Jagger and Richards meet on the platform at Dartford
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards met on Platform Two of Dartford railway station, Jagger carrying Chuck Berry's Rockin' at the Hops and The Best of Muddy Waters, per Ultimate Classic Rock.
Richards invited him round for tea to hear the records, and the Rolling Stones took their name the next year from a song on the Muddy Waters album, the clip below being Mannish Boy by Muddy Waters.
1969 in 1960s music: the full year guide
Led Zeppelin play two sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall
Led Zeppelin played two shows at Carnegie Hall in New York City, at 8:30pm and at midnight, per the Carnegie Hall archives.
It put a heavy rock band on one of the most formal stages in America, and the clip below is Communication Breakdown, a track from their 1969 debut album.
1968 in 1960s music: the full year guide
The Beatles finish their 24-hour White Album assembly session
The Beatles ended their only 24-hour session at 5pm, a marathon that began at 5pm the day before to mix, edit and cut crossfades for the White Album, per the Beatles Bible.
Why Don't We Do It in the Road? was the last song to need a mix before the master tape was assembled, and the clip below is that track.
1967 in 1960s music: the full year guide
Hair opens off-Broadway at the Public Theater
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, with book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot, opened at Joseph Papp's Public Theater in New York, per Wikipedia.
It was the first production at the Public Theater's new year-round space and reached Broadway in April 1968, and the clip below is the 5th Dimension's Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In, the Hair medley.
1965 in 1960s music: the full year guide
The Rolling Stones close their autumn tour at the Granada in Tooting
The Rolling Stones played two shows at the Granada Theatre in Tooting, London, the last date of their second British tour of 1965, which ran from September 24 to October 17, per Wikipedia.
The Stones had played Cambridge and Northampton on the two nights before, covered on our October 15 and October 16 pages, and the clip below is (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, their biggest hit of 1965.
The Animals perform Work Song on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Animals performed Work Song on The Ed Sullivan Show, broadcast from CBS Television City in Hollywood, per the CTVA episode guide.
It was one of six appearances by the group on the show between 1964 and 1966, per the Ed Sullivan Show site, and the clip below is the Animals' Work Song on The Ed Sullivan Show.
1964 in 1960s music: the full year guide
Buck Owens hits No. 1 on the country chart with I Don't Care
Buck Owens' I Don't Care (Just As Long As You Love Me) reached No. 1 on the Billboard country chart on October 17, 1964, per Wikipedia.
It was his fourth country No. 1 and spent six weeks on top, and the clip below is Act Naturally, another Buck Owens record from the Bakersfield sound in 1960s country.
The Rolling Stones release 12 X 5 in the US
London Records issued 12 X 5, the second American album by the Rolling Stones, per Wikipedia.
It spread songs from the Five by Five EP across an album with seven new recordings, giving 12 songs by five musicians, and the clip below is Time Is on My Side.
Manfred Mann hit No. 1 with Do Wah Diddy Diddy
Do Wah Diddy Diddy by Manfred Mann reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated October 17, 1964, per Wikipedia.
It spent two weeks on top in the US after two weeks at No. 1 in the UK, and the clip below is the record, a British Invasion chart-topper.
1963 in 1960s music: the full year guide
The Beatles record I Want to Hold Your Hand at Abbey Road
The Beatles recorded I Want to Hold Your Hand in Studio Two at EMI Studios in 17 takes, alongside This Boy, per the Beatles Bible.
It was the first Beatles song recorded on four-track equipment and became their first US No. 1, and the clip below is the finished single.
The Rolling Stones play the Odeon in Glasgow
The Rolling Stones played the Odeon Theatre in Glasgow on their first British tour, which ran from September 29 to November 3, 1963, per Wikipedia.
The package was headlined by the Everly Brothers and Bo Diddley, and the clip below is a BBC Saturday Club performance of Come On recorded later that month.
1962 in 1960s music: the full year guide
The Beatles make their TV debut on People and Places
The Beatles appeared on Granada's People and Places, broadcast live from Manchester between 6.35pm and 7pm to the north and north-west of England, per the Beatles Bible.
They played Some Other Guy and their new single Love Me Do, released in the UK twelve days earlier, and the clip below is Love Me Do.
1961 in 1960s music: the full year guide
Jagger and Richards meet on the platform at Dartford
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards met on Platform Two of Dartford railway station, Jagger carrying Chuck Berry's Rockin' at the Hops and The Best of Muddy Waters, per Ultimate Classic Rock.
Richards invited him round for tea to hear the records, and the Rolling Stones took their name the next year from a song on the Muddy Waters album, the clip below being Mannish Boy by Muddy Waters.
1960 in 1960s music: the full year guide
The Drifters hit No. 1 with Save the Last Dance for Me
The Drifters' Save the Last Dance for Me reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated October 17, 1960, per the Wikipedia list of 1960 number ones.
Written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman with Ben E. King on lead vocal, it spent three weeks on top, and the clip below is the record, a landmark of early R&B.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in 1960s music on October 17?
October 17 saw 13 verified music events across the decade, including Mick Jagger and Keith Richards meeting at Dartford station in 1961, the Beatles' television debut in 1962, and Led Zeppelin at Carnegie Hall in 1969.
When did Mick Jagger and Keith Richards meet at Dartford station?
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards met on Platform Two of Dartford railway station on October 17, 1961, when Richards noticed the Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters LPs Jagger was carrying.
When did the Beatles first appear on television?
The Beatles made their television debut on October 17, 1962, on Granada's People and Places, performing Some Other Guy and Love Me Do live from Manchester.
When did the Beatles record I Want to Hold Your Hand?
The Beatles recorded I Want to Hold Your Hand in Studio Two at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, on October 17, 1963, in 17 takes, their first song recorded on four-track equipment.
When did Manfred Mann hit No. 1 with Do Wah Diddy Diddy?
Do Wah Diddy Diddy reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated October 17, 1964, and stayed there for two weeks.
When did Led Zeppelin play Carnegie Hall?
Led Zeppelin played two shows at Carnegie Hall in New York City on October 17, 1969, at 8:30pm and at midnight.