Music Almanac: May 31
- 1930 - Clint Eastwood (82)
- 1938 - Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul & Mary) (74)
- 1938 - Johnny Paycheck (d. 2003)
- 1940 - Augie Meyers (Sir Douglas Quintet, Texas Tornadoes (72)
- 1947 - Junior Campbell (Marmalade) (65)
- 1948 - John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) (d. 1980)
- 1952 - Karl Bartos (Kraftwerk) (60)
- 1954 - Vicki Sue Robinson (d. 2000)
- 1955 - Tommy Emmanuel (57)
- 1956 - Fritz Hilpert (Kraftwerk) (56)
- 1959 - Danny Pearson (American Music Club) (53)
- 1962 - Corey Hart (50)
- 1963 - Wendy Smith (Prefab Sprouts) (49)
- 1964 - Darryl "D.M.C." Daniels (Run-D.M.C.) (48)
- 1964 - Scotti Hill (Skid Row) (48)
- 1965 - Steve White (Style Council) (47)
- 1977 - Scott Klopfenstein (Reel Big Fish) (35)
- 1980 - Andy Hurley (Fall Out Boy) (32)
- 1977 - Lloyd Perryman (Sons of the Pioneers) (60)
- 1996 - Elsbeary Hobbs (Drifters) (59)
- 2000 - Johnnie Taylor - Heart attack (63)
- 2004 - Robert Quine (Richard Hell & the Voidoids, Lou Reed) - Heroin Overdose (61)
- 2006 - Lula Mae Hardaway (mother of Stevie Wonder) (76)
On This Day:
- 1956 - Buddy Holly wrote That'll Be the Day after seeing the movie The Searchers.
- 1958 - Dick Dale performed Let's Go Trippin' for the first time, possibly signaling the start of surf music.
- 1961 - Chuck Berry opened Berry Park in St. Louis with a zoo, golf course and amusement park.
- 1966 - The Monkees began filming their TV series.
- 1975 - The Rolling Stones kicked off a New York City press conference on their next tour by playing on the streets in the back of a flatbed truck.
- 1976 - The Who set a record for loudest performance at 120 decibels.
- 1977 - The BBC banned the Sex Pistols' single God Save the Queen. The IBA also told independent stations that playing the record would breach British law.
- 1977 - Emerson, Lake & Palmer began a U.S. tour with a 70-piece orchestra.
- 1982 - R.E.M. signed with I.R.S. Records for five albums.
- 1989 - Tin Machine, with David Bowie, made their live debut in New York.
- 1993 - Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley become parents for the first time.
- 1997 - Lee Ann Womack makes her Grand Ole Opry debut.
- 1997 - Bob Dylan was released by a London hospital after treatment for histoplasmosis.
- 1998 - Geri Halliwell quit The Spice Girls.
- 2001 - Missy Elliott does first live show in three years.
- 2005 - Brian Harvey of East 17 was critically injured when he fell under his Mercedes.
- 2005 - The British Salvation Army closed the children's home Strawberry Fields in Liverpool.
- 2006 - Pearl Jam recorded their episode of VH1 Storytellers at New York's Avalon Ballroom.
Marriages:
- 2006 - Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook (both Little Big Town)
Divorces:
- 2000 - Janet Jackson and Rene Elizondo (announced, marriage was secret for nine years)
Recorded:
- 1969 - Give Peace a Chance - John Lennon and Yoko Ono as the Plastic Ono Band
- 1969 - Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones
- 1969 - My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
- 1975 - One of These Nights - Eagles
- 1982 - Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
- 1988 - Down in the Groove - Bob Dylan
Awards:
- 2003 - MTV Movie Awards
- Best Actor - Eminem (8 Mile)
- Best Breakthrough Mail - Eminem (8 Mile)
- Performances by Pink, 50 Cent, t.A.T.u.
Broadcast:
- 1964 - Dave Clark Five make first of 11 appearances on Ed Sullivan.
- 1965 - Marianne Faithfull became a permanent guest on BBC2 TV's Gadzooks! It's the In Crowd.
Number Ones - U.S. Singles:
- 1975 - Before the Next Teardrop Falls - Freddy Fender (1 weeks)
- 1980 - Funkytown - Lipps, Inc. (4 weeks)
- 2003 - 21 Questions - 50 Cent Featuring Nate Dogg (4 weeks)
Number Ones - U.S. Albums:
- 1958 - The Music Man - Original Cast (2 weeks)
- 2003 - The Golden Age of Grotesque - Marilyn Manson (1 week)
- 2008 - Narrow Stairs - Death Cab for Cutie (1 week)
Number Ones - U.S. R&B Singles:
- 1975 - Spirit of the Boogie - Kool & the Gang (1 week)
Number Ones - U.S. Country Singles:
- 1947 - New Jolie Blonde (New Pretty Blonde) - Red Foley (1 week (1 previous week at number 1))
- 1975 - Thank God I'm a Country Boy - John Denver (1 week)
- 1986 - Whoever's in New England - Reba McEntire (1 week)
- 1997 - Sittin' on Go - Bryan White (1 week)
- 2003 - I Believe - Diamond Rio (2 weeks)
- 2008 - I'm Still a Guy - Brad Paisley (3 weeks)
- 1980 - Theme From M*A*S*H (Suicide is Painless) - M*A*S*H (3 weeks)
Number Ones - U.K. Albums:
- 1980 - McCartney II - Paul McCartney (2 weeks)
- 1986 - So - Peter Gabriel (2 weeks)
- 1998 - Blue - Simply Red (1 week)
