This Day in Music History: January 23

This Day in Music History: January 23January 23, 2017

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

 

Today: January 23.

 

1965: 'Downtown' made Petula Clark the first UK female singer to reach the top of the US singles chart since Vera Lynn in 1952. The song also reached the No.2 spot in the UK.

Compare ticket prices to Petula Clark concerts

 

1967: Pink Floyd spent the first of three days recording the Syd Barrett songs 'Arnold Layne' and 'Candy And A Current Bun' at Sound Techniques Studios, in Chelsea, London. According to Roger Waters, the song Arnold Layne was based on a real person, which was a transvestite whose primary pastime was stealing women's clothes and undergarments from washing lines in Cambridge.

Compare ticket prices to David Gilmour concerts

Compare ticket prices to Roger Waters concerts

 

1971: Steel Mill played their final show when they appeared at the Upstage Club, Asbury Park, New Jersey. Singer Bruce Springsteen decided to form new bands during the rest of the year known as: Bruce Springsteen Jam, Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom, and finally the Bruce Springsteen Band.

Compare ticket prices to Bruce Springsteen concerts

 

1971: George Harrison became the first solo Beatle to have a No.1 hit when his song 'My Sweet Lord' topped the UK single charts. The song from his 'All Things Must Pass' album stayed at the top of the chart for five weeks. The song later returned again to the top of the UK charts in 2002, after his death.

 

1976: David Bowie released 'Station to Station', his tenth studio album, which was the vehicle for his last great "character", the Thin White Duke. The album reached the top five in both charts in the UK and US.

 

1977: Pink Floyd released 'Animals', their tenth studio album. It is a concept album that provides a scathing critique of the social-political conditions of late-70s Britain, and presents a marked change in musical style from their earlier work. The album reached the No.2 spot on the UK Albums Chart and the No.3 spot on the US Billboard 200 chart, and although it scored on US charts for half a year, steady sales have resulted in its certification by the RIAA at 4x platinum.

 

1978: Terry Kath, guitarist with Chicago accidentally shot himself dead when he was cleaning a gun, believing it was unloaded. Kath's last words were "Don't worry it's not loaded" as he put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. He was killed instantly.

Compare ticket prices to Chicago concerts

 

1988: Michael Jackson topped the US singles chart with 'The Way You Make Me Feel'. It was the third single from his seventh studio album 'Bad' for which Jackson had written over sixty songs for the album. He planned to release a three disc album, but producer Quincy Jones convinced Michael Jackson to make Bad a one disc LP.

 

1990: Allen Collins, guitarist from Lynyrd Skynyrd, died of pneumonia after he was ill for several months. Collins was one of the founding members of the band and also co-wrote most of the band's songs (including Free Bird), with late front man Ronnie Van Zant. He survived a plane crash in 1977 while two other band members were killed in the ceash. Collins was behind the wheel in a car accident in 1986, an accident that killed his girlfriend and left him paralyzed from the waist down. He later pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter as well as driving under the influence of alcohol.

Compare ticket prices to Lynyrd Skynyrd concerts

 

2000: Santana started a three week run at the top of the US album chart with 'Supernatural'. The album won eight Grammy awards and spent a total of nine weeks at the top of the chart on that year.

Compare ticket prices to Santana concerts

 

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.

 

Subscribe via RSS: Subscribe via RSS
Back to TixSearcher.com's Blog

Quick ticket search

Our newsletter