Tag: 1981

08-Aug

This Day In Music, August 8th

On this day in 1981: MTV broadcast its first stereo concert with REO Speedwagon performing in Denver, Colorado, The band had just released the album Hi Infidelity and performed the hit singles, ‘Keep On Loving You,’ ‘Take It On the Run’ and ‘Don’t Let Him Go.’ On this day in 1987: U2 scored their second […]

06-Aug

This Day In Music, August 6th

On this day in 1981: Stevie Nicks released her first solo album ‘Bella Donna’ which contained four top 40 U.S. hits. ‘Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around’, (with Tom Petty), ‘Leather and Lace’, (with Don Henley), ‘Edge of Seventeen’ and ‘After the Glitter Fades.’ On this day in 1982: Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ starring Bob Geldof opened […]

01-Aug

This Day In Music, August 1st

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 […]

25-Jul

This Day In 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 […]

11-Jul

This Day In Music, July 11th

On this day in 1981: The Specials had their second and final U.K. #1 single with ‘Ghost Town’. Despite being a song about Coventry, the band chose to film the video of themselves driving a Vauxhall Cresta around some empty London streets. On this day in 1982: Phil Collen, former guitarist with the glam rock […]

03-Jul

This Day In Music, July 3rd

On this day in 1981: Kim Carnes was enjoying her SIXTH week in the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Bette Davis Eyes.’ “Bette Davis Eyes” is a song originally written and composed by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon in 1974, but made popular by American singer Kim Carnes in 1981. Carnes’ 1981 version spent […]

22-Jun

This Day In Music, June 22nd

On this day in 1981: Mark David Chapman pleaded guilty to the charge of murdering John Lennon in December of 1980. He was later sentenced to 20 years to life. On this day in 1985: Bryan Adams started a two week run at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with ‘Heaven’, his first #1 single, it […]

19-Jun

This Day In Music, June 19th

On this day in 1981: Stars on 45 ended Kim Carnes’ FIVE week run at #1 with their “Stars on 45 Medley” titled “INTRO VENUS/SUGAR SUGAR/NO REPLY/I’LL BE BACK/DRIVE MY CAR/ DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET/WE CAN WORK IT OUT/I SHOULD HAVE KNOWNBETTER/NOWHERE MAN/YOU’RE GOING TO LOSE THAT GIRL/STARS ON 45″ This single […]

15-Jun

This Day In Music, June 15th

On this day in 1981: Duran Duran released their debut studio album which reached #3 on the U.K. Albums Chart and remained in the U.K. top 100 for 118 weeks. In the US the album reached #10 on the Billboard 200, and spent 87 weeks on that chart. Singles from the album included the U.K. […]

03-Jun

This Day In Music, June 3rd

On this day in 1981: Let’s take a look at the Top 10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for this day in 1981: 1 1 BETTE DAVIS EYES –•– Kim Carnes (EMI-America)-10 (3 weeks at #1) (1)2 2 BEING WITH YOU –•– Smokey Robinson (Tamla)-16 (2)3 5 MEDLEY: INTRO VENUS/SUGAR SUGAR/NO REPLY/I’LL BE BACK/DRIVE […]

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