The Animals hit No. 1 with House of the Rising Sun
The Billboard Hot 100 dated September 5, 1964 put the Animals' House of the Rising Sun at No. 1 in America, where it held for three weeks after already topping the UK chart in July.
It became the first British Invasion No. 1 with no connection to the Beatles, a breakthrough that helped push folk rock toward the electric sound Bob Dylan would embrace within the year.
Josh White dies during heart surgery
Blues and folk singer Josh White died on the operating table at North Shore Hospital in Manhasset, New York, during an attempt to replace his heart valves after years of declining heart health.
White had bridged blues, folk, and the Greenwich Village revival for three decades, becoming one of the first Black artists to perform regularly at the White House, per Encyclopedia.com.
Dweezil Zappa is born
Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa, known as Dweezil, was born in Los Angeles to Frank and Gail Zappa.
His father had just wrapped the basic tracking sessions for Hot Rats that August, the instrumental album arriving a month later as Frank Zappa's first solo release.
The Doors make their Top of the Pops debut
The Doors appeared on the BBC's Top of the Pops for the first time, miming their way through Hello, I Love You on their first visit to the UK.
The single was already No. 1 in America and climbing fast in Britain, giving the psychedelic rock band a rare UK television spot.
The Beatles begin recording I Am the Walrus
The Beatles taped the backing track for John Lennon's I Am the Walrus at Abbey Road in 16 takes, a session running from 7pm to 1am, per The Beatles Bible.
Recorded days after manager Brian Epstein's death, it became one of the band's most psychedelic and experimental tracks, finished later that month with an orchestra and choir.
John Lennon flies to Germany for How I Won the War
John Lennon flew to Hanover, West Germany, to begin filming Richard Lester's How I Won the War, playing Private Gripweed in his only major non-Beatles acting role, per The Beatles Bible.
His ceremonial head-shave for the part happened the next morning, giving Lennon the short-haired, round-glasses look he kept for years after, while Revolver, finished a month earlier, kept climbing the charts back home.
The Animals hit No. 1 with House of the Rising Sun
The Billboard Hot 100 dated September 5, 1964 put the Animals' House of the Rising Sun at No. 1 in America, where it held for three weeks after already topping the UK chart in July.
It became the first British Invasion No. 1 with no connection to the Beatles, a breakthrough that helped push folk rock toward the electric sound Bob Dylan would embrace within the year.
The Rolling Stones open their 4th British Tour
The Rolling Stones opened their fourth British tour with two shows at the Finsbury Park Astoria in London, running through mid-October, per Wikipedia.
The tour came at the peak of the band's early British fame, a year before their own US chart-topping breakthrough, with It's All Over Now, their first UK No. 1 from that June, still the song fans wanted to hear.
The Beatles play the Gaumont Cinema in Taunton
The Beatles made their second and final appearance at Taunton's Gaumont Cinema, part of four consecutive shows promoted by John Smith, per The Beatles Bible.
She Loves You, the single they'd released two weeks earlier, was already climbing to No. 1 as the band worked the regional cinema circuit.
The Beatles play an evening set at the Cavern Club
A lunchtime Cavern Club booking was switched to the evening after the Beatles' second EMI recording session in London, where they'd cut Love Me Do with Ringo Starr the day before, left their return time uncertain, but they made it back to Liverpool in time, per The Beatles Bible.
Sound technician Gordon Butler used three microphones instead of one to capture the show, and performances of Some Other Guy and Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey survive from that recording.
The Beach Boys record Little Girl (You're My Miss America)
The surf rock band the Beach Boys cut Little Girl (You're My Miss America) at their second Capitol Records session, a track that gave Dennis Wilson his first lead vocal, per Wikipedia.
The song landed on Surfin' Safari, the album that launched the band's run as the sound of the surf rock era.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in 1960s music on September 5?
September 5 saw 10 verified music events across the decade.
They're headlined by the Animals reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with House of the Rising Sun in 1964.
What is the biggest 1960s music event on September 5?
The Animals hitting No. 1 with House of the Rising Sun on September 5, 1964, stands as the day's biggest event.
It was the first British Invasion No. 1 with no connection to the Beatles.
Did the Beatles do anything on September 5?
Yes, in three different years.
The Beatles played an evening Cavern Club set in 1962, played the Gaumont Cinema in Taunton in 1963, and began recording I Am the Walrus in 1967.
What songs hit number one on September 5 in the 1960s?
The Animals' House of the Rising Sun reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 5, 1964.
It stayed at the top for three weeks.
Who died on September 5 with a connection to 1960s music?
Blues and folk singer Josh White died on September 5, 1969, during heart valve surgery in Manhasset, New York.
Did the Rolling Stones do anything on September 5?
Yes. On September 5, 1964, the Rolling Stones opened their fourth British tour with two shows at the Finsbury Park Astoria in London.