On this day in 1981: On Saturday, August 1, 1981, at 12:01 AM (Eastern Time), MTV was officially launched with the words “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll,” spoken by John Lack and played over footage of the first Space Shuttle launch countdown of Columbia (which took place earlier that year) and of the launch […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 31st
On this day in 1980: During an Eagles concert at Long Beach, California, tempers boiled over between Glen Frey and Don Felder, who spent the entire show describing to each other the beating each planned to administer backstage. “Only three more songs until I kick your ass, pal,” Frey told Felder. The group’s next album was […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 30th
On this day in 1986: Variety magazine reported that RCA had dropped John Denver from its roster after the release of his single, ‘What Are We Making Weapons For’. Variety said the song upset the record company’s new owner, General Electric, one of the largest defense contractors in the US. On this day in 1987: […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 29th
On this day in 1989: Martika started her second and final week at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Toy Soldiers.” Martika wrote the song about a friend who was battling a cocaine addiction. “I was a little hesitant because I had only written two songs before and they were light songs. I came […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 28th
On this day in 1984: Prince began his fourth of five weeks at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “When Doves Cry.” It would go on to be ranked the #1 song for the entire year of 1984 by Billboard Magazine on their year end chart. They would also rank it the #26 song […]
This Day in 80s Music, July 27th
On this day in 1985: Paul Young went to #1 on the U.S. singles chart with his version of the Daryl Hall song ‘Every Time You Go Away’. “Everytime You Go Away” is a song written and composed by Daryl Hall. It was first recorded in 1980 by the American duo Hall & Oates but was not […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 26th
On this day in 1980: The Rolling Stones started a seven week run at #1 on the U.S. album chart with ‘Emotional Rescue’, the group’s eighth U.S. #1 album. Emotional Rescue was the first Rolling Stones album recorded following Keith Richards’ exoneration from a Toronto drug charge that could have landed him in jail for years. On this […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 25th
On this day in 1980: AC/DC released their sixth internationally released studio album ‘Back In Black’, the first AC/DC album recorded without former lead singer Bon Scott who died on February 19, 1980 at the age of 33. The album has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide to date, making it one of the […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 24th
On this day in 1982: Survivor started a six week run at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with ‘Eye Of The Tiger’, taken from the film ‘Rocky III’. Also #1 in the U.K. Survivor won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance for the song. The song was released as a single from their […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 23rd
On this day in 1983: The Police kicked off the North American leg of their Synchronicity 107-date world tour at Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois. The Police also went to #1 on the US album chart with ‘Synchronicity’, which spent a total of seventeen weeks at #1. On this day in 1984: The Cars released ‘Drive’ […]