On this day in rock history, John Lennon gave his first solo performance at the Toronto Rock and Roll Festival. Eric Clapton played lead guitar in the group, which was christened "Plastic Ono Band." They rehearsed a handful of songs on the plane from England.

Elton John played in front of 400,000 people on the Great Lawn in New York's Central Park. The concert became famous as the one in which John performed "Your Song" while dressed as Donald Duck.

Six records hit shelves on Sept. 13. Yes' Close to the Edge, one of the most celebrated albums in progressive rock, was released in 1972. Fleetwood Mac's Heroes Are Hard to Find would be their last before hiring Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Dokken's second album, Tooth and Nail, featured the hits "Into the Fire," "Alone Again" and "Just Got Lucky."

Animalize, the second album of Kiss' "unmasked" era, came out in 1984, with Paul Stanley taking on a greater role than on previous efforts. New Jersey was Bon Jovi's follow-up to the massively successful Slippery When Wet. Phil Collins' 2010 release, Going Back, was a tribute to his Motown roots.

Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Steve Gaines was born in 1949. Gaines was killed in the 1977 plane crash that claimed the limes of two other band members, including front man Ronnie Van Zant. Former Chicago singer Peter Cetera is also celebrating a birthday today.

Watch an exciting recap of many of the day’s biggest rock anniversaries above, narrated by our radio host Zach Martin. And learn more about these important events by clicking the links below.

News Anniversaries:
John Lennon plays his first solo show (1970)
Elton John performs in Central Park (1980)

Album Anniversaries:
Yes, Close to the Edge (1972)
Fleetwood Mac, Heroes Are Hard to Find (1974)
Dokken, Tooth and Nail (1984)
Kiss, Animalize (1984)
Bon Jovi, New Jersey (1988)
Phil Collins, Going Back (2010)

Birthdays:
Peter Cetera (1944)
Steve Gaines (1949)

Elton John Albums, Ranked Worst to Best

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