Today in rock history: on this date in 1926, Charles Edward Anderson Berry was born in St. Louis, Missouri. More commonly known as Chuck Berry, one of the true architects of rock and roll and one of the most influential musical figures of the 20th century. Berry’s distinctive guitar licks, his poetic lyrics and his animated onstage moves made him instantly stand out, and his presence helped usher in the beginnings of rock and roll music. Essential hits like “Maybellene,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Around and Around” and “Roll Over Beethoven” among many more made a huge impact on bands like The Beach Boys, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones among countless other acts. An integral figure in music history, Berry sadly passed away this past March at the age of 90, but he left behind a musical legacy and catalog that ranks as one of the most important by any recording artist in the history of recorded music.
Today in rock history: on this date in 1988, record stores offered a variety of new releases that appealed to many music buyers of different tastes. California all-female pop/rock band The Bangles released its third studio album, Everything. The record produced two major hits: the 60s-inspired rocker “In Your Room” and the plaintive ballad “Eternal Flame,” which would prove to be the band’s biggest hits, reaching the no. 1 spot on sales charts all around the world.
Today in rock history, on this date in 1988. A new, fictional supergroup of sorts, The Traveling Wilburys released its debut album, The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1. An instant hit upon its release, the band consisted of Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, George Harrison and Bob Dylan under the guise of the fictional Wilbury Brothers. Two hit singles from this well-loved album — “Handle With Care” and “End Of The Line” — went on to win a Grammy award and sold in excess of three million copies in the U.S. alone.
On this day is rock history, also in 1988, New York City underground alternative band Sonic Youth released the crown jewel in its catalog, the band's fifth album, Daydream Nation. Widely recognized as one of the most important and integral records of the 1980s, the record instantly gained notoriety and critical accolades upon its release and topped several end of the year “best of” lists as ’88 came to a close. Issued on CD and double-vinyl upon its release, the record has remained one of the most widely regarded releases in American alternative indie rock.
Today in rock history: on this date in 1985, after being known formerly as Southern Death Cult and then Death Cult, former goth inspired British rock band The Cult released its breakthrough album, Love. The album was a massive success in the U.K. producing the hits “Rain,” “Revolution” and the American darkwave dance club staple, “She Sells Sanctuary.” The album remained on British sales charts for over 20 weeks and all of its singles cracked the Top 40 as well.
Today in rock history: on this date in 1983, pop music’s best-selling duo of all time, Daryl Hall and John Oates, released their first ever greatest hits collection, the aptly titled Rock 'n Soul Part 1. Consisting of many of the pair’s hits dating back to the mid-1970s, the collection came at a time when Hall and Oates was at its commercial peak, having recently scored a string of hit singles and albums and were regularly featured MTV stars. The recorded appended two brand new songs to the well-known hits that would eventually be chart-toppers in their own right: “Say It Isn’t So” and “Adult Education” peaked at no. 2 and no. 8, respectively, on Billboard’s Hot 100 charts and would make a strong showing on R&B charts as well. The album itself peaked at no. 8 in America and sold over two million copies in the U.S. alone. Original copies included a fold-out 1984 calendar that featured several of the duo’s album covers pictured on each of its months.
This article appears in Oct 12-19, 2017.