Music History Today: March 11, 2023

March 11, 1978: Meat Loaf's debut album Bat Out Of Hell began its record-breaking 416-week run on the UK chart.

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The title track from Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell album was edited to 6:40 and released as a single, charting at Number 15 in February 1979, 16 months after the album was released. In 1993, it was re-released in the UK, this time cut to 4:50, and charted at 8. On the album version, the vocals don't come in until 1:55. 

Read more: Songfacts

March 11, 1965: Welsh singer Tom Jones reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart with "It's Not Unusual." 

The first hit for Tom Jones, “It’s Not Unusual” was drenched in horns, a sound used on many of his subsequent songs. It was written for the British singer Sandie Shaw, but she turned it down. Tom Jones saw the song's potential and recorded it. 

Read more: Songfacts

March 11, 1970: Deja Vu, the first album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, was released.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young topped the album chart for one week with Deja Vu. It spawned three US Top 40 singles: "Teach Your Children," "Our House," and "Woodstock."

The popularity of the album contributed to the success of the four albums released by each of the members in the wake of Déjà vu – Neil Young's After the Gold Rush, Stephen Stills' self-titled solo debut, David Crosby's If I Could Only Remember My Name, and Graham Nash's Songs for Beginners. 

Read more: Wikipdia

March 11, 1989: Living Colour debuted on Billboard's Hot 100 with "Cult of Personality."

Living Colour's "Cult of Personality" owes its success to MTV, which was at the peak of its power. According to the book I Want My MTV, Epic Records had both Living Colour and Michael Jackson on their roster. They refused to release Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" video to the network until they agreed to put the "Cult of Personality" clip in heavy rotation. 

Read more: Songfacts

March 11, 1995: The German Eurodance and pop music project, Real McCoy, debuted on Billboard's Hot 100 at Number 30 with "Run Away."

"Run Away" by Real McCay was first released in Europe in July 1994 as the group's third single from their second album, Space Invaders. When the song was released in America in February 1995 as a single, it reached Number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Read more: Wikipedia

Bat Out of Hell
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