Today in Music: a look back at pop music

(Oct. 29)

Today's birthdays include guitarist Denny Laine of Moody Blues and then Wings, who was born in 1944 (age 58); Melba Moore in 1945 (age 57); Peter Green, guitarist with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and then with Fleetwood Mac, in 1946 (age 56); Arnell Carmichael of Raydio, Ray Parker Jr.'s group, in 1952 (age 50); Quiet Riot's Kevin Dubrow in 1955 (age 47); and Randy Jackson in 1961 (age 41).

Today's musical milestones:

In 1957, Buddy Holly's "Oh Boy," with "Not Fade Away" on the flip side, was released.

In 1965, the Rolling Stones song "Get Off Of My Cloud" topped pop music charts in both the United States and the band's native Britain.

In 1966, "96 Tears" by ? (Question Mark) and the Mysterians topped the charts.

In 1971, Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident near Macon, Ga. He was 24.

In 1977, Chic's "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" entered the R&B charts.

In 1983, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" became the longest listed album in the history of the Billboard Top-200 album chart when its number of weeks on the chart reached 491.

In 1984, Wells Kelly, Meat Loaf's drummer, was found dead in London. He'd choked on his own vomit after a party. Kelly was 35.

In 1991, Pink Floyd's David Gilmore, Nick Mason and Steve O'Rourke were injured when their car went off the road in Mexico during the 1740-mile Pan-American auto race.

In 1992, rapper Luther Campbell of 2 Live Crew fame explained that his inviting women onstage at a Japanese concert and having them perform oral sex on him was "art."

In 1998, Cypress Hill kicked off its world tour in Philadelphia in support of the band's new CD "IV (four)."

In 1999, former Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth filed suit against his ex-personal manager in Los Angeles for not shutting down his Web site that was selling Van Halen stuff.

Topping the charts on this date:

Monster Mash - Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt Kickers (1962), I'll be There - The Jackson 5 (1970), Hot Child in the City - Nick Gilder

(1978), True Colors - Cyndi Lauper (1986).

Today's musical quiz:

What part did Meat Loaf play in the film version of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"? Answer: He portrayed Eddie, Dr. Frank 'N Furter's first "creation."