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Start of Timeline
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Beetles Break up :(
The beetles break up, however all 4 members continued to constantly evolve the rock industry with successful solo careers -
Jimi Hendrix Death
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Janis Joplin Death
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Jim Morrison Death
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Declination of Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music declines, but heads towards hard rock and heavy metal. -
Car Cassette Tape Players
Car cassette tape players blew up in popularity as music was now readily available while driving -
Bob Dylan releases hit album: Blood on the tracks
Songwriter Bob Dylan releases his 15th studio album Blood On The Tracks and reaches #1 in the US. -
John Lennon takes the spotlight!
When Elton John's rendition of The Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" achieves #1 in the US and #10 in the UK in January, John Lennon joins him onstage at Madison Square Garden in New York in December. -
End of the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War, which lasted from 1955 to 1975, ended with the fall of Saigon and the unification of Vietnam under communist rule. -
Hot Chocolate - "Sexy Thing"
London, England soul and funk band Hot Chocolate hit #2 UK, #3 US with their single "You Sexy Thing" -
Punk Rock Blows up!
Punk rock emerges in both the US and UK. Paul McCartney performs in the US for the first time since leaving the Beatles in 1966 as he tours the US with Wings. -
Saturday Night Fever - #1
The Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack is #1 in the US from January through June, becoming the best selling soundtrack album ever. -
Rap enters the chart!
The US hard core punk rock scene grows. Rap music makes the US charts. As punk rocks popularity declines in the UK, the so-called New Wave of British Heavy Metal begins -
80's Begin
John Lennon is shot to death by a fan in 1980 just as he was coming back into the public eye with a new album. MTV (Music Television) is launched on 300 U.S. cable TV systems in 1981. MTV plays music videos 24 hours a day and provides daily rock news clips. By 1983 MTV is available on 2,000 cable systems. VH1 is launched in 1984 with a more classic rock format.
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Synth sounds!
Synthpop emerges with success for UK acts including Soft Cell, Human League and others. -
Moon Walk!
Michael Jackson unveils the moonwalk dance move on the Motown 25th Anniversary TV Special. MTV music video plays drive sales of singles and heavily influence radio play. -
Chernobyl Disaster
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster in Ukraine was one of the worst nuclear accidents in history, causing widespread environmental and health impacts. -
Janet Jackson and Bobby Brown
Janet Jackson and Bobby Brown continue to drive the growth of New Jack Swing, which merges hip hop with R&B. -
90's Begins!
In the 90's Hip-Hop continues to expand in influence and grow in diversity. With huge growth in sales, radio airplay and overall success for artists like NWA, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, Salt n' Pepa, Ice T, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Tupac Shakur, Cypress Hill and many others. -
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The Gulf War
The Gulf War was triggered by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. A coalition led by the United States intervened, leading to the liberation of Kuwait in 1991. -
Electronic sales data!
Electronic sales data from Nielsen Soundscan is used for the first time to compile the Billboard charts. -
Nirvana hits the charts!
Seattle grunge band Nirvana top the charts with their album Nevermind. -
Rwanda Genocide
The genocide in Rwanda resulted in the mass killings of hundreds of thousands of people, mainly Tutsis, by Hutu extremists. It was a tragic humanitarian crisis that highlighted international challenges in preventing genocide and mass atrocities. -
Female artists hit the stage
1997 is a massive year for female artists, both on the charts and in concert tours. Sarah MacLachlan founds the Lilith Fair tour featuring all female artists. -
Elton John's comeback!
Elton John's remake of his own song "Candle In The Wind" becomes the biggest selling single ever... -
Ozzy Osbourne tours!
Ozzy Osbourne launches the first Ozzfest Tour. -
Y2K
The worry of Y2K emerges leaving many terrified of what will happen to computers as the year moves to 2000. -
End of Timeline