Saturday, January 31, 2015

This Date in Rock Music History: February 1

1956 - The Rock and Roll Ice Revue opened at the Roxy Theater in New York City. 
1960:  Bill Black's Combo held on to #1 on the R&B chart for the fourth straight week with "Smokie - Part 2".
1960:  Johnny Preston's "Running Bear" captured the #1 spot overall for the third week.
1962:  The Beatles did a show at the Thistle Cafe in West Kirby, England, the first gig booked by manager Brian Epstein for which he took a commission (10%).
1963:  Neil Young (far left), and his group the Squires, performed in concert for the first time at the age of 17 at a country club in Winnipeg, Ontario, Canada.  (Note:  several websites state that Young and his group performed on January 31, but the correct date is February 1, according to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and 'Pollstar'.)
1963:  Paul Simon graduated from Queens College in New York City.
1963:  Linda Scott appeared on The Arthur Godfrey and the Sounds of New York television special on CBS.






1964:  An historic day in the Rock Era as the Beatles first reached #1 in the U.S. with "I Want To Hold Your Hand".  It took the group just three weeks to reach the top spot, unheard of in those days.  Lesley Gore climbed from 13-2 with "You Don't Own Me" while the Marketts had #3 with one of The Top 100 Instrumentals of the Rock Era*--"Out Of Limits".  The Trashmen's "Surfin' Bird" remained fourth with the Rip Chords positioned at #5 with "Hey Little Cobra".  Although the version by Paul Revere & the Raiders was better, Billboard chose to rank "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen at #6. The rest of the Top 10:  Bobby Vinton tumbled from the top spot to #7 with "There!  I've Said It Again", Major Lance with "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um", Dionne Warwick burst onto the scene with her first Top 10, moving from 16-9 with "Anyone Who Had A Heart" and Rick Nelson moved to #10 with "For You".




1964:  The British Are Coming!  The British Are Coming!  With the Beatles reaching #1 on this date, they lined up another one as the demand for their product was like nothing the world had ever seen, before or since.  "She Loves You" moved from #69 to #21 on this date.








There I've Said It Again by Bobby Vinton on Grooveshark
1964:  While the Beatles had already changed music forever by now, some radio stations were clinging to the past as Bobby Vinton's "There!  I've Said It Again" was still #1 on the Easy Listening chart.  That would likely be how music sounded today were it not for the Beatles.
1967:  Frank and Nancy Sinatra recorded "Something Stupid".
1967:  The Beatles recorded nine takes of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" at Studio Two at the EMI Recording Studios in London, laying down the rhythm track for the song.  (Note:  some websites claim that the Beatles came up with the concept idea of the album after recording it and decided to name the album after the song.  According to the book 'All We Are Saying' by David Sheff, John Lennon said in an interview that the idea for 'Sgt. Pepper's' came  when the Beatles visited the United States for the final time.  According to Lennon, Paul McCartney was struck by the interesting names of U.S. groups, and in November, on a flight from Nairobi to England, McCartney came up with the idea for an alter-ego for the band.)






1967:  The Jimi Hendrix Experience played at the Cellar Club in South Shields, England.
1969:  Joni Mitchell performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
1969:  Tyrone Davis decisively stormed to #1 on the R&B chart with "Can I Change My Mind".







         
          "The Time It Is Today" from the Association...

1969:  Another week, another week at #1 for The White Album by the Beatles.  That made six so far.  TCB by Diana Ross & the Supremes with the Temptations was the closest, with Glen Campbell's Wichita Lineman third.  Another collaboration from the Supremes & the Temptations--Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations, was #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Fool on the Hill by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, the Greatest Hits by the Association shot up from #35 to #6, Iron Butterfly was at #7 with In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, The Second by Steppenwolf, Cheap Thrills from Big Brother & the Holding Company and Beggars Banquet by the Rolling Stones was #10.






1969:  Tommy James & the Shondells hit #1 with the classic "Crimson And Clover".  Sly & the Family Stone provided great competition with their #2 song "Everyday People".  Brooklyn Bridge moved impressively from 8 to 3 with "Worst That Could Happen", leaping over "Touch Me" by the Doors".  The rest of the Top 10:  Marvin Gaye with his version of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", Diana Ross & the Supremes & the Temptations with "I'm Gonna' Make You Love Me", the Bee Gees were up to #7 with "I Started A Joke", B.J. Thomas sat at #8 with "Hooked On A Feeling", Young-Holt Unlimited was on their way down with "Soulful Strut" and the Foundations moved from 28-10 with "Build Me Up Buttercup".
1975:  Elvis Presley arranged for daughter Lisa Marie to meet Elton John for her seventh birthday.  Elton was Lisa's favorite singer (although we hope second to Dad).




1975:  We were first introduced to a bright new talent, and practically a virtuoso on both piano and guitar.  His lyrics and music would inspire millions to the present day.  His first single, "Part Of The Plan" debuted on the chart, the first hit for Dan Fogelberg.
1975:  The Eagles catapulted to #1 on the Adult chart with "Best Of My Love".







1975:  Neil Sedaka, who hadn't had a hit in nine years and a Top 10 in 13 years, completed one of the greatest comebacks in the Rock Era by reaching #1 on this date with "Laughter In The Rain".  
1975:  The Eagles moved from 15-9 on the popular chart with "Best Of My Love".







1975:  Grand Funk hit the Top 10 with "Some Kind Of Wonderful".
1975:  Elton John spent a 10th week at #1 on the Album chart with his Greatest Hits package.
1977:  The movie Genesis in Concert opened in London.
1977:  Led Zeppelin postponed dates of its tour of North America after lead singer Robert Plant developed tonsillitis.  The dates were moved to June and as it turned out, they would be the final appearances ever by the group on the continent.











1981:  Juice Newton released the single "Angel Of The Morning".











I Love Rock 'n' Roll by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts on Grooveshark
1982:  Joan Jett & the Blackhearts released the seminal single and musical declaration "I Love Rock & Roll", largely responsible for helping bring rock and roll back to the forefront after the disco and soft rock era.
1982:  Memphis, Tennessee declared today "Bar-Kays Day" after their native band.
1985:  Glenn Frey appeared on Miami Vice on NBC-TV.
1986:  Diana Ross and Arne Naess exchanged wedding vows in RomainmĂ´tier, Switzerland.  (Note:  many websites state that the two were married on this date in Geneva, Switzerland.  Ross and Naess were married October 23, 1985 in New York City, according to the Associated Press and 'People' magazine.  What happened on this date was that Ross and Naess renewed their vows at a Swiss Reform church in RomainmĂ´tier.  They then held a reception with all the trimmings at Beau Rivage Palace hotel in Lausanne, Switzerland, with friend Stevie Wonder singing 'I Just Called To Say I Love You".   



1986:  The Bangles performed at Portsmouth Polytechnic (renamed the University of Portsmouth in 1992) in England.
1986:  Dick James, music publisher who worked with the Beatles and signed Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin as unknown artists in 1967, died of a heart attack in London at age 65.








Superbowl Shuffle by Chicago Bears '86 on Grooveshark
1986:  One of the hottest songs in the country was the song put together by the Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears--"Superbowl Shuffle", which moved from 84 to 56.
1986:  Dionne & Friends remained #1 for a third week with "That's What Friends Are For".





 
               
      "Justice and Independence '85", one of the great tracks on 'Scarecrow'...

1986:   The Broadway Album by Barbra Streisand ruled the Album chart for a second week, her sixth career #1 album.  Promise by Sade was second, followed by the "Miami Vice" Soundtrack and the self-titled Heart.  John Cougar Mellencamp's great album Scarecrow was #5 with Dire Straits stuck on #6 with Brothers In Arms.  The rest of the Top 10:  Afterburner from ZZ Top, newcomers Mr. Mister moved up a spot with Welcome to the Real World, Whitney Houston's self-titled debut re-entered the Top 10 after 45 weeks and Starship held down #10--Knee Deep in the Hoopla.







1988:  Michael Jackson released the single "Man In The Mirror".












1988:  Louis Armstrong released the single "What A Wonderful World".










1988:  One of the most successful groups of the Rock Era, The Cars, broke up.
1989:  Paul Robi of the Platters died of cancer in Los Angeles at the age of 57.
1992:  The live version of "Don't Let Me The Sun Go Down On Me" by George Michael and Elton John hit #1.
1992:  Nirvana reached #1 on the Album chart for a week with Nevermind, though previous #1 Ropin' the Wind by Garth Brooks would easily pass it the following week.  Michael Jackson's Dangerous took the bronze, with Hammer's Too Legit To Quit fourth and another Garth Brooks release--No Fences, moving from 10-5 after 72 weeks.  The rest of the Top 10:  Achtung Baby from U2, Cooleyhighharmony by Boyz II Men, Metallica with their self-titled release, Time, Love & Tenderness from Michael Bolton and Mariah Carey's Emotions.
1992:  Mariah Carey maintained at #1 for the third week with "Can't Let Go".

            Jewel first came into our lives...

1997:  Toni Braxton had the #1 song for the ninth straight week with "Un-Break My Heart".  En Vogue spent another week at #2 with "Don't Let Go (Love)" while R. Kelly was third with "I Believe I Can Fly".  Whitney Houston edged up with "I Believe In You And Me".  Other Top 10 songs of note:  the Spice Girls moved from 11 to 6 in just their second week of release with "Wannabe" and Jewel moved from 13-9 with her great song "You Were Meant For Me".
2000:  ABBA turned down an offer of a billion dollars to reunite for 250 shows in 100 cities.
2002:  Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys agreed to enter a counseling program and do community service to get a charge of resisting/opposing a law enforcement officer dropped.  Carter had been arrested at a Tampa, Florida nightclub on January 2.


2003:  Mongo Santamaria ("Watermelon Man"), who many people thought was the best conga player of the 20th century, died in Miami, Florida at the age of 85 after suffering a stroke the week before.
2004:  Barry Manilow was hospitalized in Palm Springs, California for chest pains that were attributable to stress.  Manilow and co-writer Bruce Sussman were in the midst of arbitration in a lawsuit to get back the rights to their stage musical Harmony, and Manilow was rushed to the hospital the night before.
2006:  Split Enz announced they were reuniting for a tour of their native Australia.







2008:  NASA, space agency of the United States, announced that "Across The Universe" by the Beatles would become the first song to be beamed directly into space.  The song would be trasmitted through a network of antennas on the 40th anniversary of the song's recording, and aimed at the North Star (Polaris), 431 light years from Earth.
2008:  The Spice Girls cut their reunion tour short because of "family and personal commitments".  (Note:  some websites show the date of this announcement as February 2, but it was on February 1, as reported by 'CBC', 'NME', and 'Billboard' magazine.)
2009:  Jennifer Hudson gave a spectacular performance of the U.S. national anthem of Super Bowl XLIII at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.  Journey performed during pre-game festivities while Bruce Springsteen did a show at halftime.
2009:  Lily Allen had the #1 song in the U.K. with "The Fear".
2010:  Over 80 artists gathered at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles to record the remake of "We Are The World".  Janet Jackson recorded her version of brother Michael's part.  The song, "We Are The World 25 for Haiti", premiered at the opening of the Winter Olympics on February 12, and raised money for victims of the 7.0 earthquake in Haiti.





2012:  Don Cornelius, host and producer of the television show Soul Train, shot himself in Sherman Oaks, California at the age of 75.







Born This Day:
1934:  Bob Shane of the Kingston Trio ("Tom Dooley") was born in Hilo, Hawai'i.

1937:  Don Everly of the Everly Brothers was born in Brownie, Kentucky.










1937:  Ray Sawyer, guitarist of Dr. Hook,was born in Chickasaw, Alabama.  (Note:  some websites report that Sawyer was born in Chicksaw, Alabama.  There is no such town; the correct spelling of Ray's birthplace is Chickasaw.)
1938:  Jimmy Carl Black (real name James Inkanish Jr.) of Mothers of Invention and Captain Beefheart, was born in El Paso, Texas; died November 1, 2008 from lung cancer in Siegsdorf, Germany.  (Note:  some websites report that Black died in Traunstein, Germany, but the correct place of death is Siegsdorf, according to the newspaper 'The New York Times'.)  








1948:  Rick James was born in Buffalo, New York; died August 6, 2004 at his home in Los Angeles, California from a heart attack.  (Note:  some websites report that James died in Burbank, California, but he died in Los Angeles, according to the newspaper 'The Los Angeles Times'.  Various causes of death are shown all over the Internet, but the Coroner's report states that James died of a heart attack, according to 'Billboard' magazine.) 
1951:  Rich Williams, guitarist of Kansas, was born in Topeka, Kansas.
1951: Fran Christina, drummer of the Fabulous Thunderbirds ("Tuff Enough") was born in Westerly, Rhode Island.








1954:  Mike Campbell, songwriter and elite guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, was born in Panama City, Florida.  (Note:  'Allmusic.com' reports that Campbell was born in Los Angeles, but according to the North Florida Hall of Fame and the famous Troubadour Club in Los Angeles, Campbell was born in Panama City.  In fact, Campbell did not move to Los Angeles until 1973.)
1964:  Jani Lane, lead vocalist and main songwriter of Warrant, was born in Akron, Ohio; died August 11, 2011 of acute alcohol poisoning at a hotel in Woodland Hills, California.   
1969:  Patrick Wilson, drummer of Weezer, was born in Buffalo, New York.
1971:  Ron Welty, drummer of the Offspring, was born in Long Beach, California.
1975:  Big Boi (real name Antwan AndrĂ© Patton) of OutKast was born in Savannah, Georgia.

Join us tomorrow!

The Top Love Songs of the Rock Era* gets started tomorrow.  We will play ten songs per day from February 1-14, giving you ample opportunity to catch up.  Together, these 140 songs represent the most emotional and best love songs of the last 60 years.  We've been working hard on this special, and hope you enjoy it!

This Week's Featured Unknown/Underrated Song*: Don Henley's "New York Minute"

Not only should this song have reached the Top 10, it is a classic.  Few people can write lyrics as deep as Don Henley, and he gave us one of his best with this one:
 
"New York Minute"
Don Henley
 
 
 Written by Don Henley, Danny Kortchmar and Jai Winding 
 
Harry got up
Dressed all in black
Went down to the station
And he never came back
They found his clothing
Scattered somewhere down the track
And he won't be down on Wall Street
In the morning

He had a home
The love of a girl
But men get lost sometimes
As years unfurl
One day he crossed some line
And he was too much in this world
But I guess it doesn't matter anymore

In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
Things can get pretty strange
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute

Lying here in the darkness
I hear the sirens wail
Somebody going to emergency
Somebody's going to jail
If you find somebody to love in this world
You better hang on tooth and nail
The wolf is always at the door

In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
Things can get a little strange
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute

And in these days
When darkness falls early
And people rush home
To the ones they love
You better take a fool's advice
And take care of your own
One day they're here;
Next day they're gone

I pulled my coat around my shoulders
And took a walk down through the park
The leaves were falling around me
The groaning city in the gathering dark
On some solitary rock
A desperate lover left his mark,
"Baby, I've changed. Please come back."

What the head makes cloudy
The heart makes very clear
The days were so much brighter
In the time when she was here
But I know there's somebody somewhere
Make these dark clouds disappear
Until that day, I have to believe
I believe, I believe

In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
You can get out of the rain
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute

The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*: Part Twenty-One

There are some great underrated songs here and in the links at the bottom of the page:




 
"Magic" by the Cars (From the album Heartbeat City)












"Magneto and Titanium Man" by Paul McCartney & Wings (From the album Venus and Mars)





 


"Mamma Mia" by ABBA (From the album ABBA)














"Marrakesh Express" by Crosby, Stills & Nash (From the album Crosby, Stills & Nash)











"Massachusetts" by the Bee Gees (From the album Horizontal)



















Part Twenty-Five of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*:


Part Twenty-Six of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*:

Part Twenty-Seven of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*:

Part Twenty-Eight of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*:

Part Twenty-Nine of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*:

Part Thirty of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*:

Part Thirty-One of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*:

Part Thirty-Two of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*:

Part Thirty-Three of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*:

Part Thirty-Four of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*:

Part Thirty-Five of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*:

Part Thirty-Six of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*:

Part Thirty-Seven of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*:

Part Twenty of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*

Inside The Rock Era continues to make sure that your load times for these pages is as minimal as possible.  We now have 37 full pages of great underrated songs!





Friday, January 30, 2015

This Date in Rock Music History: January 31

1956:  Elvis Presley signed a contract with the William Morris Agency to represent him in arrangements with movie companies.
1957:  "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley & the Comets, which was a hit in Great Britain before it was re-released in the Untied States, went over a million in sales in the U.K., the first million-seller in Great Britain alone.
1961:  Bobby Darin hosted Bobby Darin and Friends on NBC, becoming the youngest person to headline a TV special.
1963:  The Beach Boys recorded "Surfin' U.S.A." and "Shut Down" at Western Recorders Studio in Hollywood, California.
1964:  Sales of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles had already topped 1.5 million in England alone while "She Loves You" was at 1.3 million.







Time Wont Let Me by Outsiders on Grooveshark
1966:  The Outsiders released the single "Time Won't Let Me".















1967:  John Lennon bought an 1843 circus poster reading "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite" at an antique shop in Sevenoaks, Kent, England.  He later wrote a song about the title.
1969:  Bobby Darin walked off The Jackie Gleason Show after he was told he could not sing "Long Line Rider".
1970:  A new British blues band debuted on the chart on this date with a song that included 20 seconds of vocals.  The song was "Oh Well".  After making numerous lineup changes, they found the right combination and took the world by storm beginning in 1975 with the song "Over My Head".  The group is of course Fleetwood Mac.
1970:  Members of the Grateful Dead were arrested in New Orleans, Louisiana, for possession of LSD and barbiturates.



1970:  Creedence Clearwater Revival filmed a television special at their concert in Oakland, California.  The show was filmed by ABC-TV, and combined with documentary footage filmed in 1970 and was to be the pilot episode for the show In Concert.  However, the show did not air as planned, and In Concert did not premiere until over two years later, so CCR's concert was not broadcast by ABC.  The CCR episode, however, was broadcast in several European countries, and was first shown in the U.S. by WNEW in New York.
1970:  Slim Harpo ("Baby Scratch My Back" from 1966) died of a heart attack after a suspected drug overdose while recording in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  (Note:  some websites claim Harpo died in London, but John Broven, in the book 'South to Louisiana:  Music of the Cajun Bayous', says that Harpo was scheduled to go to Europe, but died in Baton Rouge.)
1970:  Led Zeppelin II battled Abbey Road by the Beatles for a third week at #1 on the Album chart.  
1970:  The Jackson 5's first single release, "I Want You Back", remained at #1 on the R&B chart for a fourth week.
1970:  The hottest mover was Brook Benton's "Rainy Night In Georgia", up from #63 to #34.





1970:  The Jackson 5 finally toppled B.J. Thomas's song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" after four weeks at #1 with "I Want You Back".  "Venus" by the Shocking Blue was a strong second while B.J. was third.  Led Zeppelin had their biggest career hit although Billboard didn't really know how to measure the popularity of their songs, forgetting to factor in album sales into their list of the most popular songs (just one of several factors Inside The Rock Era includes that most of our competition).  The rest of the Top 10:  "Without Love (There Is Nothing)" from Tom Jones, Elvis Presley's double-sided "Don't Cry Daddy"/"Ruberneckin'", Dionne Warwick moved to #7 with "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", Sly & the Family Stone advanced from 15 to 8 with "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"/"Everybody Is A Star", Diana Ross & the Supremes with their former #1 "Someday We'll Be Together" and another former chart-topper ("Leaving On A Jet Plane") was #10 for Peter, Paul & Mary.
1971:  Members of the Jackson 5 received the keys to their hometown of Gary, Indiana, as it was declared "Jackson Five Day" in Gary.









1972:  A new trio released their first single on this date, and they would become one of the Top 100 Artists of the Rock Era*.  America released "A Horse With No Name".
1972:  Aretha Franklin sang a moving version of "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" at the funeral for Mahalia Jackson at the Arie Crown Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.  Over 6,000 people packed the Theatre to pay respects, including Chicago Major Richard J. Daley, Coretta Scott King, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Ella Fitzgerald. 
1973:  Charlie Freeman, guitarist who played for Rita Coolidge and Delaney & Bonnie, died at age 31 after a lifetime of drug use and alcohol abuse.









1976:  "Mamma Mia" by ABBA knocked Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" from the #1 position in the U.K. after nine weeks. Ironically, the members of Queen were subconsciously aware of the takeover when they put these words into "Bohemian Rhapsody"--"Mamma Mia, Mamma Mia, Mamma Mia let me go."

















1977:  The Climax Blues Band released the single "Couldn't Get It Right".
1976:  The Best of Roy Orbison ruled the U.K. Album chart.
1976:  John Denver & Olivia Newton-John's duet "Fly Away" resumed the #1 position on the Adult chart.
1976:  "Sing A Song" by Earth Wind & Fire returned to #1 on the R&B chart.








New York City Rhythm by Barry Manilow on Grooveshark         
                     Barry Manilow's "New York City Rhythm"...

1976:  Earth, Wind & Fire prevailed for a third week at #1 on the Album chart with Gratitude.  Bob Dylan moved from 23-2 with Desire, leaping over Paul Simon's Still Crazy After All These Years.  Chicago IX - Chicago's Greatest Hits was fourth with Helen Reddy's Greatest Hits fifth.  It must have been a time for collections, because History, America's Greatest Hits, was seventh.  In between, Trying To Get the Feeling by Barry Manilow.  The rest of the Top 10:  Family Reunion by the O'Jays, Alive!  from Kiss and The Hissing of Summer Lawns by Joni Mitchell.






1976:  The Ohio Players definitely rode "Love Rollercoaster" to the peak, skipping over Barry Manilow's "I Write The Songs".  Donna Summer was third with "Love To Love You Baby" while Hot Chocolate was up to #4 with the great song "You Sexy Thing".  The O'Jays remained the same with "I Love Music" while the former #1 "Convoy" by C.W. McCall moved back up to #6.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Sing A Song" from Earth, Wind & Fire, Paul Anka achieved his 46th career hit with "Times Of Your Life", David Ruffin was at 9 with "Walk Away From Love" and Paul Simon moved in with "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover".
1978:  Greg Herbert, a latter member of Blood, Sweat & Tears, died from drugs at age 30 in Amsterdam while the group was on a European tour.
1979:  The Clash began their first tour of the United States, with Bo Diddley opening, at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  (Note:  some websites state that the concert was at the Pacific National Exhibition Stadium in Vancouver, but it was at the Commodore Ballroom, according to the official website for the Clash.)
1981:  "Fantastic Voyage" by Lakeside took over from Kool & the Gang's "Celebration" as the #1 R&B song.
1981:  Eddie Rabbitt remained king of the Adult Contemporary chart for the third week with "I Love A Rainy Night".
1981:  A hot new Canadian act first debuted on the chart with a single that had released several weeks before--"Turn Me Loose".  It was the great group Loverboy.

1981:  Former Randy Meisner was hot with his solo hit "Hearts On Fire", which moved from 65 to 50.
1981:  Neil Diamond's "Hello Again" was the highest-debuting song at #32.









1981:  Blondie moved into the top spot with "The Tide Is High", edging out John Lennon's "(Just Like) Starting Over".  Kool & the Gang had their sights set on the prize with "Celebration", which stormed from 12 to 3.  Eddie Rabbitt moved up with "I Love A Rainy Night" and newcomers Air Supply were at #5 with "Every Woman In The World".  The rest of the Top 10:  Rod Stewart's "Passion", Neil Diamond's smash "Love On The Rocks", Dolly Parton moved from 18-9 with "9 to 5", Diana Ross remained ninth with "It's My Turn" and Barry Manilow scored his 18th career hit and 11th Top 10 song with "I Made It Through The Rain".
1984:  The Soundtrack to "Footloose", one of The Top 100 Soundtracks of the Rock Era*, was released.
1985:  Barbara Cowsill of the Cowsills ("The Rain, The Park & Other Things") died of emphysema at age 56 in Scottsdale, Arizona.  (Note:  some websites state that Barbara died of cancer, but according to the book 'Rock Obituaries - Knocking On Heaven's Door' by Nick Talevski and 'People' magazine, Barbara died of emphysema.)
1986:  Little Richard co-starred in the movie Down and Out in Beverly Hills, which opened in theaters.

          The incredible song "Homeless" from 'Graceland'...

1987:  The landmark album Graceland by Paul Simon took over at #1 in the U.K.








 
Walk Like an Egyptian by Bangles on Grooveshark     
          The Bangles became the top self-contained female group of the Rock Era...

1987:  Over across the pond, the #1 album was Slippery When Wet by Bon Jovi for a fourth week.  The Bangles were up to #2 after 53 weeks with Different Light.  
1987:  A brand new #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart--"At This Moment" from Billy Vera & the Beaters.









One of the best videos of the Rock Era no doubt helped Genesis.

1987:  Billy Vera & the Beaters remained #1 for a second week with the great song "At This Moment".  "Open Your Heart" by Madonna was second, getting the best of Robbie Nevil's "C'est La Vie".  Genesis had a bonafide smash with "Land Of Confusion".  The rest of the Top 10:  Cyndi Lauper with "Change Of Heart", Janet Jackson's former #5 "Control", Glass Tiger remained seventh with "Someday", Gregory Abbott tumbled with "Shake You Down", Bon Jovi was impressive with a 15-9 leap for "Livin' On A Prayer" and Samantha Fox was all about "Touch Me (I Want Your Body)".
1988:  The Red Hot Chili Peppers performed at The Mean Fiddler in London.
 
1988:  Herb Alpert performed the national anthem of the United States at Super Bowl XXII at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California.  Chubby Checker performed at halftime.

1993:  Michael Jackson and 3,500 local children performed at halftime of Super Bowl XXVII at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.  Garth Brooks sang the U.S. national anthem.
1998:  Yanni broke the gross revenue record for the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. with proceeds of $860,300.  Janet Jackson broke that record on July 9, 1998 with $875,000.
1998:  18-year-old Usher rose to #1 in the U.K. with "You Make Me Wanna'".




1998:  Some pretty solid albums in the Top 10.  The Soundtrack to "Titanic" was #1 again with Celine Dion's Let's Talk About Love second.  Listeners just wanted to get "My Heart Will Go On" (which was on both albums) any way they could.  The self-titled debut by the Backstreet Boys was fourth with My Way from Usher fifth.  Other albums of note:  The Spice Girls were up from 13 to 6 with the "Spiceworld" Soundtrack, Chumbawamba with Tubthumper, Matchbox 20 placed the great album Yourself or Someone Like You at #8 and Garth Brooks' Sevens was #9.
1999:  Cher sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXXIII at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida.
2001:  KISS announced that Peter Criss was leaving the group and would be replaced by Eric Singer for the remainder of the farewell tour.  Criss performed with the group for the final time on October 7, 2000.


2007:  Thirty-six years after his death, Jim Morrison's poetry was used to help fight global warming.  The previously unreleased "Woman In The Window", written and recorded by Morrison shortly before his death in 1971, was set to music and used to promote the Global Cool campaign.








2010:  Beyonce won six Grammy Awards, a record for females, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  The star won Song of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.










2010:  Taylor Swift captured four Grammys, including Album of the Year for Fearless.
2012:  Michael Andre Lewis (Mandre), keyboardist who played for the Who, Diana Ross, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Sly & the Family Stone and Frank Zappa, died in Shreveport, Louisiana at the age of 63.





 

Born This Day:

1928:  Chuck Willis ("C.C. Rider" from 1957) was born in Atlanta, Georgia; died during surgery in Chicago, Illinois of peritonitis while at the peak of his career on April 10, 1958. 
1930:  Al De Lory, pianist who co-wrote "Mr. Custer" for Larry Verne, and arranged and produced "Gentle On My Mind" and "Wichita Lineman" as producer for Glen Campbell for over 25 years, was born in Los Angeles; died February 5, 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 82.  De Lory also worked with the Beach Boys, Doobie Brothers, Tina Turner and the Crystals and produced the Turtles.
1946:  Terry Kath, founding member and guitarist of Chicago, was born in Chicago, Illinois; died January 23, 1978 in Woodland Hills, California when he pointed a pistol at himself at a party, told friends the gun wasn't loaded and pulled the trigger. 

1951:  Harry Wayne Casey, founder, songwriter, lead singer and keyboardist of K.C. and the Sunshine Band, and also a producer, was born in Opa-Locka, Florida.  (Note:  the 'Rolling Stone' wannabe 'Allmusic.com' (why anyone would also want to be consistently wrong as 'Rolling Stone' is a question for the ages) and other websites insist that Casey was born in Hialeah, Florida, but according to the respected sources, such as the newspaper 'The New York Times', 'Turner Classic Movies' and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame, Casey was born in Opa-Locka, and worked at a record store in Hialeah.)
1951:  Phil Manzanera, lead guitarist of Roxy Music and also a producer, was born in London.
1954:  Adrian Vandenburg, guitarist of Whitesnake ("Here I Go Again" from 1987), was born in The Hague, the Netherlands.  (Note:  several places are cited as birthplaces by various websites, including Den Haag, Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands and Enschede, Overijssel, the Netherlands.  According to our best research, the most credible source is Peavey Guitars, which made a line of guitars named after Vandenburg.  According to the Peavey Vandenberg Guitars website, Vandenburg was born in The Hague.)   
1956:  Johnny Rotten (real name John Lydon), lead singer of the Sex Pistols, was born in London.  (Note:  'Allmusic.com' and other websites claim he was born in Finsbury Park, London, and other websites say he was born in Holloway, London, but according to Lydon's official website, he was born in London, and grew up in Finsbury Park.  This was confirmed by the newspaper 'The Guardian'.)
1965:  Jimmy Ryser, guitarist for John Mellencamp, was born in Cleveland, Ohio.
1966:  Al Doughty (real name Alan Jaworski), bassist of Jesus Jones ("Right Here, Right Now"), was born in Plymouth, England.
1967:  Jason Cooper, drummer of the Cure, was born in London.
1967:  Chad Channing, original drummer for Nirvana, was born in Santa Rosa, California.

1981:  Justin Timberlake, lead singer of *NSync and solo star, was born in Memphis, Tennessee.