Rolling Stone’s review said simply, “It’s the album we’ve all been waiting for – that is, if we were all Tom Petty fans, which we would be if there were any justice in the world”.

“Damn the Torpedos” was released today in 1979. It was the third album from the band from Gainesville, Florida and the first one with producer Jimmy Iovine on board. Five stars later from Rolling Stone and AllMusic and the Heartbreakers were no longer that band that was gonna be great– they were great. The album was a smash success, hitting number two on the album charts and producing top 10 hits, “Don’t Do Me Like That,” and “Refugee.” My personal favorite was always this one. For anyone who’s ever sat on a roof with a girl he liked, or sat anywhere for that matter, it’s an all-time classic.

The very same day in 1979 an unknown Minneapolis artist came out with his second album that proved he was going to be a game changer as well. Like Petty, he wouldn’t knock the door down until album three, but this one has some classics, particularly, “I Wanna Be Your Lover.” Seriously, what 21-year old has the stones to have this be their album cover?

A far better second album to be sure than Prince’s second effort came out today in 1993. “Ten” was a staggering debut for Pearl Jam, but they gave quick notice that they weren’t going to be one-album wonders. Pearl Jam decided to scale back their commercial push for “Vs.” but that didn’t stop it from selling more copies in its first week than any album ever. “Go,” “Animal,” “Glorified G,” “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town,” all live in the “classic Pearl Jam” category, but this is the song that became iconic.

It’s tough to say which scene I liked better when I first saw it from these two that were released today. The first one was like watching really entertaining idiots making a home movie and the second one is the most underrated of all the great movies set in Boston in the last 20 years.

“Clerks” came out today in 1994.

“Gone Baby Gone” came out today in 2007.

Believe it or not the 70’s had better luck with October 19 releases, at least according to the Oscars.

Today in 1973, “The Way We Were” came out and Barbara Streisand was nominated for Best Actress and the titular song won the Oscar.

1977 saw the release of “Looking for Mr. Goodbar,” Tuesday Weld was nominated as Best Supporting Actress and Diane Keaton won a slew of awards as the lead, a school teacher by day who spends her nights in New York bars looking for depraved sex and drugs. The movie also introduced Richard Gere to the silver screen.

Today in 1979 not only saw the release of those two albums above, but also “…And Justice For All”  which got  Al Pacino up for Best Actor.

It was today in 2004 that Curt Schilling put himself in the “Man Hall of Fame” by pitching through an ankle injury to beat the Yankees and tie the ALCS at three games apiece.

Today in 1936 was the first time the AP College football poll ever came out– Minnesota was ranked number one.

— Bill Hubbell