1969 in music
At a Rolling Stones concert in Altamont, California, a fan was stabbed to death by Hells Angels, a biker gang that had been hired to provide security for the event.
In retrospect, some commentators have concluded that the violence signaled the end of the "hippie" movement, which espoused an ethos of free love and peace.
The 1967 musical Hair, originally performed off-Broadway, had generated an album and multiple chart hits in successive years, such as "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" and "Good Morning Starshine".
[4] US and UK pop music remained popular worldwide, with few European acts making the charts outside their home countries; exceptions included Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg, Shocking Blue, Georges Moustaki, Aphrodite's Child and Christian Anders.
The remainder of the album, Man of Words/Man of Music, was too eccentric for mainstream acceptance, though it established Bowie as a major performer and songwriter.
Similar albums by The Moody Blues, Procol Harum and The Nice, as well as Genesis, Yes and Pink Floyd, were also released this year, expanding the range of prog rock and developing it into a full-fledged genre.
Johnny Cash's At San Quentin included his first Top Ten pop hit, "A Boy Named Sue".
Starting with Bayou Country, including the US number 2 hit "Proud Mary", and continuing with Green River and finally Willy and the Poor Boys, which, during the year, transformed them from an up-and-coming underground act to bona fide rock stars.
The pair's fusion of bossa nova, samba and other native Brazilian folk influences, melded with politically and socially aware lyrics, kickstarted what came to be known as Tropicalia.
Elvis Presley returned to live performances at the International Hotel in Las Vegas; breaking all attendance records in his 57-concert run.
In the case of a two-sided hit single, both sides were listed in the recaps based on the individual strength on the weekly chart.
The chart can be sorted by Artist, Song title, Recording and Release dates, Cashbox year-end ranking (CB) or units sold (sales) by clicking on the column header.
