This Day in Music History: May 21

May 21, 2017

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

 

Today: May 21.

 

1967: Jimi Hendrix signed with Reprise Records on the US Warner Brothers label. The records company released the albums Are You Experienced? Electric Ladyland and Axis: Bold as Love.

 

1970: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released the single Ohio, a protest song that was written and composed by Neil Young due to the shootings on Kent State at May 4, 1970, when unarmed college students were shot by the Ohio National Guard. The guardsmen fired 67 rounds over a period of 13 seconds, and in this incident four students were killed and nine others wounded, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis.

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1977: Rod Stewart topped the UK singles chart with the double A sided single 'I Don't Want To Talk About It / First Cut Is The Deepest.' The song 'I Don't Want To Talk About It' by Danny Whitten was also a hit for Everything But The Girl in 1988.

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1977: Stevie Wonder started a three week run at the top of the US singles chart with his single 'Sir Duke', a tribute to Duke Ellington. It was Wonder's sixth US No.1 hit and also reached the No.2 spot in the UK.

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1983: David Bowie topped the US singles chart with the song 'Let's Dance', which features blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. This song was Bowie's first single that reached the No.1 spot both in the US and UK. The music video was made by David Mallet on location in Australia including a bar in Carinda in New South Wales. It featured David Bowie playing with his band while impassively watching the struggle of an Aboriginal couple against metaphors of Western cultural imperialism.

 

1988: Prince scored his first UK No.1 album with 'Lovesexy.' The album's cover (based on a photo by Jean Baptiste Mondino) caused some controversy when it was released, because it depicts Prince in the nude. Some record stores even refused to stock it or decided to wrap the album in black.

 

2011: Adele topped the US singles chart with 'Rolling In The Deep'. The song is taken from her second studio album, 21. The video to the song was nominated for seven MTV Video Music Awards nominations and on February 12, 2012, Rolling In The Deep won three Grammy Awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Short Form Music Video.

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2015: Black Sabbath received a lifetime achievement award at the Ivor Novello songwriting awards. Guitarist Tony Iommi picked up the trophy and confirmed that the band would embark on their "final tour" the following year.

 

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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