This Date in Rock Music History: March 16

1957:  Mickey and Sylvia moved to #1 on the R&B chart with "Love Is Strange".
1959:  The Platters moved to #1 in the U.K. with "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes".











1963:  Skeeter Davis took over at #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "The End Of The World".  
1963:  The 4 Seasons continued to own the top song with "Walk Like A Man" for the third week.  Ruby & the Romantics were at #2 with "Our Day Will Come", Bobby Darin moved to 3 with "You're The Reason I'm Living" and Skeeter Davis moved from 7-4 with "The End Of The World".  The rest of the Top 10:  The Cascades with their smash "Rhythm Of The Rain", Dion's "Ruby Baby", Paul & Paula were down with their former #1 "Hey Paula", Eydie Gorme placed "Blame It on the Bossa Nova" at #8, Johnny Mathis with "What Will Mary Say" and the Chiffons bounced from 19-10 with "He's So Fine".
1964:  The Beatles sold 2,100,000 advance copies of their single "Can't Buy Me Love", setting a new record.
1965:  The Beatles continued to film their second movie Help! with skiing scenes of the Beatles in Obertauern, Austria.   

1965:  The Rolling Stones had the top song in the U.K. with "The Last Time".
1968:  Blooming Hits by Paul Mariat & His Orchestra was the #1 album for a third week.  Bob Dylan would have to settle for #2 with John Wesley Harding while the Jimi Hendrix Experience had #3--Axis:   Bold As Love.
1968:  Otis Redding had the top R&B song with "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay".
1968:  Paul Mauriat had a huge hit on his hands, as "Love Is Blue" was #1 on the Adult chart for the fifth week.




 

1968:  "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" began a five-week run at #1 on the U.S. charts.  The song was posthumously released in 1968 after Otis Redding died in a plane crash on December 10, 1967, three days after recording the song.

















 

1970:  The Guess Who released the double-sided single "American Woman"/"No Sugar Tonight".


















1970:  Novelty artist Ray Stevens shocked everyone by coming up with the single "Everything Is Beautiful", which he released on this day.  (Note:  some websites naively state that the song was released on August 24.  "Everything Is Beautiful" first debuted on the charts on April 6, 1970.  It is physically impossible for a song to make the Singles chart if it has not been released as a single yet.)

1970--Tammi Terrell died of a bran tumor at the age of 24.  Terrell had collapsed onstage October 14, 1967 during a concert in Hampton, Virginia.  Terrell was famous for recording duets with Marvin Gaye, including "Your Precious Love" and "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing".  After her death, Gaye took four years off from performing and went into isolation.  







 

                                       The historic duo won top prizes at the Grammys...

1971--Grammy Awards were given to Simon and Garfunkel for Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and Album of the Year for the album Bridge Over Troubled Water and to the Carpenters for Best New Artist and Best Vocal Performance.
1972:  Neil Diamond performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
1972:  John Lennon and Yoko Ono were served with deportation papers.  Lennon immediately filed an appeal with the U.S. Immigration Office in New York City.
1974:  Elvis Presley played the first of four concerts (two shows on March 16, and evening shows on the 17th and 20th) at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee.




 

                                             "Free Man In Paris" from Joni's great LP...

1974:  Barbara Streisand's The Way We Were was atop the U.S. Album chart.  Joni Mitchell's excellent Court And Spark was #2 for a third week with previous #1 Planet Waves from Bob Dylan falling to third.  John Denver's Greatest Hits was in the #4 position followed by Hotcakes from Carly Simon.  The rest of the Top 10:  Tales From Topographic Oceans by Yes, Mike Oldfield was at #7 with Tubular Bells, Paul McCartney & Wings with Band on the Run, Elton John moved back up with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Jim Croce was at #10 after 56 weeks with You Don't Mess Around With Jim.
1974:  John Denver reached #1 on the Adult chart with "Sunshine On My Shoulders".







             
                           Paul McCartney & Wings landed in the Top 10 with "Jet"...

1974:  Terry Jacks made it three straight weeks at #1 with "Seasons In The Sun".  Eddie Kendricks' great song "Boogie Down" landed at #2.  Cher's "Dark Lady" was #3 while John Denver shot up from 10 to 4 with "Sunshine On My Shoulders".  Barbra Streisand's former #1 "The Way We Were" was at #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  Carly Simon & James Taylor with "Mockingbird", Kool and the Gang dropped with "Jungle Boogie", David Essex was on the way down with "Rock On", Jim Stafford slipped with "Spiders & Snakes" and Paul McCartney & Wings enjoyed their seventh Top 10 song in 10 releases with "Jet".
1977:  Paper Lace owned the top song in the U.K. with "Billy Don't Be A Hero".

1979:  Twisted Sister sold out New York City's Palladium (3,000 capacity) without ever releasing a record.  The group did not sign a music deal until three years later.  
1979:  Wings Over the World, a television special featuring Paul McCartney & the group, aired on ABC.  (Note:  several websites claim that the television special Wings Over America was broadcast on this date.  There is no such show; the name of the documentary is Wings Over the World, according to the book 'The Beatles Diary Volume 2:  After the Break-Up 1970-2001).)


1981:  REO Speedwagon released the single "Take It On The Run".
1985:  Julian Lennon had the #1 Adult Contemporary song with "Too Late For Goodbyes".
1985:  The Commodores achieved #1 on the R&B chart without Lionel Richie with the song "Nightshift".









                                   "Centerfield", the title track from the great Fogerty...

1985:  Make It Big by Wham was #1 on the Album chart for a third week, just ahead of Centerfield from John Fogerty and Born in the U.S.A. from Bruce Springsteen.













1991:  Gloria Estefan's great song "Coming Out Of The Dark" was #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1991:  Mariah Carey had the #1 song with "Someday".  Timmy T was second with "One More Try" , Styx was up to #3 with "Show Me The Way" and Gloria Estefan moved from 9 to 4 with "Coming Out Of The Dark".  The rest of the Top 10:  Sting with "All This Time", Tracie Spencer at #6 with "This House", Whitney Houston's former #1 "All The Man That I Need", Oleta Adams reached the Top 10 with "Get Here", Celine Dion slipped with "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" and Tara Kemp was at #10 with "Hold You Tight".
1991:  The self-titled debut Mariah Carey was #1 on the Album chart for a third week.
1996:  Joseph Pope of the Tams ("What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am)" from 1964) died of heart failure in Atlanta, Georgia at age 62.






1996:  "One Sweet Day", by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, spent a 16th week at #1, breaking all Rock Era records.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1998:  Popular television and movie star Will Smith had a number one song with "Gettin' Jiggy 'Wit It".
1999--The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) presented the first Diamond Awards. The awards are given in recognition of albums and singles that have sold 10 million copies or more. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2002:  Jennifer Lopez topped the charts with "Ain't It Funny".
2005:  Billy Joel responsibly checked himself into a rehabilitation center for alcohol abuse.
2008:  Ola Brunkert, drummer with ABBA, was found dead at the age of 62 in his garden on the Spanish island of Malloca after he had hit his head against a glass door in the dining room of his home and gone outside to get help.  Brunkert had played on every album with the group.

2010:  ABBA, Genesis and the Hollies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.  
2011:  James Taylor was on an episode of Mr. Sunshine on ABC-TV.
2011:  The Eagles performed at the Olympic Gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea.

Born This Day:
1929:  Betty Johnson ("I Dreamed" from 1956) was born in Guilford County, North Carolina.  (Note:  some websites claim Betty was born in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Some websites say she was born in 1931.  'Allmusic.com' claims she was born in 1932 in Possum Walk, North Carolina.  According to the special library collection (Betty Johnson Papers, 1947-2012) at the University of North Carolina, she was born March 16, 1929 in Guilford County.)

1942:  Jerry Jeff Walker (real name Ronald Crosby), US singer/songwriter ("Mr Bojangles" for The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) was born in Oneonta, New York.

1948:  Michael Bruce, guitarist for Alice Cooper, was born in Phoenix, Arizona.

1954:  Nancy Wilson, singer, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of Heart, was born in San Francisco, California.
1959:  Flavor Flav (real name is William Jonathan Drayton, Jr.) of Public Enemy, was born in Roosevelt, New York.  (Note:  some websites erroneously say he was born in Roosevelt, Long Island, New York.  Long Island is neither a city or a state, and it is unprofessional to say it is an official birthplace.  Roosevelt is the name of the city where he was born.)
2011:  Inside The Rock Era, the #1 website for music, news, statistics, charts and lists, was born in Boise, Idaho, U.S.A.

This Week's Unknown/Underrated Song: "Just What I Needed" from the Cars

Sometimes it takes a while for radio (and the public) to figure out a group.  This was the first release from a Boston group back in 1978.  It peaked at #27, and the Cars went on to become one of The Top 100 Artists of the Rock Era*.  Obviously, they recovered from the slight (the album has now gone over the six million mark), and the song is included on every "Best of the Cars" list you can find.

 

"Just What I Needed"

Cars

Lyrics and Music by Ric Ocasek

I don't mind you coming here
and wasting all my time
'cause when you're standing oh so near
I kinda lose my mind

It's not the perfume that you wear
It's not the ribbons in your hair
I don't mind you coming here
and wasting all my time

I don't mind you hanging out
and talking in your sleep
It doesn't matter where you've been
as long as it was deep

You always knew to wear it well
You look so fancy i can tell
I don't mind you hanging out
and talking in your sleep

I guess you're just what i needed
I needed someone to feed
I guess guess you're just what i needed
I needed someone to bleed

This Date in Rock Music History: March 15

1956:  Elvis Presley hired Colonel Tom Parker as his manager.

1964:  Berry Gordy, Jr., the founder of Motown Records, and his wife celebrated the birth of son Kennedy William Gordy, who would later be known as Rockwell ("Somebody's Watching Me"), in Detroit, Michigan.
1964:  The Rolling Stones began a tour of the U.K. at the Invicta Ballroom in Chatham, Kent, England.

1965:  Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders released the single "Game Of Love".
1965:  Neil Sedaka was a guest star on I've Got a Secret on CBS-TV.  (Note:  several websites list the date of the appearance as March 5.  In a 1965 edition of 'Billboard', the magazine reported that Sedaka would appear on February 1, but the websites which report the appearance as March 5 are missing a digit, and 'Billboard' got their information wrong; the correct date is March 15, according to the newspaper 'The Daily Times-News' in Burlington, North Carolina, as well as 'TV.com'.)
1965:  Freddy Cannon appeared on the television show No Time for Sergeants on ABC.

1966:  The Grammy Awards turned eight years old today, and Frank Sinatra won Album of the Year with his great LP September of My Years.




1966:  "A Taste Of Honey" from Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass won the Grammy for Record of the Year.
1967:  The Beatles began recording "Within You, Without You" with George Harrison being the only member of the group to perform on the song.  Harrison played the swordmandel and tamboura, Natver Soni played tabla and Amrat Gajjar played dilruba, PD Josh was also on swordmandel.

1968: LIFE magazine called Jimi Hendrix "the most spectacular guitarist in the world."

1969:  Marc Bolan, lead singer of T. Rex, published a book of poetry called The Warlock of Love.

1969:  Janis Joplin was on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
1969:  Bob Cowsill of the Cowsills ("Hair" from 1969) appeared on an episode of The Dating Game on ABC-TV.

1969:  Cream had the top U.K. album with Goodbye.

1969:  What a classic looks like--the 5th Dimension moved from #89 to #37 with "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In".








                 
                                                     The Zombies hit the Top 10...

1969:  Tommy Roe earned a #1 song with "Dizzy".  CCR was stuck at #2 with "Proud Mary" while previous #1 "Everyday People" from Sly & the Family Stone fell to #3.  The Foundations were on their way down with "Build Me Up Buttercup" but the Classics IV, featuring the great voice of Dennis Yost, moved from 17-5 with their latest, "Traces".  The rest of the Top 10:  Former #1 "Crimson And Clover" from Tommy James & the Shondells, Dionne Warwick had another Top 10 with "This Girl's In Love With You", the 1910 Fruitgum Company provided comic relief with "Indian Giver", the Zombies were up strong (20 to 9) with "Time Of The Season" and Jay & the Americans slipped with "This Magic Moment".













1971:  Neil Diamond released the single "I Am...I Said".













1971:  Bread released the single "If".

1974:  The Emerson, Lake and Palmer movie Pictures at an Exhibition premiered in Los Angeles.

1975:  The group T. Rex ("Bang A Gong" from 1972) broke up.
1975:  Led Zeppelin owned the #1 album in the U.K. with Physical Graffiti.







1975:  Former Drifter Ben E. King topped the R&B chart with "Supernatural Thing".
1975:  Olivia Newton-John (Have You Never Been Mellow) overtook Bob Dylan (Blood on the Tracks) for the top album.  Led Zeppelin debuted at #3 with Physical Graffiti.
1976:  KISS released the album Destroyer on Casablanca Records.








1975:  The Doobie Brothers had their first #1 as "Black Water" moved to the top.  Frankie Valli was poised and ready with "My Eyes Adored You" and LaBelle was going to be a factor with "Lady Marmalade".  Previous #1 "Have You Never Been Mellow" was now fourth with Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You" at 5 and "Lady" from Styx close behind.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Lonely People" from America, B.T. Express moved from 13 to 8 with the instrumental "Express", ELO's first big hit--"Can't Get It Out Of My Head" climbed to #9 and Sugarloaf entered the Top 10 with "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You".
1977:  Pink Floyd opened in the first of five sellouts at Empire Pool in London.
1978:  The movie American Hot Wax, about the life of early rock disc jockey Alan Freed, premiered in New York City.  There are appearances by Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Screamin' Jay Hawkins.
1980:  The Whispers held on to #1 on the R&B chart with "And the Beat Goes On".
1980:  For the third week, Chuck Mangione's "Give It All You Got" was #1 on the Adult chart.

1980:  Queen had one of their biggest career hits as "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" spent a fourth week at #1.  Dan Fogelberg was up to #2 with "Longer" while "Another Brick In The Wall" by Pink Floyd was making its move.  Andy Gibb ("Desire") and Donna Summer ("On The Radio") both peaked this week.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Spinners with "Working My Way Back To You/Forgive Me, Girl", Teri DeSario and K.C. had "Yes, I'm Ready", Rupert Holmes was up to the #8 spot with "Him", Shalamar with "The Second Time Around" and Kool and the Gang were "Too Hot".







                    
                           Fogelberg's album was right there near the top...

1980:  The Wall from Pink Floyd remained strong for a ninth week on the Album chart.  Damn the Torpedoes by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers was runner-up for the sixth straight week while Phoenix by Dan Fogelberg peaked at #3.  Rush came in next with Permanent Waves while Linda Ronstadt debuted at #5 with Mad Love.  The rest of the Top 10:  Fans were glad for Heart's new album as Bebe Le Strange moved from 19 to 6 in its second week of release, the Whispers were up with their self-titled album, Fun and Games from Chuck Mangione, Kenny by Kenny Rogers remained in the #9 position and Michael Jackson tumbled Off the Wall.    
1986:  After 51 weeks, Whitney Houston was at her peak with her self-titled debut album, which spent a second week at #1.  It was just getting started.
1986:  One of the hottest new songs was "Bad Boy" from Miami Sound Machine, up from 76 to 55.








           
                                  Mellencamp had one of his biggest hits...

1986:  Starship had their 27th hit (counting their days as Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship) and second consecutive #1 with "Sara".  Heart was making a bid with "These Dreams" while previous #1 "Kyrie" by Mr. Mister relinquished its spot.  Atlantic Starr was up with "Secret Lovers" but Whitney Houston finally was falling after 15 weeks with "How Will I Know".  The rest of the Top 10:  John Cougar Mellencamp burst into the list with "R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A.", Falco jumped from 14 to 7 with "Rock Me Amadeus", Mike + the Mechanics and "Silent Running", the Thompson Twins edged up with "King For A Day" and Elton John reached the Top 10 again with "Nikita".






1986:  Heart was back in a big way as "These Dreams" reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1988:  Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones went on his first solo tour, debuting at the Osakajo Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan.  (Note:  many websites report that Jagger went on tour in 1982, but he had no albums nor solo releases that year, and the credible websites report his first tour as being in 1988.)
1989:  The Rolling Stones signed a contract to play 50 concerts in the United States for $70 million, the largest contract to that point in the Rock Era.

1990:  13.7 million households signed up to see a pay-per-view special by New Kids on the Block, breaking the record for PPV events.

1997:  The Spice Girls became the first act to ever hit #1 with their first four singles in the U.K., as "Mama" reached the top.

1997:  Pop by U2 was the #1 album in the U.K.

1997:  For the fourth week, newcomers the Spice Girls had the #1 song with "Wannabe".

1999:  If every class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was this small and this accomplished, they'd have credibility.  Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and Dusty Springfield were inducted into the Hall.  At the ceremony, Springsteen performed with the E Street Band for the first time in a decade.
2000:  Mick Jagger was ordered by a court to increase his child support payments to Luciana Morad from $5,500 a month to $10,000.  Now we know why the Rolling Stones have to tour so much.
2002:  Marshall Lieb, an original member of the Teddy Bears ("To Know Him Is To Love Him" from 1958) and later a member of the Hollywood Argyles, died of a heart attack in Northridge, California at the age of 63.

2002:  Yoko Ono unveiled a seven-foot bronze statue of John Lennon in the Liverpool John Lennon airport.  The airport also featured a sketch of Lennon's face with the words "Above Us Only Sky".

2004:  Whitney Houston entered a drug rehabilitation program.

2004:  George Harrison, Prince, Bob Seger, Jackson Browne, ZZ Top, Traffic and the Dells were all inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

2008:  The musical I Am Who I Am (The Teddy Pendergrass Story) opened in Chicago, Illinois.  

2010:  Sony Music announced a recording deal with the estate of the late Michael Jackson that would pay Jackson's heirs $200 million over seven years, the largest contract in music history.
2011:  Nate Dogg died at the age of 41 in Long Beach, California of complications from multiple strokes.




2015:  Mike Porcaro, bassist of Toto, and brother of Jeff and Steve Porcaro, died of Amyotophic lateral sclerosis in Los Angeles.  Jeff was 59 years old.  In addition to being with Toto for nearly 25 years, Porcaro also worked with Seals & Crofts, Boz Scaggs and Larry Carlton.

Born This Day:
1931:  James Mitchell, saxophonist of the Memphis Horns, who worked with Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, the Doobie Brothers, Al Green, Sam and Dave and Otis Redding; died December 18, 2000.
 

1932:  Arif Mardin, producer of "Jive Talkin'" by the Bee Gees, "Respect" for Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Norah Jones, Dusty in Memphis for Dusty Springfield and "I Feel for You" by Chaka Khan and many others, was born in Istanbul, Turkey; died June 25, 2006 in New York City.

1940:  Phil Lesh, bassist of Grateful Dead, was born in Berkeley, California.








1941:  Singer-songwriter Mike Love of the Beach Boys was born in Baldwin Hills, California.  (Note:  some websites claim Love was born in Los Angeles, but he was born in Baldwin Hills, according to the official Beach Boys website.)

1943:  Sly Stone of Sly & the Family Stone was born in Denton, Texas.  (Note:  some sites show his birthday in 1941 or 1943, but according to the official website for Sly, he was born in 1944.)
1944:  David Costell of Gary Lewis and the Playboys, was born in Pittsburg, California.  (Note:  some websites say Costell was born in Pittsburgh, California.  There is no such city.  There is a Pittsburg, California, which is where Costell was born.)
1946:  Howard Scott, guitarist with War, was born in San Pedro, California.








1947:  Ry Cooder, great guitarist with Captain Beefheart, who worked with the Rolling Stones, Gordon Lightfoot, Eric Clapton and Randy Newman and was also a solo artist, was born in Santa Monica, California.  (Note:  some websites say Ry was born in Los Angeles.  According to 'Billboard', the newspaper 'The Guardian', and the book 'Legends of Rock Guitar:  The Essential Reference of Rock's Greatest Guitarist' by Pete Prown and Harvey P. Newquist, Cooder was born in Santa Monica.)
1947:  Francisco Hernandez "Frank" Lugo, bassist of ? & the Mysterians ("96 Tears" from 1966), was born in Weslaco, Texas. 

1953:  Preston Hubbard, the bassist for the Fabulous Thunderbirds ("Tuff Enough"), was born in Providence, Rhode Island.

1955:  Daniel "Dee" Snider, lead singer of Twisted Sister, was born in Queens, New York.  (Note:  some websites say he was born in Astoria, Queens, New York, others in Massapequa, Long Island.  First off, Astoria is a not a city, but rather a neighborhood, so that rules that out as the official birthplace.   Massapequa is indeed a hamlet and census-designated place, but Long Island is not a state, so Massapequa, Long Island gets the buzzer as well.  According to the book 'The Robert Englund Handbook - Everything you need to know about Robert Englund' by Emily Smith, Snider was not born in Massapequa, but Queens.)
1962:  Terence Trent D'Arby ("Wishing Well" from 1987) was born in Manhattan, New York.
1962:  Steve Coy, singer-songwriter and keyboardist of Dead or Alive ("You Spin Me 'Round (Like A Record)"), was born in Liverpool, England.
1963:  Bret Michaels, lead singer of Poison, was born in Butler, Pennsylvania.
1964:  Rockwell ("Somebody's Watching Me") was born in Detroit, Michigan.
1968:  Mark McGrath, lead singer of Sugar Ray ("Every Morning" from 1999), was born in Hartford, Connecticut.




1972:  Mark Hoppus, co-lead singer and bassist of Blink-182, was born in Ridgecrest, California.










1975:  Will.I.am (real name William Adams) of the Black Eyed Peas was born in Los Angeles.

Top Five Bob Seger Albums

Talk about paying your dues.  This Motor City rocker did all that and then some from 1968 to 1977, when his "ship came in".  Fans who hopped on the bandwagon after listening to Night Moves deserve to check out Seger's earlier material.  In addition to Seven and Beautiful Loser, which make his Top Five Albums, see what you think of his debut, Ramblin' Gamblin' Man, as well as Back in '72, and Mongrel.



1.  Night Moves

 

 

 

 

 

2.  Stranger In Town

 

 

 

3.  Against The Wind

 

 

 

 

4.  Seven

 

 

 

 

5.  Beautiful Loser

This Date in Rock Music History: March 14

1955: CBS talent scout Arthur Godfrey turned down Elvis Presley for a recording contract, opting to sign Pat Boone instead.  Big mistake, Arthur. 
1955: Elvis Presley was interviewed on The Jimmy Dean television show.

1956: The movie Rock Around the Clock, starring Billy Haley, premiered in Washington, D.C.  It was the second movie to include the song "Rock Around The Clock", the first being Blackboard Jungle a year earlier.  (Note:  you will see several dates all over the Internet for the opening.  Inside The Rock Era investigates discrepancies, strives to use the most reliable sources for our Calendar*, and publishes who those sources are.  Some websites say the premiere was on March 17, and others on March 21, but according to the book 'Rock Around the Clock: The Record that Started the Rock Revolution!' by Jim Dawson, the movie premiered on March 14.)
1958:  The Recording Industry of Association of America (RIAA) announced awards for sales.  A single selling a million copies would be awarded a Gold disc, a single selling over two million would get a Platinum record.  A Gold album would signify sales over 500,000 copies and a Platinum album signified album sales over one million.  (Note:  some websites report the awards began March 13, but according to the official website for the RIAA, they began on March 14, 1958.)
1958: The first Gold record was awarded to Perry Como for his single "Catch A Falling Star".
1960: Sam Cooke began a tour of the West Indies in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
1960: For the sixth week, Dinah Washington & Brook Benton had the top R&B song with "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)".
1960: "The Theme From 'A Summer Place'" by Percy Faith was on the way to becoming one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*, posting its fourth straight week at #1.
1963:  The Beatles performed at the Gaumont Cinema in Wolverton, West Midlands, England.  

1964:  "Java" by Al Hirt led the way on the Adult chart for the fourth week.

1964: Meet the Beatles! was the #1 album for the fifth consecutive week.








1964: The Searchers had one of the hottest songs as "Needles And Pins" moved from 75 to 46.
1964: The Beatles made history by being the first act in the Rock Era to own the top three songs for a week--they were on top for the seventh straight week with "I Want To Hold Your Hand", remained second with "She Loves You" and "Please Please Me" moved to #3. No one has ever been able to match that feat, although the Bee Gees came close in 1978.   
1965: Petula Clark appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show on CBS-TV.







1966: Boise, Idaho's Paul Revere & the Raiders released the single "Kicks".
1968: The Beatles' promotional clip for "Lady Madonna" was shown on Top of the Tops on BBC-TV.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1969:  Several great songs released on This Day in Rock Music History*.  Stevie Wonder released the single "My Cherie Amour".  The song debuted on the Singles chart on May 31, 1969.
1970: Mary Ann Ganser of the Shangri-Las ("Leader Of The Pack") did not heed the words of Paul Revere & the Raiders and died of drugs in Queens, New York at the age of 22.  (Note:  Mary Ann's death is shrouded in myth.  Some websites say that Mary Ann died in 1971, some say she died on March 16, 1970, and most websites state that Mary Ann died of encephalitis from a mosquito bite, but according to the newspaper 'The Los Angeles Times', Mary Ann in fact died on March 14, 1970 from a drug overdose.  The date of March 16 was the date that Mr. Ganser identified Mary Ann's body, but according to the newspaper 'The New York Times', Mary Ann was found dead on Sunday afternoon, March 15, and an official Coroner's report showed that she died on March 14. ) 
1970: Brook Benton reached #1 on the R&B chart with "Rainy Night In Georgia".
1970: "Bridge Over Troubled Water" from Simon & Garfunkel was the #1 song on the Adult chart for a third week.





                                Santana showed they would be a force for some time...


1970: Simon & Garfunkel remained at #1 for the third week with "Bridge Over Troubled Water". CCR's double-sided "Travlin' Band"/"Who'll Stop The Rain" was the closest challenger with the Jaggerz moving from 7 to 3 with "The Rapper".   Brook Benton held steady with "Rainy Night In Georgia".  The rest of the Top 10: the Tee Set and "Ma Belle Amie", Chairmen of the Board were at 6 with "Give Me Just A Little More Time", "Thank You" from Sly & the Family Stone, Eddie Holman dropped with "Hey There Lonely Girl", the Hollies edged up with "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" and Santana vaulted up with "Evil Ways".
1972: Linda Jones ("Hypnotized" from 1967) collapsed into a diabetic coma backstage after a performance at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York and died shortly afterwards.

1980:  Quincy Jones received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

1981:  Eric Clapton had bleeding ulcers and was admitted to United Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota.

1981:  Yarbrough & People reigned for the third week on the R&B chart with "Don't Stop The Music".

1981:  Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb rose to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with their duet--"What Kind Of Fool".






 

 
            
       Blondie had one of the first (and one of the only good) rap songs...
 

1981:  Dolly Parton topped the chart with "9 To 5", heading off REO Speedwagon's bid with "Keep On Loving You".  John Lennon remained third with "Woman" while Styx was up with "The Best Of Times".  The rest of the Top 10:  Eddie Rabbitt's former #1 "I Love A Rainy Night", Don McLean had another hit with "Crying", Blondie responded with a 12 to 7 move for "Rapture", ABBA and "The Winner Takes It All", Neil Diamond had hit #47 with "Hello Again" and Kool and the Gang's former #1 "Celebration" was 10th.
1982:  Metallica made their live debut at Radio City in Anaheim, California.







1983:  Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Alec John Such formed the group Bon Jovi.
1984:  Rainbow played live for the last time at the Budokan in Japan.
1987:  The Very Best of Hot Chocolate rose to the top of the U.K. Album chart.
1987: Janet Jackson moved to #1 on the R&B chart with "Let's Wait Awhile".

1987:  Huey Lewis & the News scored their third career #1 with "Jacob's Ladder", although stations that didn't have "I Want a New Drug" at #1 in 1984 missed the boat.  Starship had a big comeback going as "Nothing's Gonna' Stop Us Now" entered the Top 10.







1988:  Johnny Hates Jazz released the single "Shattered Dreams" in the United States.















1990:  Heart released the single "All I Wanna' Do Is Make Love To You".













1990:  Michael Jackson received the Artist of the Decade honor at the Soul Train Awards.










1991:  Doc Pomus, who wrote several hits with Mort Shuman including "This Magic Moment" for the Drifters, died of lung cancer at the age of 65 in New York City.
1992:  R. Kelly first appeared on the chart with his first single "She's Got That Vibe".








1992:  Forty-thousand people attended Farm Aid in Irving, Texas.  It was the fifth annual event and featured Paul Simon, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Willie Nelson. 

1992:  Mr. Big had the #1 song for a third week with "To Be With You".
1992:  Garth Brooks once again ruled the Album chart for a 16th week with Ropin' the Wind.
1998:  Celine Dion returned to #1 in the U.K. with "My Heart Will Go On".








1998:  Will Smith had the #1 song in the United States of America with "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It".













1998:  The Soundtrack to "Titanic" was #1 on the Album chart for the eighth week.
2002:  Alicia Keys played a show at a suite in the House of Commons in London.

2005:  The Cars announced they were reforming with Todd Rundgren as their lead vocalist instead of Ric Ocasek.
2005:  U2 and frankly several other artists who don't belong in a "hall of fame" were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at a ceremony in New York City.  Since the Hall has poisoned themselves, it's time for a legitimate Rock Era Hall of Fame.
2008:  Peter MacBeth, formerly bassist with the Foundations ("Build Me Up Buttercup", was jailed for child sex offenses.
2011:  James Taylor broke a leg and injured his shoulder while skiing in Park City, Utah.
2011:  Ronnie Hammond, lead singer of the Atlanta Rhythm Section, died of a heart attack in Forsyth, Georgia at the age of 60.

Born This Day:

1922:  Les Baxter, who had one of the big early Rock Era hits--"Poor People Of Paris", was born in Mexia, Texas; died January 15, 1996 of a massive heart attack in Newport Beach, California.  (Note:  Some websites claim the cause of death was "heart and kidney problems".  'Allmusic.com reports that Baxter died in Palm Springs, California.  More credible sources, such as the books 'American Big Bands' by William F. Lee, and 'Billboard Book of Number One Hits' by Fred Bronson, state that Baxter died of a heart attack in Newport Beach.)1926:  Phil Phillips ("Sea Of Love" from 1959) was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

1933:  Quincy Jones, arranger for Frank Sinatra, award-winning producer for Michael Jackson and others, conductor, arranger and trumpeter, was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1943:  Jim Pons, bassist of the Turtles and Mothers of Invention, was born in Santa Monica, California.








1945:  Walter Parazaider, saxophone player for Chicago, was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1945:  James O'Rourke, guitarist and singer with John Fred & His Playboy Band ("Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)").
1945:  Michael Murphey, who gave us the classic "Wildfire" in 1975, was born in Dallas, Texas.








1950: Rick Dees, famous disc jockey for KIIS-FM in Los Angeles who had the hit "Disco Duck" in 1976, was born in Jacksonville, Florida.
1969:  Michael Bland, drummer for Prince who has also worked for Soul Asylum, was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
1970:  Kristian Bush of Sugarland was born in Knoxville, Tennessee.
1983:  Taylor Hanson of Hanson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
1989:  Colby O'Donis ("Just Dance" with Lady GaGa) was born in Queens, New York.