February 19 has delivered its fair share of pivotal moments in music history, spanning folk, rock, television crossovers, courtroom drama, and industry milestones.
In 1964, Simon and Garfunkel completed the original acoustic version of “The Sounds of Silence.” Initially recorded in a stripped-down folk style, the track would later be remixed with electric instrumentation, transforming it into one of the defining songs of the 1960s and cementing the duo’s place in pop history.
By 1968, Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers was taking a different route. The British pop frontman stepped into the London stage production of Charlie Girl, beginning a three-and-a-half-year run that demonstrated how artists of the British Invasion era were expanding their careers beyond the recording studio.
Television and music collided again in 1970 when songwriting duo Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart appeared on ABC’s Bewitched. Known for penning hits for The Monkees, the pair’s cameo highlighted the increasingly blurred lines between pop culture mediums at the dawn of the new decade.
The post-Beatles era was still taking shape in 1971 when Paul McCartney released “Another Day” in the United Kingdom. The single became an early indicator that McCartney’s songwriting momentum would continue well beyond the band that defined a generation.
In 1974, Dick Clark introduced the American Music Awards, offering a fan-driven alternative to industry-voted ceremonies. That same year, KISS made their television debut on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, bringing their flamboyant costumes and hard-driving sound to a national audience. It was a major step in the band’s rapid rise to arena stardom.
Not all February 19 headlines were celebratory. In 1976, Rich Stevens of Tower of Power was arrested in connection with a fatal incident in San Jose, California. He was later convicted on two counts of murder. The case marked one of the darkest chapters connected to the funk and soul scene of the era.
Tragedy struck the rock world again in 1980 with the death of AC/DC frontman Bon Scott. At just 33 years old, Scott’s passing in London shocked fans worldwide and forced the band to regroup during a critical moment in its career.
Legal history was also made on this date in 1981, when George Harrison was ordered to pay $587,000 to ABKCO Music after a court ruled that his hit “My Sweet Lord” subconsciously plagiarized “He’s So Fine” by The Chiffons. The ruling became one of the most cited cases involving copyright and popular music.
By 1985, Mick Jagger was charting his own path, releasing his first solo album, She’s The Boss, in the United States. The project signaled creative independence from The Rolling Stones and showcased another dimension of the legendary frontman’s career.
From groundbreaking recordings and award show debuts to sobering losses and courtroom precedents, February 19 stands as a vivid snapshot of how music history unfolds in triumph and turbulence alike.