This Day in Rock History: October 2

Cultural Milestones

• 1951: Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, also known as Sting, was born in Wallsend, Northumberland, England. He burst onto the scene with his band The Police in 1977 and started a solo career in 1985, managing to sell a combined total of over 100 million albums.
• 2017: Tom Petty died aged 66, after suffering a cardiac arrest a day earlier. The reason was an accidental overdose of the medication he was taking to alleviate hip and knee pain.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1970: Pink Floyd released their fifth studio album, Atom Heart Mother, in the United Kingdom. It was a huge moment in the band's history, as it was their first U.K. No. 1 album and also their first album to feature their signature progressive rock sound.
• 1982: Peter Gabriel returned to play with his former band Genesis for a one-off performance at the Six Of The Best concert at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, England. The band agreed to reunite with Gabriel to help him escape the financial struggles he had at the time after a festival he had co-founded left him in debt.
• 1995: Oasis released their second album, (What's The Story) Morning Glory? by Creation Records. The record catapulted the band to international superstardom thanks to its hits, such as "Wonderwall," "Don't Look Back in Anger," "Some Might Say," and "Champagne Supernova."