March 14th

1973 

ABBA released 'Ring Ring' the title track of their debut album. It gave the group their first appearance on the UK singles chart where it peaked at No.32 and became their first Swedish No.1 and first Australian top 10 hit.

1978 

Blondie were at No.2 on the UK chart with their version of the Randy & the Rainbows song 'Denis', (originally titled "Denise') and taken from the band's second studio album, Plastic Letters (1978). The track was kept off the No.1 position by Kate Bush's 'Wuthering Heights'.

https://deezer.page.link/bjUuLSG1GpF7MRF48

1987 

Boy George scored his first UK No.1 single as a solo artist with the David Gates song 'Everything I Own'. Originally recorded by Gates's band Bread for their 1972 album Baby, I'm a Want You, the song was also a UK No.1 for Ken Boothe in 1974.

https://deezer.page.link/Y5EQ9tiu5SY2RKUR8

August 21, 2015. After the Westboro Baptist Church, famous for their anti-gay demonstrations, staged a protest before a Foo Fighters concert in Kansas City, the band responded by driving a truck in front of the demonstrators and Rickrolling them by blasting a version of Rick Astley's hit 'Never Gonna Give You Up.'

January 7th

1971 

Black Sabbath released 'Paranoid' their second studio album in the US. The album features the band's best-known signature songs, including the title track, 'Iron Man' and 'War Pigs'. The album was originally titled War Pigs, but allegedly the record company changed it to Paranoid, fearing backlash from supporters of the ongoing Vietnam War.

1980 

Pink Floyd released 'Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)' in the US. The single peaked at No.1 on both the US and UK charts, giving Pink Floyd their first and only No.1 hit single. The single went to No.1 in many other countries, including Australia, Germany and Italy.

Born Today In Music January 8th

1935 - Elvis Presley

American singer, musician and actor Elvis Aaron Presley, the King of rock 'n' roll. He had his first No.1 in 1956 with the US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Heartbreak Hotel'. His first UK No.1 single was in 1957, with 'All Shook Up'. Presley went on to have over 100 US and UK Top 40 singles from 1956 - 2006. Presley is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century, with estimated record sales of around 600 million units worldwide. He holds several records, including the most albums charted on the Billboard 200, the most No.1 albums by a solo artist on the UK Albums Chart, and the most No.1 singles by any act on the UK Singles Chart. Presley died on the bathroom floor of his Graceland mansion on August 16th 1977 age 42.

1947 - David Bowie

David Bowie English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, painter and actor. His first UK Top 40 single was the 1969 'Space Oddity' which became a UK No.1 in 1975, plus over 50 other UK Top 40 hits including five No.1's. Bowie has also scored two US No.1 singles, the 1975 'Fame' and 1983 'Let's Dance'. His music and stagecraft significantly influencing popular music and during his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at 140 million worldwide, made him one of the world's best-selling music artists. Bowie died from liver cancer at his New York home on 10 January 2016.

1969 - R Kelly

American singer, writer, and producer R. Kelly, who had the 1994 US No.1 single 'Bump N' Grind' and the 1997 UK No.1 single 'I Believe I Can Fly'. In 1996, he received a Grammy Award nomination for writing and producing Michael Jackson's single 'You Are Not Alone' which also won a Guinness World Record as the first song in history to debut at No.1 on the Billboard Chart. On July 11, 2019, Kelly was arrested on federal charges alleging sex crimes, human trafficking, child pornography, racketeering, and obstruction of justice. In 2022, Kelly was convicted of three child pornography charges and three charges of enticing a minor. He was sentenced to serve 31 years imprisonment. As of 2023, Kelly is incarcerated at FCI Butner Medium I. He is scheduled for release on December 21, 2045, when he will be 78 years old.

August 22, 2016. It was reported that pills seized from the home of Prince contained the dangerously powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl but were mislabelled. Officials investigating the artist's death said the pills were labelled as hydrocodone, a weaker type of opioid. Autopsy results released in June revealed Prince died of an accidental fentanyl overdose.

July 18 , 1960 

Brenda Lee went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I'm Sorry' it made No.12 in the UK. 

@Nina Nebo Thank you Nina. I love the song Tie A Yellow Ribbon, and also Blurred Lines. Thanks for the memories. Time just goes so quick. Cheers. Ken. 🙂

March 19th

1971 

T Rex were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Hot Love.' The group's first of four UK No.1's spent six weeks at the top of the charts. The two performances of the song in March 1971 on Top of the Pops, which saw Bolan dressed for the first time on television in shiny satin stagewear and glittery make-up were a crucial trigger for the glam rock movement.

2005 

50 Cent became the first solo artist to have three singles in the US Top 5. 'Candy Shop' was at No.1 with 'How We Do' by The Game, (a member of his G-Unit group) at No.4 and 'Disco Inferno' at No.5.

https://deezer.page.link/DyXq9KYn139Kbd7r5

2016 

I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It the second studio album by The 1975 went to No.1 on the US chart becoming the album with the longest title of a Billboard No.1 album with 71 characters.

https://deezer.page.link/ZT6KGzT2UgtoeWji6

March 20th

1961 

Elvis Presley started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Surrender', his fifth No.1 of the 60s. It also made No.1 in the UK. The song was based on the 1911 Italian song, 'Return To Sorrento.'

https://deezer.page.link/CJK7RQTfNqRcHJqx5

1982 

Joan Jett And The Blackhearts started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll', a No.4 hit in the UK. The song had been a B-side from 60s bands The Arrows.

1993

Shaggy was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Oh Carolina', the Jamaican singer's first of four UK No.1's.

https://deezer.page.link/NpcU9J57N5qgJRnF8

February 19th

1977 

Leo Sayer had his only UK No.1 single with the Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager song 'When I Need You.' Both Celine Dion and Cliff Richard have scored hits with the song.

https://deezer.page.link/KGFsV1HQ9DupvwL36

1977 

Manfred Mann's Earth Band scored a No.1 single in the US with their version of the Bruce Springsteen song 'Blinded By The Light.' The track was the first single from Springsteen's 1973 debut album Greetings from Asbury Park N.J. The Earth Band's version features several changed lyrics. The most prominent change is in the chorus, where Springsteen's "cut loose like a deuce" is replaced with "revved up like a deuce." Springsteen himself has said that it was not until Manfred Mann rewrote the song to be about a "feminine hygiene product" that it became popular.

https://deezer.page.link/szhb6GqsXorxWcf67

1983 

Kajagoogoo had their only UK No.1 single with 'Too Shy'. Also a hit in other European countries, 5 weeks at No.1 in Germany, a Top 5 hit in Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, and Netherlands. The group had four other Top 40 hits UK hits.

April 23rd

1976

Ramones released their eponymous debut album. The front cover depicts the band members standing in a line leaning against a brick wall, taken by Roberta Bayley. The cover was ranked No.58 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Album Covers.

1983  

David Bowie started a three week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with the Nile Rodgers produced 'Let's Dance', featuring the title track which made No. 1 on the US and UK singles chart and 'China Girl.'

https://deezer.page.link/7vGGfRSmGrSjruoY8

1988  

Iron Maiden went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son', their second No.1 LP.

https://deezer.page.link/r2kJrdunqTZiFYic9

May 9th

1964 

Louis Armstrong went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Hello Dolly' making him the oldest artist to hit No.1 at the age of 62. The song, which marked Armstrong’s biggest-selling single, remained on the Billboard Hot 100 for 22 weeks – the longest stint for any track that year.

1967 

Sandie Shaw was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Puppet On A String'. This week's two highest new entries were Jimi Hendrix with 'The Wind Cries Mary' and The Kinks 'Waterloo Sunset'.

https://deezer.page.link/2UxwqCpBeYkKkqX28

1970

Guess Who started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'American Woman', it was the group's sixth Top 30 hit and only chart topper. The song was born by accident when guitarist Randy Bachman was playing a heavy riff on stage after he had broken a string, the other members joined in on the jam. A fan in the audience who had recorded the gig on tape presented it to the group after the show and they developed it into a full song.

https://deezer.page.link/eLuS2avCrnZi3cMo8