On this day in 1983, the Dire Straits single “Industrial Disease” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #86 ( January 8 )
The verses are full of Mark Knopfler’s wry observations, and it’s a bit different to the standard Dire Straits fare, but I’ve always liked this one, as one of the songs to the soundtrack of my first year at Uni…
The song from the album “Love Over Gold” was released as a single in the US, and as a rare B-side to "Private Investigations" on cassette tape in the UK.
It didn’t do especially well in the US, peaking at just #75 on the Hot 100, and #9 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart.
Click on the link below to watch:
The incomparable David Bowie was born David Robert Jones in London, England, on this day in 1947 ( January 8 )
Bowie has been one of the most creative forces in rock history, and a man who always seemed to be ahead of his time musically, constantly exploring, pushing the boundaries and re-inventing himself as an artist.
His career is littered with groundbreaking songs like “Space Oddity”, “Life on Mars”, “Starman”, “Ashes to Ashes”, “Changes”, “Ziggy Stardust”, “Fame”, “Heroes”, “Fashion”, “Young Americans”, “Cat People (Putting out Fire)”, and his collaboration with Queen, “Under Pressure”.
He stopped touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006.
During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at over 100 million records worldwide, made him one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and he has won no less than six Grammy Awards.
Four of his songs are included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list includes five Bowie albums, and on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, Rolling Stone includes seven Bowie songs.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
Rolling Stone named him among the greatest artists in history and – after his death – the "greatest rock star ever".
On 10 January 2016, Bowie passed away from liver cancer in his New York City apartment, aged 69.
Click on the link below to watch his classic “Starman”:
Singer and actor Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on this day in 1935 ( January 8 )
Dubbed “The King of Rock and Roll”, Elvis is arguably the most influential figure in the history of rock.
John Lennon said that "Nothing really affected me until Elvis."
Bob Dylan described the sensation of first hearing Presley as "like busting out of jail".
Little Richard said of Presley, "He was an integrator. Elvis was a blessing. They wouldn't let black music through. He opened the door for black music."
Al Green agreed: "He broke the ice for all of us."
He dominated the medium like no other, with his looks, his moves and his music an irresistible combo, resulting in swooning fans and wide-eyed devotees around the world.
He also inspired a legion of impersonators.
Having sold over 500 million records worldwide, Presley is recognized as the best-selling solo music artist of all time by Guinness World Records.
He was commercially successful in many genres, including pop, country, R&B, adult contemporary, and gospel.
Presley won three Grammy Awards, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame.
He holds several records, including the most RIAA certified gold and platinum albums, the most albums charted on the Billboard 200, the most #1 albums by a solo artist on the UK Albums Chart, and the most #1 singles by any act on the UK Singles Chart.
Elvis passed away on August 16, 1977, aged 42.
Click on the link below to watch Elvis at his best doing “Heartbreak Hotel”:
Loverboy lead singer Mike Reno was born Joseph Michael Rynoski in British Columbia, Canada, on this day in 1955 ( January 8 )
Loverboy’s hits “Turn Me Loose” and “Working for the Weekend” became early 80s rock staples, as the Canadian band chalked up four multi-platinum albums and sold millions of records around the world.
Reno is also responsible for one of the best screams in rock, at around the 1 minute 33 sec mark of “Turn Me Loose”.
Except for a brief breakup from 1988 to 1991, the band has continued to perform live shows regularly.
Reno also contributed songs to several popular 80s movies, such as a duet with Ann Wilson of Heart, "Almost Paradise", for the movie “Footloose”, “Heaven in Your Eyes" for the movie “Top Gun”, and "Chasing the Angels" for the soundtrack to “Iron Eagle II”.
Click on the link below to watch the Loverboy clip for “Turn me Loose”:
On this day in 1984, the Matthew Wilder single “Break My Stride” debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #79 ( January 8 )
“Break My Stride” went on to become a major worldwide hit for Wilder, reaching #1 in Norway, #3 in New Zealand, Ireland and Belgium, #4 in the UK and South Africa, #5 in Canada and the US, #6 in Australia, and #7 in Germany.
But the song has had a few incarnations over the decades, which shows what a catchy tune it is…
In 1996, Austrian duo Unique II covered Wilder’s “Break My Stride”, sending it to #1 in Austria and New Zealand, #2 in Australia, #3 in the Czech Republic, and #9 in Denmark and Ireland.
And in 2004, "Break My Stride" was covered again by German band Blue Lagoon and became a hit in several European countries, including Austria, Germany, Sweden and Denmark, where it reached the Top 10.
Click on the link below to watch the original “Break My Stride”:
On this day in 1978, the Plastic Bertrand single “Ça Plane Pour Moi” peaked on the Australian charts at #2 ( January 8 )
The song was released by Plastic Bertrand, in 1977, though its vocals were actually performed by Lou Deprijck, the record's producer and composer.
It’s been covered by many artists, though Plastic Bertrand's original recording was the most successful, eventually reaching #2 in Australia, #1 in France and Switzerland, #2 in the Netherlands, #4 in Ireland, #6 in Germany, #7 in New Zealand, and #8 in the UK.
While mainly regarded as a punk song, "Ça plane pour moi" has also been described as parody punk and as new wave.
The song's name is a French idiomatic expression that is best translated as "everything's going well for me" (literally: "it is gliding for me")…
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1978, the Bill Withers single “Lovely Day” debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #30 ( January 8 )
The song written by Withers and Skip Scarborough appears on Withers's 1977 album “Menagerie”.
Skip Scarborough was a songwriter and producer who worked with Earth, Wind & Fire, Patti Labelle, LTD, and many other R&B stars before his death in 2003.
He was also the inspiration for the lyrics Withers came up with.
In a Songfacts interview with Bill Withers, he explained: "Skip was a very nice, gentle man.
The way Skip was, every day was just a lovely day. He was an optimist.”
It’s a unique song, in that his “daaaaaaaaaay” towards the end, at 18 seconds long, is one of the longest sustained note ever recorded on an American pop song.
It went all the way to #1 in France, #7 in the UK, #11 in Belgium, #18 in Austria, #23 in Canada, #24 in the Netherlands, and #30 in the US.
The song was listed at #402 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time" in 2021.
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1977, the Electric Light Orchestra LP “A New World Record” peaked on the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart at #5 ( January 8 )
After ELO’s previous three studio recordings failed to chart in their home market, “A New World Record” became their first Top 10 album in the UK.
It was also the first album to feature the now-familiar ELO logo, designed by Kosh, which went on to feature on the band’s subsequent releases…
The album contained some big hit singles, including "Livin' Thing", the transatlantic Top Ten hit "Telephone Line", which became the band's first gold US single, and the UK Top Ten hit "Rockaria!".
In 2006, ELO mastermind Jeff Lynne commented on the album, saying
“The songs started to flow and most of them came quickly to me.
To have all those hits, it was just ...I mean amazing really.
Going from doing okay for probably three or four years to suddenly being in the big time, it was a strange but great thing."
Fun fact: Suzi Quatro’s sister Patti contributes backup vocals on the album.
“A New World Record” went all the way to #1 in Australia, Canada and Sweden, #2 in the Netherlands, #4 in New Zealand, #5 in the US, #6 in the UK, #7 in Germany, and #9 in Germany and Austria.
Click on the link below to watch “Telephone Line”:
The verses are full of Mark Knopfler’s wry observations, and it’s a bit different to the standard Dire Straits fare, but I’ve always liked this one, as one of the songs to the soundtrack of my first year at Uni…
The song from the album “Love Over Gold” was released as a single in the US, and as a rare B-side to "Private Investigations" on cassette tape in the UK.
It didn’t do especially well in the US, peaking at just #75 on the Hot 100, and #9 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart.
Click on the link below to watch:
The incomparable David Bowie was born David Robert Jones in London, England, on this day in 1947 ( January 8 )
Bowie has been one of the most creative forces in rock history, and a man who always seemed to be ahead of his time musically, constantly exploring, pushing the boundaries and re-inventing himself as an artist.
His career is littered with groundbreaking songs like “Space Oddity”, “Life on Mars”, “Starman”, “Ashes to Ashes”, “Changes”, “Ziggy Stardust”, “Fame”, “Heroes”, “Fashion”, “Young Americans”, “Cat People (Putting out Fire)”, and his collaboration with Queen, “Under Pressure”.
He stopped touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006.
During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at over 100 million records worldwide, made him one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and he has won no less than six Grammy Awards.
Four of his songs are included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list includes five Bowie albums, and on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, Rolling Stone includes seven Bowie songs.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
Rolling Stone named him among the greatest artists in history and – after his death – the "greatest rock star ever".
On 10 January 2016, Bowie passed away from liver cancer in his New York City apartment, aged 69.
Click on the link below to watch his classic “Starman”:
Singer and actor Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on this day in 1935 ( January 8 )
Dubbed “The King of Rock and Roll”, Elvis is arguably the most influential figure in the history of rock.
John Lennon said that "Nothing really affected me until Elvis."
Bob Dylan described the sensation of first hearing Presley as "like busting out of jail".
Little Richard said of Presley, "He was an integrator. Elvis was a blessing. They wouldn't let black music through. He opened the door for black music."
Al Green agreed: "He broke the ice for all of us."
He dominated the medium like no other, with his looks, his moves and his music an irresistible combo, resulting in swooning fans and wide-eyed devotees around the world.
He also inspired a legion of impersonators.
Having sold over 500 million records worldwide, Presley is recognized as the best-selling solo music artist of all time by Guinness World Records.
He was commercially successful in many genres, including pop, country, R&B, adult contemporary, and gospel.
Presley won three Grammy Awards, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame.
He holds several records, including the most RIAA certified gold and platinum albums, the most albums charted on the Billboard 200, the most #1 albums by a solo artist on the UK Albums Chart, and the most #1 singles by any act on the UK Singles Chart.
Elvis passed away on August 16, 1977, aged 42.
Click on the link below to watch Elvis at his best doing “Heartbreak Hotel”:
Loverboy lead singer Mike Reno was born Joseph Michael Rynoski in British Columbia, Canada, on this day in 1955 ( January 8 )
Loverboy’s hits “Turn Me Loose” and “Working for the Weekend” became early 80s rock staples, as the Canadian band chalked up four multi-platinum albums and sold millions of records around the world.
Reno is also responsible for one of the best screams in rock, at around the 1 minute 33 sec mark of “Turn Me Loose”.
Except for a brief breakup from 1988 to 1991, the band has continued to perform live shows regularly.
Reno also contributed songs to several popular 80s movies, such as a duet with Ann Wilson of Heart, "Almost Paradise", for the movie “Footloose”, “Heaven in Your Eyes" for the movie “Top Gun”, and "Chasing the Angels" for the soundtrack to “Iron Eagle II”.
Click on the link below to watch the Loverboy clip for “Turn me Loose”:
On this day in 1984, the Matthew Wilder single “Break My Stride” debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #79 ( January 8 )
“Break My Stride” went on to become a major worldwide hit for Wilder, reaching #1 in Norway, #3 in New Zealand, Ireland and Belgium, #4 in the UK and South Africa, #5 in Canada and the US, #6 in Australia, and #7 in Germany.
But the song has had a few incarnations over the decades, which shows what a catchy tune it is…
In 1996, Austrian duo Unique II covered Wilder’s “Break My Stride”, sending it to #1 in Austria and New Zealand, #2 in Australia, #3 in the Czech Republic, and #9 in Denmark and Ireland.
And in 2004, "Break My Stride" was covered again by German band Blue Lagoon and became a hit in several European countries, including Austria, Germany, Sweden and Denmark, where it reached the Top 10.
Click on the link below to watch the original “Break My Stride”:
On this day in 1978, the Plastic Bertrand single “Ça Plane Pour Moi” peaked on the Australian charts at #2 ( January 8 )
The song was released by Plastic Bertrand, in 1977, though its vocals were actually performed by Lou Deprijck, the record's producer and composer.
It’s been covered by many artists, though Plastic Bertrand's original recording was the most successful, eventually reaching #2 in Australia, #1 in France and Switzerland, #2 in the Netherlands, #4 in Ireland, #6 in Germany, #7 in New Zealand, and #8 in the UK.
While mainly regarded as a punk song, "Ça plane pour moi" has also been described as parody punk and as new wave.
The song's name is a French idiomatic expression that is best translated as "everything's going well for me" (literally: "it is gliding for me")…
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1978, the Bill Withers single “Lovely Day” debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #30 ( January 8 )
The song written by Withers and Skip Scarborough appears on Withers's 1977 album “Menagerie”.
Skip Scarborough was a songwriter and producer who worked with Earth, Wind & Fire, Patti Labelle, LTD, and many other R&B stars before his death in 2003.
He was also the inspiration for the lyrics Withers came up with.
In a Songfacts interview with Bill Withers, he explained: "Skip was a very nice, gentle man.
The way Skip was, every day was just a lovely day. He was an optimist.”
It’s a unique song, in that his “daaaaaaaaaay” towards the end, at 18 seconds long, is one of the longest sustained note ever recorded on an American pop song.
It went all the way to #1 in France, #7 in the UK, #11 in Belgium, #18 in Austria, #23 in Canada, #24 in the Netherlands, and #30 in the US.
The song was listed at #402 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time" in 2021.
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1977, the Electric Light Orchestra LP “A New World Record” peaked on the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart at #5 ( January 8 )
After ELO’s previous three studio recordings failed to chart in their home market, “A New World Record” became their first Top 10 album in the UK.
It was also the first album to feature the now-familiar ELO logo, designed by Kosh, which went on to feature on the band’s subsequent releases…
The album contained some big hit singles, including "Livin' Thing", the transatlantic Top Ten hit "Telephone Line", which became the band's first gold US single, and the UK Top Ten hit "Rockaria!".
In 2006, ELO mastermind Jeff Lynne commented on the album, saying
“The songs started to flow and most of them came quickly to me.
To have all those hits, it was just ...I mean amazing really.
Going from doing okay for probably three or four years to suddenly being in the big time, it was a strange but great thing."
Fun fact: Suzi Quatro’s sister Patti contributes backup vocals on the album.
“A New World Record” went all the way to #1 in Australia, Canada and Sweden, #2 in the Netherlands, #4 in New Zealand, #5 in the US, #6 in the UK, #7 in Germany, and #9 in Germany and Austria.
Click on the link below to watch “Telephone Line”:
