- Jan 2 "Fig Leaves Are Falling" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 4 performances
Event of Interest
Jan 3 John Lennon's "2 Virgins" album declared pornographic in NJ
John Lennon
Album Release
Jan 5 Creedence Clearwater Revival release their second album "Bayou Country", featuring singles "Good Golly, Miss Molly" and "Proud Mary"
Tom Fogerty
- Jan 6 Supremes release "I'm Livin' In Shame"
- Jan 11 "Hooked on a Feeling" by BJ Thomas peaks at #5
- Jan 12 "Golden Rainbow" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 355 performances
- Jan 12 Debut album of Led Zeppelin released first in the US
- Jan 22 "Celebration" opens at Ambassador Theater NYC for 110 performances
- Jan 26 "Red, White, & Maddox" opens at Cort Theater NYC for 41 performances
Event of Interest
Jan 29 Jimi Hendrix and Pete Townshend wage a battle of guitars
Jimi Hendrix
- Jan 30 The Beatles perform their last live gig, a 42 minute concert on the roof of Apple Corps HQ in London
- Feb 3 "Canterbury Tales" opens at Eugene O'Neill Theater NYC for 122 performances
- Feb 4 Beatles appoint Eastman & Eastman, as general cousel to Apple
- Feb 6 Jerry Herman's "Dear World" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 132 performances
- Feb 17 "Cloud Nine" 9th studio album by The Temptations is released (Grammy Award Best Rhythm & Blues Performance by a Duo or Group 1969, Billboard Album of the Year 1969)
- Feb 25 Beatles begin recording Abbey Road album
- Mar 1 "Red, White, & Maddox" closes at Cort Theater NYC after 41 performances
- Mar 1 After 88 weeks the Beatles' album Sgt Pepper's Lonly Hearts Club Band drops off the charts
Event of Interest
Mar 1 Jim Morrison allegedly exposes himself on stage at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami, Florida
Jim Morrison
Event of Interest
Mar 2 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 14th Symphony
Dmitri Shostakovich
Grammy Awards
Mar 12 11th Grammy Awards: "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" by Glen Campbell wins best record
Glen Campbell
- Mar 16 Peter Stone & Sherman Edward's "1776" premieres at 46th St Theater NYC for 1217 performances
- Mar 18 "Come Summer" opens at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC for 7 performances
- Mar 22 "Come Summer" closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC after 7 performances
- Mar 25 John Lennon and Yoko Ono stage their 1st bed-in for peace (Amsterdam)
- Mar 29 14th Eurovision Song Contest: Salome for Spain ("Vivo cantando"), Lulu of United Kingdom ("Boom Bang-a-Bang"), Lenny Kuhr of Netherlands ("De troubadour"), and Frida Boccara of France ("Un jour, un enfant") all win in Madrid
Event of Interest
Mar 31 George Harrison & Patti Boyd are fined £250 each for illegal drugs
George Harrison
Academy Awards
Apr 14 41st Academy Awards: "Oliver", Cliff Robertson & Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand win (1st ever tie for best actress)
Event of Interest
Apr 24 Paul McCartney says there is no truth to rumors he is dead
Paul McCartney
- Apr 26 "Celebration" closes at Ambassador Theater NYC after 110 performances
- Apr 26 "George M!" closes at Palace Theater NYC after 435 performances
- Apr 28 4th Academy of Country Music Awards: Glen Campbell and Cathie Taylor win
- Apr 29 "Trumpets of the Lord" opens at Brooks Atkinson NYC for 7 performances
- May 3 "Trumpets of the Lord" closes at Brooks Atkinson NYC after 7 performances
Event of Interest
May 16 Barbra Streisand appears at a Friars Club Tribute
Barbra Streisand
- May 16 The Who's Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey charged with assault
- May 17 "My Wife, My Dog, My Cat" by Maskman & The Agents hits #92
- May 18 "Canterbury Tales" closes at Eugene O'Neill Theater NYC after 122 performances
- May 23 The Who release rock opera "Tommy"
- May 24 Beatles' "Get Back" single goes #1 & stays #1 for 5 weeks
- May 24 "Sugar, Sugar" single released by The Archies (Billboard Song of the Year 1969)
- May 26 John Lennon and Yoko Ono begin their 2nd bed-in for peace (Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal)
- May 31 "Dear World" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 132 performances
- May 31 "Gitarzan" by Ray Stevens peaks at #8
- May 31 John Lennon and Yoko Ono record "Give Peace a Chance"
Music Single
May 31 Stevie Wonder releases the single "My Cherie Amour" which goes on to become a soul classic
Stevie Wonder
Television Debut
Jun 7 "Johnny Cash Show" debuts on ABC-TV
Johnny Cash
Music Premiere
Jun 7 Supergroup Blind Faith's debut performance in Hyde Park, London, featuring Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Steve Baler and Rick Grech
Eric Clapton
Event of Interest
Jun 8 Brian Jones is asked to leave The Rolling Stones
Charlie Watts
- Jun 8 Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor replaces Brian Jones
- Jun 9 Brian Jones leaves the Rolling Stones after developing a serious drug problem
- Jun 11 "The Ballad Of John & Yoko" by The Beatles hits #1 in UK
- Jun 13 Mick Taylor leaves John Mayall Band and joins The Rolling Stones
TV Show Appearance
Jun 14 John Lennon and Yoko Ono appear on David Frost's British TV Show
Yoko Ono
John Lennon
- Jun 20 200,000 attend Newport '69', then largest-ever pop concert in Northridge, California. Jimi Hendrix gets $120,000 to appear.
- Jun 21 Dmitri Shostakovich's 14th Symphony premieres in Moscow
- Jun 21 Zager & Evans release "In the Year 2525"
Event of Interest
Jun 22 Aretha Franklin arrested in Detroit for creating a disturbance
Aretha Franklin
- Jun 27 50,000 attend Denver Pop Festival
- Jul 1 John Lennon and Yoko Ono are admitted to hospital after a car crash
- Jul 2 Leslie West & Felix Pappalardi form rock group Mountain
- Jul 3 78,000 attend Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, Rhode Island
Event of Interest
Jul 4 140,000 attend Atlanta Pop Festival featuring Led Zep and Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
- Jul 5 Rolling Stones play a free concert in London's Hyde Park
Music Single
Jul 11 David Bowie releases the single "Space Oddity" 9 days before Apollo 11 lands on the moon
David Bowie
- Jul 11 Rolling Stones release "Honky Tonk Woman"
- Jul 22 Aretha Franklin arrested for disturbing the peace in Detroit
- Jul 25 70,000 attend Seattle Pop Festival
- Jul 30 Barbra Streisand opens for Liberace at International Hotel, Las Vegas
- Aug 1 110,000 attend Atlantic City Pop Festival
- Aug 2 Bob Dylan makes surprise appearance at Hibbing HS Minn 10th reunion
- Aug 9 "Zorba" closes at Imperial Theater NYC after 305 performances
Woodstock Music and Art Fair
Aug 15 Woodstock Music & Art Fair opens in New York State on Max Yasgur's Dairy Farm
Learn More >>
- Aug 16 Second day of the Woodstock rock festival in NY
- Aug 18 Woodstock Music & Art Fair closes with Jimi Hendrix / Band of Gypsys as the final act
- Aug 22 Beatles record a video for "Long & Winding Road"
- Aug 30 120,000 attend Texas International Pop Festival
- Aug 30 25,000 attend 2nd Annual Sky River Rock Festival, Tenino Wash
- Aug 31 25,000 attend New Orleans Pop Festival
- Sep 6 "Cabaret" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 1166 performances
- Sep 13 Plastic Ono Band's (John, Yoko & Eric Clapton) 1st live performance
- Sep 20 Virtual band Archies' single "Sugar Sugar" hits #1
- Sep 22 "Music Scene" debuts on ABC-TV
- Sep 23 Northern Star and Illinois Univ newspaper start rumors that Paul McCartney is dead
- Sep 26 The Beatles release "Abbey Road" album
- Oct 9 Supremes release "Someday We'll Be Together"
- Oct 10 "Jesus Christ Superstar" soundtrack album by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice is recorded
Event of Interest
Oct 11 Blues artist Muddy Waters involved in a car crash that kills 3
Muddy Waters
- Oct 15 3rd Country Music Association Award: Johnny Cash & Tammy Wynette wins
Event of Interest
Oct 18 Rod Stewart joins Small Faces
Rod Stewart
- Oct 19 J Bock and S Harnicks musical "Rothschilds" opens at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC for 505 performances
- Oct 22 Paul McCartney denies rumors of his death
- Oct 23 "Jimmy" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 84 performances
- Oct 31 George Harrison's "Something" is released in UK
- Nov 1 The Beatles' "Abbey Road" album goes #1 in US & stays #1 for 11 weeks
- Nov 7 John Lennon and Yoko Ono release their second album "Wedding Album" in UK
- Nov 11 Beatles with Billy Preston release "Get Back" in UK
- Nov 11 Jim Morrison arrested on an airplane by the FBI for drunkeness
- Nov 15 Janis Joplin, accused of vulgar & indicent language in Tampa, Florida
- Nov 25 John Lennon returns OBE to protest against UK's support for Vietnam War
- Nov 29 The Beatles' "Come Together/Something" reaches #1
- Dec 2 "Buck White" opens at George Abbott Theater NYC for 7 performances
- Dec 3 John Lennon is offered role of Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar
- Dec 6 "Buck White" closes at George Abbott Theater NYC after 7 performances
- Dec 6 300,000 attend Altamont free concert in California, featuring The Rolling Stones. Marred by violence and four deaths.
Music Single
Dec 14 "Leaving on a Jet Plane" single sung by Peter, Paul and Mary, written by John Denver is No. 1 on US Billboard's Hot Top 100
Mary Travers
John Denver
- Dec 16 "Hello Dolly" with Barbra Streisand premieres
- Dec 18 "Coco" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 333 performances
- Dec 19 Beatle's 7th Christmas album is released
- Dec 20 Peter, Paul & Mary's "Leaving on a Jet Plane" reaches #1