December 17: What Happened On This Day In Rock History

You’d be surprised how much rock history lands on December 17. It’s a day packed with firsts, farewells, and a few headline-making controversies, from the debut of a Beatles track on American airwaves to the loss of a New Wave icon. It’s also a date that delivered major reunions, legal resolutions, and chart-topping milestones for names like Rod Stewart, Liam Gallagher, and The Four Seasons.

Here’s What Happened In Rock Music on December 17

2021 – Rod Stewart and his son Sean pleaded guilty to battery in an assault case stemming from a New Year's Eve 2019 altercation with a security guard in Palm Beach, Florida. Neither was sentenced to jail time or probation.

2015 – A London judge expressed concern over the massive legal fees in the divorce case between Liam Gallagher of Oasis and his ex-wife Nicole Appleton, where the pair had spent over £800,000.

2015 – Cleveland's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame announced that Deep Purple, Chicago, Cheap Trick and Steve Miller would be inducted at their ceremony the following April.

2010 – Sir Paul McCartney performed an intimate lunchtime gig at the 100 Club on London's Oxford Street, his smallest UK gig in nearly 10 years, in support of the historic music venue threatened with closure.

2010 – Captain Beefheart (Don Glen Vliet), the American musician, singer-songwriter, artist, and poet, died aged 69 from complications from multiple sclerosis.

2009 – John Lennon's son Julian stated that he had finally forgiven his late father for walking out on him as a child, letting go of his "anger and bitterness."

2006 – English saxophonist Denis Payton died. He was a member of the Dave Clark Five, who had the 1964 UK No. 1 single "Glad All Over."

2005 – U2 had the top-grossing tour of 2005, according to Billboard, with their sell-out 90-date Vertigo tour grossing $260 million.

2004 – Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley agreed to sell 85% of his estate to businessman Robert Sillerman in a deal worth $100 million.

1999 – The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards decided to keep a guitar he was asked to autograph outside his birthday party in New York City. The owner decided not to press charges, simply saying, "It's Keith, man."

1995 – A statue of the late Frank Zappa was unveiled in Vilnius, the capital of the Republic Of Lithuania.

1994 – A remixed version of The Four Seasons' "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" re-entered the US Hot 100, establishing a record for the longest total chart appearance in US chart history after combining with its original 1976 run.

1986 – The Doobie Brothers reunited for a benefit in Palo Alto, California, inspiring a reunion tour the next year.

1986 – Paul McCartney's limo caught fire en route to a TV taping in Newcastle, England. Both he and his wife Linda escaped unharmed.

1983 – Culture Club, Duran Duran, and The Police all appeared on the children's UK TV show Saturday Superstore.

1982 – Karen Carpenter made her last live appearance with The Carpenters at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California.

1979 – Paul McCartney And Wings played the Glasgow Apollo, where they recorded a live version of "Coming Up," which would later top the Billboard chart in America.

1977 – George Harrison played an unannounced live set for the regulars at his local pub in Henley-On-Thames in the UK.

1977 – Elvis Costello appeared on NBC-TV's Saturday Night Live and performed "Radio, Radio" after being explicitly told not to by producer Lorne Michaels, leading to him being banned from the show.

1973 – Slade were at No. 1 on the UK singles chart with "Merry Xmas Everybody," their sixth chart topper.

1971 – David Bowie released his fourth album Hunky Dory, which was the first to feature all the members of the band that would become known as Ziggy Stardust's Spiders From Mars.

1970 – The Beach Boys played a command performance for Princess Margaret at London's Royal Albert Hall.

1969 – Chicago Transit Authority's self-titled debut album was awarded a Gold Record by the R.I.A.A.

1968 – The Who played their Xmas party at The Marquee Club London. Also on the bill was a new group called Yes.

1966 – The Royal Guardsmen's "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart, eventually peaking at No. 2 and selling over three million copies.

1963 – James Carroll at WWDC in Washington, DC, became the first disc jockey to broadcast a Beatles record on American radio, playing "I Want to Hold Your Hand."

1962 – Bob Dylan arrived in England for the first time; he played his first UK date the following night at the Troubadour Club in London.

1960 – Returning from Hamburg, The Beatles appeared at the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool. Chas Newby joined on bass guitar for what would be only two weeks before Paul McCartney permanently took over the position.

1954 – Bill Haley And His Comets put the first Rock and Roll song on the UK singles chart with "Rock Around The Clock."

Born on this day in music: December 17

• 1989 – Taylor York of Paramore (Guitarist)
• 1978 – Neil Christopher of Three Days Grace (Drummer)
• 1970 – DJ Homicide of Sugar Ray (DJ)
• 1969 – Micky Quinn of Supergrass (Bassist)
• 1964 – Ginger Wildheart of The Wildhearts (Guitarist / Singer / Songwriter)
• 1959 – Bob Stinson of The Replacements (Guitarist)
• 1958 – Mike Mills of R.E.M. (Bassist)
• 1950 – Carlton Barrett of The Wailers (Drummer)
• 1949 – Paul Rodgers of Free and Bad Company (Singer / Guitarist)
• 1947 – Jim Hodder of Steely Dan (Drummer)
• 1938 – Carlo Little of an early version of The Rolling Stones (Drummer)
• 1936 – Tommy Steele (English entertainer, regarded as Britain's first rock and roll star)

December 17: On This Day In Rock History

December 17 is a date that encapsulates the high stakes of the rock world, from the massive financial power of U2's record-breaking tour and Elvis Presley's estate sale to the intense personal and legal battles faced by figures like Liam Gallagher and Rod Stewart. It is also a day for the establishment of long-lasting legacies, marked by the US radio debut of The Beatles and the passing of the avant-garde pioneer Captain Beefheart.