Music History Today: August 1, 2022

August 1, 1981: MTV made its debut at 12:01am. Youtuber Max Speedster shared a video of the first two hours in 2021 on its 50th Anniversary.

Music History Today: July 31, 2022

July 31, 2011: Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga recorded a cover of "The Lady Is a Tramp" for the album Duets II.

Music History Today: July 30, 2022

July 30, 1956: Brenda Lee recorded her first single, a cover of Hank William's "Jambalaya."

Music History Today: July 29, 2022

July 29, 1982: Boys Town Gang, a post-disco and hi-NRG band from San Francisco, released a dance cover of Franki Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You."

Music History Today: July 28, 2022

July 28, 1984: Cyndi Lauper moved in the Top 40 section of Billboard's Hot 100 with "She Bop."

"She Bop" by Cyndi Lauper dealt with masturbation. Lauper told The Howard Stern Show she recorded the vocals while nude.

Music History Today: July 27, 2022

Music History Today: July 27,  1996: Alanis Morissette blasted into Billboards Hot 100, debuting at Number 6 with "You Oughta Know." 

Dave Coulier has opened up about the moment he realised he was the subject of Alanis Morissette’s song "You Oughta Know."

Music History Today: July 26, 2022

July 26, 1979: The Clash released their first single in the US with "I Fought The Law."

Sonny Curtis wasn't "breaking rocks in the hot sun" when he was inspired to write the rock and roll classic "I Fought the Law."

The Clash

Music History Today: July 25, 2022

July 25, 1980: AC/DC released the album Back In Black. 

Back in Black is not only the best of AC/DC’s six American albums, it’s the apex of heavy-metal art.

Music History Today: July 24, 2022

July 24, 1999: On the third day of the Woodstock '99, overpriced water, overflowing toilets and a Limp Bizkit performance of "Break Stuff" lead to riots.

Music History Today: July 23, 2022

July 23, 2011: Amy Winehouse died in London of alcohol poisoning. Like Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain, she was 27 years old.

Music History Today: July 22, 2022

July 22, 2006: The Baha Men entered Billboard's Hot 100 at Number 99, and before long, everyone was asking, "Who Let The Dogs Out."

"Who Let The Dogs Out" by The Baha Men peaked in America at Number 40.

The Baha Men

Music History Today: July 21, 2022

July 21, 1984: "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama entered Billboard's Hot 100. 

"Cruel Summer" by Bananarama was released in 1983. Initially a stand-alone single, it was subsequently included on their self-titled second album a year later.

Bananarama

Music History Today: July 20, 2022

July 20, 1982: The Pretenders recorded "Back On the Chain Gang" two days after their guitarist, James Honeyman-Scott,  died of a drug overdose at the age of 25.

The Pretenders

Music History Today: July 19, 2022

July 19, 1984: Divine performed "You Think You're a Man" on the UK TV program Top of the Pops.

Divine

Music History Today: July 18, 2022

July 18, 1987: "Dirty Dancing: Original Soundtrack" was released. The Blow Monkeys caught a huge break when their cover of Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me" was included on the multi-platinum album. 

Music History Today: July 17, 2022

July 17, 1967: Bobbie Gentry debuted on Billboard's Pop Singles chart with "Ode To Billie Joe." 

In July of 1967, Capitol Records released “Ode to Billie Joe,” a spooky wisp of a song by an unknown artist named Bobbie Gentry.

Bobby Gentry

 

Music History Today: July 16, 2022

July 16, 2002: Eminem released the single "Cleanin' Out My Closet" from the album The Eminem Show. 

In "Cleanin' Out My Closet," Eminem talks about his mother who he feels neglected and mistreated him.

Music History Today: July 15, 2021

July 15, 1972: Elton John started a five week run at Number 1 on the Billboard album chart with "Honky Chateau," his first US chart topper.

Considerably lighter than Madman Across the Water, Honky Chateau is a rollicking collection of ballads, rockers, blues, country-rock, and soul songs. 

 

Elton John Honky Chateau cover picture

Music History Today: July 14, 2022

July 14, 1979: Donna Summer's "Bad Girls" took over Number 1 on Billboard, as her former chart topper, "Hot Stuff," sat at Number 3. Norwegian DJ and music producer Kygo remixed "Hot Stuff" in September, 2020.

Donna Summer

Music History Today: July 13, 2022

July 13, 1991: An unreal duet of "Unforgettable," featuring Natalie Cole and her deceased father, Nat King Cole, entered Billboard's Hot 100.

Music History Today: July 12, 2022

July 12, 1999: David Gray released the single "Babylon" from his album, White Ladder.  

"Babylon," from David Gray's album White Ladder, is about a guy whose girlfriend has left him.

Music History Today: July 11, 2022

July 11, 1970: Melanie, with the Edwin Hawkins Singers, peaked at Number 6 with "Lay Down (Candles In the Rain)."

When the 22-year-old Melanie Safka stepped out onto the stage on at Woodstock, just before 11 PM, she was greeted by the audience lighting candles to  beat back the rain that had been falling. 

Melanie

Music History Today: July 10, 2022

July 10, 2010: "Misery" by Maroon 5 entered Billboard's Hot 100, breathing on the Top 40, at Number 44. 

Written by Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, and Sam Farrar, "Misery" is about when a relationship fades. Front-man, Levine told MTV News:

Maroon 5

Music History Today: July 9, 2022

July 9, 1996: Trainspotting: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack was released.  

The film Trainspotting concerns the adventures of a group of young, nearly criminal, drug-addicted Scottish friends.

Music History Today: July 8, 2022

July 8, 1989: Cyndi Lauper's cover of Roy Orbison's "I Drove All Night" hit Number 6 in the US. 

Cyndi Lauper

Music History Today: July 7, 2022

July 7, 1990: "Club At The End Of The Street" by Elton John peaked at Number 28 on the US music chart. 

Music History Today: July 6, 2022

July 6, 2002: John Mayer had his first Top 40 hit when his debut single, "No Such Thing," moved from Number 41 to 36.

The lyrical theme of John Mayer's "No Such Thing"  encourages the audience to forge their own path, and not to "stay inside the lines."

John Mayer

Music History Today: July 5, 2022

July 5, 2011: Gotye released "Somebody That I Used to Know." 

Gotye

Music History Today: July 4, 2022

July 4, 1970: Jimi Hendrix, Rare Earth, Jethro Tull, Poco and the Chambers Brothers played at the Atlanta International Pop Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.  

Music History Today: July 3, 2022

July 3, 1999: Destiny’s Child made a big move on the US chart, from Number 52 to 11, with "Bills, Bills, Bills." 

"Bills, Bills, Bills"  was the first single released from Destiny’s Child's second album.

Destiny’s Child

Music History Today: July 2, 2022

July 2, 1983: "(Keep Feeling) Fascination," by the British synthpop group Human League, entered Billboard's top 40 on its way to Number 8 in the top 10. 

The video for "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" was filmed in a semi-derelict area of Newham, London which was due for demolition and redevelopment as part of the widescale redevelopment of Docklands and East London which took place in the early 1980s.