Music History Today: February 3, 2023

February 3, 1979: Blondie had their first of five UK Number 1 singles with "Heart Of Glass." 

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According to Rolling Stone magazine's Top 500 Songs, Blondie band members Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, who were a couple, wrote "Heart Of Glass" in their dingy New York apartment, and keyboardist Jimmy Destri provided the synthesizer hook. The result brought punk and disco together on the dance floor. 

Read more: Songfact

February 3, 1947: Folk/country singer Melanie was born Melanie Anne Safka in Astoria, Queens, New York.

Melanie Safka made her first public appearance on a radio show at age four and later studied at the New York Academy of Fine Arts. Her single "Brand New Key" hit number one on the U.S. charts thanks to its not-so-subtle sexual undertones. The song was censored on some radio stations, but it made Melanie one of the top-selling artists of the year 1971. 

Read more: Allmusic

February 3, 1962: Elvis Presley's "I Can't Help Falling In Love" peaked at Number 2 on Billboard's Hot 100. It was featured in the film Blue Hawaii and is ranked Number 403 on Rolling Stone's 2012 list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time. 

February 3, 1968: The Four Tops began to climb the American music chart with a cover of The Lefte Bank's "Walk Away Renee." The original version never charted in England.

February 3, 1973: Elton John had his first Number 1 on the US singles chart with "Crocodile Rock." Elton said the falsetto hook was "a blatant homage to (Pat Boone's) 'Speedy Gonzales' and all the great '50s and '60s records."

Blondie
Heart of Glass