October 15th: The Grateful Dead Go Independent

In nineteen seventy-three, the Grateful Dead released Wake of the Flood, their first studio album on their own record label. Having parted company with Warner Bros., the band took greater control of their recordings and how they were sold. It was also their first studio album following the death of founding member Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan earlier that year. Featuring songs including Eyes of the World and Weather Report Suite, the record marked a new chapter for the group, both musically and commercially.