This Date in Rock Music History: May 26

1953:  Man, egg on the faces of the judges who ranked Elvis Presley second in the talent competition at the Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Show in Meridian, Mississippi.  Whoever finished first came nowhere near having 18 #1 songs.
1958:  Jerry Lee Lewis played what would be his final concert in the U.K., booed off stage by angry British.  People found out that he had been married to his 13 year-old cousin and it was "Bye, Bye Jerry!"  When Lewis returned to the United States, he was blacklisted from radio stations, his record company mocked him, and he went from making $10,000 per performance to finding gigs for $250.

                                     Ray Charles was headed for the top...   


1962:  "Stranger On The Shore" from Mr. Acker Bilk landed at #1, displacing "Soldier Boy" by the Shirelles after three weeks.  Dee Dee Sharp held steady at #3 while Ray Charles loomed next after a 21-4 move for "I Can't Stop Loving You".
1963:  Elvis Presley recorded "(You're The) Devil In Disguise" at the RCA Studios in Nashville, Tennessee.  (Note:  some websites report that Presley recorded the song over two days.  While he had recording sessions on both May 26 and 27, he finished "Devil In Disguise" on May 26, according  to the book 'Elvis Presley: A Life In Music' by Ernst Jorgensen.)1965:  The Rolling Stones, Sonny and Cher, Jackie DeShannon and Jimmy Rodgers appeared on the television show Shindig!
1966:  The Rolling Stones reached #1 in the U.K. with "Paint It Black".
1968:  Little Willie John ("Fever") died at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, Washington at age 30.




1969:  After their seven day bed-in for peace at the Amsterdam Hilton in March of 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono began their second famous "bed-in" for peace at Le Reine Élizabeth Hotel (Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in English) in Montreal, Quebec.  (Note:  several websites claim the bed-in began May 21 and that it lasted ten days.  The bed-in began May 26 and lasted through June 2, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Company, the book 'The Suite Life:  The Magic and Mystery of Hotel Living' by Christopher Heard, and 'The Beatles Bible'.)
1971:  The song may have been about "The day the music died", but that song was born this day as Don McLean went into the recording studio to record the all-time classic "American Pie" at the Record Plant in New York City.
1972:  Elton John released the album Honky Chateau in the United States (he had released the LP on May 19 in the U.K.)
1973:  George Harrison had the Biggest Mover on the chart with "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)", which climbed from 59 to 34.




1973:  The #3 Instrumental of All-Time* reached #1 on this date--"Frankenstein" from Edgar Winter Group.  It remains the only hard rock instrumental ever to reach the top, although "Hocus Pocus" by Focus also entered the Top 10 on this date in 1973 at #10 as well.  Paul McCartney & Wings had their first big hit "My Love" which was #2 on this date.  Elton John's "Daniel" reached #3 while the former #1 "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" by Dawn was at 4.  The rest of the Top 10:  The former #1 "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", Sylvia's "Pillow Talk" moved up to #6, Sweet fell to 7 after peaking at #3 with "Little Willy", Dobie Gray's "Drift Away" was #8 and Skylark edged up to #9 with "Wildflower".

 

'The Blue Album' had the perfect mix of hits and album tracks, such as "Across the Universe"...


1973:  The great double greatest hits album The Beatles/1967-1970 was #1 this week and their double album The Beatles/1962-1966 was at #3 with Houses of the Holy from Led Zeppelin sandwiched in between.

1977:  The Broadway tribute Beatlemania previewed at the Winter Garden Theatre in Manhattan with opening day set for May 31.

1977:  Billy Powell of the O'Jay's died of cancer.

1978:  Donna Summer co-hosted The Midnight Special.

1978:  A new group appeared on the Irish television show Youngline.  They were then known as the Hype, today as U2.

1979: Bette Midler appeared on Saturday Night Live on NBC-TV.
1979: "Sunday Girl" became the second U.K. #1 for Blondie.


 

1979:  Kenny Rogers' great song "She Believes In Me" took over at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

1979:  "Reunited" ruled supreme for the fourth week in a row for Peaches & Herb.  Donna Summer was a solid #2 with "Hot Stuff".  There were three new Top 10 songs--"We Are Family" from Sister Sledge, which elevated from 13 to 6, Randy Vanwarmer's "Just When I Needed You Most", up from 15 to 8, and "Love Is The Answer", England Dan & John Ford Coley's latest, at #10.





 

1982:  Bobby Darin was given a star posthumously on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1984:  Bruce Springsteen had the highest debut of the week with "Dancing In The Dark", which had been released earlier in the month.

1984:  The Cars had the Biggest Mover with their great song "Magic" climbing from 59 to 39.







 

1984:  Deniece Williams reached the pinnacle as the former backup singer for Stevie Wonder hit #1 with "Let's Hear It For the Boy".  Lionel Richie's "Hello" slipped to #2 with Cyndi Lauper moving up behind him with "Time After Time".  Phil Collins remained strong after 14 weeks with his former #1--"Against All Odds" while Steve Perry's first solo hit "Oh Sherrie" was up to #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" by Julio Iglesias & Willie Nelson, Duran Duran moved from 12-6 with "The Reflex", Night Ranger had a big hit with "Sister Christian, up from 16 to 8, Irene Cara was back with "Breakdance" and the Thompson Twins' former #3 smash "Hold Me Now".

1990:  David Bowie was sued by his ex-wife Angie for $56 million.

1990:  "Hold On" by En Vogue was the #1 R&B song.

1990:  Wilson Phillips topped the Adult Contemporary chart with "Hold On".  Note:  This song is completely different than "Hold On" by En Vogue mentioned above.





 

                                         Heart closed in on the top spot...

1990:  Not only did women dominate the R&B and Adult Contemporary charts, but for the first time in music history, they had every one of the top five Popular songs.  Madonna had the #1 song with "Vogue", Heart's "All I Wanna' Do Is Make Love to You", Sinead O'Connor's former #1 "Nothing Compares 2 (sic) U (sic)" was at #3, "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips was next and Janet Jackson's "Alright" came in at #5.

1993:  Singapore removed its ban on music by the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chicago and Bob Dylan.




 

1996:  George Michael had the #1 album in the U.K. with Older.

1996:  A fire at Eric Clapton's home in London caused over a million and a half dollars of damage.  When firemen got to the scene, Eric was rushing to save his guitar collection.

2000:  Jailbird Tommy Lee of Motley Crue had to serve five more days in the Los Angeles County Jail after violating his parole.

2000:  Richard Carpenter was given an honorary doctorate degree from California State University-Long Beach.

2004:  Celine Dion returned to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas after a neck injury forced her to postpone performances for two weeks.

2005:  Mariah Carey registered her 16th #1 song, "We Belong Together", leaving her two shy of Elvis Presley for #2 all-time to the Beatles.

2006:  Gwen Stefani and husband Gavin Rossdale were the proud parents of son Kingston Rossdale in Los Angeles.

2006:  Desmond Dekker ("Israelites" in 1968) died of a heart attack in Surrey, England at the age of 64.

2008:  Paul McCartney was given an honorary doctorate of music from Yale University.



 

Born This Day:

1920:  Peggy Lee (real name Norma Dolores Egstrom) was born in Jamestown, North Dakota; died January 21, 2002 of a heart attack and complications from diabetes in Los Angeles.

1941:  Art Sharp of the Nashville Teens

1943:  Levon Helm,drummer and vocalist of the Band, was born in Elaine, Arkansas.  (Note:  some websites claim Helm was born in Marvelle, Arkansas.  According to Helm's official website, he was born in Elaine.)

1944:  Verdon Allen of Mott the Hoople was born in Crynant, Neath, Wales.







 

1946:  Mick Ronson, elite guitarist who worked with David Bowie and Bob Dylan, among others, was born in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England; died of liver cancer April 29, 1993 in London. (Note:  Some websites report Ronson was born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, and some say he was born in Hull, Humberside, England.  'Billboard' just threw up their hands and said he was born in the county of Yorkshire, England without specifying the name of the city.  The official name of the town is Kingston-Upon-Hull, which is often shortened to Hull.  Prior to 1974, Hull was a county borough independent of county authority.  In 1974, Hull was included in the newly created county of Humberside.  In 1996, the county of Humberside was abolished, and Hull was named a unitary authority area with East Riding of Yorkshire a "ceremonial county".  Thus, at the time of Ronson's birth, Hull was not part of any county, and his correct place of birth was Kingston-Upon-Hull, England, or Hull, England.) 


 

 

 

 

1948:  Stevie Nicks, lead singer of Fleetwood Mac and a solo star, was born in Phoenix, Arizona.

 

 

 

 

 

1949:  Vicki Lawrence, who had one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era* with "The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia" in 1973, was born in Inglewood, California.

 

 

 

 

1964:  Lenny Kravitz (Note:  some websites report Kravitz was born in New York City, while others say Brooklyn, and still others say Manhattan, New York.  Unfortunately, there are no credible sources for any place of birth so at this point, we have to leave his birthplace blank.) 

1972:  Alan White, drummer for Oasis, was born in London.

1978:  Jaheim Hoagland (aka Jaheim) was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

1981:  Isaac Slade, pianist, songwriter, co-founder and lead singer for the Fray, was born in Boulder, Colorado.

"Revolution" by the Beatles--The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*

It will probably come as a huge surprise to many, but this song only reached #12 in 1968.  That qualifies it for The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*:

Revolution

Beatles

Lyrics by John Lennon, Music by Paul McCartney

You say you want a revolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know you can count me out

Don't you know it's gonna be alright
Alright, alright

You say you got a real solution
Well you know
We don't love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
Well you know
We're doing what we can
But if you want money for people with minds that hate
All I can tell you is brother you have to wait

Don't you know it's gonna be alright
Alright, alright, al...

You say you'll change the constitution
Well you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me it's the institution
Well you know
You better free your mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao
You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow

Don't you know know it's gonna be alright
Alright, alright

Alright, alright
Alright, alright
Alright, alright
Alright, alright

This Date in Rock Music History: May 25

1959:  "Bongo Rock", the great instrumental from Preston Epps, was the biggest mover of the week, rising from 80 all the way to 48.











1960:  Fifteen-year-old Brenda Lee released the single "I'm Sorry".
1963:  We were introduced to a new talent as radio stations first began playing the debut single from Otis Redding, "These Arms Of Mine".  He would go on to have 30 hits in his career before dying in a plane crash on December 10, 1967.
1963:  Jimmy Soul spent a second week at #1 with "If You Wanna' Be Happy" but the former #1 "I Will Follow Him" from Little Peggy March hung in at #2.  The Beach Boys had #3 "Surfin' U.S.A." while the Shirelles edged up to #4 with "Foolish Little Girl".
1965:  Dave Davies of the Kinks was knocked unconscious after running into drummer Mick Avory's cymbal while performing one of his antics during a London concert.  The remaining dates of the tour had to be canceled.
1968:  The Monterey Pop Festival was canceled.
1968:  Hugo Montenegro's great instrumental "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" from the movie of the same name, was the #1 song for another week on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1968:  "Think" by Aretha Franklin was one of the biggest movers of all-time on this date, rising from 67 to 16.


1968:  The great album Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel deservedly reached #1 on the Album chart.















1970:  Free released the single "All Right Now".
1969:  Led Zeppelin and the Who were in concert at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.
1973:  Carole King performed before 100,000 fans at a free concert in Central Park in New York City.
1974:  KISS had their first hit when "Kissin' Time" debuted on this date.  It would reach #83.











1974:  Joni Mitchell ruled the Adult Contemporary chart with "Help Me".
1978:  Keith Moon performed with the Who for the last time before his death before invited guests at Shepperton Studios in London.
1981:  The Pointer Sisters released the single "Slow Hand".
1985:  Whitney Houston had the #1 R&B song with "You Give Good Love".
1985:  Billy Ocean moved into the #1 slot on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Suddenly", the title song from his album.
1985:  Phil Collins was on top of the Album chart with No Jacket Required.  Prince & the Revolution had #2--Around the World in a Day while the Soundtrack to "Beverly Hills Cop" was #3.  Bruce Springsteen's classic album Born in the U.S.A. was still at #4 after 49 weeks.  The rest of the Top 10:  We Are the World from USA For Africa, Sade's album Diamond Life was at #6, Madonna held #7 Like a Virgin, Wham! moved to #8 with Make It Big, Tears For Fears had #9 with Songs From the Big Chair and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers were at 10 with Southern Accents.



                                                 Howard Jones was feeling upbeat...

1985:  Wham! had their third #1 song--"Everything She Wants".  Simple Minds was relegated to #2 with "Don't You (Forget About Me)" while Tears For Fears was making a move with "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" with a jump from 9-3.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Axel F" was #4 for Harold Faltermeyer, Sade had "Smooth Operator", Madonna fell to #6 with "Crazy For You", Murray Head had song #7--"One Night In Bangkok", Billy Ocean entered the Top 10 with "Suddenly", the Power Station had "Some Like It Hot" and Howard Jones moved up to #10 with "Things Can Only Get Better".









1991:  Michael Bolton regained the #1 spot on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Love Is A Wonderful Thing".
1991:  Bolton was proving the strength of the AC format with the new #1 album Time, Love & Tenderness.  Three tremendous albums were still in the Top 10--Mariah Carey at #3 after 48 weeks, No Fences from Garth Brooks at #4 after 36 weeks and Wilson Phillips was at #9 after 59 weeks on the album chart.










                                          Queensryche with their best-known song...


1991:  Mariah Carey rose from #8 to #1 with "I Don't Wanna' Cry", her fourth consecutive #1 song to begin her career.  Carey became just the second newcomer to achieve four straight #1's with their first four releases (The Jackson 5 were the other.)  Cathy Dennis peaked at #2 with "Touch Me (All Night Long)" while Extreme would be a factor after bouncing from 9 to 3 with "More Than Words".  Hi-Five slipped from the top with "I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)" and Rod Stewart had his 42nd hit but only his 12th Top 10 with "Rhythm Of My Heart".  The rest of the Top 10:  "I Touch Myself" from the Divinyls, C+C Music Factory with "Here We Go", Color Me Badd was back with "I Wanna' Sex You Up", Michael Bolton moved into the Top 10 with "Love Is A Wonderful Thing" and Queensryche edged up with "Silent Lucidity".
1992:  Khalil Rountree, the manager for Boyz II Men while they were on tour, was shot and killed at a hotel in Chicago.  The group was on tour with M.C. Hammer at the time.
1996:  Bradley Nowell of Sublime died of a drug overdose at the age of 26 in San Francisco, California.

1998:  It was "Ramsey Lewis Week" in Chicago.
2003:  Elton John, Taylor Dayne and Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys performed at the benefit concert Life Ball in Vienna, Austria for AIDS charities.
2004:  Phish announced they were splitting up at the end of the summer.
2005:  System of a Down had the #1 album with Mesmerize.
2006:  Desmond Dekker ("Israelites") died of a heart attack at the age of 64 in Thornton Heath, Surrey, England.
2010:  The Michigan state legislature passed a resolution honoring Tommy James for "his contributions in the music and recording world".




Born This Day:


1921:  Hal David, songwriting partner of Burt Bacharach, was born in Manhattan, New York; died of a stroke September 1, 2012  in Los Angeles.  (Note:  some websites claim David was born in Brooklyn, while others say he was born in New York City.  The authority on all things New York, the newspaper 'The New York Times', reports that David was born in Manhattan and moved to Brooklyn with his family when he was one year old.  This is confirmed by Bill DeMain in his book 'In Their Own Words:  Songwriters Talk about the Creative Process'.) 1927:  Norman Petty, Buddy Holly's producer, was born in Clovis, New Mexico; died of leukemia August 15, 1984 in Lubbock, Texas.
1936:  Donnie Elbert ("Where Did Our Love Go?" from 1972) was born in New Orleans, Louisiana; died January 26, 1989 after suffering a massive stroke in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1936:  Tom T. Hall ("I Love") was born in Olive Hill, Kentucky.
1947:  Mitch Margo of the Tokens was born in Brooklyn, New York.
1948:  Klaus Meine, lead singer of the Scorpions, was born in Hannover, Germany
1950:  Jean Millington of Fanny ("Butter Boy") was born in Manila, the Philippines.
1950:  Robert Steinhardt, violinist and co-lead singer of Kansas
1955:  John Grimaldi, guitarist of Argent, was born in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England; died of multiple sclerosis November 15, 1983.
1958:  Paul Weller of the Style Council ("My Ever Changing Moods") was born in Sheerwater, Surrey, England.  Woking, Surrey. (Note:  some websites report he was born in Woking, England, or Woking, Surrey, England.  According to 'Songwriter' magazine, Paul was born in Sheerwater, a small suburb of Woking.)
1969:  Glen Drover, guitarist of Megadeth, was born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.  (Note:  some websites report Glen was born in Missisauga, Ontario, Canada.  There is no such city in Canada--the correct spelling of his birthplace is Mississauga.) 

1975:  Lauryn Hill of the Fugees and a solo artist, was born in East Orange, New Jersey.  (Note:  several websites claim Hill was born in South Orange, New Jersey.  She was born in East Orange, then raised in South Orange, according to 'MTV'.)
1980:  Joe King, singer, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of the Fray, was born in Rochester, New York.  (Note:  some websites report King was born in Denver, Colorado.  Although there are no credible sources for either city as Joe's place of birth, our best research indicates he was born in Rochester.)

This Date in Rock Music History: May 24

1968:  The Rolling Stones released the single "Jumpin' Jack Flash".
1969:  The Guess Who appeared on American Bandstand.










1969:  "Get Back" gave the Beatles their 17th #1 song, leaving them just one shy of Elvis Presley's record, despite Elvis being an artist for 14 years and the Beatles just 6 at that time.  They would get that #1 and more the next year.  "Aquarius" slipped only to #2 after six weeks in the #1 spot.  Mercy was in with the giants at #3 with "Love (Can Make You Happy)" while "Hair" from the Cowsills fell off.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Oh Happy Day" moved nicely (12-5) for the Edwin Hawkins Singers, the Isley Brothers with "It's Your Thing", Donovan with "Atlantis", Simon & Garfunkel were down with "The Boxer", Ray Stevens placed "Gitarzan" at #9 and the Guess Who remained at #10 with "These Eyes".
1970:  Peter Green announced that he was leaving Fleetwood Mac.
1974:  Olivia Newton-John and Boz Scaggs appeared on The Midnight Special.





1975:  "99 Miles From L.A." by Albert Hammond held down the #1 position on the Adult Contemporary chart.















1975:  "Shining Star" was the first and only #1 for Earth, Wind & Fire.  New entries in the Top 10 were "Bad Time" by Grand Funk and "Old Days" from Chicago.
1979:  The members of Genesis met their fans while manning ticket booths to their benefit show at the Roxy in Los Angeles.













1980:  Bette Midler remained at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for the third week with "The Rose".















1980:  The Spinners made one of the biggest moves of the decade with "Cupid/I've Loved You For a Long Time", which shot up from 67-29 on this date.











                                         L.A.'s Ambrosia with their biggest career hit...


1980:  Blondie held on to #1 for a sixth week with the smash "Call Me".  Lipps, Inc. made their move with "Funkytown", amazingly jumping over "Lost In Love" from Air Supply.  Kenny Rogers & Kim Carnes were responsible for song #4--"Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer".  The rest of the Top 10: Dr. Hook's "Sexy Eyes", Ambrosia had a great hit with "Biggest Part Of Me", the Brothers Johnson were back after an extended absence with "Stomp!", Linda Ronstadt enjoyed her eighth Top 10 and 26th hit with "Hurt So Bad", Christopher Cross slipped backwards with "Ride Like The Wind" and Gary Numan had his one and only--"Cars".






1982:  Steve Miller released the single that would be a big comeback hit for him--"Abracadabra".  (Note:  some websites naively say that the single was released May 29.  "Abracadabra" debuted on the Singles chart on May 29.  It is physically impossible for a song to be released by a record company, mailed to radio stations, listened to and added to playlists by the radio station, reported to the trade papers, and the trade papers printed and published, all in one day.)
1982:  An 11-minute film by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr was screened at the famous Cannes Film Festival in France.
1986:  Garth Books married Sandy Mahl.
1986:  Davy Jones, Mickey Dolenz and Peter Tork reunited as the Monkees without drummer Michael Nesmith.  The three Monkees kicked off their tour at the Concord Hotel in Kiamesha Lake, New York.

 

"Why Can't This Be Love" helped give Van Halen one of the biggest albums of their career...

1986:  Whitney Houston continued to top the Album chart in its 61st week on the chart.  5150 from Van Halen was #2 with Bob Seger's solid album Like a Rock moving up to #3.  The rest of the Top 10:  Prince had #4 with Parade, the Soundtrack to "Pretty in Pink" was #5, Journey's Raised On Radio was #6, Control from Janet Jackson was #7, the Rolling Stones dropped to #8 with Dirty Work, the Pet Shop Boys had a Top 10 album with Please and Robert Palmer was at #10 with Riptide.
1986:  "Greatest Love Of All" from Whitney Houston was #1 for the fifth straight week.






1991:  Gene Clark of the Byrds died of a heart attack in Sherman Oaks, California at the age of 46.
1986:  Whitney Houston spent a fifth week atop the Adult Contemporary chart with "Greatest Love Of All".
1997:  Spice by the Spice Girls was the new #1 album.
1997:  The new single from that album Spice became one of the highest debuting songs of the rock era.  "Say You'll Be There" from the Girls entered the chart at #5.









1998:  Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell proclaimed it "Van Halen Day" in the city.
2000:  Puff Daddy finally settled the last lawsuit that had been filed as a result of the 1991 stampede at a New York charity event in which Daddy, Diddy, P. Diddy or whatever played at.
2003:  Justin Timberlake sold 130,000 tickets to his U.K. tour in two-and-a-half hours.
2003:  More importantly, Sir Paul McCartney had tea with Russian premier Vladmir Putin by day and then played before 20,000 at Moscow's Red Square that night.
2010:  Aretha Franklin was awarded an honorary degree from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.


Born This Day:
1940:  Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong ("Earache My Eye") was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

1941:  Bob Dylan was born in Duluth, Minnesota.

1944:  Patti LaBelle was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1946:  Steve Upton, drummer of Wishbone Ash, was born in Wrexham, Wales.
1947:  Albert Bouchard, singer-songwriter, drummer and founding member of Blue Oyster Cult, was born in Watertown, New York.
1956:  Larry Blackmon, lead singer of Cameo ("Word Up"), was born in New York City.
1967:  Heavy D was born in Mandeville, Jamaica; died of a blood clot in his lung November 8, 2011 in Los Angeles.
1969:  Rich Robinson, songwriter, guitarist and founding member of the Black Crowes, was born in Atlanta, Georgia.

This Date in Rock Music History: May 23

1960 - "Cathy's Clown" reached #1 in its sixth week of release for the Everly Brothers.  Elvis Presley was resigned to #2 with "Stuck On You".  
1962:  The Elvis Presley movie Follow That Dream opened in theaters.
1963:  The Beatles toured with Roy Orbison at the Odeon Cinema in Nottingham, England.










1963:  Paul Revere & the Raiders from Boise, Idaho signed with Columbia Records, becoming the first rock group to sign with the label.
1964:  Marvin Gaye performed "You're A Wonderful One" on the popular television show American Bandstand.









                                       America hadn't seen anything like the Beatles...


1964:  Mary Wells was #1 for the second week in a row with "My Guy".  The Beatles had the runner-up spot with "Love Me Do" while Louis Armstrong was on his way down with "Hello, Dolly!".  The Dixie Cups moved from 14 to 4 with "Chapel Of Love".  The rest of the Top 10:  The Ray Charles Singers all got together for the song "Love Me With All Your Heart", the Dave Clark Five dropped to 6 with "Bits And Pieces", the Reflections were at #7 with "(Just Like) Romeo & Juliet", the 4 Seasons fell to #8 with "Ronnie", Roy Orbison was at #9 with "It's Over" and Peter & Gordon had the fast rising (30-10) "A World Without Love".
1964:  The count was now 15 weeks in a row at the top of the Album chart for the new band from Liverpool, the Beatles.  Meet the Beatles spent 11 weeks at #1 and now The Beatles' Second Album was #1 for the fourth week in a row.
1970:  The Grateful Dead performed outside the United States for the first time at the Hollywood Rock Festival.  No, we're not saying Hollywood, California is outside the U.S.--the Hollywood Rock Festival was in Leycett, Staffordshire, England.

1970:  Eric Burdon's great singing sparked the Animals on their way to becoming one of the top acts of the 1960's.  Now, Burdon formed a new group and on this date, War debuted on the chart with the first single of their career, "Spill the Wine".
1970:  "Everything Is Beautiful" by Ray Stevens was #1 on the Adult chart.
1970:  The album McCartney by Paul reached #1 in its third week of release. 








"Up Around the Bend", one of an incredible 10 smash hits in a two-year period for CCR...

1970:  The Guess Who's double-sided hit, "American Woman"/"No Sugar Tonight" held on to #1 for a third week with "Vehicle" from the Ides of March close behind.  Tyrone Davis moved from 8-3 with "Turn Back The Hands Of Time", Ray Stevens was next with "Everything Is Beautiful" and Simon & Garfunkel stalled at 5 with "Cecilia".  The rest of the Top 10:  The Beatles with "Let It Be", the Moments jumped in with "Love On A Two-Way Street", CCR's double-sided smash "Up Around The Bend"/"Run Through The Jungle", the Jackson 5 tumbled with "ABC" and the Marmalade remained in the 10 spot with "Reflections Of My Life".
1971:  Iron Butterfly announced that they had broken up.
1973:  Jefferson Airplane were prevented from presenting a free concert in Golden Gate Park after authorities in San Francisco passed a resolution banning electronic instruments in the park.  The group later wrote the song "We Built This City" about the experience.
1974:  George Harrison started his own record label, Dark Horse Records.
1974:  The Supremes released Anthology, the best of their greatest hits packages.
1975:  Earth, Wind & Fire and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes appeared on The Midnight Special.
1976:  Bob Dylan's concert at Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado was taped by NBC-TV and later shown in the special Hard Rain.







1977:  Linda Ronstadt was at Sound Factory One in Los Angeles to begin work on her album Simple Dreams.
1978:  Bruce Springsteen started his tour at Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, New York.  (Note:  some websites refer to the venue as Shea's Buffalo.  The correct name of the facility is Shea's Performing Arts Center, according to the newspaper 'The Buffalo News'.)
1979:  ABC-TV aired The Third Barry Manilow Special.
1979:  The film The Kids Are Alright, featuring film clips of the Who, debuted in New York City.
1979:  Tom Petty filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
1985:  It was "Aretha Franklin Appreciation Day" in the state of Michigan.
1986:  AC/DC released the album Who Made Who.
1987:  The Doobie Brothers reunited for a Vietnam Veteran's benefit concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
1987:  Roy Orbison appeared on Saturday Night Live.  (Note:  some websites claim the show was on May 22.  In 1987, Saturday fell on May 23.)
1987:  Swingout Sister had the #1 U.K. album with It's Better To Travel.







1987:  The Joshua Tree from U2 was #1 for the fifth week on a row on the Album chart.
1990:  Nick Mason, drummer of Pink Floyd, married Annette Lynton in London.
1992:  Iron Maiden had the #1 album in the U.K. with Fear of the Dark.
1992:  Freddie Mercury's attorneys announced that the late Mercury had given the majority of his estate ($17 million) to long-time friend Mary Austin.
1997:  Fleetwood Mac recorded a show at Warner Brothers Studio in Burbank, California for a special on MTV that would air on the site that was formerly a music channel in the summer of that year.  (Note:  some websites claim the concert was recorded for MTV's 'Unplugged' series, and some websites say the show was recorded May 22.  It was recorded for Fleetwood Mac's 'The Dance' special on MTV on May 23.)
1998:  Hanson sold out their concert in Detroit at the Pine Knob Amphitheater in less than 20 minutes.






1998:  Mariah Carey had the #1 song with "My All".
2000 - Eminem released the Marshall Mathers LP on Interscope Records. 
2000:  Noel Gallagher walked out on his group Oasis during the middle of a European tour.  The band replaced him with Matt Deighton and the music played on.









2002:  Dido won Songwriter of the Year honors at the Ivor Novello Awards.
2005:  Two members of Bobby Brown's entourage were stabbed during a brawl at Justin's Restaurant and Bar in Atlanta, Georgia.  Why anyone would want to marry someone that chose an entourage like that is beyond me.  Oh wait, someone did.
2006:  It was "Sammy Hagar Day" in San Bernardino, California.







2006:  The Eagles played Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, Spain as part of their Farewell I tour.
2006:  The king of Sweden presented the surviving members of Led Zeppelin with the Polar Prize Award, recognizing them as "great pioneers in rock music".
2006 Music promoter Ian Copeland, brother of former Police drummer Stewart Copeland, died of skin cancer at his home in Los Angeles.  Ian discovered the Average White Band and helped the careers of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Charlie Daniels Band and the Allman Brothers Band get off the ground.  Copeland was 57.






2007:  Paul Simon was given the first Gershwin Award by the United States Library of Congress honoring his contributions to music.
2008:  Shirley Bassey was rushed to a hospital in Monaco for emergency stomach surgery.
2010:  Paul Simon was awarded an honorary doctorate from Brandeis University in Boston, Massachusetts.


Born This Day:
1943:  "General" Norman Johnson, lead singer of Chairmen of the Board ("Give Me Just A Little More Time") was born in Norfolk, Virginia; died October 13, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Note:  some websites claim Johnson was born in Huntersville, Virginia.  According to the newspapers 'The New York Times' and 'The Guardian', Norman was born in Norfolk.)
1946:  Danny Klein, standup bassist and harmonica player of the J. Geils Band, was born in New York City.
1947:  Bill Hunt, who played horns and keyboards for ELO, was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.
1952:  Jim Mankey, guitarist of Concrete Blonde
1953:  Rick Fenn, guitarist of 10cc
1957:  Thereza Bazar of Dollar, who had the underrated song "Shooting Star", was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
1967:  Junior Waite of Musical Youth
1967:  Phil Selway, songwriter and drummer of Radiohead, was born in Abingdon, Berkshire, England.  (Note:  some websites naively say Selway was born in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England.  This is impossible, seeing as Abingdon was not included in the county of Oxfordshire until 1974, seven years after Phil was born.  You will never see Oxfordshire listed as the county of birth on Selway's official birth certificate.) 
1973:  Gerald Rivera, also known as Maxwell ("Somebody's Watching Me") was born in Brooklyn, New York.

1974:  Jewel was born in Payson, Utah.  (Note:  some websites report that Jewel was born in Homer, Alaska.  According to her official website, she was born in Payson.)
1983:  Heidi Range of the Sugababes was born in Liverpool, Merseyside, England.

Top Track: Cream with "Crossroads"

Cream covered this Robert Johnson song when they recorded it at the Fillmore in San Francisco, California:

This Date in Rock Music History: May 22

1958:  Jerry Lee Lewis married his 13-year-old cousin, Myra.  



          
Ricky Nelson had a smash...(and another one entering the Top 10!)

1961:  "Mother-In-Law" moved to #1 for Ernie K-Doe, replacing the classic "Runaway" from Del Shannon.  "Daddy's Home from Shep & the Limelites was #3 followed by "A Hundred Pounds Of Clay" by Gene McDaniels and Ricky Nelson's "Travelin' Man".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Mama Said" from the Shirelles at #6, "Running Scared", up from 16 to 7 for Roy Orbison, "Breakin' In A Brand New Broken Heart" by Connie Francis, Ricky Nelson moving from 15 to 9 with "Hello Mary Lou" and Linda Scott's "I've Told Every Little Star".
1965:  The Who performed at the Astoria Ballroom in Rawtenstall, Lancashire, England
1965:  Marvin Gaye's "I'll Be Doggone" topped the R&B chart.
1965:  "Crying In The Chapel" was a huge hit for Elvis Presley on the Adult chart.  It moved to the top slot on this date and stayed there for 7 weeks.




1965:  The Four Tops had the biggest mover of the week, with "I Can't Help Myself" jumping from #67 to #32.  It would wind up as the biggest hit of their career.












1965:  "Ticket To Ride" became the Beatles' eighth number one song in their first two years.  The group overtook Herman's Hermits, who relinquished with "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter".  Gary Lewis & the Playboys were next with "Count Me In" while the Beach Boys were up to #4 with their new one, "Help Me Rhonda".  The rest of the Top 10:  "I'll Never Find Another You" from the Seekers, another Herman's Hermits hit--"Silhouettes", Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs with "Wooly Bully", the Righteous Brothers wouldn't budge with "Just Once in My Life" and Elvis Presley vaulted from 20-10 with "Crying In The Chapel".
1967:  With their current album More of the Monkees still #1, the Monkees released their third LP Headquarters.
1967:  Florence Ballard appeared with the Supremes for the final time on The Tonight Show.
1968:  Frank Sinatra performed with a full orchestra at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum for a Democratic fundraiser.
1968:  Gary Puckett, from Twin Falls, Idaho, & the Union Gap hit #1 in the U.K. with "Young Girl".
1970:  Elvis Presley signed a movie contract with MGM for three pictures.
1971:  "Me and You AndAa Dog Named Boo" was #1 for Lobo on the Adult Contemporary chart for the second week in a row.

1971:  Three Dog Night had one of The Top 1000 Songs of the Rock Era* with "Joy To The World", which remained at #1 for a sixth week.  
1972:  The Guess Who recorded their album Live at the Paramount in Seattle, Washington.
1973:  The Eagles performed at the Capitol Centre in Largo, Maryland.  (Note:  some websites claim the Eagles played at the Capitol Center in Largo.  There has never been any such facility.  The correct spelling of the venue is Capitol Centre.)
1976:  The Rolling Stones played at Earls Court in London.
1976:  "Kiss And Say Goodbye" was #1 on the R&B chart.
1976:  Wings moved into the #1 slot with "Silly Love Songs" as "Boogie Fever" by the Sylvers fell to #4.  Diana Ross was up to #2 with "Love Hangover" while Elvin Bishop slipped in with "Fooled Around And Fell In Love".  The rest of the Top 10:  The Silver Convention at #5 with "Get Up And Boogie", former Lovin' Spoonful frontman John Sebastian fell with "Welcome Back", Pratt & McClain were celebrating as "Happy Days" moved up, Dorothy Moore made an impressive move with "Misty Blue", Henry Gross was up with "Shannon" and Barry Manilow was "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again".
1977:  Blondie opened for Television at the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland.
1980:  U2 began their "11 O'clock Tick Tock" tour in Islington, London at the Hope & Anchor.  (Note:  some websites claim the show was in London, as if to imply the show was in the city of London or in the vague county of London.  The Hope & Anchor is located in the Borough of Islington in the county of London.  The book 'U2:  A Diary' by Matt McGee confirms that the show was in Islington.) 1980:  Five Gold records belonging to Jimi Hendrix were stolen from the Electric Ladyland studios that he once owned in New York City.
1982:  Madness ("Our House") led the way on the U.K. Album chart with Complete Madness.


1982:  Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder made it three weeks at #1 with "Ebony And Ivory".  Rick Springfield was next with "Don't Talk To Strangers". 1993:  Janet Jackson spent a second week at the top of the Singles chart with "That's the Way Love Goes".
1993:  Ace of Base began a three-week stay at #1 in the U.K. with "All That She Wants".
1997:  Radiohead began the first of two shows at the Zeleste in Barcelona, Spain.
1999:  An astonishing 15 shows by Bruce Springsteen at Continental Airlines Arena (now the IZOD Center) in East Rutherford, New Jersey were sold out.

2000 - Steely Dan received the Founders Award for a lifetime of songwriting at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. 

2003:  A new wax model of J. Lo was revealed at Madame Tussauds in London.

2003:  U2 earned a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ivor Novello Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.  Coldplay was honored for Songwriters of the Year.
2005:  The Dave Matthews Band scored the top album with Stand Up, which nearly reached Gold status in its first week.
2005:  Oasis achieved their seventh #1 song in the U.K. with "Lyla".
2006:  Mary Wilson, former member of the Supremes, had heart bypass surgery in Las Vegas, Nevada.
2010:  Jackson Browne was given the Strings & Voices For Dialogue and Civil Rights Award By the City of Sarzana, Italy.
2011:  Neil Diamond received the Icon Award at the Billboard Music Awards.

Born This Day:
1930:  Kenny Ball, who gave us the instrumental "Midnight In Moscow", was born in Ilford, Essex, England; died March 7, 2013 in Basildon, Essex, England after being treated for pneumonia.
1934:  Peter Nero (Bernard Nierow) was born in Brooklyn, New York.
1936:  Drummer Dallas Taylor, who played for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young among others, was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1941:  Bruce Rowland of Fairport Convention was born in Park Royal, Middlesex, England.
1942:  Calvin Simon of Parliament and Funkadelic ("One Nation Under A Groove") was born in Beckley, West Virginia.
1948:  Doug Gray, lead singer of the Marshall Tucker Band, was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina.  (Note:  one website reports that Gray was born in May 2.  We believe they are missing a digit--according to the official website for the Marshall Tucker Band, Doug was born May 22.)

1950:  Bernie Taupin, the famed songwriter for Elton John, who has also written hits such as "We Built This City" for Starship, was born between Sleaford and Anwickin in a rural portion of the county of Lincolnshire, England.
1955:  Iva Davies of Icehouse was born in Wauchope, New South Wales, Australia.
1955:  Jimmy Lyon, guitarist for Eddie Money, was born in Tampa, Florida. 
1959:  Morrissey, lyricist and lead singer of the Smiths and a solo artist, was born in Davyhulme, Lancashire, England.
1962:  Jesse Valenzuela of the Gin Blossoms
1966:  Johnny Gill of New Edition and a solo artist, was born in Washington, D.C.
1967:  Dan Roberts, bass player for the Crash Test Dummies, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.