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Today in rock history: On this date in 2009, Super Bowl XLIII took place at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium. The excitement from the contest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals was heightened by an outstanding halftime show from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The NFL had long hoped to have The Boss at its big game, and the league’s efforts paid off when the work of countless local volunteers helped pull off a 13-minute spectacle that was capped off with Springsteen’s memorable slide across the width of the stage.
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Today in rock history: On this date in 1972, Neil Young released his landmark, fourth solo album, Harvest. Fueled by the success of two hit singles — “Old Man” and “Heart of Gold” — it was Young’s most popular album to date and climbed all the way to no. 1 on Billboard’s pop albums chart where it stayed for two weeks; it wound up being the best-selling U.S. album of that year. Featuring a slew of guest artists like James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt and former bandmates Stephen Stills, David Crosby and Graham Nash, many of Young’s fans consider Harvest to be the quintessential Neil Young album.
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Today in rock history: On this date in 1979, “Heart of Glass” — a disco pop single by American new wave band Blondie — held the no. 1 spot on British singles charts. The song was a departure from the band’s gritty and street smart sound — which upset the purists — but it introduced the band to a demographic and became the first of six no. 1 hits the band would eventually score in the U.K. (it took three more months for the song to take in the U.S.).
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Today in rock history: On this date in 1988, Boston new wave and pop band The Cars — which formed in ‘76 — officially announced its breakup. The Cars’ self-titled 1978 gem of an album produced hits like “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Good Times Roll” and “Just What I Needed,” and several more hit albums and singles would follow. The band also became mainstays on MTV thanks to clever and eye-catching music videos, which ensnared a brand new audience of young record buyers who were, no doubt, previously unaware of the band’s earlier musical achievements. Although the break up allowed several of the band’s members — including lead singer and guitarist Ric Ocasek, bassist Benjamin Orr and lead guitarist Elliot Easton — to release their solo albums, the band would later reunite to record new music and to accept its rightful induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
This article appears in Jan 31 – Feb 7, 2019.