Music History Today: July 13, 2020

July 13, 1985: The first Live Aid concerts were held at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia and Wembley Stadium in London. 

On July 13, 1985, at Wembley Stadium in London, Prince Charles and Princess Diana officially open Live Aid, a worldwide rock concert organized to raise money for the relief of famine-stricken Africans. 

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Band Aid Sings: Do They Know it's Christmas? 1984

"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a song written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in reaction to television reports of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was first recorded in a single day on 25 November 1984 by Band Aid, a super-group put together by Geldof and Ure and consisting mainly of the biggest British and Irish musical acts at the time. 

Band-Aid 1984

Music History Today: December 5, 2022

December 5, 2004: Band Aid 20 started a four week at Number 1 on the UK singles chart with a new version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?". Among others, it featured Chris Martin, Dido, and Robbie Williams.

Music History Today: December 3, 2022

December 3, 1964: The animated TV special Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, based on the 1949 song, debuts on CBS with Burl Ives as the voice of Sam the Snowman. The show became a perennial favorite.

Music History Today: November 25, 2022

November 25, 1995: Whitney Houston debuted at Number 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 with "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)."

Music History Today: September 22, 2022

September 22, 1985: The first Farm-Aid concert was held in Champaign, IL.

While performing at the Live Aid benefit concert, Bob Dylan made comments about family farmers within the U.S. in danger of losing their farms.

Music History Today: July 23, 2021

July 23, 1983: The British ska and pop band Madness had a US hit when "Our House" peaked at Number 7 on the Billboard singles chart.

Madness were one of the leading bands of the UK ska revival of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. 

Madness

Music History Today: November 25, 2020

November 25, 1984: In London, Bono, George Michael, David Bowie, Paul McCartney and a passel of other stars record vocals for "Do They Know It's Christmas?".

On Nov. 25, 1984, dozens of the biggest U.K. musicians — past and present — gathered in Trevor Horn's London studio under the moniker Band Aid to record the now-classic holiday song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" 

Music History Today: December 25, 2021

According to the Newsweek article "The Top 20 Best-Selling Christmas Songs of All Time," dated December 10, 2019, Brenda Lee—at number 9—had the highest spot for songs released in the 1950s decade with "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."

Music History Today: July 4, 2023

July 4, 1986: More than 40,000 people showed up at a race track in Manor, Texas, for Farm Aid II. It was shown live on VH-1, and millions of viewers tuned in to watch performances by Alabama, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Beach Boys, Bon Jovi, and Joe Walsh. 

Music History Today: August 1, 2020

August 1, 1981: MTV went on the air, broadcasting music videos 24 hours a day in the US. 

On August 1, 1981, MTV: Music Television goes on the air for the first time ever, with the words (spoken by one of MTV’s creators, John Lack): “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.” 

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.