Rock Milestones on June 3 and June 4

June 3 marked several notable moments in rock history, including the Doors’ “Light My Fire” debuting on the Billboard chart, Jethro Tull’s album Aqualung reaching No. 1 on the US Billboard 200, and Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go‑Go” topping the charts. The day also saw the birth of Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople and the Rolling Stones beginning a tour in Vancouver, Canada.

June 4 featured key milestones such as Janis Joplin joining Big Brother & The Holding Company, the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band holding the UK album chart for a record 27 weeks, and Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. selling 15 million copies in the United States. It also marked the opening of Capitol Records’ first West‑Coast office and the release of Metallica’s album Load, signalling a stylistic shift for the band.