This Date in Rock Music History: May 27

1957:  A group from Lubbock, Texas released their first single for consideration on this date, and the world was about to discover one of the greatest talents ever known.  It was called "That'll Be the Day" and history was about to be made by Buddy Holly & the Crickets.
1957:  "All Shook Up" by Elvis Presley was the #1 R&B song for the fourth week in a row.







 1963:  The Chiffons released the single "One Fine Day".
1965:  Sandie Shaw posted her second U.K. #1 song--"Long Live Love".








1967:  Three brothers from England by way of Australia debuted on the chart for the first time.  You can count on one hand the number of artists who have been more successful.  Their first single, "New York Mining Disaster 1941", was released earlier in the week, and on this date, the Bee Gees had their first hit. 
1967:  Pink Floyd performed at the Civic Hall in Nantwich, England.

"White Rabbit", a surrealistic moment in the Rock Era, Jefferson Airplane's breakthrough...

1967:  More of the Monkees was the #1 album, followed by I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You from Aretha Franklin and Revenge by funnyman Bill Cosby.  The Mamas & The Papas Deliver slipped to #4 while the Soundtrack to "Doctor Zhivago" was in the fifth position.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Soundtrack to "The Sound of Music" was still in the Top 10 after 115 weeks, The Monkees sat at #7, The Best of the Lovin' Spoonful came in eighth, My Cup Runneth Over from Ed Ames was #9 and the psychedelic Surrealistic Pillow from Jefferson Airplane moved from 16-10.
1967:  "Sunday Will Never Be the Same" by Spanky & Our Gang shot up from 98 to 49 on this date.
1967:  "Him or Me --What's It Gonna' Be?" by Paul Revere & the Raiders from Boise, Idaho was the fastest-rising song within the Top 10, moving from 14 to 7.





1968:  The 5th Dimension released the single "Stoned Soul Picnic".

1972:  Roxy Music played their first major show at the Great Western Express Festival in Bardney, Lincolnshire, England.  (Note:  many websites claim the group performed in Lincoln on May 30.  The Festival dates were May 26-29, meaning it was all over by May 30.  If Roxy Music played on that date, their audience would have been largely groundskeepers.  The correct date is Saturday, May 27, as shown in the photo of the official lineup above.  As you can see, Helen Reddy and Nazareth are among the acts which also played on this date.)
1972:  "I'll Take You There", the great soul song from the Staple Singers, was #1 for the fourth week in a row on the R&B chart.









  1972:  "Oh Girl" by the Chi-Lites moved into #1 while the Staple Singers closed with "I'll Take You There".  Roberta Flack finally fell from the top after six great weeks at #1 with "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face".  Al Green slid up one with "Look What You Done For Me" and Sammy Davis, Jr. motored up from 13 to 5 with "The Candy Man".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Morning Has Broken" from Cat Stevens got a nice move (10-6), the Rolling Stones were at 7 with "Tumbling Dice", Joe Tex had song #8--"I Gotcha'", Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show as they called themselves then had their first release "Sylvia's Mother" moving from 14-9 and "Hot Rod Lincoln", the great song from Commander Cody & His Los Planet Airmen was at #10.
1972:  Thick As a Brick from Jethro Tull was the biggest mover within the Top 10 albums (13-2) and seemed destined for a turn at #1.



1974:  On this date, a new group from Sweden first appeared on the U.S. charts--they'd already become superstars all over the rest of the world.  They would go on to become one of the top acts of the Rock Era.  ABBA debuted with their first single, "Waterloo".
1978:  Bob Seger released the classic album Stranger in Town.
1978:  "Even Now" by Barry Manilow was the new #1 Adult Contemporary song.
1978:  "Use Ta Be My Girl" by the O'Jay's took over as the #1 R&B song.
1978:  The Soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever" was the #1 album for the 19th week in a row.







1987:  U2 released the single "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" on this date in North America, the second release from their great album The Joshua Tree.  The group had released the song in Europe the day before.  
1988:  Def Leppard promoted their blockbuster album Hysteria with a concert at the George M. Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska.
1989:  Cliff RIchard released the 100th single of his career "The Best of Me".
1989:  The Beach Boys and Chicago began a tour together.
1989:  "My First Love" by Atlantic Starr gained the #1 spot on the R&B chart.





1989:  "So Alive" by Love and Rockets was the biggest mover on this date 94-68.
1989:  "Forever Your Girl" by Paula Abdul was the #1 song for a second week.
1989:  Lech Walesa, leader of the labor movement in Poland, awarded a Badge of Solidarity to Stevie Wonder.








1991:  Wilson Phillips released the single "The Dream Is Still Alive".
1994:  Another famous day in the Rock Era as the Eagles reunited for a concert in Burbank, California after 14 years apart.  If only other groups had the same maturity.







           
                                                                 Dionne Farris's big hit...

1995:  "This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan remained at #1 for the seventh consecutive week while Bryan Adams awaited his turn with "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?".  Boyz II Men's "Water Runs Dry" moved to #3 while Method Man with Mary J. Blige sat still at #4 with "I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Freak Like Me" from Adina Howard, Nicki French's version of the Bonnie Tyler classic "Total Eclipse of the Heart" was at #6, the great song "I Know" by Dionne Farris was on its way down, TLC's "Red Light Special" was song #8, "I Believe" from Blessid Union of Souls was #9 and Monica shocked everyone by moving from 22 to 10 with "Don't Take It Personal".



     
                                        "Hold My Hand" from Hootie & the Blowfish...

1995:  Cracked Rear View reached #1 on the Album chart 45 weeks after its release on July 23, 1994, one of the longest times in the Rock Era that an album has taken to reach #1.
1997:  It used to be that rock artists had more confidence than to get in these kind of situations.  Oasis singler Liam Gallagher suffered cuts and bruises after getting into a scuffle with a youth at the Tower Thistle Hotel in east London.
1999:  Rod Stewart won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ivor Novella Awards show.
2001:  Tool had the #1 album with Lateralus.
2003:  Metallica premiered the video from "St. Anger", which was filmed at San Quentin Prison, on MTV2.
2004:  Marc Anthony filed for divorce from his wife, the former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres.  He would soon show up at the side of Jennifer Lopez.

2004:  Usher tied a Rock Era record by the Beatles and Bee Gees by placing all three songs in the Top 3 on this date--"Burn" at #1, "Yeah!" at #2 and "Confessions, Part II" at #3.
2005:  Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails was awarded $3 million in his fraud suit against his former manager.
2006:  The Red Hot Chili Peppers owned the top album with Stadium Arcadium.
2006:  Michael Jackson received the Legend Award at the MTV Japan's Video Music Awards.

Born This Day:
1935:  Ramsey Lewis ("The In Crowd") was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1935:  Rudy Lewis of the Drifters was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died May 10, 1964.
1940:  Sandy Gollin, CEO of Mirage Entertainment and Sports, who managed the careers of Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Barbra Streisand, Cher, Dolly Parton and others and produced over 20 movies and Broadway plays, was born in Brooklyn; died April 21, 2017 of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.  (Note:  Some websites lazily say he was born in New York City, which of course consists of several independent boroughs.  Gollin was born in Brooklyn, according to the newspaper 'The New York Times'.)
1943:  Cilla Black, (Priscilla Marie Veronica White) who sang "You're My World", was born in Liverpool, England; died August 1, 2015 after from a stroke a fall at her vacation home near Estepona, Spain caused a traumatic head injury.
1945:  Bruce Cockburn ("Wondering Where The Lions Are") was born in Pembroke, Ontario, Canada.
Starship
1947:  Marty Kristian of the New Seekers ("I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing" from 1972) was born in Leipzig, Germany.
1948:  Pete Sears of Jefferson Starship was born in Bromley, Kent, England.
1957:  Eddie Harsch, keyboardist of the Black Crowes, was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
1958:  Siouxsie (Susan Janet Ballion) of Siouxsie and the Banshees was born in Southwark, southeast London, England.

1958:  Neil Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House was born in Te Awamutu, New Zealand.
1966:  Sean Kinney of Alice in Chains was born in Renton, Washington.








1971:  Lisa Lopes (Left Eye) of TLC was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died in an automobile accident April 25, 2002 from severe neck injuries and head trauma which claimed her life.
1975:  Dre (Andre Benjamin) of Outkast was born in Atlanta, Georgia.