Music History Today: March 21, 2022

March 21, 1981: Loverboy had their first American Top 40 hit when "Turn Me Loose" reached Number 40 on that chart.

"Turn Me Loose" was the first charting single for Loverboy, their breakout hit, and a single from their debut album all at once. 

Loverboy

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You can credit Loverboy lead singer Mike Reno for popularizing the '80s headband look, which he rocks in this video and also the clip for "Working For The Weekend." Previously the domain of tennis players, the headband soon became a popular fashion accessory. 

Read more: Songfacts

March 21, 1956: The movie Rock Around The Clock opens in theaters. 

In the low-budget Rock Around the Clock movie, the disc jockey Alan Freed discovers a rock band in a village in the faraway hills and promotes them in New York.

Bill Haley and His Comets

And that would be that, except for the fact that the band is Bill Haley and His Comets, and this little film is now history for the effect they produced on teen audiences worldwide and on the music business. 

Read more: Nostalgia Central

 

March 21, 1964: The Beatles' "Twist & Shout" made a huge move, from 55 to 7, its second week on the US music chart.

The Beatles

The Beatles' "Twist and Shout" is beloved for its blemishes: John Lennon's voice is moments away from disintegration — a raw snapshot of a singer wrestling a rock song in real time. And while Lennon eventually came to admire that take himself, those imperfections originally made him squirm. 

Read more: Ultimate Classic Rock

March 21, 1970: The Jaggerz  peaked at Number 2 in the US with "The Rapper."

The Jaggerz were a hard-working Pittsburgh bar band formed in the mid-’60s.  Joe Rock–manager of Jimmy Beaumont and the Skyliners, known to oldies fans for their perennials’ “Since I Don’t Have You” and “This I Swear”–discovered the Jaggerz in a saloon one night. 

Read more: One Hit Wonders the Book

March 21, 1987: Cyndi Lauper's cover of "What's Going On" made a big move, from 63 to 39, into the American Top 40 in its second week on the music chart.

Cyndi Lauper

Turn Me Loose
Loverboy