Music History Today: July 23, 2021

July 23, 1983: The British ska and pop band Madness had a US hit when "Our House" peaked at Number 7 on the Billboard singles chart.

Madness were one of the leading bands of the UK ska revival of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. 

Madness

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As their career progressed, Madness branched away from their trademark “nutty sound” and incorporated large elements of Motown, soul, and British pop; their songwriting becoming ever-more nuanced and sophisticated. Although the band enjoyed one crossover American hit with 'Our House' in 1983, they remained a British phenomenon, but their influence on several successive generations of international musicians looms large. 

Read more: Rough Trade

July 23, 1966: "The Pied Piper" by  Crispian St. Peters peaked at Number 4 on the US singles chart.

"The Pied Piper" is a pop song written by the duo The Changin' Times consisting of Steve Duboff and Artie Kornfeld, who first recorded it in 1965, their version reached #87 on the Billboard Hot 100. However when British pop singer Crispian St. Peters recorded it he scored a major hit with the single during the summer of 1966 when it went to #4 in the United States, #5 in the United Kingdom, and #1 in Canada. 

Read more: Wikipedia

July 23, 1977: Jimmy Buffett broke into the Top 10 when "Margaritaville" peaked at Number 8. 

Jimmy Buffett’s classic hit “Margaritaville” debuted on the 1977 “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” album and quickly took on a life of its own, becoming a state of mind and way of life rooted in fun and escapism for those “growing older, but not up”.

The song about life in this euphoric place where days are wasted away nibblin’ on sponge cake and watchin’ the sun bake has also morphed into a global lifestyle brand that currently has more than $4.8 billion in the development pipeline and sees $1.5 billion in annual system-wide sales. 

Read more: Forbes

 

July 23, 1981: The Moody Blues released "The Voice" as a single from their album Long Distance Voyager.

"The Voice" is the second single released from the Moody Blues' 1981 album Long Distance Voyager. The song continued the success of previous single "Gemini Dream", becoming a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 15 in October 1981. The song had previously topped the Billboard Top Tracks chart. 

Read more: Wikipedia

July 23, 2005: A live version of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" by Paul McCartney and U2 debuts the highest on the US music chart Number 48.

U2 and Paul McCartney opened the Live 8 Performance with “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”. U2 would continue on and perform three other songs, “Beautiful Day / Blackbird”, “Vertigo” and One / Unchained Melody”. 

The song, “Sgt. Pepper’s” opens with the lyric “It was twenty years ago” and it was chosen to mark that Live 8 was taking place 20 years after another similar concert had taken place, Live Aid. Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place at various locations on July 2, 2005 in the G8 states and in South Africa, and were timed to lead into the G8 summit being held that summer. 

Read more: U2 Songs

 

Our House
Madness