Born on September 21, 1947, Don Felder became the guitarist whose precision, melodic instincts, and unmistakable tone helped push Eagles into a heavier, more guitar-driven era. Felder joined the band in 1974 and soon became an essential part of its celebrated guitar sound, eventually forming a formidable partnership with Joe Walsh. Felder's defining contribution began with the haunting guitar progression that became "Hotel California", which he co-wrote with Don Henley and Glenn Frey. His legendary closing guitar duel with Walsh remains one of classic rock's most recognizable guitar passages. Felder also co-wrote "Victim of Love" and "Those Shoes" and contributed to landmark albums including One of These Nights, Hotel California, and The Long Run. Active professionally since the 1960s, Felder's playing remains permanently woven into the sound of one of rock's biggest bands.

Born on September 21, 1954, Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor became the ferocious drummer behind the classic lineup of Motörhead. Joining Lemmy Kilmister and "Fast" Eddie Clarke in 1975, Taylor brought a frantic, hard-hitting attack that helped erase the boundaries between heavy metal and punk rock. His drumming powered essential records including Overkill, Bomber, Ace of Spades, and the devastating live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith. The double-bass assault opening "Overkill" became particularly influential, helping inspire generations of thrash and extreme-metal drummers. Taylor served with Motörhead from 1975 to 1984 and again from 1987 to 1992. He died in 2015 at age 61, but the reckless velocity and sheer physical force of his playing remain an essential part of Motörhead's legend.

On September 21, 2004, Green Day released American Idiot, their seventh studio album and the record that launched one of rock's most spectacular career resurgences. After nearly two decades together, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool abandoned a conventional album approach and created an ambitious punk-rock opera centered around disillusionment, identity, media, politics, and life in post-9/11 America. Featuring "American Idiot", "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "Holiday", "Wake Me Up When September Ends", and the nine-minute "Jesus of Suburbia", the album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album. "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" later earned Record of the Year. American Idiot introduced Green Day to an entirely new generation and eventually inspired a Broadway musical, proving that punk's urgency could survive inside something massive, theatrical, and fiercely ambitious. Produced by Rob Cavallo and Green Day.