Music History Today: January 21, 2023

January 21, 1978: The defining soundtrack of the disco era, Saturday Night Fever, began a 24-week run at the top of the US album chart.

Saturday Night Fever is the second-biggest-selling soundtrack of all time, after The Bodyguard.

(sign up to follow by email)

Three Bee Gees' singles from the album —"How Deep Is Your Love," "Stayin' Alive," and "Night Fever" — and Yvonne Elliman's "If I Can't Have You" reached Number 1 in the US. In the UK, the album spent 18 consecutive weeks at Number 1.  

Read more: Wikipedia

January 21, 1957: An unknown singer named Patsy Cline won on CBS' Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts program with a rendition of the song "Walking After Midnight."

Arthur Godfrey's Talent "Scouts" brought discoveries to a converted New York theater to perform before a live studio audience. The studio audience selected the winner through an applause meter at the program's conclusion. Cline's scout, actually her mother Hilda Hensley, presented Patsy, who sang her recent recording Walkin' After Midnight. The audience's ovations stopped the meter at its apex. 

Read more: Television Academy

January 21, 1968: Jimi Hendrix and the Experience recorded their version of the Bob Dylan song "All Along the Watchtower" at London's Olympic Studios. 

Jimi Hendrix

January 21, 1980: Split Enz released the single "I Got You" in the US.

The core of Split Enz were the brothers Neil (vocals) and Tim (guitar) Finn. Neil later formed Crowded House, which Tim joined for their third album. This song went to the top of the Australian, New Zealand and Canadian charts. It peaked at Number 53 in the US. 

Read more: Songfacts

January 21, 1992: Reservoir Dogs' iconic scene set to "Stuck In the Middle with You" by Stealers Wheel was first shown when the Quentin Tarantino film premiered at Sundance.

Stayin' Alive 

Bee Gees