Music History Today: October 19, 2020

October 19, 1979: Music History Today: October 18, 2020 releases his sophomore album, Prince, containing the Number 1 R&B hit "I Wanna Be Your Lover." 

Prince's self-titled second album found him expanding his sound in search of the mainstream success that his debut, For You, failed to secure.

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Released on Oct. 19, 1979, Prince wouldn't be the album where he found his own unique voice and style -- that breakthrough arrived the following year with Dirty Mind. 

Read more: Ultimate Prince

October 19,  1974:  "The Bitch Is Back" from Elton John was at Number 5 , although most stations placed it at Number 1. It peaked at Number 4 the next week.  

The idea to create the "The Bitch is Back" was inspired not by John or Taupin directly, but rather by Bernie Taupin's wife at the time, Maxine Feibelman, who would say, "The bitch is back," when John was in a bad mood.

Bernie Taupin & Elton John

Several radio stations in the United States and elsewhere refused to play the song because of the word "bitch." 

Read more:  Wikipedia

October 19, 1979: Styx released the album Cornerstone containing their hit song  "Babe."

On Oct. 19, 1979, Styx laid down the ‘Cornerstone’ for what they hoped would be a brand new phase in a career that had already been underway for nearly a decade. 

Styx

In doing so, they took the calculated risk of simplifying their oft-times highbrow material with pop-rock ingredients. This caused consternation among some die-hard fans, but it also led to the embrace of countless new ones.

Read more: Ultimate Classic Rock

October 19,  1979: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers released their breakthrough album, Damn the Torpedoes, containing the hit  "Refugee"

Damn the Torpedos is the peak of Tom Petty’s songwriting with the Heartbreakers. 

Tom Petty

Thanks in large part to the studio wizardry of producer Jimmy Iovine and engineer Shelly Yakus, “Refugee,” “Don’t Do Me Like That,” and “Here Comes My Girl” sounded massive on FM radio.  

Read more: Pitchfork

October 19, 1985: "Take On Me" gives the Norwegian group a-ha a number 1 hit in America.  

A-ha has unveiled a 4k restoration of their revolutionary rotoscoped video for their Eighties smash “Take on Me.”  

a-ha

As a press release for the 4k version of “Take on Me” notes, most music videos from this time were edited in tape format, while this clip was uniquely restored from the original 35mm film reels. 

Rolling Stones. Read more" Rolling Stone 

I Wanna Be Your Lover
Prince