October 7

 

Heartland rock's working-class poet John Mellencamp celebrates his 74th birthday today, the Indiana rocker who evolved from "John Cougar" to become one of America's most authentic voices with songs like "Jack & Diane" and "Small Town" that captured Midwest life…

 

Justice finally arrived for a Beatle today in 1975 when the US Court of Appeals overturned the longstanding deportation order against John Lennon and approved his green card application, ending years of political persecution and allowing him to stay in his adopted New York home…

 

Art-rock's experimental spirit Kevin Godley was born today in 1945, the 10cc multi-instrumentalist whose creative contributions helped craft the band's sophisticated pop before his pioneering work in music video production redefined the medium in the MTV era…

 

Alternative rock's brooding genius Thom Yorke turns 57 today, the Radiohead frontman whose anxious vocals and experimental vision have made the band one of rock's most artistically ambitious acts from "Creep" through their electronic explorations…

 

Pub rock met literary storytelling today in 1978 when Dire Straits released their eponymous debut album, introducing Mark Knopfler's distinctive fingerpicking guitar style and narrative songwriting with "Sultans of Swing" that would make them one of the 1980s' biggest bands.