Music History Today: June 30, 2023

June 30, 1960: In London, the musical "Oliver!" premiered in the West End and ran for 2,618 performances.

The musical "Oliver!" was based on the famous Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist, the story about the dregs of London society. 

Music History Today: May 23, 2023

May 23, 2000: Matchbox Twenty released their second studio album, Mad Season.

On Yourself or Someone Like You, Matchbox Twenty's ability to craft sturdy, mainstream rock was overshadowed by their reliance on loud guitars, colorless production, and bombastic vocalizing.

Music History Today: February 28, 2023

February 28, 1975: Alice Cooper released his first solo album, Welcome to My Nightmare.

After the official disbandment of the Alice Cooper Band in 1975, Cooper returned with Welcome To My Nightmare, an album that took his musicality to new and unexpected heights.

 

Music History Today: October 14, 2022

October 14, 2003: Rod Stewart released As Time Goes By: the Great American Songbook, Volume II.

Thanks to Clive Davis, Rod Stewart found a career revival in 2002 with It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook.

Music History Today: March 15, 2022

March 15, 1976: KISS released their album Destroyer, featuring "Detroit Rock City" and "Beth."

The pressure was on Kiss for their fifth release, and the band knew it. Their breakthrough, Alive!, was going to be hard to top, so instead of trying to recreate a concert setting in the studio, they went the opposite route.

 

Music History Today: August 25, 2021

August 25, 1939: The movie Wizard of Oz was released. Judy Garland starred and sang "Over the Rainbow."

In this classic musical fantasy, Judy Garland stars as Dorothy Gale, a young Kansas farm girl who dreams of a land "somewhere over the rainbow." 

Music History Today: May 23, 2021

May 23, 1979: Kiss released the studio album Dynasty, which contained the hit "I Was Made for Lovin' You."

Gene Simmons discussed his hatred for the Kiss hit “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” saying that he resented the way he had to sing while performing it.

KISS

Music History Today: October 28, 2020

October 28, 1978: The movie KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park was televised by NBC.

The tale of rock band KISS and their efforts to thwart a diabolical plan by mad scientist Abner Devereaux. Devereaux has found a way to clone humans into robots in his laboratory at an amusement park. 

Music History Today: September 4, 2020

September 4, 1976: KISS releases the Soft-Rock ballad, "Beth," which will rise to Number 7 and become their only US Top 10 hit. 

Though KISS have cranked out their fair share of hard-rocking anthems over the years, the band's 1976 ballad "Beth" remains the highest-charting song of their career. 

Music History Today: August 25, 2020

August 25, 1949: Gene Simmons (of KISS) is born Chaim Weitz in Haifa, Israel.

Musician Gene Simmons first decided he wanted to be in a band while in middle school, after watching girls scream at The Beatles on television. 

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Gene Simmons

Music History Today: June 30, 2020

June 30, 1977: KISS released the album "Love Guns."

Love Gun, the sixth studio album and pinnacle of Kiss's first golden era, was released on June 30, 1977.  It marked a pair of turning points for the band. 

KISS