• Meters: Cissy Strut, the opening track of their self-titled debut album, released in 1960. The Meters (1969)
• Wray, Link: While recording his 1958 hit single Rumble, Link Wray takes a pen and punches holes in the tweeters of his amp to get a combination of distortion and tremolo never before heard on an electric guitar. Rumble! – Best of (1993)
• Gainsbourg, Serge: Je T’aime… Moi Non Plus tops the UK charts, October 1969. Initials S.G. (2003)
• Aphex Twin: The release of Didgeridoo in 1993. Richard D. James (1996)
• Motorhead: Lemmy and co accidentally invent thrash/speed metal while recording the title track of their second album with ex-Stones producer Jimmy Miller – released in February 1979. Overkill (1979)
• Pixies: The release of Doolittle, April 1989. Doolittle (1989)
• Flaming Lips: Race for the prize from 1999 breakthrough The Soft Bulletin. The Soft Bulletin (1999)
• Nick Cave: The release of The Birthday Party’s Mutiny! EP, November 1983. From Her to Eternity (1984)
• White Stripes: Their ‘secret’ gig at The Dirty Water Club, North London, on August 7, 2001. White Blood Cells (2003)
• Walker, Scott: Scott sings My Death on The Billy Cotton Band Show, 1967. The path to legendary recluse status began here. Five Easy Pieces Box Set (2003)
• Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band: Frownland, the opening track of Trout Mask Replica, released November 1969. Trout Mask Replica (1969)
• Dr. John: Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya, the opening track of the Gris-Gris album, released in 1968. Gris-Gris (1968)
• Jansch, Bert: Local record shop employee Bill Leader sets up a Revox tape recorder at 5 North Villas, Camden, North London, to record a budding new guitarist, September 1964. Bert Jansch (1966)
• Fall: This Nation’s Saving Grace takes the world’s most underground group over ground for the first time, October 1985. This Nation’s Saving Grace (1985)
• Dr. Dre: The Chronic makes Death Row and G-Funk the masters of hip hop and the world, December 1992. The Chronic (1992)
• Parsons, Gram: Al Perkins’ pedal steel riff slides into Gram’s cracked vocal intro on Return of the Grievous Angel, released January 1974. Grievous Angel (1974)
• King, BB: The release of Live at the Regal, July 1965. B. B. King Wails (2003)
• Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: Déjà vu, title track on side two of CSNY’s first studio LP – released March 23, 1970. Déjà vu (1970)
• Redding, Otis: The heartrending chorus of Try a Little Tenderness, delivered to ‘the love crowd’ during a rainy set at the Monterey Pop Festival – June 1967. Complete & Unbelievable: the Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul (1966)
• U2: U2 perform Bad at Live Aid – July 13, 1985. The Unforgettable Fire (1984)
• Shadows: Topping the British charts with Apache – July, 1960. 50 Golden Greats (2000)
• Eno, Brian: Eno foists background ambient music on the ‘masses’ with the release of Another Green World, September 1975. Another Green World (1975)
• Muddy Waters: The single I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man, recorded January 7, 1954. His Best 1947-1955 (1997)
• Jam: Going Underground, the band’s tenth single goes to Number One, March 22, 1980. Snap! (1983)
• Perry, Lee ‘Scratch’: Late 1973, Perry’s Black Ark studio opened for business. The Congos – Heart of the Congos (1977)
• Smith, Patti: The unveiling of the exceptionally attired debut album, Horses, December 1975. Horses (1975)
• Cale, John: The March 1973 release of Paris 1919, ushering in a new darkly literate vocabulary for string-laden MOR balladry. Paris 1919 (1972)
• Cream: The US Top 5 single, Sunshine of Your Love, first available on the Disraeli Gears album, released in November 1967. Disraeli Gears (1967)
• Cohen, Leonard: The release of Songs of Leonard Cohen, February 1968. Mojo Presents An Introduction to… (2003) (Now that’s a nice subjective choice!! - Ed)
• Costello, Elvis: Oliver’s Army enters the UK charts at Number 2 – February 10, 1979. Armed Forces (1979)
• Fairport Convention: The band play their first date at Joe Boyd’s UFO Club, Covent Garden – May 1967. Liege & Lief (1969)
• Gabriel, Peter: Launching the Real World label – 1989. Peter Gabriel 3 (1980)
• Creedence Clearwater Revival: The opening swamp pop riff of Proud Mary – released January 1969. Bayou Country (1969)
• Coltrane, John: November 2, 1961 at the Village Vanguard, New York City. The saxophone visionary performs a loose, spiralling, 15-minute blues solo later dubbed Chasin’ the Trane. Chasin’ the Trane – the Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings (1997)
• Abba: August 1976, Dancing Queen takes Scandinavian pop to the world. Arrival (1976)
• Mitchell, Joni: The release of Ladies of the Canyon, May 1970. Blue (1971)
• Isley Brothers: On their second T-Neck album, Brother, Brother, Brother, the bi-generational expanded Isleys line-up spreads its wings – June 1972. Brother, Brother, Brother (1972)
• Run DMC: Walk This Way recorded – March 9, 1986. Raising Hell (1986)
• Osbourne, Ozzy: Osbournes TV series – 2002. Diary of a Madman (1981)
• Can: The February 1972 release of Tago Mago shows a generation of listeners just how far far-out could go. Tago Mago (1971)
• Parliament/Funkadelic: 1968, the Parliaments record label, Revilot, folds and Motown buys out Golden World, George Clinton’s recording/publishing company, tying up the group’s name in litigation. Funkadelic (1970)
• Waits, Tom: He stops Levi’s using Heartattack & Vine in a TV ad, December 1995. Heartattack and Vine (1980)
• AC/DC: The release of Back in Black, July 1980. Back in Black (1980)
• Bolan, Marc: Glam is born when a glitter-spattered Bolan fronts his new electric T.Rex on Top Of the Pops – March 25, 1971. Essential Collection (2002)
• Buckley, Jeff: The release of his debut album Grace – August 1994. Grace (1994)
• Cooke, Sam: Second secular single, You Send Me, released – September 1957. Portrait of a Legend (2003)
• R.E.M.: The release of Everybody Hurts, April 1993. Automatic for the People (1992)
• Love: The UK release of Forever Changes, February 1968. Forever Changes (2001 reissue with bonus tracks)
• Stone Roses: The band release their debut album, April 1989. Very Best of (2002)
• Temptations: May 1966, Norman Whitfield unlocks the soul power of David Ruffin’s tenor. Gettin’ Ready (1966)
• Kraftwerk: Kraftwerk play Autobahn on BBC TV’s Tomorrow’s World, September 25, 1975. Autobahn (1974)
• Springsteen, Bruce: The day The Rising knocked Toby Keith off the top of the American album chart – August 7, 2002. The Rising (2002)
• Christian, Charlie: Christian auditions for the Benny Goodman Sextet with a melodic version of Rose Room on August 16, 1939. Genius of the Electric Guitar/Rose Room (1939)
• Black Sabbath: The opening track of their self-titled debut album, fittingly released on February 13, 1970. Black Sabbath (1970)
• Small Faces: The release of Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake – June 1968. Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake (1968)
• Charles, Ray: The I’ve Got a Woman single, cut in an Atlanta radio station studio on November 19, 1954. At Newport (1958)
• Specials: The group’s eponymous debut LP released – October 1979. The Specials (1979)
• Bush, Kate: “Out on the wiley, windy, moors…” Bush’s eponymous debut LP released – October 1979. Hounds of Love (1985)
• Kuti, Fela: Fela and Ginger Baker introduce rock audiences to African music – summer 1971. Fela Ransome-Kuti and Africa 70 with Ginger Baker Live! (1972)
• My Bloody Valentine: Belinda Butcher’s arrival in the band, November 1987. Isn’t Anything (1988)