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- Aretha Franklin's “A Natural Woman” jumped from No. 70 to No. 38 on the chart.
- Cass Elliot of The Mamas & the Papas spent the night in a London jail after being accused of stealing from a hotel. The charges were dropped the following day; the incident led to the cancellation of a television appearance and concert performance and, according to some reports, may have been an excuse to question her about a known suspected drug trafficker.
- Jackie Wilson's “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” reached No. 1 on the R&B chart.
- Pink Floyd performed at the Victoria Rooms in Bristol, England.
- The Association's song “Never My Love” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. By the end of 1999, BMI listed it as the second-most-played song of the 20th century, with more than seven million radio plays.
- The Beatles rejected a $1 million (£625,000) offer from concert promoter Sid Bernstein to return to New York's Shea Stadium. Bernstein, who had originally brought the group to Shea Stadium in August 1965, made the offer after they had ended their concert career. The Beatles instead focused on studio work rather than returning to the stage.
- R&B singer Toni Braxton was born in Severn, Maryland. In 1996, she had the US No. 1 and UK No. 2 hit “Un-Break My Heart.”
- Jose Feliciano performed a controversial, slow, jazz- and blues-influenced version of the US national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Game 5 of the World Series between the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals in Detroit. His long and unconventional performance generated thousands of complaints and led some radio stations to stop playing his music. Tigers pitcher Mickey Lolich complained that he had to warm up his arm again because of the lengthy performance.
- Thom Yorke, English musician, singer, and principal songwriter of Radiohead, was born in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England.
- The Youngbloods received a gold certification for their version of “Get Together.” The song was written by Chet Powers (Dino Valenti) following the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963; before The Youngbloods, it had been recorded by the Kingston Trio, We Five, and Jefferson Airplane.
- The Rolling Stones performed at the Grugahalle in Essen, Germany.
- Fairport Convention performed at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.
- Motown Records released 13-year-old Michael Jackson's first solo single, “Got to Be There,” launching his solo career alongside his work with the Jackson 5. The song became an international hit, reaching No. 1 on the Cashbox chart, No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 5 in the UK.
- The Allman Brothers Band headlined at Santa Fe Downs in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The opening acts were Cowboy and Cheech and Chong.
- The Moody Blues performed at St. Louis Arena in St. Louis.
- David Bowie performed at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.
- James Brown was in his fourth week at No. 1 on the R&B chart with “Get On The Good Foot.”
- Mac Davis was in his third week at No. 1 on the US chart with “Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me.”
- Michael Jackson was approaching his first solo No. 1 hit with “Ben.”
- Three Dog Night reached No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart with “Black & White.”
- Barry Manilow released the first single of his career, “Mandy.”
- Elvis Presley performed at 8:30 p.m. at Levitt Arena at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas, before an audience of 10,000. He wore the Mad Tiger Suit and performed an extensive repertoire ranging from “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” “See See Rider,” “I Got A Woman/Amen,” “Love Me,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “The Wonder Of You,” “Big Boss Man,” “Fever,” “If You Love Me,” “Love Me Tender,” “Hound Dog,” “Lawdy Miss Clawdy,” “All Shook Up,” “Teddy Bear/Don’t Be Cruel,” “Why Me Lord,” “Let Me Be There,” “When It’s My Time,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Hawaiian Wedding Song,” and “Polk Salad Annie” to “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
- Neil Sedaka released the single “Laughter in the Rain.” The song later became a major hit for him and reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1975.
- Rick Wakeman performed at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.
- Veronique Sanson played her first concert in Paris.
- Gary Wright performed at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.
- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit overturned John Lennon's deportation order. The court ruled that his 1968 British conviction for marijuana possession did not provide sufficient legal grounds for his deportation. The decision also rejected selective deportation based on secret political motives.
- Dennis Edwards announced his departure from The Temptations; four years later, he returned to the group and contributed to the successful album Power.
- American soul singer and songwriter Taylor Hicks was born. In 2006, he won American Idol, and his single “Do I Make You Proud” reached No. 1 in the US.
- The Who performed at the Sports Arena in San Diego. Mother's Finest was the opening act.
- Aerosmith performed at Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
- The album From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee received a gold certification from the RIAA.
- Steve Hackett left Genesis to pursue a solo career.
- The Grateful Dead performed at University Arena, also known as “The Pit,” at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.
- English singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer, and television personality Alesha Dixon was born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. She became famous as a member of the R&B and garage group Mis-Teeq.
- Dire Straits released their self-titled debut album. It was initially more successful in the UK and Australia, later gaining ground in the US, where the single “Sultans of Swing” reached the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100.
- The soundtrack to the film musical Grease began a 13-week run at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart on October 7, 1978. The album remained at the top of the UK chart for a total of 13 weeks.
- Billboard reported that Marvin Gaye had filed for personal bankruptcy and bankruptcy protection for his company Right On Productions twice during the year. His financial problems were connected to heavy debts, tax liabilities, and his divorce settlement with Anna Gordy.
- Merle Haggard married his third wife, Leona Williams, a country singer and member of his backing band. The marriage lasted until 1983.
- The Rolling Stones were both hosts and musical guests on the premiere episode of Season 4 of Saturday Night Live on NBC, where they performed “Beast of Burden.” A month later, the song reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Toto released their first single, “Hold The Line,” which became a hit.
- Factory Records released English post-punk band Joy Division's debut single “Transmission,” backed with “Novelty.” The single was released on October 7, 1979.
- Van Halen performed at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
- Dusty Springfield performed publicly on stage for the first time in eight years, at the Grand Finale club in New York.