The Rolling Stones' Waldbühne show ends in a riot
The Rolling Stones managed only a few songs at West Berlin's open-air Waldbühne before fans stormed the stage and the concert broke up after barely twenty minutes, as the tour history records.
Fans then tore the amphitheatre apart and fought police for hours, leaving about 300,000 marks in damage in one of the worst riots of the British Invasion era.
Jim Morrison collapses and the Doors play Amsterdam as a trio
Jim Morrison collapsed backstage at Amsterdam's Concertgebouw after a day of swallowing every pill and lump of hash that fans handed him, as Ultimate Classic Rock recounts.
Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore played the full set as a trio, with Manzarek carrying psychedelic rock staples like Light My Fire on lead vocals.
The Kinks release Something Else by the Kinks
Pye Records released Something Else by the Kinks, the first album Ray Davies produced almost entirely himself, as Wikipedia details.
It closed with Waterloo Sunset, the quiet Thames-side ballad many critics call the finest song Davies ever wrote.
The Beatles film a fish and chips scene in Taunton
The Beatles broke their coach trip in Taunton so all four could be filmed behind the counter of a shop called Smedley's, eating fish and chips for Magical Mystery Tour, as The Beatles Bible logs.
The scene was cut from the finished film, though the crowds it drew still needed police to clear the roads.
The Rolling Stones' Waldbühne show ends in a riot
The Rolling Stones managed only a few songs at West Berlin's open-air Waldbühne before fans stormed the stage and the concert broke up after barely twenty minutes, as the tour history records.
Fans then tore the amphitheatre apart and fought police for hours, leaving about 300,000 marks in damage in one of the worst riots of the British Invasion era.
Stax releases Otis Blue by Otis Redding
Stax released Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul, most of it cut in a single marathon session in Memphis that July, as Wikipedia records.
The record paired Redding songs like I've Been Loving You Too Long with covers of Sam Cooke and the Rolling Stones, and it still tops many lists of the great soul albums.
Ford offers the first factory 8-track car player
Ford became the first carmaker to offer a factory-fitted 8-track tape player, an option on three of its 1966 models, as Best Classic Bands recounts.
Drivers could now pick their own music instead of the radio, and one of those models was the Thunderbird the Beach Boys had made a surf rock icon in Fun, Fun, Fun.
Police halt the Beatles onstage in Cleveland
Police walked onstage and stopped the Beatles in the middle of All My Loving at Cleveland's Public Auditorium when fans broke past the barriers, as The Beatles Bible recounts.
It was the first time a Beatles concert had ever been halted, and the city banned rock shows at the hall for the next two years.
The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing shakes Birmingham
A Ku Klux Klan bomb exploded under the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, on a Sunday morning, killing four girls as they got ready for the service.
The murders drew a fast response from musicians, from John Coltrane's wordless elegy Alabama to the soul and R&B protest records that followed.
The Four Seasons hit number one with Sherry
The Four Seasons scored their first number one when Sherry reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 dated September 15, 1962, as History.com notes.
Bob Gaudio wrote it in about fifteen minutes, and Frankie Valli's falsetto held it at number one for five weeks and launched the group's run of early-1960s pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in 1960s music on September 15?
September 15 produced nine verified music events across the decade, headlined by the riot that wrecked West Berlin's Waldbühne after a short Rolling Stones set in 1965.
The same date saw Stax release Otis Blue, the Kinks release Something Else, police halt the Beatles in Cleveland, and the Four Seasons top the chart with Sherry.
What caused the Rolling Stones' Waldbühne riot in 1965?
The Rolling Stones played only a few songs on September 15, 1965 before fans rushed the stage and the show was stopped.
Frustrated crowds then destroyed much of the Waldbühne amphitheatre and fought police, causing around 300,000 marks in damage.
Why did police stop the Beatles' 1964 Cleveland concert?
Fans broke past the barriers and moved toward the stage during All My Loving, so police ended the show at Cleveland's Public Auditorium until order returned.
It was the first Beatles concert ever halted, and Cleveland barred rock shows at the venue for the next two years.
Did the Doors perform without Jim Morrison?
Yes, on September 15, 1968 Morrison passed out backstage in Amsterdam.
Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore played the full Concertgebouw set as a trio, with Manzarek singing lead.
What was the first car with a built-in 8-track player?
Ford offered a factory-installed 8-track tape player on three 1966 models, the Mustang, Thunderbird and Lincoln, announced on September 15, 1965.
It was the first time a major automaker built the format into its cars.