This Day in Rock History: August 24

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1956: Elvis Presley recorded his famous ballad “Love Me Tender,” part of the soundtrack for the 20th Century Fox movie of the same name. It reached the top spot of the Billboard singles chart later that year and stayed there for five weeks.
• 1966: The Doors began working on their self-titled debut studio album. It featured timeless hits such as “Break on Through (To the Other Side),” “Light My Fire,” and “The End” and is widely recognized as one of the best albums of all time.
• 1975: Queen started recording their masterpiece, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” at Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire, Wales. Radio stations were initially hesitant to play it due to the track being almost six minutes long, but it went on to reach No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart by Christmas of that year. It got to No. 1 again 15 years later, as it was rereleased following Freddie Mercury's death. It became the first song to get to No. 1 in the U.K. on two different occasions.

Cultural Milestones

• 1981: Mark Chapman, John Lennon's killer, was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. He had fatally shot the former Beatle on Dec. 8 of the previous year, as Lennon was returning to his Manhattan apartment alongside his wife, Yoko Ono.
• 2021: Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts died in London aged 80. He joined the band in 1963 and never missed a single show throughout his career, with his final stage performance being on Aug. 30, 2019.