Today in rock history: on this date in 1982, German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk occupied the No. 1 spot on the U.K. singles chart with its double-A sided single, "The Model"/"Computer Love". The accomplishment marked the very first time a German artist had ever achieved a No. 1 hit single in England. The popular single remained on the chart for 21 weeks and proved to be the group's most successful hit single in Britain. Besides being forefathers of electronic music, the group was also pivotal in the creation of electro-funk as the forerunner in that genre, famed DJ Afrika Bambaataa, sampled Kraftwerk's music often.
COMPUTER LOVING
Weddingbahn: This Tampa couple had full-on Kraftwerk nuptials — look
Today in rock history: on this date in 1945, Robert Nesta Marley was born in Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica. Shortening his birth name to Bob, the multi-talented singer, guitarist and songwriter was responsible for introducing a wide audience to reggae music thanks to the amazing run of fantastic albums he released throughout his lifetime. His string of hit singles still inspire and sound timeless today. With his band The Wailers, Marley gained the reputation for being a great live act and is usually regarded as the quintessential artist in the genre of reggae music. Marley sadly passed away in 1981 at the young age of 36, but he left behind an enormous amount of uplifting music and hit albums; among them is Legend, a collection of many of his hits that owns the distinction of being the best-selling reggae album of all time with nearly 30 million copies sold worldwide. Read about the time Marley plays Tampa's jai alai fronton in our 2017 Music Issue.
MUSIC ISSUE 2017
Music Issue: Where the music played — historic Tampa Bay venues
Today in rock history: on this date in 1962, Guns 'n' Roses lead singer Axl Rose was born in Lafayette, Indiana. Named William Bruce Rose Jr. at birth, Rose made his way to Southern California in the early 1980s to try his luck as a working musician. Working with a variety of bands before forming the nucleus of Guns 'n' Roses, Axl and the band quickly became known around the Hollywood club scene and gained a huge following. Signed to Geffen Records greatly in part to the attention it had attracted as an unsigned band, the band's debut, Appetite For Destruction became a surprise hit and catapulted the band to worldwide recognition and in turn became one of the best-selling debut albums in rock history with nearly 18 million copies sold in the United States alone. Rose remains occupied with tours with the partially-reformed band and recently served as lead singer for AC/DC to fulfill live concert dates that band had booked before its split with full-time lead singer, Brian Johnson. Read our review of GNR's latest Miami show here.
FIRE AND FURY
Review: Guns N' Roses rocks Miami's Marlins Park
Today in rock history: on this date in 1987, the film "Light of Day" opened at theaters across the country. The film featured the dramatic acting debut of rocker Joan Jett who portrayed the sister and bandmate of the film's star, Michael J. Fox. Fox was praised for his shift to a more serious role after being associated with comedies and more lighthearted roles. The film's title song was written and contributed by Bruce Springsteen and featured Jett on lead vocals in the film. The song also appeared on the album's soundtrack album, which also featured Fox on vocals as well as songs by Bon Jovi, Dave Edmunds and Ian Hunter. The film was reviewed positively but unfortunately didn't make much impact at the box office.
This article appears in Feb 1-8, 2018.