It’s January 17th and here are some reasons why this day matters in rock history:

In 1981, Motley Crue formed when bassist Nikki Sixx left the band London and began rehearsing with drummer Tommy Lee and vocalist Greg Leon, who later left. Sixx and Lee then added guitarist Bob “Mick Mars” Deal. Vince Neil accepted an offer to join too.

In 1964, The Rolling Stones released their first EP. The set included “You Better Move On,” “Poison Ivy,” “Bye Bye Johnny” and “Money.”

In 2001, bassist Jason Newsted left Metallica after playing with the band for a decade.

In 2003, a long-lost recording featuring John Lennon and Mick Jagger went up for bids at a London auction. The acetate record was cut in 1974 with Mick singing the blues song “Too Many Cooks” and Lennon playing guitar. It had never been released because the artists were on different labels. It sold for about 23-hundred dollars.

In 1976, Barry Manilow had his second number one song with “I Write the Songs.” Beach Boy Bruce Johnson penned the tune.

In 1998, Australian duo Savage Garden started a two week-run at number one on the singles chart with “Truly Madly Deeply.”

And in 2005, Tenacious D brought some of their famous rocker friends to a benefit for the victims of the tsunami in Asia. At a concert in LA, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighter Dave Grohl, Beck and Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme all performed and then hung around for a show-closing jam with the D.

And that’s what happened today in rock history.

(H/T This Day in Music)

Greg Kretschmar