On this day in rock history the most famous, culture-shifting gathering the genre has ever known took place – the original Woodstock festival.

Not only that, on this date in 1965 the Beatles played their first show at Shea Stadium. Ten years later Peter Gabriel climbed up Solsbury Hill and decided to say goodbye to Genesis, and in 1991 Paul Simon proved he could pack Central Park without that other guy standing next to him on stage.

That's a pretty busy day, right? And we haven't even gotten into all the great albums that were released on this date over the years – a list that includes but isn't limited to AC/DC's Flick of the Switch, Rod Stewart's Atlantic Crossing, the Cars' Panorama and Cheap Trick's Next Position Please.

Pretty gosh-darn good day, if we do say so ourselves. Watch an exciting recap of many of today's biggest rock anniversaries above, narrated by our radio host Zach Martin. And learn more about these important events by clicking the links below.

News Anniversaries:
The Beatles play their first Shea Stadium show (1965)
The first Woodstock festival begins (1969)
Peter Gabriel leaves Genesis (1975)
Paul Simon plays Central Park (1991)

Album Anniversaries:
Rod Stewart, Atlantic Crossing (1975)
The Cars, Panorama (1980)
AC/DC, Flick of the Switch (1983)
Stray Cats, Rant N' Rave with the Stray Cats (1983)
Cheap Trick, Next Position Please (1983)
Dio, Sacred Heart (1985)
Brian Wilson, I Just Wasn't Made for These Times (1995)

The Top 100 Rock Albums of the '80s

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