Music History Today: January 27, 2022

January 27, 1990: Tom Petty peaked at Number 7 with his only American Top 10 single as a solo artist, "Free Fallin’."  

Tom Petty’s 1989 hit “Free Fallin’” is a simple enough song. It contains just a handful of guitar chords that any beginner could easily handle.

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As easy tunes go, it’s good for a laugh. And as it turns out, that’s exactly what Petty had in mind when he wrote it. He says he began writing the song spontaneously during sessions for his debut solo album, Full Moon Fever, as a way to make producer Jeff Lynne crack up. 

Read more: Guitar World

January 27, 1968: The American Breed topped out at Number 5 on the American Top 40 chart with "Bend Me, Shape Me."

"Bend Me, Shape Me," written by Scott English and Larry Weiss, was first recorded by The Outsiders as a track on their album The Outsiders in 1966. The best-known version of the song is the 1967 single released by The American Breed that peaked at No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1968, No. 3 in South Africa, and No. 24 on the UK Singles Chart. 

Read more: Wikipedia

January 27, 1973: The O’ Jays made a big move into the American Top 40, from 61 to 37, with "Love Train."

It was 1973, the height of the Philadelphia soul genre was dawning, and "Love Train" came along with just the right sound at just the right time. It was written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, producers for the O'Jays. The team of Gamble & Huff also wrote "Back Stabbers" and "For The Love Of Money," two more key songs in the O'Jays career. 

Read more: Songfacts

January 27, 1979: Suzi Quatro debuted in the Billboard Hot 100, along with Chris Norman, on the song "Stumblin’ In."

"Stumblin' In" by Chris Norman and Suzi Quatro was originally released as a standalone single.

Suzi Quatro

It was later added to some editions of the Quatro album If You Knew Suzi. The single peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979. The song was Quatro's only U.S. top 40 hit and Norman's lone U.S. charting effort apart from his time with the band Smokie. 

Read more: Wikipedia

January 27, 2001: "If You're Gone" by Matchbox Twenty peaked at Number 5 on the US music chart.

"If You're Gone" was written by the Matchbox Twenty front-man Rob Thomas and released as the second single from their second album Mad Season. Thomas told Billboard magazine that he wrote the song right after he met his future wife. 

Matchbox Twenty

"We were separated for a few weeks and were on the phone all the time, and I was thinking, 'I met this wonderful person,' and I wondered if everything I was going through [with Matchbox Twenty's success] was going to make it too crazy to build a relationship. 

Read more: Wikipedia

Free Fallin’
Tom Petty