Rock and Metal history, a day like today June 24

1964: The Beatles played the first of two nights at Auckland Town Hall, New Zealand.

1966: After holding a press conference aboard a yacht in New York City, The Rolling Stones kicked off their fifth North American tour at the Manning Bowl, Lynn, Massachusetts, with support acts The McCoys and The Standells.

- Janis Joplin performed for the first time as lead singer for Big Brother & the Holding Company at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco, California.

1967: The Monkees went to No.1 on the US album charts with 'Headquarters' the group's third chart topper.

-Jefferson Airplane hit US chart with White Rabbit.

1968: The Doors released the single "Hello, I Love You".

1969: Led Zeppelin recorded 'Whole Lotta Love', 'What Is And What Should Never Be', 'Travelling Riverside Blues' and 'Communication Breakdown' for BBC Radio 1 at Maida Vale Studios, London. The session was broadcast on 29th June 1969.

1974: Lynyrd Skynyrd released the single "Sweet Home Alabama".

1978: Genesis, Jefferson Starship, Jeff Beck, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Devo, Brand X and The Atlanta Rhythm Section all appeared at Knebworth Park, England, tickets cost £6 ($10).

-Rolling Stones enter UK chart with the LP "Some Girls".

1984: In Dortmund, Germany, Yes are joined onstage by Jimmy Page, who joins in on a rendition of the Beatles’ “I’m Down.”

1989: Cinderella had their hit single, Coming Home, ranked at #20, on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. The song is featured on Cinderella’s second studio album from 1988: Long Cold Winter.

1996: Opeth released their second studio album "Morningrise". It was released on June 24, 1996 in Europe by Candlelight Records and on June 24, 1997 in the United States by Century BlackMorningrise was recorded during March and April 1996 at Unisound in Örebro.Åkerfeldt said that the head of Candlelight went on holiday to Bath, England, and "he actually walked on the bridge or whatever it is". Later, he sent Åkerfeldt a postcard with a color version of the same picture that appears on the cover. The picture is of a Palladianbridge, located in Prior Park.All lyrics written by Mikael Åkerfeldt except "Eternal Soul Torture" (lyrics: David Isberg), all music composed by Åkerfeldt and Peter Lindgren.

1997: Motley Crue released their seventh studio album " Generation Swine" .The album marks the return of lead singer Vince Neil following his last appearance on 1989's Dr. Feelgood and the last album to include drummer Tommy Lee until his return for their 2005 album Red, White & Crüe.To promote the album, Skeleteens Beverages in Pasadena, California created a soft drink for the band called, "Motley Brue." The drink came in bottles which featured the new, "Pig logo" and consisted of large amounts of blue #1 which turned everything blue. The intentions were to have people that drank the soft drink urinate green fluid. Mötley Crüe helped design the bottles that featured lyrics from Generation Swine songs on the reverse of each label.

2008: MotleyCrue released their ninth and final studio album "Saints Of Los Angeles".It marks the first full length studio album with the band's original lineup since 1997'sGeneration Swine, following the return of long-time drummer Tommy Lee.Saints of Los Angeles debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard album charts, selling about 100,000 copies in its first week of release. The first single, "Saints of Los Angeles", was released on April 11 and started airing on radio stations on April 15, 2008. The song was given further promotion through the music video game Rock Band, being released as downloadable content on the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store on the same day.

2010: Jojo Billingsley died in Cullman after a battle with cancer at the age of 58 . In December 1975, she was hired, along with Cassie Gaines and Leslie Hawkins, to be a backup singer for Lynyrd Skynyrd. The group's leader Ronnie Van Zant dubbed them "The Honkettes".

2011: Sepultura released their twelfth studio album "Kairos".Sold over 2,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release[25] and topped the CMJ Loud Rock chart for three weeks. The album charted in Germany,Austria and Switzerland. The band toured Europe, U.S.A, Canada and Brazil for the Kairos World Tour.The song "Mask" is a downloadable content in the 2012 video game Twisted Metal.

2013: Queensrÿche released their fourteenth studio album "Queensrÿche".The first to feature new singer Todd La Torre. It was released during a time when there were two different versions of the band, the other led by former singer Geoff Tate, who would give up his rights to the name in an amicable settlement in 2014.Queensrÿche is the first self-titled album in the band's history of over 30 years

2014: Mastodon released their sixth studio album "Once More 'Round The Sun" . On April 17, 2014, Mastodon released the album's first single, titled "High Road".On June 16, 2014 the album was made available for streaming on iTunes. The album sold around 34,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart, making it the band's second consecutive top 10 debut after their previous album, The Hunter, peaking at No.10 after opening with 39,000 copies in 2011.Oakland-based artist Skinner, who characterizes his work as "psychedelic nightmare paintings," created the album's artwork.

2015: Abysmal, from Detroit’s The Black Dahlia Murder, is ranked at #1, on the U.S. iTunes Top 100 Heavy Metal Albums Chart.

2016: WhiteChapel released their sixth album "Mark Of The Blade".According to a press release, the new record "remains true to the band's roots while venturing into previously unexplored territory, both sonically and lyrically.Reunited with producer Mark Lewis, WHITECHAPEL has redefined who they are and what they are capable of with "Mark Of The Blade".

"Mark Of The Blade" track listing:

01. The Void 02. Mark of the Blade 03. Elitist Ones 04. Bring Me Home 05. Tremors 06. A Killing Industry 07. Tormented 08. Brotherhood 09. Dwell in the Shadows 10. Venomous 11. Decennium

Born on this day

1944: Arthur Brown, UK singer, (1968 UK No.1 and US No.12 single 'Fire', with The Crazy world of Arthur Brown).

1944: Jeff Beck, guitarist. Beck worked with Screaming Lord Sutch before replacing Eric Clapton in The Yardbirds. As a solo artist, he released the 1967 single 'Hi-Ho Silver Lining', before forming The Jeff Beck Group, which featured Rod Stewart. His 1975 album Blow By Blow was produced by George Martin and set a new standard of jazz-rock fusion music. Beck had previously formed Beck, Bogart and Appice with Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice, and later recorded with The Honeydrippers, (alongside Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and Nile Rodgers), who had the 1984 US No.3 single Sea Of Love.

1947: Mick Fleetwood, Fleetwood Mac and great drummer, was born in Redruth, Cornwall, England.

1949: John Illsley, bass, Dire Straits, (1985 US No.1 single 'Money For Nothing', 1986 UK No.2 single 'Walk Of Life', 1985 world wide No.1 album 'Brothers In Arms').

1967: Richard Zven Kruspe, lead guitarist of the German rock band Rammstein.