968**
– July 20: Iron Butterfly’s album *In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida* enters the Billboard Top 10, fueled by the 17-minute title track.

– **1969**
– July 20: The Beatles begin recording “Come Together” at Abbey Road Studios in London.

– **1972**
– July 21: Rolling Stones release the single “Happy” from the album *Exile on Main St.*
– July 22: Genesis performs their first concert with drummer Phil Collins in London.

– **1973**
– July 21: Jim Croce’s “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
– July 22: Led Zeppelin plays the final show of their North American tour at Madison Square Garden, later featured in the film *The Song Remains the Same.*

– **1976**
– July 21: Deep Purple announces their official split.

– **1977**
– July 22: Led Zeppelin’s “Presence” album goes platinum in the United States.

– **1979**
– July 21: The Cars’ self-titled debut album peaks at No. 18 on the Billboard 200.

– **1980**
– July 25: AC/DC releases *Back in Black*, the first album with Brian Johnson as lead vocalist.

– **1983**
– July 22: The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” tops the U.S. singles chart for the fifth consecutive week.

– **1986**
– July 22: Genesis releases the single “Invisible Touch,” which becomes their only U.S. No. 1 hit.

– **1987**
– July 21: Guns N’ Roses releases their debut album *Appetite for Destruction*.

– **1990**
– July 21: Roger Waters stages *The Wall – Live in Berlin* in front of the Berlin Wall, drawing a crowd of more than 350,000 people.

– **1993**
– July 20: Pearl Jam releases their second studio album, *Vs.*, on vinyl.

– **1994**
– July 20: Soundgarden releases the single “Black Hole Sun” from the album *Superunknown*.

– **1995**
– July 21: R.E.M. releases “Crush with Eyeliner” as a single from the album *Monster*.

– **1999**
– July 23: Woodstock ‘99 begins in Rome, New York, featuring performances by Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Rage Against the Machine.