Today in rock history: on this date in 1984, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” a charity single released under the name of Band Aid, shot straight to the #1 spot on the British singles chart. Organized by Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof and inspired by the amount of starving children in Ethiopia, Geldof put the project together with Midge Ure of Ultravox who co-wrote the song with him. An array of the hottest pop stars of the day were called in to collaborate and sing individual lines from the song in hopes of making it a major hit and raising funds for Ethiopian relief. Members of Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Bananarama, U2, Culture Club and Wham! (among many others) participated on the track that remained at the No. 1 spot of five weeks and sold almost four million copies in the U.K. alone making it one of the highest-selling singles of all time in that part of the world.

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Today in rock history; Duran Duran’s Rio changes the world

Today In rock history: on this date in 1979, after his death earlier in the year, Sid Vicious’s solo album, Sid Sings was released. Made up mostly of live recordings from New York City’s infamous nightclub Max’s Kansas City, the album captured the ex-Sex Pistol with his own band playing mostly cover versions. The recordings were rough and lo-fi; covers of songs from bands like The Stooges and Johnny Thunders appeared on the record along with Sid’s version of “My Way,” the Paul Anka-penned standard that was popularized by Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. The record was a hit in England; it peaked at No. 30 on British sales charts and served as a reminder of the over the top singer and bassist who passed away at the age of 21 in February 1979.

Today in rock history: on this date in 1967, The Who released its third album, “The Who Sell Out”. Framed as a concept album with songs strung together with fake, made up commercials and jingles appearing in between, the record and the band were lauded for its creativity and its innovation as well as for chief songwriter Pete Townshend’s unmatched wit and skill. Featuring the classic hit single “I Can See For Miles” as well as “Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand,” this fantastic record was positively received by rock journalists and remains one the band’s most imaginative and ingenious works. “I Can See For Miles” was a top 10 single in both America and England and the album performed well in England too where it reached No. 13 on U.K. sales charts.

Today in rock history: on this date in 1978, Marvin Gaye released his fifteenth studio album, the 2-LP set, Here, My Dear. Embattled in a bitter divorce from Anna Gordy Gaye, the sister of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, an agreement was struck as part of the pair’s divorce settlement that Marvin’s ex would receive 50-percent of the royalties of the record. Down and depressed, Gaye’s first instinct was to record a lackluster record due to being entitled to only half of the record’s profits. Instead, Gaye turned out one of the most passionate, personal and moving albums of his career. While reviews for the record were weak upon its release, it’s since been regarded as one of Marvin’s finest works. Featuring singles “A Funky Space Reincarnation” and “Anger,” it’s easy to hear the influence the record and Gaye’s indescribable vocal skills had on future stars like D’Angelo and Maxwell. The album was a moderate success; it reached No. 26 on Billboard’s pop charts but fared better on the R&B charts where it climbed to No. 4.