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Today in rock history: on this date in 1984, Madonna released her breakthrough sophomore album Like A Virgin. Working with ex-Chic mastermind Nile Rodgers (who'd recently worked with David Bowie and helped make his Let's Dance album a worldwide smash), Madonna made an album that appealed to fans of all ages and genres, setting the stage for the Michigan native dancer and singer to become the most popular and successful solo female performer of her time. The record shot straight to the No. 1 spot on album sales charts in America and just about every country around the world. Singles from this one included "Dress You Up," "Material Girl," "Angel" and of course, the title track. Sales for this record have topped 10 million copies in the U.S. alone with worldwide numbers far exceeding that figure.
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Today in rock history: On this date in 1984, Duran Duran released its live album, Arena, which documented an incredibly successful 1983-1984 world tour that helped make the band one of the most popular groups of the era.The record Included one new studio track among the live recordings, "The Wild Boys," which also became a successful hit single. The record, however, was met with some criticism; some questioned the decision to reduce crowd noise to a hush throughout the record, and others complained that key Duran Duran tracks like "Rio" and "Girls on Film" didn't appear on the record. Nonetheless, the lavishly packaged record that came housed in a colorful gatefold sleeve and contained a booklet as an insert was a success and broke into the Top 10 on both British and American album sales charts.
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Today in rock history: On this date in 1984, Hatful of Hollow, a compilation album by The Smiths, was released in the U.K. Containing B-sides, a variety of non-LP tracks and songs recorded for the BBC, the record was an instant success in the band's native England, peaking at No. 7 on album sales charts and remaining on that chart for almost an entire year. Originally unreleased in the U.S., the record was a swift-selling import throughout American record stores. Singles released from this amazing collection included "William, It Was Really Nothing," "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" and "How Soon Is Now?"
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Today in rock history: On this date in 1971, British prog rock giant Genesis released its third studio album, Nursery Cryme. The album is notable in that it contains the band's classic and epic tune "The Musical Box." It is also the first album to feature new members guitarist Steve Hackett and drummer Phil Collins with whom Genesis would create some of its most significant and substantial records.
This article appears in Nov 8-15, 2018.