On this day today:
1926 - Tony Bennett is born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in Astoria, Queens, New York. He will rise to fame as a renowned singer, and in 1962, he performs "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" for the first time.
1953 - Ian Bairnson, known for his work as a guitarist with Pilot and The Alan Parsons Project, is born in Lerwick, Shetland Isles, Scotland.
1963 - James Hetfield, the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Metallica, is born in Downey, California.
1968 - The Doors hit #1 in America for the second and final time with their single "Hello, I Love You," which tops the charts for the first of two weeks.
1979 - Talking Heads unleash their third studio album, Fear of Music, produced by the influential Brian Eno. The album stands out for its minimalistic one-word track titles, such as "Heaven," "Air," and "Drugs," and showcases the band's experimental edge and innovative approach to new wave music.
1985 - Tears For Fears achieve their second US #1 hit as "Shout" tops the charts for the first of three weeks. The powerful anthem, following the success of "Everybody Wants To Rule The World," solidifies the English synthpop duo's presence in the American music scene.
1985 - Madonna achieved her first UK No.1 single with "Into The Groove," a track featured in the film Desperately Seeking Susan, which starred Madonna alongside Rosanna Arquette. The song became Madonna's best-selling single in the UK, with over 850,000 copies sold.
1987 - After years of delays and anticipation, Def Leppard releases their album Hysteria in the US. This album, known for its polished production and string of hit singles, would go on to become one of the band's most successful records, cementing their place in rock history.
1991 - Pearl Jam performs at the club RKCNDY in Seattle, a pivotal show that is filmed for their first music video, "Alive." Rejecting the common practice of lip-syncing, the band uses live audio from this performance in the video, capturing the raw energy and authenticity that define their early work.
1996 - The Bayside Boys remix of "Macarena," originally a Spanish-language dance song by Los Del Rio, ascends to #1 on the Hot 100. The infectious tune dominates the chart for 14 weeks, becoming a dance craze and a defining hit of the 1990s.
2006 -Arthur Lee, the acclaimed singer and guitarist of the groundbreaking 1960s band Love, passed away in Memphis at 61 due to acute myeloid leukemia. Lee, who famously referred to himself as the "first black hippie," founded Love in Los Angeles in 1965. The band's 1967 album Forever Changes remains highly influential and critically acclaimed.
2021 - British rapper Dave achieved a milestone with his album We're All Alone in This Together, which topped the UK album chart, marking his second consecutive No.1 album.
