Where the Seeds of Woodstock Were Sown

Today in Music History: December 28

The spotlight on this day shifts from one specific recording artist to an event that planted the seed for Woodstock. This specific festival drew 100,000 fans over three beautiful winter days, and featured many seminal acts of the time. All genres of music attended to broaden the audience's tastes and introduce new acts. 1968 ended with a roar!

Welcome into the Spotlight...

 1968, Miami Pop Festival

The first major rock festival was held on the East Coast of the US for the nominal fee of seven dollars ($7) a day. The event featured fourteen daily acts on two stages including Chuck Berry, The McCoys, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, Marvin Gaye, The Turtles, The Box Tops, Steppenwolf, Three Dog Night, Pacific Gas and Electric, Procol Harum, Canned Heat, Iron Butterfly and The Grateful Dead.

According to Rolling Stone (February 1, 1969), the festival was "a monumental success in almost every aspect, the first significant -- and truly festive -- international pop festival held on the East Coast." Woodstock, of course, took place in 1969, and Hallandale city officials, horrified by visions of stoned hippies dancing naked at Gulfstream, nixed plans for a second Miami Pop Festival. (Source: Miami Pop Festival)

Relive the Music of the Times...

• No.1 singles on this day...

  
  

  
  

  1961 Danny Williams was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Moon River', the Oscar-winning song was from the film Breakfast At Tiffany's. The Tokens were at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight.'

• 
  

  1974 Helen Reddy went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Angie Baby', the singers third US No.1. The song was turned down by Cher.

• 1980 St Winifred's School Choir were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'There's No One Quite Like Grandma'.

• 1985 Shakin' Stevens was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Merry Christmas Everyone'. The Welsh singers fourth and final UK No.1.

• 1996 The Spice Girls scored their third UK No.1 single with '2 Become 1'. The ballad from their debut album became their first Christmas No.1.
  
  

• No.1 albums on this day...

  
  

  1968 The Beatles went to No.1 on the US album chart with the 'White Album', the group's 12th US No.1 album.
  

  
  

  
  

  2003 50 Cent's debut album, 'Get Rich Or Die Tryin' was named the biggest selling album in the US in 2003 with the album going platinum six times over. Outkast came second with 'Speakerboxxx' / 'The Love Below' and Linkin Park's 'Meteora' was the third biggest seller. The Top 10 albums of 2003 in the USA accounted for around 30 million sales.
  
  

 
2005 Pink Floyd were voted the greatest rock stars ever in a survey of 58,000 listeners from UK radio station Planet Rock. Led Zeppelin were voted into second place, 3rd was The Rolling Stones, 4th The Who, 5th, AC/DC, 6th, U2, 7th, Guns N’ Roses, 8th, Nirvana, 9th, Bon Jovi and in 10th place Jimi Hendrix. Listeners also named the 1970s as the golden age of rock, followed by the 1960’s.

 Pink Floyd in January 1968, from the only known photo-shoot of all five members. 

Clockwise from bottom: Gilmour, Mason, Barrett, Waters, Wright

And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...