Music History Today: April 24, 2023

April 24, 1993: "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes debuted on Billboard's Hot 100.

 "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes was the first Top 40 hit by an openly lesbian group. The Indigo Girls never got higher than Number 52.

Music History Today: February 2, 2023

February 2, 1974: Barbra Streisand scored her first US Number 1 hit when "The Way We Were" took the top spot.

 "The Way We Were" was the title track to the movie of the same name, which starred Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford.

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: June 17, 2022

June 17, 1970: The film On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, starring Barbra Streisand, was released. 

Music History Today: May 23, 2022

May 23, 1964: Barbra Streisand moved into Billboard's Top 40 section of their music chart, from Number 47 to 26, with "People."  

"People" was one of the first songs written for the musical score of Funny Girl.

Barbra Streisand

 

Music History Today: March 26, 2022

March 26, 1990: At the 62nd Academy Awards ceremony, two tracks from Disney's The Little Mermaid were nominated for Best Original Song: "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl." 

Music History Today: October 27, 2021

October 27, 1984: "On the Dark Side" by Eddie & The Cruisers peaks at Number 7 on the Billboard hot 100 single's chart.

The legendary "East Coast Rock 'n' Roll" group John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band began their career in 1972 and achieved mainstream success in the 1980s with the "Eddie & The Cruisers - Motion Picture Soundtrack" 

Music History Today: March 14, 2021

March 14, 1990: Heart released the single "All I Wanna' Do Is Make Love To You."

After a period of declining popularity, Heart enjoyed a mid-'80s comeback by embracing songs penned by other writers. For their 1990 album Brigade, the band would again use an assortment of outside writers. 

Heart

Music History Today: February 2, 2021

February 2, 1979: Sid Vicious of The Sex Pistols, out on bail after being accused of killing his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, died of a heroin overdose at age 21.

In 1975, a 17-year-old Philly girl named Nancy Spungen dropped out of the University of Colorado and moved to New York City. 

Nancy Spurgeon & Sid Vicious

Music History Today: January 26, 2021

January 26, 1974:  Dolly Parton first appeared on the charts as her first single, "Jolene," debuted.

Dolly Parton has continually put out hit after hit over the years — from "These Old Bones" and "If I Had Wings" to "Sugar Hill" and "Nine to Five." 

Dolly Parton

Music History Today: January 18, 2021

January 18, 2009: Top musicians perform at a Washington, DC concert to celebrate the upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States of America.

The 2009 concert "Obama's We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration At The Lincoln Memorial" had a list of star-studded performers. 

Music History Today: December 8, 2020

December 8, 1980: John Lennon, 40 years old, was shot and killed outside his apartment in New York City.

Forty years ago today Annie Leibovitz photographed John Lennon and Yoko Ono at their apartment in New York City for a feature in Rolling Stone. Lennon autographed an album for a man in the morning.  

Music History Today: November 24, 2020

November 24, 1991: Freddie Mercury of Queen died of AIDS-related bronchial pneumonia at age 45.

Freddie Mercury, rock's showman incarnate, died last night, 24 hours after he confirmed he was suffering from Aids.

Music History Today: October 17, 2020

October 17, 1957:  The movie Jailhouse Rock, starring Elvis Presley, premiers at Loews State Theatre, where Elvis worked as an usher five years earlier.

Vince Everett is serving a one-year jail sentence for manslaughter. While in the big house, his cellmate, a former country singer, introduces him to the record business.