This Day in Music History: April 16

April 16, 2017

We cover all sorts of news, facts and historical and interesting facts that happened on this day in music history.

 

Today: April 16.

 

1956: 'Blue Days, Black Nights', the first single by Buddy Holly was released. The song later featured on That'll Be The Day, the third album from Holly.

 

1964: The Rolling Stones released their first album in the UK. Two weeks later, the album topped the chart and stayed there for 40 weeks, with 11 weeks at the top of the chart. The American edition of the LP, with a slightly different track list, came out on London Records on May 30, 1964, subtitled England's Newest Hit Makers, which later became its official title.

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1969: Desmond Dekker and the Aces topped the UK singles chart with 'The Israelites'. This made him the first Jamaican artist to have a UK No.1 hit.

 

1970: The single 'Whole Lotta Love' by Led Zeppelin, was certified Gold in the US after it sold more than a million copies. The song had peaked at the No. 4 spot on the US singles chart. In the UK, Atlantic Records had expected to issue the edited version themselves, and pressed initial copies for release on December 5, 1969. However, Peter Grant, the band manager, was adamant that Led Zeppelin maintain a 'no-singles' approach to marketing their recorded music in the UK, and thus halted the release.

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1972: Electric Light Orchestra made their debut at The Fox and Greyhound in Croydon, London. They were formed to accommodate former Move members Roy Wood and the desire of Jeff Lynne to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones. Wood left right after the band's debut record, Lynne wrote and arranged all of the band's original compositions and produced every album.

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1994: Prince had his first UK No.1 hit with the song 'The Most Beautiful Girl In The World', (his 37th single release). It was his first release since he changed his stage name to an unpronounceable symbol.

 

1999: Skip Spence, member of Jefferson Airplane and also founding member of Moby Grape, died of lung cancer in a San Francisco hospital at the age of 52. He had also battled schizophrenia and alcoholism.

 

Think we left some interesting fact out? You have anything to add? Is there anything else worth mentioning that happened on this day in music history? Write us in the comments below.

 

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