This Day in Rock History: December 6

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1975: Paul Simon's fourth solo album, Still Crazy After All These Years, reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200. The album generated four U.S. Top 40 hits: "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," "Gone at Last," "My Little Town," and the title track.
• 1986: Swedish rock band Europe reached No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart with their most famous song, "The Final Countdown." It also went to the top of the charts in many European countries, including Sweden, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1968: The Rolling Stones released their seventh studio album, Beggars Banquet, via Decca Records in the U.K. and London Records in the U.S. It was a hit with the critics and achieved Platinum status in the U.S.
• 2005: Korn released their seventh studio album, See You On the Other Side, through Virgin Records. It has sold around 1.2 million copies in the U.S. to date.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1956: Randy Rhoads, Ozzy Osbourne's co-writer and guitar player for his first two solo albums, was born in Santa Monica, California. He sadly passed away in a 1982 plane crash at the age of 25.
• 1988: Roy Orbison died of a heart attack at 52, just two days after performing at the Front Row Theater in Highland Heights, Ohio. He had a successful solo career and was part of the supergroup Traveling Wilburys alongside George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty.