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Today in rock history: on this date in 1972, T. Rex released its landmark album, The Slider. Following up the 1971 monster breakthrough album Electric Warrior was no easy feat; Marc Bolan and company had made waves here in the States with their hit single “Get It On (Bang A Gong)” and T. Rextacy was in full swing in Great Britain. Bolan-mania was at its peak as glam rock took over the airwaves and dominated record sales throughout England. What followed was another smash hit for Marc. The Slider featured the T. Rex signature singles “Metal Guru” and “Telegram Sam” which were both no.1 hits in England. The album sold well too; it cracked the top 5 in the U.K. and the top 20 in the U.S. As one of the essential records of its time and an integral part of the glam rock movement, this is Marc Bolan and T. Rex at their peak. This amazing record turns 45 years old today and it still rocks as hard as it ever did
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1971, heavy metal band Black Sabbath released its third album, Master of Reality. Often referred to as the direct gateway to later metal sub-genres that would surface (i.e. stoner rock and doom metal,) the record is always cited as a favorite among Sabbath fans and is often considered to be one of the most important metal albums of all time. Containing Sabbath staples like “Sweet Leaf” and “Into The Void," this was the only of the classic Black Sabbath releases to crack the Top 10 on U.S. rock album charts while climbing as high as no. 5 on sales charts in the band’s native England.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1977, amid massive protests against the filth and the fury that some angry British fans felt the Sex Pistols peddled, the band made its television debut on the popular weekly English music program, Top Of The Pops. The band lip synched to its song “Pretty Vacant” and attracted a huge television audience consisting of viewers who welcomed the new sound and image the band portrayed as well as those who continued to be outraged by the Pistols' mere existence.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1987, Los Angeles area hard rock band Guns N’ Roses released its now legendary debut album, Appetite For Destruction. Under Geffen Records the band had built up a solid following in southern California, but this new the album took the world by storm. What’s become the best-selling debut record of all time was steeped in controversy upon its release; the first pressing depicted a highly offensive cover that was deemed borderline pornography by some retailers who refused to stock it based on the artwork. An alternate cover featuring the now well-known cross artwork with illustrated caricatures of all five band members replaced the controversial cover, and there was no stopping the momentum the band and the record would soon embark on. A relentless touring schedule, heavy exposure on MTV and on rock radio paired with the bad boy antics of lead singer Axl Rose and guitarist Slash sent the band on a meteoric rise to the top. The record contained a slew of hit singles and has gone on to sell in excess of 30 million copies worldwide. The landmark record thrilled and excited listeners all around the world. It remains beloved and revered by rock and roll fans of all ages.
This article appears in Jul 20-27, 2017.