This Date in Rock Music History: December 8

1958:  A new artist was introduced that would continue to hit the charts for the next 30 years.  Neil Sedaka debuted with his first career single "The Diary".
1958:  "A Lover's Question" by Clyde McPhatter was the #1 song on the R&B chart.
1960:  Fabian visited Elvis Presley at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.






1962:  A new talent appeared on the scene on this date as Dionne Warwick debuted on the chart with her first single--"Don't Make Me Over".
1962:  "All Alone Am I' by Brenda Lee spent a fifth week at #1 on the Easy Listening chart.








           
                         Elvis continued to be #2...

1962:  The 4 Seasons owned the #1 song for the fourth week with "Big Girls Don't Cry".  Elvis Presley's "Return To Sender" had been runner-up every one of those weeks while Marcie Blane was stuck at 3 with "Bobby's Girl". The Orlons moved up to #4 with "Don't Hang Up" and Dee Dee Sharp coasted up with "Ride!".  The rest of the Top 10:  Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass with their classic "The Lonely Bull", an even bigger instrumental from the Tornadoes--"Telstar", came blasting into the Top 10 (13-7), Chubby Checker told of "Limbo Rock", Brenda Lee was on her way down with "All Alone Am I" and Little Esther Phillips cracked the list with "Release Me".
1963:  Frank Sinatra's son, Frank Sinatra Jr. was kidnapped.

1965:  The Mamas and the Papas released their first career single, and it was a big one--"California Dreamin'".
1965:  The Rolling Stones finally finished recording "19th Nervous Breakdown" after six days at RCA Studios in Hollywood, California.
1965:  The Spencer Davis Group appeared at the Top Rank in Southampton, England.








1965:  "Day Tripper" by the Beatles pulled off a rare feat by debuting at #1 in the U.K.
1966:  Paul McCartney overdubbed his lead vocal for "When I'm Sixty-Four" at Abbey Road Studios in London.  The Beatles then worked on a new John Lennon song--"Strawberry Fields Forever".  
1967:  The Beatles released the album Magical Mystery Tour in the United States.
1967:  The Rolling Stones released the album Their Satanic Majesties Request.  (Note:  some websites list the date of release as December 20, but it was the 8th, according to the newspaper 'The Examiner' and other credible sources.)
1967:  Traffic released the album Mr. Fantasy.




1969:  Joe South released this single--"Walk A Mile In My Shoes".












1968:  Graham Nash announced the formation of supergroup Crosby, Stills and Nash.
1969:  Jimi Hendrix testified that he had "outgrown drugs" at his trial for possession of hashish and heroin in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada Supreme Court.  He was found not guilty.
1970:  Jim Morrison, lead singer of the Doors, recorded an album of spoken words from his poetry.  Following Morrison's death the following July, the surviving members of the group composed music to the poetry and released it as the album An American Prayer.




                      Chicago was #1 in many markets...

1973:  The Carpenters remained perched at the pinnacle with "Top Of The World", although Elton John was #1 in several markets with "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road".  Charlie Rich's search for "The Most Beautiful Girl" took him from 10 to 3, Chicago's great "Just You 'N' Me" was up to 4 and Ringo Starr's former #1 "Photograph" was now at 5.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Space Race" from Billy Preston, Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes inched up with "The Love I Lost", Todd Rundgren found the Top 10 with "Hello It's Me", Eddie Kendricks was at 9 with "Keep On Truckin'" and Helen Reddy joined the group with "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)".

1973:  Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John topped the Album chart for a fifth week.










1975:  Neil Sedaka released the single "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do", a slower version of his 1962 hit of the same name.
1975:  Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue played a benefit at Madison Square Garden in New York City for Hurricane Carter, the boxer unjustly jailed for murder who is featured in Dylan's song "Hurricane".  Carter phoned in and his voice was patched into the Garden.
1975:  Gary Thain, bassist of Uriah Heap, died of drugs at the age of 28 in London.







1976:  John Denver was a guest on the Carpenters' television special on ABC.
1977:  The Paul Simon Special aired on NBC-TV with former partner Art Garfunkel joining Paul. 
1979:  Rod Stewart had his seventh #1 album in the U.K. with his Greatest Hits.
1979:  J.D. Souther prevailed at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for a fourth week with the great song "You're Only Lonely".
1979:  It was a long climb up for Styx, and although they had recorded several better songs in the past, it was "Babe" that officially gave them their first #1.  

          "Sisters of the Moon" helped make 'Tusk' one of Fleetwood Mac's best albums.

1979:  Nothing could beat The Long Run, the great last album by the Eagles before they split the next year.  It held on to #1 for a sixth week.  On the Radio -Greatest Hits - Volumes I & II by Donna Summer was second while Cornerstone from Styx came in #3.  Stevie Wonder had the #4 album with Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants.  The rest of the Top 10:  The phenomenal In Through the Out Door by Led Zeppelin, Bee Gees Greatest was up to #6, Barbra Streisand slid up one with Wet, Tusk, the incredibly underrated album from Fleetwood Mac, was #8, Rise from Herb Alpert was #9 and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers finally had their breakthrough album with Damn the Torpedoes.





1980:  John Lennon autographed an album for a man in the morning.  At 10:50 that night, as John and wife Yoko returned to their apartment in The Dakota, New York City, the man came back and shot Lennon four times in the back.  Lennon was pronounced dead on arrival at 11:07 at Roosevelt Hospital in New York.







1982:  Marty Robbins ("El Paso") died at the age of 57 from heart failure after cardiac surgery in Nashville, Tennessee.
1983:  Abbacadabra, the first musical based on ABBA's hits, opened at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in London.
1984:  Patrick Cavanaugh, one-time manager of the Coasters, was convicted of first degree murder of group member Buster Wilson.
1984:  Ashford & Simpson ruled the R&B chart for the second week with "Solid".






1984:  Hall & Oates were as hot as anyone at the time, collecting their 25th hit, with an amazing 14 of those reaching the Top 10, and sixth #1--"Out of Touch".  It was the duo's 11th Top 10 out of their last 12 releases.  
1984:  Lionel Richie remained at the top of the AC chart for a fourth week with "Penny Lover".






          
        Madonna's "Love Don't Live Here Anymore", a top track on Like a Virgin...

1984:  Purple Rain logged a 21st week at #1 on the Album chart for Prince, making it the fourth-longest running #1 in the Rock Era.  It was a tremendous Top 10--Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen was still at #2 after 25 weeks, while a determined Tina Turner was third with Private Dancer.  Volume One from the Honeydrippers remained in the #4 position while Big Bam Boom by Hall & Oates was #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  "The Woman in Red" Soundtrack, Lionel Richie was at #7 after 57 weeks with Can't Slow Down, Sports, the monumental album from Huey Lewis & the News, was #8 after 62 weeks, Arena by Duran Duran was  a new entry while Madonna catapulted from 70 to 10 with Like a Virgin.

1990:  A newcomer first appeared on the chart on this date with the song "Where Does My Heart Beat Now".  She would become one of the biggest stars the world has ever known.  Celine Dion debuted with her first career single.
1990:  Bette Midler had the biggest hit of her career as "From A Distance" held on to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for the sixth straight week.








1990:  Stevie B turned in a vocal performance for the ages with "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)", which moved into the #1 spot on this date.  Whitney Houston took a back seat with "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and Bette Midler was third with "From A Distance".  Poison had #4 with "Something To Believe In" while Mariah Carey's great #1 "Love Takes Time" fell to #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Groove Is In The Heart" by Deee-Lite, Wilson Phillips and "Impulsive" at #7, UB40 with "The Way You Do The Things You Do", D.N.A. with Suzanne Vega moved into the Top 10 with "Tom's Diner" and Madonna scored her 24th career hit with "Justify My Love", amazingly her 21st to reach the Top 10.
1994:  Antonio Carlos Jobim, who wrote "Desafinado" and many other songs, died in Manhattan of heart failure at age 67.
1995:  Courtney Love was interviewed by Barbra Walters on ABC-TV.  Love said she wished she had done "eight thousand million things" differently to prevent husband Kurt Cobain's death.
1995:  Four months after founder Jerry Garcia's death, the surviving members of the Grateful Dead announced they were quitting.
1998:  The FBI opened its file of 1,300 pages on Frank Sinatra to the public.
1998:  Bruce Springsteen announced that he would tour again with the E Street Band for the first time in a decade.
1999: Prince was on Today on NBC-TV.
2000:  A plaque was placed outside John Lennon's childhood home in Liverpool, England to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his death.

2000:  Sting was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6834 Hollywood Boulevard.
2002:  Baz Luhrmann's musical La Boheme opened on Broadway in New York City.
2003:  In today's Rappers Have No Clue segment, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of activist Rosa Parks, saying she could sue OutKast for using her name as the title of a song without her permission.
2003:  Ozzy Osbourne fractured a collarbone, six ribs and one of the vertebrae in his neck in an all-terrain vehicle accident on his estate in Buckinghamshire, England.

2003:  The album Back In Black by AC/DC was certified by the Record Industry Association of America as the second-best-selling album in the world (42 million units) behind Thriller by Michael Jackson, which to that point had sold 56 million.  (Note:  several websites claim this happened on December 11, but the first reports of the event occurring are on December 8, 2003.)








2004:  Usher won 11 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, including Artist of the Year and Hot 100 Single of the Year for "Yeah!".  Alicia Keys captured seven awards while Stevie Wonder received the Century Award.
2004:  In today's Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music, DMX pleaded guilty to DUI and reckless endangerment in criminal court in Queens, New York, after being arrested at Kennedy International Airport for trying to break into a car.
2004:  Elite guitarist Dimebag Darrell of Pantera, who was playing with Damageplan in Columbus Ohio, was shot to death as a gunman jumped on stage and shot him as well as two others. 


Born This Day:

1925:  Sammy Davis, Jr.was born in Harlem, New York; died of cancer from smoking on May 16, 1990 in Beverly Hills, California.









1939:  Jerry Butler, lead singer of the Impressions and a solo star, was born in Sunflower, Mississippi.
1942:  Bobby Elliott, drummer of the Hollies, was born in Burnley, England.  (Note:  some websites claim his birth year was 1941, but according to the band's official website, Bobby was born in 1942.)








1943:  Jim Morrison, lead singer of the Doors, was born in Melbourne, Florida; died July 3, 1971 from drugs.











1944:  Mike Botts, drummer of Bread, who also recorded and toured with Linda Ronstadt, Karla Bonoff, Andrew Gold, Dan Fogelberg and Richard Carpenter, was born in Oakland, California; died December 9, 2005, one day after his 61st birthday, in Burbank, California of colon cancer.







1944:  Bertie Higgins ("Key Largo from 1982) was born in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
1944:  George Baker (real name Johannes Bouwens) of the George Baker Selection was born in Hoorn, North Holland, the Netherlands.
1946:  Graham Knight, bass guitarist with Marmalade ("Reflections Of My Life") from 1969, was born in Glasgow, Scotland.








1947:  Gregg Allman, vocalist, organist, and a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, was born in Nashville, Tennessee.
1947:  Geoff Daking, drummer of Blues Magoos ("We Ain't Got Nothin' Yet"), was born in Wilmington, Delaware.








1950:  Dan Hartman of the Edgar Winter Group and later a solo star ("I Can Dream About You" and "Instant Replay") was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; died March 22, 1994 of an AIDS-related brain tumor in Westport, Connecticut.
1956:  Warren Cuccurullo, a guitarist for Frank Zappa, Missing Persons ("Destination Unknown") and longtime member of Duran Duran, was born in Brooklyn, New York.






1957:  Phil Collen, the great co-lead guitarist of Def Leppard, was born in Hackney, London.
1959:  Paul Rutherford of Frankie Goes to Hollywood was born in Liverpool, England.








1962:  Marty Friedman, elite lead and rhythm guitarist with Megadeth, was born in Laurel, Maryland.  (Note:  'Allmusic.com' and some other websites claim that Marty was born in Washington D.C.; this is at odds with the Laurel Historical Society's web page, which reports that Friedman was born in Laurel.)








1966:  Sinead O'Connor ("Nothing Compares To You") was born in  Glenageary, County Dublin, Ireland.
1972:  Ryan Newell, lead guitarist of Sister Hazel ("All For You")
1973:  Corey Taylor, guitarist and lead singer of Slipknot, was born in Des Moines, Iowa.

The Top 150 Christmas Songs of All-Time*, Day Seven

We're into Day Seven of The Top 150 Christmas Songs of All-Time*!:

http://top5000-rocketman5000.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-christmas-songs-of-all-time_07.html

Fergie, The #84 Female Artist of the Rock Era

Stacy Ferguson was born in Hacienda Heights, California. She was a straight-"A" student at Glen A. Wilson High School, studied dance and began to do voiceover work, notably as the voice of Sally in the Peanuts cartoons It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown in 1984 and Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown in 1985.  From 1984-1989, Stacy appeared in the children's television series Kids Incorporated.  She joined the girl group Wild Orchid, and the group began meeting with record labels.

Wild Orchid signed a music publishing deal with Sony Publishing and a recording contract with RCA in 1994.    Wild Orchid's first single, "At Night I Pray", debuted on the Billboard charts in 1996, and the following year, the group released their self-titled album.  Wild Orchid released the album Oxygen in 1998 and opened for Cher in concert in the United States and Canada.  In 2001, Ferguson left Wild Orchid.

Meanwhile, the Black Eyed Peas were recording their third album, Elephunk, in 2003, when will.i.am invited Ferguson to audition to sing the song "Shut Up".  Ferguson succeeded, and recorded five additional songs on the album.  By the following spring, she had a full-time job in the group. 

The Black Eyed Peas went on to score many hits, including "Where Is The Love?", "Don't Phunk With My Heart" and "My Humps", among others.  

In 2006, Fergie recorded a solo album, The Dutchess, while remaining with the Black Eyed Peas.  The opening single, "London Bridge", went to #1 in the United States, #3 in the U.K. Germany, and Australia, #6 in Switzerland and #8 in Ireland.

"Fergalicious", featuring will.i.am, hit #2 in the U.S., #4 in Australia and #5 in New Zealand.  It won a Best Pop Song honor at the ASCAP Awards.

The next single, "Glamorous", featuring Ludacris, made it three Top 5 songs in a row, reaching #1 in the United States, #2 in Australia, #3 in Ireland and #6 in the U.K.  "Glamorous" also won a Best Pop Song honor at the ASCAP Awards.

Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry", was a #1 smash in the U.S., Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland, and peaked at #2 in the U.K., #3 in Switzerland, #4 in Sweden and #6 in Germany.  Fergie was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards and "Big Girls Don't Cry" was named Song of the Year at the ASCAP Awards.

Fergie walked away with seven Billboard Music Awards:  Female Artist of the Year, Female Hot 100 Artist of the Year, Pop 100 Artist of the Year, Pop 100 Song of the Year, Pop 100 Airplay Track of the Year (for "Big Girls Don't Cry") and Best Digital Songs Artist.  She was also nominated for Artist of the Year and Hot 100 Artist of the Year.  Fergie was nominated for Favorite Female Singer and Favorite Pop Song (for "Big Girls Don't Cry") at the People's Choice Awards, for World's Best-Selling R&B Artist and World's Best-Selling New Artist at the World Music Awards, and she also won the trophy for Female of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards.

The Dutchess went to #5 on the Album chart, was eventually certified Triple Platinum and Fergie won the American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Vocalist.  "Clumsy" gave Fergie yet another hit from the album, hitting #3 in Australia, #4 in Canada and New Zealand and #5 in the United States and also receiving recognition for Best Pop Song at the ASCAP Awards.

Fergie was also nominated for Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards.  In 2006, Ferguson began hosting Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on ABC for the pre-taped Hollywood segments.

In 2006, Fergie appeared in the remake of the movie Poseidon and she starred in Grindhouse in 2007 and the musical film Nine in 2008.  Ferguson and the other cast members of Nine received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

Ferguson and the Black Eyed Peas scored two huge hits in 2009 with "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta' Feeling", combining for a Rock Era record 26 consecutive weeks at #1.  
Later that year, Fergie became a part owner of the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.  In 2010, Ferguson released the fragrance, Outspoken. 

Some reports indicate that Ferguson has begun writing for a second solo album, but as of this date, it has not been released. 

Fergie has enjoyed five Top 40 hits, with a perfect five-for-five reaching the Top 10, and three #1's.  Her only solo album has sold three million copies in the United States and eight million worldwide.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 7

1958: George Harrison joined the Quarrymen, named after John Lennon's school. The group also included Paul McCartney, Len Garry and John Lowe.  (Note:  most websites show this date as February 6, however, David Bedford, in his book 'The Fab one Hundred and Four', contradicts this date.  Bedford points out that guitarist Eric Griffiths left the group because he was being replaced by Harrison.  In new research conducted by Bedford, he shows the Merchant Navy records of Griffiths, who joined his first ship on February 11.  Obviously, one doesn't just hop aboard a ship right after deciding to join the Navy.  In fact, Eric qualified as an officer cadet in January, 1958, meaning that in order to complete his training, he would have had to sign up for the Merchant Navy no later than mid-December, 1957.  All sources agree that Harrison joined the Quarrymen following an audition at Wilson Hall in Liverpool.  Records showed that the Quarrymen played the venue on December 7, after which time Griffiths quit music and joined the Navy.)   
1959:  J.P. Richardson ("The Big Bopper"), who had the big hit "Chantilly Lace" and died in the tragic plane crash on February 3, was buried in Beaumont, Texas.

 

1959:  "Smokie - Part 2" by Bill Black's Combo raced up from 98 to 65.

1959:  "Mack The Knife" by Bobby Darin, which had spent six weeks at #1 before falling from its perch, had since returned and this week added a third additional week to that total.  

1960:  Neil Sedaka released the single "Calendar Girl".  (Note:  many websites erroneously report the date of release as December 19.  It is physically impossible for a record company to print 45's, mail them to radio stations, have the radio stations add the song to their playlist, then call the trade magazines, and have the trade magazines print that the song debuted on the chart, all in the same day--"Calendar Girl" debuted on the chart on December 19.)





 

1962:  The Rolling Stones held an audition for bass players at the World's End pub in Chelsea, London.  Bill Wyman got the job partially because he had lots of equipment the group could use.
1963:  The Beatles performed at the Empire Theatre in London in the afternoon, and filmed at the Odeon Theatre that night for the BBC television show Jukebox Jury.
1963:  The #1 album in the U.K. was With the Beatles.
1963:  "Dominique" was the new #1 on the Easy Listening chart by The Singing Nun.




1963:  One of the big hits on this day was "Popsicles And Icicles", which moved from 63 to 32 for the Murmaids.









               The Raiders' version of "Louie Louie"...

1963:  The Singing Nun took over at #1 with "Dominique".  Dale & Grace dropped with "I'm Leaving It Up To You" but Tommy Roe was a man on the move with "Everybody".  The Kingsmen moved from 23-4 with "Louie Louie" but it was Paul Revere & the Raiders that had the better version of the song. The rest of the Top 10:  Lesley Gore and "She's A Fool", Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs with their smash "Sugar Shack", the Caravelles jumped from 19-7 with "You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry", the Beach Boys had spirit at #8--"Be True To Your School", the Village Stompers tumbled with "Washington Square" and "Walking The Dog" from Rufus Thomas was 10th.









1965:  The Righteous Brothers released the single "(You're My) Soul And Inspiration".
1964:  Brian Wilson, the genius behind the Beach Boys, married Marilyn Rovell in Los Angeles.  

1966:  Nancy Sinatra appeared on the television special Frank Sinatra:  A Man & His Music Part II on CBS.











1967:  The Beatles opened their Apple Records Boutique on Baker Street in London.
1968:  Eric Burdon announced that the Animals would break up following their December 22 concert at Newcastle City Hall in England.
1968:  The White Album by the Beatles was #1 in the U.K.
1968:  Cheap Thrills by Big Brother & the Holding Company posted a sixth week at #1 on the Album chart.
1968:  Mary Hopkin had one of the great early adult songs with "Those Were The Days", which remained at #1 for a sixth week.

       The Classics IV take us back to 1968 with "Stormy"...

1968:  "Love Child", one of The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era* by the Supremes, was #1 again.  the Beatles were still at #2 after spending nine weeks at the top with "Hey Jude".  Stevie Wonder made a bid with "For Once In My Life" while Marvin Gaye climbed up from 16 to 4 with "I Heard It Through The Grapevine".  The rest of the Top 10:  Johnnie Taylor with "Who's Making Love", Steppenwolf's journey on the "Magic Carpet Ride" was ending, Dion was at 7 with "Abraham, Martin And John", Glen Campbell's great "Wichita Lineman" remained at #8, we got to hear the great voice of Dennis Yost and the Classics IV with "Stormy" and Mary Hopkin's #2 smash "Those Were The Days" was #10.
1971:  Genesis and Roxy Music were in concert at the Hobbits Garden in Wimbledon, England.

1973:  Paul McCartney & Wings released the album Band on the Run in the U.K.
1973:  Clifford Davis, the manager of Fleetwood Mac, announced that he owned the rights to the group's name and assembled a second Fleetwood Mac to tour the country, essentially ripping off unsuspecting fans.  After a lengthy court battle, the original members won the right to force the second group to rename themselves.
1974:  Barry White scored his first #1 in the U.K. with "You're The First, The Last, My Everything".
1974:  Helen Reddy reached #1 on the Adult chart with "Angie Baby".



1974:  Carl Douglas chopped a path to #1 with "Kung Fu Fighting", sending fellow newcomer Billy Swan in a dive with "I Can Help".  In retrospect, hard to believe the Three Degrees did not land a #1 with "When Will I See You Again". B.T. Express chugged along with "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)" and Harry Chapin had a smash with "Cat's In The Cradle".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Angie Baby", one of Helen Reddy's biggest, Bobby Vinton with his comeback "My Melody Of Love", BTO were at #8 although they were #1 in most markets with "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", Al Green sauntered into the Top 10 with "Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)" and Barry White moved from 17-10 with "You're The First, The Last, My Everything".





1976:  The Eagles released the single "New Kid In Town".
1984:  Vince Neil of Motley Crue crashed his car in Redondo Beach, California, killing his passenger Nick Dingley.  Neil was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter.
1985:  Lionel Richie was on a roll--four consecutive #1 Adult Contemporary songs and eight out of nine for his solo career as he slided into the #1 spot with "Say You, Say Me".

1985:  Mr. Mister impressed enough to land a #1 song with "Broken Wings".  
1986:  Huey Lewis and the News sang the United States national anthem, singing A Capella prior to the National Football League game between San Francisco and the New York Jets at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California.
1987:  Richard Taylor of the Manhattans ("Shining Star" from 1980) died at the age of 47 in Kansas City, Kansas.





1990:  Dee Clark ("Raindrops") died of a heart attack at age 52 in Smyrna, Georgia.
1991:  Elton John & George Michael had the top U.K. song with the live version of "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me".
1991:  Two weeks after the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury, Queen's Greatest Hits II was the #1 album in the U.K.
1991:  Amy Grant made it two straight weeks at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "That's What Love Is For".





    "I Can't Dance" helps propel Genesis into the Top 10...

1991:  U2 debuted at #1 on the Album chart with their solid follow up to The Joshua Tree--Achtung Baby.  That put a halt on Garth Brooks' album Ropin' the Wind after eight weeks at the top--though amazingly, he would be back for much more.  Too Legit to Quit by Hammer was the third best with Nirvana's Nevermind fourth.  The rest of the Top 10:  Michael Bolton's outstanding Time, Love & Tenderness, Guns N' Roses with Use Your Illusion II was still around, Metallica by Metallica was #7, Genesis checked in with We Can't Dance while Mariah Carey wasn't going away as her second album Emotions re-entered the Top 10.




1991:  Michael Jackson's 32nd career hit "Black Or White" took over at #1 on this date.  Incredibly, 22 of those were Top 10 songs with 12 going all the way to #1.  Counting his work with his brothers, Michael was now up to 58 hits, 32 Top 10's and 16 #1 songs.  Michael Bolton had #2--"When A Man Loves A Woman", PM Dawn's previous #1 "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss" was third followed by "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" from Boyz II Men.  Color Me Badd had #5--"All 4 Love" while Paula Abdul rose up to 6 with "Blowing Kisses In The Wind".  The rest of the Top 10:  Prince and "Cream", an amazing new talent, Mariah Carey had another stunning song, "Can't Let Go", which rose from 17 to 8, Amy Grant made the Top 10 with "That's What Love Is For" and "O.P.P." by Naughty By Nature was #10.

1996:  Tragic Kingdom, the breakthrough album for No Doubt, was still #3 after 47 weeks of release.










1996:  Toni Braxton's amazing song "Un-Break My Heart" took over at #1.  Barbra Streisand's 42nd and final career hit was the only new Top 10 song--a duet with Bryan Adams called "I Finally Found Someone".








1999:  The Eagles were honored by the Recording Industry Association of America with the Best-Selling Album of the Century--Eagles' Greatest Hits 1971-1975.  (Note:  many websites state the date of the honor was November 9 or 10.  The correct date, according to 'CNN', was December 7.  Where those websites fell into the trap, we believe, was in following the RIAA certification on November 10.  That certification of the Eagles album was for 26 million, which put it in a tie with Michael Jackson's 'Thriller', which was certified at 26 million on October 30.  The RIAA did not present the Best-Selling Album of the Century until December 7.)
2003:  Mary J. Blige married producer Kendu Isaacs in a ceremony at her home in Bergen County, New Jersey.
2003:  Whitney Houston called police to her home in Alpharetta, Georgia, alleging then-husband Bobby Brown hit her in the face.  The loser was charged with battery three days later.





2003:  James Brown received a Lifetime Achievement award at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
2003:  Outkast rose to #1 with "Hey Ya".
2004:  The Stereophonics announced they brought in Javier Weyler to take the place of drummer Stuart Cable.
2004:  Three artists garnered the lion's share of Grammy Award nominations.  Kanye West got 10 while Alicia Keys and Usher received eight each.  Better give them all to West or he might get upset.  He is, after all, a college dropout.
2005:  It was by this time tough for one artist to put together a great album so on this date, the compilation Now 20, which included songs from the Pussycat Dolls, Missy Elliott and others, was #1.
2008:  Take That owned the top U.K. album with The Circus.

Born This Day:

1942:  Harry Chapin was born in Greenwich Village, New York; died on July 16, 1981 when a tractor trailer crashed into the car he was driving on the Long Island Expressway.  (Note:  some websites claim Harry was born in Brooklyn, but according to the official website for The Harry Chapin Foundation as well as the book 'The Greatest Rock Discography' by Martin Charles Strong, Chapin was born in Greenwich Village, New York.)
1948:  Michael Andre Lewis (Mandre), keyboardist who played for the Who, Diana Ross, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Sly & the Family Stone and Frank Zappa, was born in Omaha, Nebraska; died January 31, 2012 in Shreveport, Louisiana at the age of 63.





1949:  Tom Waits was born in Pomona, California.
1958:  Tim Butler, songwriter, bass guitarist and co-founder of the Psychedelic Furs, was born in Teddington, Middlesex, England.
1963:  Barbara Weathers, lead singer of Atlantic Starr ("Always"), was born in Greensboro, North Carolina.
1974:  Nicole Appleton of All Saints was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
1987:  Aaron Carter was born in Tampa, Florida.

The Top Christmas Songs of All-Time*, Day Six

Here's the link to Day Six of our popular Christmas special:

http://top5000-rocketman5000.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-best-150-christmas-songs-of-all_6.html

Crystal Gayle, The #85 Female Artist of the Rock Era

Crystal Gayle (real name Brenda Lee Webb) was born in Paintsville, Kentucky.  The youngest of eight children of a poor family, she was the only child born in a hospital.  The family moved to Wabash, Indiana when she was four.  Inspired by her sister Loretta Lynn's success, she learned to play guitar and sing backup in her brothers' folk band.  While in high school, Brenda began to tour with her sister for a few weeks each summer.

After graduating from Wabash High School, Brenda signed a recording contract with Decca Records.  Since there was, of course, already a Brenda Lee, she adopted the stage name of Crystal Gayle.

Lynn wrote most of Crystal's early songs, and she had two minor Country hits but no Popular success.  Gayle left Decca and signed with United Artists, which offered her the creative freedom she wanted.  Her self-titled debut album was released in 1974 and it gave her a Top 10 Country song. 

In 1976, Gayle landed a #1 Country song with "I'll Get Over You", but it was only #71 overall.  It wasn't until "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" that anyone outside of the smaller Country market had heard of her.  It was #1 on the Country chart for four weeks, #4 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #2 for three weeks on the Popular chart.  The single sold over one million copies and earned Crystal a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

Gayle won her first and only Grammy Award for Favorite Female Country Vocal Performance for "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue".  Gayle became the first female artist in Country music history to attain Platinum sales (one million albums sold) with We Must Believe in Magic.   The follow-up single only hit #52 overall, but it was #3 on the up-and-coming Adult Contemporary format.

In 1978, Crystal was back with the album When I Dream.  The single "Talking In Your Sleep" clicked with the public, reaching #3 AC and #18 on the Popular chart.  Gayle captured the American Music Award for Favorite Female Country Artist.

Gayle switched to Columbia Records in 1979 and released the album Miss the Mississippi.  The single "Half The Way" was a #15 song and #9 on the AC chart.  Crystal repeated as Favorite Female Country Artist at the American Music Awards.

Gayle scored a Country #1 in 1980 with "It's Like We Never Said Goodbye", which reached #17 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #63 overall.  Her song "If You Ever Change Your Mind" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.  

In 1982, Gayle recorded songs for the movie One from the Heart and then switched labels again to Elektra Records.  She recorded "You And I" with Eddie Rabbitt for his album Radio Romance.  The song was a #2 AC smash and gave Gayle another popular hit at #7.

Gayle's album True Love generated three #1 Country songs, with the single "Baby, What About You" reaching #9 on the Adult Contemporary chart:

Gayle released the album Cage the Songbird in 1983.  The single "The Sound Of Goodbye" was her final popular hit, reaching #10 on the AC chart and #84 overall.

In 2009, Gayle received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Gayle collected three popular hits, but eight on the more-important Adult Contemporary chart, with half of those reaching the Top 10.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 6

1964:  The movie Ferry Cross the Mersey, starring Gerry & the Pacemakers, premiered a the New Victoria Cinema in London.









1965:  The Beatles released the double-sided single "We Can Work It Out"/"Day Tripper" in the United States.

















1965:  The Rolling Stones recorded "19th Nervous Breakdown" and "Mother's Little Helper" for the fourth of six days at RCA's studios in Hollywood, California.  (Note:  some websites would have you believe that both these songs were recorded in one day (December 6).  This is not true, according to the book 'Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings' by Steve Sullivan and numerous credible websites.)   

 

1966:  The Beatles recorded two takes of "When I'm Sixty-Four", their first work on the upcoming album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
1968:  The Rolling Stones released the album Beggars Banquet in the U.K. 
1968:  Apple Records released James Taylor's self-titled debut album in the U.K.
1968:  Elvis Presley received a letter that United States President Richard Nixon sent out to potential administrative office holders.  No word on which office the president had in mind for Elvis.
1969:  Ringo Starr was on The David Frost Show.





1969:  Four people died during a free concert at Altamont, California by the Rolling Stones.  One was a stabbing that occurred near the stage when a member of Hell's Angels, foolishly hired by the group to provide security, stabbed a fan in the back.









1969:  The Originals led the way on the R&B chart for the fifth straight week with "Baby, I'm For Real".
1969:  For the third week, Peter, Paul & Mary had the top Easy Listening song with "Leaving On A Jet Plane".









1969:  Newcomers Steam moved into the #1 slot with "(Na Na Hey Hey) Kiss Him Goodbye".  Peter, Paul & Mary took a leap up with "Leaving On A Jet Plane" and the Beatles' former #1 "Come Together"/"Something" was third.  R.B. Greaves had a great song at 4--"Take A Letter, Maria" while CCR's double-sided winner "Down On The Corner"/"Fortunate Son" moved from 9 to 5.  The rest of an excellent Top 10:  Blood, Sweat & Tears with "And When I Die", the 5th Dimension's 11th hit "Wedding Bell Blues" was at #7, Stevie Wonder maintained with "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday", Diana Ross & the Supremes moved into the Top 10 with their 33rd hit, 18th Top 10 and final song with Ms. Ross--"Someday We'll Be Together" and Three Dog Night held on to #10 with their great song "Eli's Coming".

1969:  The Beatles' Abbey Road continued as the #1 album for a sixth week.
1970:  The documentary Gimme Shelter, which shows the Rolling Stones' horrific concert at Altamont, California, debuted.








      The song that probably describes why you're here

1975:  "I Love Music" by the O'Jays was the #1 R&B song.
1975:  Diana Ross took over on the #1 spot overall with "Theme From 'Mahogany' (Do You Know Where You're Going To)".

 

 

 

 

 

1975:  Paul Simon's outstanding album Still Crazy After All These Years was the new #1, meaning a brief one-week stay for Red Octopus by Jefferson Starship.  John Denver was still hanging around with Windsong at #3, followed by Rock of the Westies from Elton John and Chicago IX, the group's Greatest Hits package.  The rest of the Top 10:  Wind on the Water from David Crosby & Graham Nash, Art Garfunkel's Breakaway at #7, The Who by Numbers from the Who, K.C. and the Sunshine Band bulleted up the chart from 24 to 9 with their self-titled debut and Kiss had themselves a Top 10 album with Alive!  

 

 

1975:  The Bay City Rollers first entered the Top 10 with their debut single "Saturday Night".  Simon & Garfunkel had the only other new entry--"My Little Town".








1976:  Barbra Streisand released the single "Evergreen".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1977:  Bob Seger released his single "Night Moves".










1977:  Kansas released the single "Carry On Wayward Son".

1977:  Jackson Browne released the album Running On Empty.
1978:  Sid Vicious smashed glass in the face of Patti Smith's brother Todd during a fight at Hurrah's in New York City.  Vicious was out on bail on the charge of the murder of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen.

 

 

1980:  John Lennon was interviewed by British disc jockey Andy Peebles.
1980:  Stevie Wonder remained at #1 on the R& chart for a sixth week with "Master Blaster (Jammin')".

        "Promises" helped make Guilty a #1 album...

1980:  Guilty by Barbra Streisand was the new #1 album, followed closely by Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits.  Stevie Wonder edged up with Hotter Than July while The River by Bruce Springsteen was done after just six weeks and AC/DC was beginning to attract attention with Back In Black.  The rest of the Top 10:  Queen with The Game, Pat Benatar's amazing Crimes of Passion, the Eagles Live album moved from 14-8, the Police moved into the list with Zenyatta Mondatta and Earth, Wind & Fire placed Faces at #10.
1980:  "Lady" by Kenny Rogers was the #1 song on the Adult Contemporary chart.

 

 

1980:  Kenny Rogers registered a fourth week at #1 with "Lady".  Leo Sayer was second-best with "More Than I Can Say" while Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust", a #1 song in most markets by now, was third.  Barbra Streisand had hit #30 with "Woman In Love".  The rest of the Top 10:  Stevie Wonder's "Master Blaster", John Lennon was up to 6 with "(Just Like) Starting Over, Neil Diamond was back in a big way with "Love On The Rocks", Bruce Springsteen moved into the Top 10 with "Hungry Heart", Diana Ross was down with "I'm Coming Out" and Cliff Richard remained 10th with "Dreaming".









1984:  John Fogerty released the single "The Old Man Down the Road".

1986:  Newcomers Bruce Hornsby & the Range had themselves a #1 Adult Contemporary song with "The Way It Is".

 

            Billy was up to #10 with "To Be a Lover"...

1986:  Sun Valley, Idaho's Peter Cetera had the new #1 song with Amy Grant--"The Next Time I Fall".  That knocked Bon Jovi out of the top spot with "You Give Love A Bad Name".  Huey Lewis & the News were "Hip To Be Square", Bruce Hornsby & the Range were up to #4 with "The Way It Is" and the Bangles had a monster smash with "Walk Like An Egyptian".  The rest of the Top 10:  Cameo's "Word Up", Wang Chung partied up to #7 with "Everybody Have Fun Tonight", "Human" by the Human League, Lionel Richie was at 9 with "Love Will Conquer All" and Billy Idol entered the list with "To Be A Lover".


 

 

1988:  Metallica recorded the video "One".

1988:  Roy Orbison, who had 32 hits including the #1 songs "Oh Pretty Woman" and "Running Scared", and later was a member of the Traveling Wilburys, died of a massive heart attack at his home in Henderson, Tennessee at the age of 52.
1993:  The Eagles filmed a video for Travis Tritt's version of "Take It Easy" that led to their famous reunion.
1994:  Pearl Jam released their third album Vitalogy.

1995:  Michael Jackson was hospitalized after collapsing in a theater in New York City while rehearsing for a television special.

1995:  Joni Mitchell was awarded the Century Award from Billboard magazine.

1997:  Metallica performed "Fuel" and "The Memory Remains" with Marianne Faithfull on Saturday Night Live on NBC-TV.
1997:  Reload by Metallica and Let's Talk About Love from Celine Dion were the top two albums.






1997:  Elton John remained at #1 for the ninth week with "Candle In The Wind 1997", tying "Mack The Knife" by Bobby Darin, Kim Carnes and "Bette Davis Eyes", "Hey Jude" from the Beatles, Diana Ross & Lionel Richie with "Endless Love" and Percy Faith's "The Theme From 'A Summer Place'" for 12th in the Rock Era for the longest-running #1.  
1999:  The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced its new inductees:  James Taylor, Earth, Wind & Fire, Nat King Cole, Eric Clapton, the Lovin' Spoonful, Bonnie Raitt and the Moonglows, as well as executive Clive Davis and musicians Scotty Moore, Earl Palmer, and Hal Blaine.
2003:  George Clinton was arrested for possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia in Tallahassee, Florida.
2003:  Good to hear that in those terrible times the common person wasn't the only one having financial trouble.  Peabo Bryson sold his two Grammy awards ("Beauty And The Beast" and "A Whole New World") to pay a $1.2 million tax bill.

2003:  In happier news, Elvis Costello married jazz superstar Diana Krall in a ceremony at Elton John's castle outside London.  Paul McCartney was one of the attendees.
2004:  Motley Crue announced they were reuniting for their first tour in five years.
2005:  Valerie Bertinelli filed for divorce from Eddie Van Halen
2006:  Incubus had the #1 album with Light Grenades.
2009:  Bruce Springsteen and Dave Brubeck were given Kennedy Center Honors by U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C.
2010:  Richard Finch, bass guitarist for K.C. & the Sunshine Band, was sentenced to seven years in prison in Ohio for sexually abusing teenaged boys.

2011:  Dobie Gray, who had 14 hits including the #1 "Drift Away" from 1973, died at his home in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 71 of cancer.







Born This Day:

1920:  Jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, who gave us the memorable album Take Five, was born in Concord, California; died of heart failure on December 5, 2012, one day shy of his 92nd birthday, in Norwalk, Connecticut.
1940:  Steve Alaimo, host of the 60's music television show Where the Action Is, was born in Omaha, Nebraska.  (Note:  some websites claim Steve was born in 1939, but according to 'The New York Times' and 'Allmusic.com', Alaimo was born in 1940.  Several websites also state that he was born in Rochester, New York, but according to numerous reputable sites, he was born in Omaha, and moved to Rochester with his family when Steve was five.)






1943:  Mike Smith, songwriter, lead vocalist and keyboard player of the Dave Clark Five, was born in Edmonton, North London; died February 8, 2008 outside London of pneumonia resulting from a spinal cord injury sustained in 2003 that left Mike paralyzed below the ribs. 
1944:  Jonathan King ("Everyone's Gone To The Moon") and the person responsible for breaking the groups Genesis and 10cc, was born in London.
1946:  Frankie Beverly, who was in several bands including Maze, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1954:  Singer/songwriter Chris Stamey of Sneaker, who gave us two of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era* ("More Than Just The Two Of Us" and "Don't Let Me In") was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
1956:  Peter Buck, co-founder and guitarist of R.E.M., was born in Berkeley, California.

1956:  Randy Rhoads, elite guitarist with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot, was born in Santa Monica, California; died March 19, 1982 in Leesburg, Florida when goof-off pilot Andrew Aycock, who was trying to "buzz" the Osbourne tour bus, clipped the wings on the bus and crashed, killing all three aboard.
1962:  Ben Watt of Everything But the Girl was born in Marylebone, London.
1970:  Ulf Ekberg, singer, songwriter and keyboardist of Ace of Base, was born in Gothenburg, Sweden.