On this day in 1983: Neil Young was sued by Geffen Records because his new music for the label was ‘not commercial in nature and musically uncharacteristic of his previous albums’. His latest album Everybody’s Rockin’ featured a selection of rockabilly songs (both covers and original material) which ran for just 25 minutes, Young’s shortest […]
Tag: Billboard Hot 100
This Day In 80s Music, November 30th
On this day in 1982: Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ album was released. ‘Thriller’ was Jackson’s sixth studio album. Reunited with ‘Off the Wall’ producer Quincy Jones, Jackson was inspired to create an album where “every song was a killer”. With the ongoing backlash against disco, Jackson moved in a new musical direction, incorporating pop, post-disco, rock and funk. ‘Thriller’ foreshadows […]
This Day In 80s Music, November 29th
On this day in 1980: John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s ‘Double Fantasy’ album was released. Though initially poorly received, the album is notable for its association with Lennon’s murder three weeks after its release, whereupon it became a worldwide commercial success, and went on to win the 1981 Album of the Year Grammy at the […]
This Day In 80s Music, November 28th
On this day in 1987: Taken from the film ‘Dirty Dancing’, the Jennifer Warnes’ duet with Bill Medley ‘(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life’, went to #1 on the U.S. singles chart. The song has won a number of awards, including an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe Award for Best […]
This Day In 80s Music, November 27th
On this day in 1981: The British Phonographic industry placed advertisements in the press claiming that ‘home taping was wiping out music’. The Boomtown Rats, 10cc, Elton John and Cliff Richard all backed the campaign. On this day in 1982: Lionel Richie went to #1 in the U.S. with ‘Truly’. “Truly” is the debut solo single […]
This Day In 80s Music, November 25th
On this day in 1984: The cream of the British pop world gathered at S.A.R.M. Studios, London to record the historic ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ The single, which was written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, featured Paul Young, Bono, Boy George, Sting and George Michael. It went on to sell over three million copies […]
This Day In 80s Music, November 24th
On this day in 1983: The Irish group The Undertones split up. Lead singer Feargal Sharkey went on to have a #1 U.K. single as a solo artist with ‘A Good Heart’ and later worked in A&R for various record labels, and later became the head of U.K. Music, an umbrella organization representing the collective […]
This Day In 80s Music, November 23rd
On this day in 1987: Billy Idol was enjoying his first and only week at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with ‘Mony Mony.’ Billy Idol knocked Tiffany from the #1 spot on the U.S. singles chart with his version of the Tommy James song. Tiffany had been at #1 for two weeks with another […]
This Day In 80s Music, November 22nd
On this day in 1986: The Human League went to #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Human.” It would spend one week in the top spot. “Human” was released as the first single from their 1986 album ‘Crash’. The track, which deals with the subject of infidelity, was written and produced by Jimmy Jam […]
This Day In 80s Music, November 21st
On this day in 1980: Don Henley was arrested after a naked 16-year old girl was found at his home in Los Angeles suffering from a drug over-dose. He was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and possession of marijuana, cocaine, and Quaaludes. He received a $2,000 fine with two years probation. […]