Songs That Changed the World: The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era--"Everyday People" by Sly & the Family Stone

A song from the volatile 60's is next in our very special feature of The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era*.  It is a plea for peace and racial equality between the races and social groups.  A powerful message, especially for the times, it was presented in such a fun way that Sly & the Family Stone made it "cool" to get along.

"Everyday People"

 by Sly & the Family Stone

Words and Music by Sly Stone


Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong
My own beliefs are in my song
The butcher, the banker, the drummer and thenMakes no difference what group I'm in
I am everyday people, yeah yeahThere is a blue one who can't accept the green one
For living with a fat one trying to be a skinny one
Different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo-bee
Oh sha sha - we got to live together
I am no better and neither are you
We are the same whatever we do
You love me you hate me you know me and then
You can't figure out the bag l'm in
I am everyday people, yeah yeah
There is a long hair that doesn't like the short hair
For bein' such a rich one that will not help the poor one
Different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo-bee
Oh sha sha-we got to live together
There is a yellow one that won't accept the black one
That won't accept the red one that won't accept the white one
Different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo-bee


I am everyday people.

This Date in Rock Music History: September 24

1955:  Elvis Presley performed on The Louisiana Hayride at the Shreveport Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, broadcast on KWKH-TV.  
1955:  Chuck Berry was on top of the R&B chart for the eighth straight week with "Maybellene".
1957:  Disc jockey Alan Freed's movie Mister Rock and Roll, featuring footage of Chuck Berry, Clyde McPhatter, Frankie Lymon and Little Richard, debuted at the Paramount in New York City.
1958:  The Platters recorded the song "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" in Paris, France.

1958:  The Kingston Trio released the single "Tom Dooley".
1958:  Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen were guests on the premiere of The Donna Reed Show on ABC-TV.
1966:  Jimi Hendrix and new manager Chas Chandler, formerly of the Animals, arrived in London.  On the flight across the pond, Hendrix changed his first name from Jimmy to Jimi.
1966:  The Temptations took over the R&B chart with "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep".
1966:  Roger Williams topped the Easy Listening chart for the sixth week with "Born Free".

  Los Angeles band the Association gave us one of The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era*

1966:  The Association reached #1 for the first time with the song "Cherish".  The Supremes fell back with "You Can't Hurry Love", Donovan had song #3 with "Sunshine Superman" and the Beatles were submersing with "Yellow Submarine".  The rest of the Top 10:  The Hollies and "Bus Stop", the Temptations entered the Top 10 with "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep", Los Bravos made an 18-7 move with "Black Is Black", ? & the Mysterians were up from 25 to 8 with "96 Tears", the Beach Boys with "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and the Four Tops were up from 26-10 with "Reach Out (I'll Be There)".
1966:  Revolver by the Beatles was the #1 album for the third straight week.  Going Places by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass crept back in the Top 10 after 49 weeks of release.
1967:  The Beatles continued filming Magical Mystery Tour at West Malling Air Station in Maidstone, Kent with the ballroom finale of "Your Mother Should Know.

1968:  The Vogues were awarded a gold record for the song "Turn Around, Look At Me".
1971:  John Lennon was a guest on The Dick Cavett Show.
1971:  The Jackson 5 appeared on the cover of Life magazine.
1973:  Chicago released the single "Just You 'N Me".
1973:  Charlie Rich released the single "The Most Beautiful Girl".
1975:  Rod Stewart had the #1 U.K. song with "Sailing".
1977:  The first Elvis Presley convention was held in Memphis, Tennessee.
1977:  The #1 Easy Listening song was "Nobody Does It Better" by Carly Simon for the third week.

          Newcomer Foreigner was anything but cold

1977:  The Emotions returned to #1, making it five weeks for "Best of My Love".  The Floaters had to settle for #2 with "Float On" while another hit from Rumours--"Don't Stop" kept Fleetwood Mac in the limelight.  K.C. & the Sunshine Band were up with "Keep It Comin' Love" and the Brothers Johnson were at 5 with "Strawberry Letter 23".  The rest of the Top 10:  Andy Gibb's previous #1 "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" tumbled, ELO moved up with "Telephone Line", Meco's instrumental "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" moved from 13-8, Shaun Cassidy had a hit with the Eric Carmen song "That's Rock 'N' Roll" and Foreigner cracked the list with "Cold As Ice".

1977:  Rumours by Fleetwood Mac was #1 for a record 20th week.  It wasn't done yet.
1979:  The Commodores released the single "Still".
1980:  As mixing of the upcoming Double Fantasy album was being wrapped up at Record Plant East in New York City, John Lennon gave one of his last interviews to Lisa Robinson of 97-FM in Buffalo, New York.
1983:  UB40 picked up the #1 album in the U.K. with Labour of Love.

          The Eurythmics with one of their biggest career hits...

1983:  Billy Joel earned his second #1 song with "Tell Her About It", holding off Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart".  Men Without Hats were a solid 3 with "The Safety Dance" while the former #1 "Maniac" from Michael Sembello found itself now at #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Air Supply enjoyed their eighth Top 10 song out of 10 releases with "Making Love Out of Nothing At All", the Eurythmics fell with the former #1 "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)", Michael Jackson's "Human Nature", Taco stabilized at #8 with "Puttin' On the Ritz", the Stray Cats entered the Top 10 with "(She's) Sexy + 17" and Asia was at 10 with "Don't Cry".

1983:  "Tell Her About It" was the new Adult Contemporary #1 song for Billy Joel.
1983:  Synchronicity continued to battle Thriller as the Police owned the #1 album for the 11th week.  The Soundtrack to "Flashdance" was third followed by Def Leppard's Pyromania and An Innocent Man from Billy Joel.

1984:  Hall & Oates released the single "Out of Touch".
1984:  Culture Club reached #1 in the U.K. with "Karma Chameleon".
1988:  James Brown was arrested in Georgia after eluding police in a two-state car chase.  He was convicted of illegal possession of firearms and drugs and failure to stop for police and sentenced to six years in jail.  
1988:  The Hollies owned the #1 song in the U.K. with "He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother", which had picked up new popularity after being featured in a beer commercial.

1988:  Bobby McFerrin took over at #1 with his positive song "Don't Worry Be Happy".  Guns N' Roses slipped to 2 with "Sweet Child O' Mine" and Taylor DayneLeppard had their third Top 10 song from Hysteria--"Love Bites".  The rest of the Top 10:  Huey Lewis & the News with "Perfect World", Peter Cetera from Sun Valley, Idaho with "One Good Woman", the New Edition dropped with "If It Isn't Love", Kenny Loggins had the #9 song--"Nobody's
1988:  Peter Cetera owned the top Adult song with "One Good Woman", #1 for the fourth straight week.
1988:  Appetite For Destruction by Guns N' Roses returned to #1 on the album chart, displacing the great album Hysteria by Def Leppard, which was spending its 58th week on the chart.
1989:  Prince performed on the 15-year anniversary of Saturday Night Live.

1990:  M.C. Hammer released the single "Pray".
1991:  Nirvana released the album Nevermind.
1994:  Boyz II Men presided over the #1 song on the R&B chart for the sixth week with "I'll Make Love To You".

1994:  II by Boyz II Men remained at #1 on the album chart, ahead of Soundtracks to "The Lion King" and "Forrest Gump".  Green Day was up to 4 with Dookie while Stone Temple Pilots held down #5 with Purple.  The rest of the Top 10:  Offspring with Smash, The 3 Tenors In Concert 1994 from Carreras, Domingo and Pavarotti, the debut from Candlebox, Counting Crows and August and Everything After at #9 with Sweden's Ace of Base wrapping up the list with The Sign.
1994:  Boyz II Men remained at #1 for the fifth straight week with "I'll Make Love To You" while Lisa Loeb remained at #2 for the fifth week after dropping from the top spot with "Stay (I Missed You)".
1997:  Larry Hall ("Sandy" from 1959) died of cancer at the age of 57.
2000:  Madonna was on top of the U.K. album chart with Music.

2003:  The Dave Matthews Band performed in front of 100,000 at a charity concert in New York City's Central Park.  The concert was recorded and later released as a live album.

2003:  Gordon Lightfoot was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.


Born This Day:
1933:  Mel Taylor, drummer of the Ventures
1936:  Jim Henson, creator and voice of the Muppets on "Rubber Duckie" and "Rainbow Connection", was born in Greenville, Mississippi; died May 16, 1990.
1940:  Barbara Allbut of the Angels was born in Orange, New Jersey.

1941:  Linda McCartney of Wings was born in Scarsdale, New York; died April 17, 1998.

1942:  Gerry Marsden of Gerry & the Pacemakers was born in Liverpool, England.
1942:  Phyllis "Jiggs" Allbut of the Angels was born in Orange, New Jersey.
1944:  Rosa Lee Hawkins of the Dixie Cups was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.
1946:  Carson Osten, guitarist with Todd Rundgren in Nazz and Utopia
1946:  Jerry Donahue, guitarist of Fairport Convention
1971:  Marty Cintron III, who has sold over eight million albums with No Mercy
1971:  Peter Salisbury, drummer of the Verve, was born in bath, England.

Songs That Changed the World--The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era: "You Found Me" by the Fray

Everyone has to come to terms with their own identity and the meaning of life in their own way.  Today's featured song on The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era* is "You Found Me" from the Fray.

"You Found Me"

by the Fray

Written by Isaac Slade and Joe King


I found God
On the corner of First and Amistad
Where the west
Was all but won
All alone
Smoking his last cigarette
I said, "Where you been?"
He said, "Ask anything".

[Verse 2]
Where were you
When everything was falling apart?
All my days
Were spent by the telephone
That never rang
And all I needed was a call
That never came
To the corner of First and Amistad

[Chorus 1]
Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lyin' on the floor
Surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late
You found me, you found me

[Verse 3]
In the end
Everyone ends up alone
Losing her
The only one who's ever known
Who I am
Who I'm not, who I wanna be
No way to know
How long she will be next to me

[Chorus 2]
Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lyin' on the floor
Surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late
You found me, you found me

[Bridge]
Early morning
The city breaks
I've been callin'
For years and years and years and years
And you never left me no messages
Ya never send me no letters
You got some kinda nerve
Taking all I want

[Chorus 3 and outro]
Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lyin' on the floor
Where were you? Where were you?
Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lyin' on the floor
Surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late
You found me, you found me
Why'd you have to wait?
To find me, to find me 

This Date in Rock Music History: September 23

1956:  Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees first appeared on television on Circus Boy on NBC-TV.

             16-year-old Canadian crooner with one of the early classics of the Rock Era

1957:  "Diana" by Paul Anka took over at #1 on the R&B chart.
1960:  The early Beatles with Stu Sutcliffe aboard recorded "Fever", "Summertime" and "September Song" in Hamburg, Germany.
1961:  Another famous date here as on September 24,1961, Stevie Wonder auditioned for Motown Records.
1961:  The Shadows' self-titled debut album was #1 on the U.K. album chart.
1965:  The Walker Brothers owned the #1 U.K. song--"Make It Easy On Yourself".
1967:  The Mothers of Invention made their debut in the U.K. at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

      The Box Tops reached the top with "The Letter"

1967:  An example of what made 1967 one of the best years in the Rock Era--the progression of #1's from "Respect", "Groovin'", "Windy", "Light My Fire", "All You Need Is Love", "Ode to Billie Joe" and on this date, the Box Tops took over the coveted position with "The Letter".  That's heavy duty competition, something you always want to evaluate when looking at music.  All are members of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*.  The Association had another clear winner as "Never My Love" jumped from 15-5 to enter the Top 10.
1967:  The album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles had been out 14 weeks with 13 of those at #1.  Even the Doors' solid debut could not topple it.  Flowers from the Rolling Stones was #3.
1968:  Mary Hopkin released her single "Those Were the Days".
1970:  Mick Jagger met Bianca Rose Perez Moreno de Macias after a Rolling Stones concert at the Paris Olympia.  The two would later marry.
1972:  Helen Reddy was beginning to roar as "I Am Woman" moved from 87 to 65.

1972:  Country star Mac Davis crossed over to #1 with "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me".  Three Dog Night slipped with "Black & White" while Chicago was up to 3 with "Saturday in the Park".  The O'Jays had song #4--"Back Stabbers" while the classic "Alone Again (Naturally)" from Gilbert O'Sullivan was still at #5.  The rest of a solid Top 10:  "Ben", the first big solo hit for Michael Jackson, moved from 13-6 on this date, Main Ingredient was up strongly (16-7) with "Everybody Plays the Fool", Elton John edged up with "Honky Cat", the Raspberries entered the list with "Go All the Way" and Gary Glitter tumbled with "Rock and Roll Part 2".
1974:  John Lennon released the single "Whatever Gets You Through the Night".
1974:  Robbie McIntosh of the Average White Band died of drugs at the age of 24.
1977:  Steely Dan released the best album of their career--Aja.
1978:  Sonny Bono made an appearance on the popular ABC-TV show Fantasy Island.
1978:  Chris Rea remained at #1 on the Easy Listening chart for a third week with "Fool If You Think It's Over".

1978:  Earth, Wind & Fire rose to #1 on the R&B chart with their remake of the Beatles' hit "Got To Get You Into My Life".
1978:  Donna Summer was on the move with her remake of the Richard Harris song  "MacArthur Park", up from 75 to 50.

     Nick Gilder gave us this great song from 1978

1978:  "Boogie Oogie Oogie" by A Taste of Honey amazingly held on to #1 for a third week, but only for the moment.  On its heels was "Kiss You All Over" by Exile while Olivia Newton-John scored her 18th career hit with "Hopelessly Devoted To You".  Behind that trio, the Commodores' former #1 "Three Times a Lady", Andy Gibb's "An Everlasting Love" and yet another hit from Grease--"Summer Nights" from John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John.  The rest of the Top 10:  Boston's new release "Don't Look Back", "Hot Blooded" from Foreigner, Canada's Nick Gilder entered the Top 10 with "Hot Child in the City" and the Little River Band were up from 15-10 with "Reminiscing".
1978:  Grease returned to #1 on the album chart after a one-week occupancy by Boston's Don't Look Back.    That gave one of the last great musicals its eighth week at the top.  Foreigner's Double Vision was third followed by Some Girls from the Rolling Stones.

1980:  David Bowie replaced Phillip Anglim in the title role for the play "The Elephant Man" in New York City.
1982:  Brenda Lee was inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame.
1986:  James Brown, Freddie Jackson and Melba Moore headed an anti-crack rally at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
1989:  The Eurythmics owned the #1 U.K. album with We Two Are One.

Cher was back in a big way with this Diane Warren song

1989:  The public chose "Girl I'm Gonna' Miss You" by Milli Vanilli to be #1 which speaks volumes as to the quality out at the time.  Warrant held down #2 with "Heaven" while Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time" was at #3.  Skid Row came in next with "18 and Life" while Madonna's "Cherish" was moving up.  The rest of the Top 10:  Gloria Estefan registered her 10th hit ("Don't Wanna' Lose You", with seven of those going Top 10, Surface slipped up with "Shower Me With Your Love", Janet Jackson was up from 15-8 with "Miss You Much", New Kids on the Block were down with "Hangin' Tough" and Paula Abdul's "Cold Hearted" closed out the list.
1989:  A better representation of what was really popular was the Adult Contemporary chart as the Bee Gees remained at #1 with "One".
1991:  Izzy Stradlin left Guns N' Roses.

1995:  Michael Jackson made it four weeks atop the R&B chart with "You Are Not Alone".

     Sophie B. Hawkins made it into a loaded Top 10

1995:  The great song "Gangsta's Paradise" from CoolioRayvon on the double-sided "Boombastic"/"Summer Time", Luniz was at 8 with "I Got 5 On It", Hootie & the Blowfish with "Only Wanna' Be With You" and Sophie B. Hawkins cracked the Top 10 with "As I Lay Be Down".



1996:  Agnetha Faltskog of ABBA published her autobiography "As I Am".
1997:  MCA Records re-released the debut album Show Your Hand by the Average White Band to commemorate the group's 25th anniversary.
1997:  Elektra Records released the album The Next Voice You Hear:  The Best of Jackson Browne.
1997:  The Rolling Stones were in concert at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.

1999:  Shirley Manson of Garbage unveiled her line of lip gloss.
2001:  Kylie Minogue reached #1 in the U.K. with "Can't Get You Out of My Head".
2001:  Jay-Z had the #1 album with The Blueprint.

2002 Sting won an Oscar for Best Musical Performance for Sting In Tuscany...All This Time.
2003:  Outkast released the two-album set of solo releases Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.
2003:  Dave Matthews released a solo album, Some Devil.
2004:  In today's episode of Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music, the bodyguard for Lil' Kim was sentenced to 12 years in prison after firing 20 times in a shoot-out with a rival gang.
2006:  The #1 album was B'Day by Beyonce.
2007:  James Blunt went to #1 on the U.K. album chart with All the Lost Souls.

2010:  The Ray Charles Memorial Library opened in Los Angeles.
2011:  Clarence Johnson of the Chi-Lites, who left the group in 1964 before they became popular to become a producer (he worked with Deniece Williams among others), died in Olympia Fields, Illinois.


Born This Day:

1930:  Soul superstar Ray Charles was born in Albany, Georgia; died June 10, 2004.
1939:  Guitar ace Roy Buchanan was born in Ozark, Alabama; died August 14, 1988 by hanging himself while in police custody.

1943:  Julio Iglesias was born in Madrid, Spain.
1943:  Steve Boone, bass guitarist of Lovin' Spoonful, was born in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
1943:  Wallace Scott of the Whispers was born in Fort Worth, Texas.
1943:  Walter Scott of the Whispers was born in Fort Worth, Texas.  
1943:  John Banks of the Merseybeats
1945:  Paul Petersen, actor who had several hits including the Top 10 "My Dad" in 1962, was born in Glendale, California.
1947:  Jerry Corbetta, founder, keyboardist and lead singer of Sugarloaf ("Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" and Green-Eyed Lady") was born in Denver, Colorado.
1947:  Neal Smith, drummer with Alice Cooper, was born in Akron, Ohio.

1949:  Bruce Springsteen was born in Freehold, New Jersey.


1959:  Martin Page, who has written many songs such as "We Built This City" for Starship and "These Dreams" for Heart as well as his own "In the House of Stone and Light", was born in Southampton, England.

1959:  Lita Ford, lead guitarist for the Runaways and a solo star, was born in London.



1970:  Ani DeFranco was born in Buffalo, New York.
1972:  Jermaine Dupri, rapper, songwriter and producer, was born in Asheville, North Carolina.
1979:  Erik-Michael Estrada of O-Town was born in Bronxville, New York.
1985:  Diana Ortiz of Dream

Songs That Changed the World--The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era: The Next Ten

There's still much more to come in our very special feature saluting Songs That Changed the World--The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era.  Earlier in the month, we included the first 12 together.  Here are the next Ten (Click on the song title to go to that specific page):




"Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen


"Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2


"Where Have All the Flowers Gone" by Johnny Rivers


"Sing" by the Carpenters


"If Today Was Your Last Day" by Nickelback


"Everything I Own" by Bread


"The Fear" by Lily Allen


"Put Your Hand in the Hand" by Ocean


"The Message" by Grandmaster Flash


"Just a Girl" by No Doubt

Songs That Changed the World--The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era: "Just a Girl" by No Doubt

In this song, No Doubt blasts the traditional gender roles that show condescension towards women and constitute a glass ceiling for females.  This is "Just a Girl".

"Just a Girl"

by No Doubt

Words by Gwen Stefani, Music by Tom Dumont


Take this pink ribbon off my eyes
I'm exposed
And it's no big surprise
Don't you think I know
Exactly where I stand
This world is forcing me
To hold your hand
'Cause I'm just a girl, little 'ol me
Don't let me out of your sight
I'm just a girl, all pretty and petite
So don't let me have any rights

Oh...I've had it up to here!
The moment that I step outside
So many reasons
For me to run and hide
I can't do the little things I hold so dear
'Cause it's all those little things
That I fear

'Cause I'm just a girl I'd rather not be
'Cause they won't let me drive
Late at night I'm just a girl,
Guess I'm some kind of freak
'Cause they all sit and stare
With their eyes

I'm just a girl,
Take a good look at me
Just your typical prototype

Oh...I've had it up to here!
Oh...am I making myself clear?
I'm just a girl
I'm just a girl in the world...
That's all that you'll let me be!
I'm just a girl, living in captivity
Your rule of thumb
Makes me worry some

I'm just a girl, what's my destiny?
What I've succumbed to Is making me numb
I'm just a girl, my apologies
What I've become is so burdensome
I'm just a girl, lucky me
Twiddle-dum there's no comparison

Oh...I've had it up to!
Oh...I've had it up to!!
Oh...I've had it up to here! 

This Date in Rock Music History: September 22

1956:  We were first introduced to a great new act as the first single by the Coasters--"One Kiss Led To Another" debuted on this date.
1958:  With permission from the United States Army, Elvis Presley gave one last press conference at the Military Ocean Terminal in Brooklyn, New York before joining his 3rd Armored Division on the USS General Randall on the way to Bremerhaven, Germany.

1958:  Connie Francis had the top U.K. song with "Carolina Moon, Stupid Cupid".

1958:  Tommy Edwards had one of the great early songs of the Rock Era with "It's All in the Game", which on this date reached #1 on the R&B chart.
1960:  The Beatles performed at the Indra Club, Grosse Freiheit in Hamburg, West Germany.
1962:  Bob Dylan first appeared at Carnegie Hall.

1962:  "Green Onions" by Booker T. and the MG's returned to #1 on the R&B chart.
1964:  Fiddler on the Roof opened on Broadway in New York City, the first of 3,242 performances.
1964:  Herman's Hermits reached #1 in the U.K. with a song written by Carole King of Sun Valley, Idaho with her husband Gerry Goffin--"I'm Into Something Good".
1965:  The Supremes recorded "I Hear a Symphony".
1965:  The San Francisco group Great Society, which included Grace Slick and her husband Darby, made their live debut at the Coffee Gallery in North Beach, California.
1965:  The Who began a tour of Scandinavia in which lead singer Roger Daltrey was nearly kicked out of the band for punching drummer Keith Moon.

1967:  The Beatles were featured on the cover of Time Magazine.

1969:  The 5th Dimension released the single "Wedding Bell Blues".
1969:  Diana Ross was a guest on the popular television show Laugh In on NBC.
1969:  Stevie Wonder, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Sly and the Family Stone, James Brown, Janis Joplin, Cass Elliot and Tom Jones performed on the new weekly television show The Music Scene, which debuted on ABC. 
1972:  David Bowie began his first tour of the United States.
1973:  The Rolling Stones topped the album chart in the U.K. with Goat's Head Soup.
1973:  Soul group Tavares made its debut on the chart with their first single "Check It Out".
1973:  Brothers and Sisters by the Allman Brothers Band was the top album for a third week.
1973:  Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" took over at the top of the R&B chart.

 1973:  The great song "My Maria" from B.W. Stevenson took over at #1 on the Easy Listening chart.


                     Stevie was at his creative peak

1973:  Marvin Gaye took over at #1 with "Let's Get It On".  Grand Funk was up nicely to #2 with "We're an American Band" and the former #1 "Delta Dawn" from Helen Reddy dropped to 3.  Paul Simon had the #4 song--"Loves Me Like a Rock".  The rest of the Top 10:  Tony Orlando & Dawn with "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose", the Stories were still at 6 with their former #1 "Brother Louie", Cher moved from 11-7 with "Half Breed", Stevie Wonder had his 32nd hit and 15th Top 10 with "Higher Ground" and the Isley Brothers catapulted into the Top 10 with "That Lady".
1974:  The Sonny Bono Comedy Revue Show debuted on television.
1975:  The Captain & Tennille released the single "The Way I Want To Touch You".
1978:  Leif Garrett dabbled in acting when he starred in dual roles on the ABC-TV show Wonder Woman.
1979:  Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Chaka Khan performed at Madison Square Garden in New York City for two anti-nuclear benefit concerts.
1979:  Gary Numan owned the #1 U.K. song--"Cars".
1979:  "Rise" by Herb Alpert was the #1 Adult Contemporary song.

        Led Zeppelin was still #1 with one of The Top 100 Albums of the Rock Era*


1979:  Led Zeppelin remained the owners of the #1 album with In Through the Out Door.  The former #1 Get the Knack from the Knack was still at 2 while Bob Dylan moved from 14-3 with one of his best career albums Slow Train Coming.  Supertramp was still at 4 with Breakfast in America.  The rest of the Top 10:  Chic & Risque, Michael Jackson's Off the Wall at #6, the Commodores brought Midnight Magic, Earth, Wind & Fire had #8--I Am, the Cars rolled down with Candy-O and Robin Williams was at #10 with Reality...What a Concept.
1979:  Kenny Rogers had a hot song with "You Decorated My Life", which moved from 60 to 37.

  They don't get much better than "The Devil Went Down To Georgia"

1979:  The Knack had one of The Top Songs of the Rock Era* as "My Sharona" spent a fifth week at #1.  Earth, Wind & Fire remained at #2 with "After the Love Has Gone".  The Charlie Daniels Band by this time had reached #1 in a few cities with "The Devil Went Down to Georgia".  Herb Alpert's big comeback song "Rise" moved from 12-4 and Maxine Nightingale had Song #5--"Lead Me On".  The rest of the Top 10:  Robert John's first hit since his remake of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"--"Sad Eyes", the Little River Band was at 7 with "Lonesome Loser", Dionne Warwick remained at 8 with "I'll Never Love This Way Again", the Commodores were back with "Sail On" and ELO dropped with "Don't Bring Me Down".

1980:  David Geffen formed Geffen Records.  John Lennon was one of the first to sign and would release the final album of his career on that label.
1980:  Hall & Oates released their remake of the classic Righteous Brothers hit "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling".  It was actually pretty good as remakes of classics go.
1981:  Songwriter Harry Warren, who wrote over 800 songs including "I Only Have Eyes For You", "That's Amore'" for Dean Martin and "Chattanooga Choo Choo", died at the age of 88.
1983:  The Everly Brothers reunion tour stopped at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
1984:  Billy Ocean ruled the R&B chart for the fourth week with "Caribbean Queen".

1984:  Former Babys lead singer John Waite hit #1 with his solo hit "Missing You".


1984:  Survivor had one of the fastest-rising songs as the great track "I Can't Hold Back" moved from 85 to 64.



  The Pointer Sisters had the biggest album of their career


1984:  Prince made it eight weeks at #1 on the album chart with Purple Rain, holding off Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. again.  Huey Lewis & the News were still at #3 after 51 weeks with Sports.  Tina Turner remained at 4 with Private Dancer and the Cars' great album Heartbeat City was at #5.  That is as fine a Top Five as you'll ever see.  The rest of the Top 10:  Julio Iglesias with 1100 Bel Air Place, Lionel Richie and Can't Slow Down at #7, Ratt's Out of the Cellar, the Soundtrack to "Ghostbusters" at #9 and the Pointer Sisters entered the list with Break Out.
1985:  Boston released the single "Amanda".

1985:  The first Farm Aid concert was in Champaign, Illinois,  The concert featured John Mellencamp, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Neil Young and Willie Nelson and raised $10 million for farmers in the United States.  It was such a success that Farm Aid became an annual event.
1989:  Songwriter Irving Berlin, whose "White Christmas" is one of the top-selling singles of all-time, died at the age of 101 in New York City.
1990:  Nirvana performed at the Motor Sports International Garage in Seattle, Washington.

Phil Collins employed the great horns of Earth, Wind & Fire for this great song

1990:  Wilson Phillips remained at the top with "Release Me".  Jon Bon Jovi's solo hit "Blaze of Glory" would have to settle for #2.  Two new entries in the Top 10--Phil Collins with "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" at #7 and George Michael moved from 18-8 with "Praying for Time".
1991:  Bryan Adams set a U.K. record when "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" remained at #1 for a 12th week.
1995:  Time Warner and Turner Broadcasting System announced a $7.5 million merger.
1997:  Boyz II Men released the single "4 Seasons of Loneliness".


1999:  Bono of U2 met the pope at the Vatican to discuss his initiative for ending Third World debt.
1999:  Mick Jones, Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon of the Clash attended the premiere of the Clash documentary Westway to the World in London.
2000:  The Red Hot Chili Peppers closed out a successful tour in Seattle, Washington.
2000:  Liam Gallagher of Oasis and his wife were divorced in London.
2000:  In today's segment of Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music, Stanley Howse of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony was sentenced to 12 years in jail for pulling an AK-47 on two men.

2003:  Jon Bon Jovi and bandmate Richie Sambora became co-owners of the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League.
2004:  Nelly owned the top two spots on the album chart with Suit and Sweat.
2004:  In today's second segment of Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music, Lil' Kim's bodyguard was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his involvement in a 2001 shootout.
2005:  Jimmy Page was made an honorary citizen of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for his work with Casa Jimmy (Jimmy's House).  Page opened the house in 1998 which had supported 300 street children.
2006:  The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson--"Chantilly Lace") was posthumously saluted with a marker in his honor in his hometown of Beaumont, Texas.
2007:  Paul Rodgers, classic lead singer of Free, Bad Company and the Firm, married former Miss Canada Cynthia Kereluk.
2010:  Eddie Fisher ("Heart" from 1955) died of complications from hip surgery.

2012:  Howard Scott, sound engineer and producer who helped introduce the long-playing vinyl record in 1948, and was a producer with Columbia, Sony and MGM, died of cancer at age 92.

Born This Day:
1930:  Joni James ("How Important Can It Be?") was born in Chicago, Illinois.

1943:  Toni Basil ("Mickey") was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.



1951:  David Coverdale, singer/songwriter of Deep Purple and Whitesnake, was born in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England.
1953:  Richard Fairbrass of Right Said Fred ("I'm Too Sexy" from 1991) was born in Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey, England.

1956:  Debby Boone was born in Hackensack, New Jersey.
1957:  Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde was born in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.

1960:  Joan Jett of the Runaways and leader of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts was born in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.
1975:  Mystikal ("Stutter" from 2001) was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.