This Day in Rock History: December 11

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1961: The soundtrack for Elvis Presley's Blue Hawaii movie reached No. 1 on Billboard's album chart, where it spent a total of 20 weeks. It was his seventh No. 1 album and stayed in the top 10 for an additional 19 weeks.
• 1968: The Rolling Stones began filming for their movie, The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. Many fellow musicians, including Eric Clapton, Taj Mahal, John Lennon, and The Who, also performed in it, but it was not released until many years later, as The Rolling Stones considered their own performance subpar.

Cultural Milestones

• 1958: Mötley Crüe bass player Nikki Sixx was born in San Jose, California. He cofounded the band in 1981 with Tommy Lee and remained the only constant member throughout the years, as others either left permanently or temporarily.
• 1964: Sam Cooke, one of the most influential soul musicians of all time, passed away at 33. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice, as a solo artist and as part of the Soul Stirrers band.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1970: John Lennon released his first solo album after leaving The Beatles, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, under Apple Records. It received mixed reviews from critics at the time but later gained more appreciation.
• 1972: Genesis played their first-ever show on American soil, at Cholmondeley's Coffeehouse at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. The performance was a warm-up for their show at New York City's Philharmonic Hall.