On this day in rock history, Gram Parsons passed away. The enormously influential country-rock innovator, who was a member of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, died of a drug overdose in a hotel room in Joshua Tree National Park, Calif. He was 26.

Max Weinberg and Roy Bittan made their debuts as members of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. Sid Bernstein, who promoted the Beatles' first concerts in the U.S., offered the Fab Four an astonishing $230 million to reunite. Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Crosby, Stills & Nash and more played the first 'No Nukes' show at Madison Square Garden. Two years later, Simon & Garfunkel had their famous reunion concert in Central Park.

Dee Snider of Twisted Sister testified before a Senate committee on the subject of music censorship. The hearing was the result of a group of influential Washington, D.C., wives, under the name of the "Parents Music Resource Center." They had created a list of the "Filthy Fifteen" songs that they felt contained objectionable lyrics. Eventually, record companies began voluntarily putting "Parental Advisory" labels on records that dealt with adult subject material.

Neil Young's third record, After the Gold Rush, was released in 1970, as was the soundtrack to the movie Performance, which starred Mick Jagger and featured his first solo song, "Memo From Turner.' Linda Ronstadt put out her third No. 1 album, Living in the USA. Lenny Kravitz was introduced to the world via the classic-rock-and-soul-influenced Let Love Rule, and Down also debuted with NOLA.

Watch an exciting recap of many of the day’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:
Gram Parsons dies (1973)
Max Weinberg and Roy Bittain play their first E Street Band show (1974)
Sid Bernstein offers the Beatles $230 million to reunite (1976)
The first 'No Nukes' concert (1979)
Simon and Garfunkel reunite in Central Park (1981)
Dee Snider testifies before the Senate (1985)

Album Anniversaries:
Neil Young, After the Gold Rush (1970)
Performance, Original Soundtrack (1970)
Linda Ronstadt, Living in the USA (1978)
Lenny Kravitz, Let Love Rule (1989)
Down, NOLA (1995)

See Twisted Sister and Other Rockers in the Top 100 Albums of the '80s

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