Music History Today: September 1, 2022

September 1, 1984: After a 25-year career, Tina Turner had her first solo Number 1 single in the US with "What's Love Got To Do With It."

“What’s Love Got to Do With It” marked the rise of Tina Turner’s solo career.

Tina Turner

Music History Today: August 31, 2022

August 31, 1991: Metallica started a four-week run at Number 1 on the US album chart with their self-titled LP.

The best songs on Metallica's self-titled "Black Album" are the crushing, stripped-down grooves of "Enter Sandman," "Sad but True," and "Wherever I May Roam."

Music History Today: August 30, 2022

August 30, 1975: Rod Stewart had his fifth UK Number 1 album when Atlantic Crossing started a five-week run at the top of the charts.

The Atlantic Crossing LP title indicated Stewart's new commercial and artistic direction. 

Music History Today: August 29, 2022

August 29, 2003: Missy Elliot won MTV's "Video of the Year" awards for "Work It."

Music History Today: August 28, 2022

August 28, 1988: Kylie Minogue set a new UK record when her self-titled debut album became the biggest selling LP by a female artist in Britain.

The production values on Kylie Minogue's debut LP are dated. The tunes are standard late-'80s Stock-Aitken-Waterman bubblegum. 

Music History Today: August 27, 2022

August 27, 1991: Pearl Jam released their debut album, Ten. 

The success of a truly flawless debut album is something to be heralded. A magnificent first effort propels an act into stardom.

Music History Today: August 26, 2022

August 26, 2003: Rolling Stone Magazine named Jimi Hendrix the greatest guitarist in Rock history. Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, and Chuck Berry also made the top 10 list.

Music History Today: August 25, 2022

August 25, 2014: Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" was voted the greatest guitar riff of all time by listeners of BBC Radio 2 in the UK. 

"Whole Lotta Love" came out on top from a list of 100 riffs drawn up by a panel of Radio 2 and 6 Music DJs, critics and record producers.

Jimmy Page

Music History Today: August 24, 2022

August 24, 1979: "I Wanna Be Your Lover" by Prince was released. It became his first U.S. hit.

Prince 1979

Music History Today: August 23, 2022

August 23, 2003: Maroon 5 made their first appearance on Billboard's Hot 100 chart when "Harder to Breathe" entered at Number 76.

Maroon 5 vocalist Adam Levine admitted "Harder to Breathe" describes the band's frustration with their label during the making of their debut album, Songs About Jane.

Music History Today: August 22, 2022

August 22, 1986: The movie Stand By Me was released in theaters. 

Music History Today: August 21, 2022

August 21, 1993: Blind Melon debuted on Billboard's Hot 100 with "No Rain."

Blind Melon is one of the seminal rock-n-roll bands that hit the radio in the post-Nirvana wave of the early 1990s, thanks to the memorable hit single “No Rain” and its equally memorable video.

Blind Melon

Music History Today: August 20, 2022

August 20, 2005: "Axel F" was a Billboard Hot 100 single when Crazy Frog entered the chart.

Swedish Eurodance musician, actor and playwright Erik Wernquist created the CGI-animated character, Crazy Frog,

Crazy Frog

Music History Today: August 19, 2022

August 19, 2008: Lady Gaga's debut album, The Fame, was released.

The first two singles released from Lady Gaga's The Fame album, "Just Dance" and "Poker Face," topped the charts in several countries.   

Music History Today: August 18, 2022

August 18, 2001: Nelly Furtado enters Billboard's Hot 100 with "Turn Off the Light."

Sophie Muller directed the original music video for "Turn Off the Light," which has Nelly Furtado singing in a swamp. 

Nelly Furtado

Music History Today: August 17, 2022

August 17, 1939: The Wizard of Oz premiered in New York. Judy Garland became famous for the movie's song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

Music History Today: August 16, 2022

August 16, 1977: Elvis Presley died at 42 in Memphis, Tennessee. Presley's last concert was on June 26, 1977, in Indiana.

Elvis Presley

Music History Today: August 15, 2022

August 15, 1991: Nirvana play a concert at The Roxy Theater in Los Angeles, where they invite fans to attend the shoot for their first video, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" two days later.

Nirvana

Music History Today: August 14, 2022

August 14, 2010: "Cooler Than Me" by Mike Posner peaked at Number 7 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. 

"Cooler than Me" is the debut single by American singer Mike Posner.

Music History Today: August 13, 2022

August 13, 1994: "I'll Stand by You" by The Pretenders entered the US music chart.

"I'll Stand by You" by The Pretenders was the second single from their album Last of the Independents.

The Pretenders

Music History Today: August 12, 2022

August 12, 1995: "Missing" entered the American music chart by a British duo consisting of Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn as Everything But The Girl.

Originally released in 1994, "Missing" by Everything But The Girl was a minor hit on the pop charts and a bigger one on the Adult Contemporary charts.

Everything But The Girl

Music History Today: August 11, 2022

August 11, 1990: Snap! topped out at Number 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 with "The Power."

Snap! were the German Eurodance duo of Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti.

Music History Today: August 10, 2022

August 10, 1998: Simply Red released a cover of the Hollies' "The Air That I Breathe." On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached number 35.

Music History Today: August 9, 2022

August 9, 2011: Adele released "Someone Like You," from her album 21, in the US. 

"Someone like You" is about a boyfriend who broke up with Adele. She wrote it with American songwriter and producer Dan Wilson.

Music History Today: August 8, 2022

August 8, 1981: Rick James entered Billboard's Hot 100 at Number 74 with "Super Freak."

Rick James' friend, the music director of KACE-FM in Los Angeles Alonzo Miller, heard an early version of “Super Freak” while the Motown star was recording the vocals.

Rick James

Music History Today: August 7, 2022

August 7, 1993: Radiohead broke into Billboard's Top 40 section with "Creep."

English journalist John Harris interviewed Radiohead's singer and songwriter, Thom Yorke, for the NME in October 1992. Thom explained “Creep” to him:

Music History Today: August 6, 2022

August 6, 1987: Madonna's movie Who's That Girl premiered in New York.

The soundtrack from the film Who's That Girl contains four songs by Madonna. Three singles were released.

Music History Today: August 5, 2022

August 5, 1983: The movie "Risky Business," starring Tom Cruise, was released in the USA. In an iconic scene, Cruise's character dances in his underwear to Bob Seger. 

Music History Today: August 4, 2022

August 4, 1973: Alice Cooper's "Billion Dollar Babies" entered Billboard's Hot 100. 

Cooper and his band recorded "Billion Dollar Babies" at a mansion they rented out to record the album in Greenwich, Connecticut, which is a very wealthy suburb of New York City.

Music History Today: August 3, 2022

August 3, 1985: "Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen peaked at Number 5 on Billboard's singles' chart. 

"Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen was the fifth single released from his 1984 album Born in the U.S.A.

Bruce Springsteen

Music History Today: August 2, 2022

August 2, 1997: Sarah McLachlan debuted at Number 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 album chart with Surfacing.

Surfacing was released as the first Lilith Fair tour hit the road, and Sarah McLachlan benefited enormously from the timing.